Mercinus3

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

I have just one Kayla post and a Dullahan post I want to write, but those are just to round everything off before the season ends. Plus, they are easy to do.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

in

Target Locked #10: Thoughts of a Lonely Heart

Location: Minutes from Kayla & Mia’s Apartment, French Quarter, Lost Haven
Time: Night time (~11:30pm)

---

It had been a long journey back home from the manhole entrance near the garage. Still covered in Michael’s blood, Kayla was glad when she drove up to the area she kept her bike recently. While she normally parked it at the apartment complex, her turns as Fletch as well as the attack just outside of her apartment after the bus bomb meant she kept it away to keep her identity as close to a secret as possible. Though that was not without a lack of caution as a few people knew of her identity. First, there is Jai and Racheli. Those two came as close to being her friends as it had been for a long time, despite the annoying flirting between them. Then there’s Michael Garth, learning of her identity after being Rach for a little over 2 days. And although it hadn’t been very explicit in revealing the information, she had a suspicion that if Roadblock looked further into the LHPD HQ raid she pulled off that he would know. Still, there could be worse people to know about her such as the Penose. A topic she needed to get back to now that everything was back to relative normality. Pondering on the thought, she shut the bike and most of her gear in an abandoned garage she managed to buy in the past month before making her way back to her apartment.

Using her agility and quickly developed parkour, Kayla stealthily made it back to her office room in her apartment, silently closing the window as to not wake Mia up if she was in. Archie returned to his perch on a high shelf to sleep for the night. Peering through a crack in the door to the living room and satisfied that Mia was sound asleep, Kayla dove into her room to quickly change out of her clothes into her orange flannel dressing gown. With the bloodied clothes, she hid them under the bed until she had the opportunity to wash them under her roommate’s radar. Satisfied with how the clothes are out of sight, she trundled from the bedroom into the bathroom.

Moments later, hot water was running down from her head as she stepped into the shower. For a moment, with everything hidden by the steam, she fully relaxed as the heat loosened the tension in her shoulders, back and legs. The caked blood slowly came off with the running water, turning the floor of the shower red. Running her fingers through her hair, she slowly began to wash the blood off. In that moment, with her back slightly uncomfortable from the hot water from the minor scald, Kayla thought back to Racheli and Jai’s interactions with each other on their way out from the sewers. She remembered the feeling she had when she noticed them. The gnawing feeling of anger of seeing those two together. No, she thought. If that had been the case with two people flirting with each other, then she would have felt that whenever she saw couples in public. The sadness within of seeing other people happy with each other and her longing for Jason was felt enough and often to know she was feeling something else. It was specifically seeing those two together in that way that changed her emotions. Slowly, the realization of what those feelings were caused Kayla to tense up. That wasn’t anger…

”Am I… getting jealous?” she muttered to herself. She remembered that feeling of jealousy and envy whenever she saw Jason with other women. It was just fleeting as she had upped her game for her ex-fiancé to notice her. Realizing those emotions were back, Kayla slowly lowered herself onto the floor, sitting under the running water of the shower. Placing both her arms on her knees and resting her head on it, she sat there solemnly as her thoughts drifted off to nothing.

After sitting for what seemed to be an age, Kayla got back up and turned the shower off. Standing there drip-drying, she grabbed a cleaning cloth from near the toiler and wiped away whatever was left of the blood. Once it was cleaned enough that the blood seemed to be gone, Kayla reached for a towel and dried herself off before putting her dressing gown on. As she left the bathroom and slowly walked towards her bedroom, Mia’s room door opened slowly. The sleepy blonde-haired Mia peered around the corner, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes to figure out where the sound was coming from.

“Oh hey, Kayla,” Mia spoke groggily, stepping around to reveal the pink pajama set with repeating Pusheen motifs on the trousers and a big Pusheen unicorn on her sleeveless top. “Didn’t hear you come in.”

”Sorry if I woke you up, Mia,” Kayla replied, stopping by the door to her room. ”Tried to be as quiet as possible, you needing your sleep and everything.”

Mia yawned. “Don’t worry about it. Haven’t been sleeping well for the past month now, with everything.”

It couldn’t be helped that Kayla yawned, the exertions of the evening finally catching up to her. Still, she couldn’t help but frown. ”Any news on Mark?”

“Unfortunately, he still hasn’t woken up yet. But he’s looking better to the point he might wake up soon.”

”That’s at least good to hear.” She smiled faintly before turning to head in her room.

“So how did your evening go? Had fun with Jai and Racheli?”

Kayla froze for a moment. A pang of the mixed emotions was etched on her hidden face. “Yeah, everything went ok. I’ll talk more about it in the morning, ok?”

Mia pursed her lips in annoyance. “I suppose that you do need your sleep after a long day. But I want all the juicy deets.”

With the goodnights said, both women retired for the night. Kayla took down her night medication and slipped under her duvet. Her thoughts returned to the image of Jai and Racheli in the sewer. Feeling more upset than before, she curled up into a ball and allowed for sleep to take her.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

&



In

Chapter 2: Shadowy Dealings

---

Location: An unknown building, somewhere in Crown Ridge, Maine

Richard Midas hated the city of Crown Ridge. It was a decrepit cesspool that seemed to be on the constant verge of collapsing in on itself. However, at the same time, he saw a city of unlimited potential, assuming that the city’s wilder elements could be tamed. Should that happen, opportunities were endless.

Which is why he was here on this night. The arrangement that he had entered into with The Eye of Osiris, while still in its infancy, could prove to be a lucrative one, in more ways than one. Indeed, Midas stood to gain a lot by partnering with The Eye, more than just money, this partnership offered Midas a chance at real power. Although the upside to this arrangement was limitless, there were also some real risks, and the legality of their business was not one of them.

While Dullahan had done a remarkable job of keeping his name and his organization out of the limelight, he was still notorious to those in the know. He was not one to suffer fools or failures, and he was known to punish those who did not live up to his expectations harshly. In a way, Dullahan reminded Midas of himself, however, the crime lord was much more savage than the billionaire.

Midas respected that.

“Keep that close.” Midas said as he gazed at the briefcase which Peter Jordan had clutched in his grasp. The briefcase held a gift for Dullahan, one which could potentially elevate the Eye of Osiris to heights that not even their ambitious leader could have ever hoped. “That thing might as well be filled with gold.”

Jordan looked to his employer and nodded. Everyone in the limo knew just how important this meeting was, and unlike the fiasco with the delivery of the Daybreak device, everything had to go smoothly. However, unlike the intentional theft of a billion-dollar device, there was a very little inherent risk with this meeting.

“We’re almost there.” Sparks said as the limo rounded the final turn before they reached their destination. The limo traveled several more blocks before pulling into a small lot in front of a nondescript building, and then proceeded around the back of the building. As the limo came to a stop in front of several armed guards, Midas looked to Jordan and Sparks.

“It looks like we’re here,” Midas said with a grin as he opened the limo door and stepped out of the car.

-----

It had been a few days since the meeting at the warehouse between Ms. Sparks and Anhur. Dullahan and Sobek returned to Crown Ridge after checking in on a few of the issues that came from New York, Montu remaining behind to make sure that everything that was corrected during the visit remained that way for the following few weeks. Sitting back in the chair in the office, the Eye leader sat and watched as Anhur recounted the details of the meeting that occurred in his absence. While it was expected for another meeting between both him and the CEO of Midas Industries was to take place, the notion that Midas didn’t turn up to meet Anhur was disappointing but completely expected. After all, he would be a fool to think that the man that blew up Chinatown and covered it up with War-Pulse as the scapegoat would show up at the first meeting. And likewise, Dullahan thought that Midas was no fool to think that he himself would show up to the meeting. Especially when Midas had an asset such as Allison Sparks.

Dullahan listened to the skull-faced man as he poured through the details of the report that no doubt Anhur didn’t fully check. A lot of the things that were in there were accounted for in the shipment information, including the specifications for the Daybreak. He heard that there were some complications in its delivery, but it was due to arrive in the next few days to ‘reduce the heat’. While there was a list of things that were already obtained and what was to be delivered, but he looked through the things that could be offered to The Eye as well. He had to admit, there were a few things that were attractive.

“But honestly, Sobek,” Anhur piped up, seemingly exasperated that the second-in-command was unfazed by what had been said. “You should have seen her body! And boy… was she a good fuck!”

“I honestly don’t care about your sexual escapades while we were out of state,” the brown-haired Sobek replied. “You had one job to do while we were out of state. Granted, you did do that job well in order to secure the meeting later today… But you don’t need to go into that much detail. God, I don’t think I’ll be able to get your naked ass out of my imagery for the next few weeks.”

Anhur raised his arms in further exasperation. “I figured you’d say that, but don’t forget you did say give you the details of what happened in that meeting. And I’m giving you those details, including all the rounds we spent with me dumping my…”

”Enough.” Both men dropped the argument as Dullahan spoke with a slightly irritated tone. ”We got all the details we need of the meeting, we do not want to hear about your latest notch. Honestly, this bickering is starting to piss me off.”

Just as he finished, all three men heard a knock at the door. They turned as it opened to reveal Dirk, Anhur’s second-in-command, showing the doorway to three figures. The skull-faced man instantly recognized Allison walking with them. Dullahan relaxed into the chair, his glowing red eyes peering through his helmet at the trio entering the room. While it hadn’t affected Sobek and Anhur as much as before, but the atmosphere seemed to turn tenebrous with a sense of unease. It was enough to make the most stalwart of people nervous.

“I see that our esteemed guests have arrived,” Sobek spoke up, dismissing Dirk as he greeted Midas and his entourage. His hand pointed at the already prepared seats on the other side of the desk. “I hope your journey was pleasant. Please, have a seat. Would any of you want a drink for the meeting?” Slinking in the corner of the office, Anhur gives a small, creepy wave to Allison.

Midas stepped into the office first, followed by Allison and Jordan. Allison made eye contact with Anhur as he gave her a weak wave and simply nodded as she took her place beside Midas and Jordan. The brief exchange did not go unnoticed by Midas, who suppressed a smirk as he stood before Dullahan.

“Yes, the ride over was...uneventful.” Midas said as he took his seat across from Dullahan’s desk, motioning for Ms Sparks and Jordan to follow suit. Once the trio had been seated, Midas continued.

“Nothing for us, thank you.” He said, answering Sobek’s inquiry about whether they would require a drink. “Dullahan, it’s good to finally meet you face to face. Now, what do you say we get down to business?” Midas said as leaned back in his chair.

“That is understandable,” Sobek responded, putting the decanters of various spirits back into the closet. “Drinking during this meeting might be unsavory to getting things that are still to be discussed.” Reinforcing that point, his eyes glance between Allison Sparks and Anhur with a domineering intensity. His eyes give off a sense of trepidation to those he stared, though Anhur seemingly appears to be unaffected by it. Dullahan’s bodyguard then focused again on Midas.

“Forgive the appearing rudeness from Dullahan. His… abilities... can be a little bit intimidating to those not accustomed to them. To save everyone the trouble of that from happening, I’ll be speaking on his behalf. If that is alright with you.”

A hand was raised by the Eye leader to motion Sobek to lean in to listen. After a moment, the bodyguard raised his body upright and looked to Midas himself.

“One thing about the deal previously struck and a possible deal of this meeting raised a curiosity in him. As you did approach us with the deal you made, which will be fulfilled once the Daybreak device is delivered, he wonders one question: why did you approach The Eye? There are other organizations that work in Lost Haven you could have made the same deal to, especially with the Yakuza and Triads having caused hell in Chinatown prior to the Hound attacks.” As Sobek asked the question, Dullahan remained seated in a seemingly bored body language. Despite the body language, the red glowing eyes bore intensely on Richard Midas as he waited for an answer.

Midas sat for a moment as he mulled the question posed by Sobek. His gaze shifted from Sobek to Dullahan, who’s red eyes were burning a hole through him. While it was true that Midas could have approached anyone with his proposal, Midas believed that he stood the most to gain by working with The Eye. This is why Midas was more than happy to play along with Dullahan’s excentricities, that and the fact that he knew that unlike most other people that he dealt with, the crime lord was not afraid of him.

And that was something he respected.

“To be perfectly honest, I did not then, and I do not now believe that the other organizations would be capable of holding up their end of the deal. In fact, the Triad and Yakuza doing what they did in Chinatown is exactly why I did not want to work with them on this matter.” Midas started. “While those organizations do have their uses, they are more like a blunt instrument, where as The Eye is more akin to a scalpel, which is exactly what this arrangement needs.” Midas let his words hang in the air for a moment before he continued.

“You see, we are on the verge of making great things happen, not just in this city, but all over the world. Together, we are going to change the world, and nobody out there can help me do that the way that you can. Nobody out there has the reach, or the influence that The Eye has.” Midas leaned back in the chair as Sobek, and more importantly, Dullahan himself pondered what he had to say.

Dullahan carried on watching Midas with the same intensity. He listened to the businessman talk about the Triad and the Yakuzas making a mess in Chinatown. While he didn’t motion about the knowledge of the area, the Eye leader nodded slightly at the points. While not visible, a smirk formed across his face when talking about The Eye being a sharp instrument. When it came to the spiel about wanting to do great things, that did catch the leader’s interest. He leaned in slightly as he listened. Maybe our interests do align slightly, he thought.

As soon as Midas finished talking, silence filled the room. The glow in Dullahan’s eyes dimmed slightly in thought about what to say. Slowly, the right hand that had propped his head up in place moved to motion Sobek closer. The bodyguard did the same thing of lowering his head to hear what the enigmatic leader had to say. After a minute, seemingly forever in the silence, Sobek stood back up and looked at the trio.

“Dullahan… agrees with your comments on the Triad and Yakuza,” Sobek replied, his tone cutting the silence. “They did indeed make a mess of things throughout Chinatown with their squabbling over territory that was claimed by the Hounds. Territory in which we claimed for ourselves with the ‘scalpel-like’ precision you mentioned.”

The bodyguard’s eyes then turned to Allison Sparks, his eyes betraying that he knew something that they had done and learned. “However, another thing piqued his interest. You do say that you are on the verge of something great. Does that involve the two drones you used to destroy half the block in Chinatown just to get one… Racheli Lorna Desdemona, while she was fighting War-Pulse? It’s more of a surprise that you went to such extremes for the great things in the world instead of asking one of the numerous ‘heroes’ in the city. And while you did an amazing job to cover up that strike with pinning the blame on the mercenary, it is somewhat of a concern that despite this that there was one witness to the whole thing that you might not be aware of. Now, we can do great work with the monetary and legality of your corporation and the reach and influence of The Eye, but what is to say that this slight blip isn’t going to unravel everything you want to accomplish?”

“Indeed it does.” Midas smiled, nearly baring his teeth at the bodyguard as he glanced over to Jordan, and more specifically, the briefcase he held. “As far as the witness, she is nothing to be concerned about. She is little more than a little girl playing hero.” Midas started. “We are keeping tabs on her. You see, what you may or may not know, is that my extraction operation in Chinatown was successful. I was able to obtain Ms Desdemona and aside from the bomb I implanted in her brain to keep her loyal to me, I also have equipped her, completely unbeknownst to her, of course, with some monitoring devices which allows me to be kept informed of her movements. Then, I released her back into the wild.” Midas grinned as he glared towards Alison Sparks. “I know exactly what she’s been up to, and who she’s been working with. This witness really doesn’t know anything, and she poses no threat to me, or to you.” Midas let his words hang in the air for a moment before speaking on the other subject that Dullahan, through his intermediary had mentioned.

“As for the other heroes in Lost Haven…” Midas Started. “You see, the problem with the heroes in the city as that they are either incompetent or self delusional. They can’t be trusted to get the results you desire, or they can’t be manipulated to work towards your goals. Like Icon, for example. After he made his grand debut I reached out to him, offered him a place at my side. After all, you can’t have someone with that much power running around unchecked. He rebuked me, insulted my intelligence and left me standing there like a goddamn idiot. ”

Up until this point, Dullahan sat there and watched as Sobek discussed with Midas about a few of the issues that occurred during the drone strike on Chinatown and the extraction. He mulled over the thought about the archer being known by the businessman and how that could be of use to him. However, the air of boredom he gave off changed as soon as Icon was mentioned. The dull red glow from his eyes that looked at the three guests suddenly shone like an oncoming car.

Bang!

His right hand, which had been used to prop his head up during the meeting crashed down onto the desk. Both Sobek and Anhur recoiled with the sudden release of fear energy that stifled the room, though the bodyguard was more of a surprise than fear. The Eye leader’s posture changed from boredom to pure hostility.

”That name…” he snarled in response.

From the two words he spoke for the first time during this meeting, colossal waves of fear resonated through the room. Whatever shocked stance Anhur had turned to cower, nearly crippled with the fear emanating from the leader. Even Sobek, a man who was considered his right hand and obtained the most from his leader, was breathing quickly with fear.

”... Will not be spoken here. He is nothing more than a charlatan who thinks he is a hero to these people. He and all of his heretic ilk will rue the day they took the mantle of hero throughout this world. A biblical reckoning is coming and they will perish in it.”

Each second word, much like the sea crashing to the shore in a storm, sent further waves of fear throughout the building as more people are swept up in its influence. Then, the waves slowly ebb until calm reached the room. The upright position Dullahan rose to eased itself back into the chair, both of his hands now steepled in front of him.

”But alas,” he continued, his voice eerily calm after what came before. ”It seems that our goals are aligned on one thing: the heroes of this world are a scourge and needs to be cleansed. And from the looks of things, you manage to get your shit together on things that my subordinates are unable to do.” Anhur winced at the pointed barb directed at him.

”Perhaps we can be of assistance to each other. You have supplied me with the goods requested and, judging by what is to come today and what could possibly be in that case of yours, shortly fulfilled. While I can assume the monetary fulfilment of that deal was completed on our end, perhaps other services are more what you need. Maybe you want access to almost everyone within the Eye of Osiris? Perhaps our influence to cripple competitors to bring you all the riches you could ever ask for? Or, as you are a man with ambition, you would want that influence to gain political power, all the way up to the President of the United States? All of that is a reasonable ask of us as well as the time to prepare for what is to come. All I ask is two things in return. What say you on this deal?”

An intense wave of fear washed over Midas as Dullahan spoke for the first time, nearly exploding at the mere mention of Icon’s name. It was an odd sensation for the mogul, as he was not one to give in to, or even acknowledge such base emotions. In fact, Midas took great satisfaction in seeing the effects of fear wreak havoc on people who opposed him. This in fact, was quite the reversal, and not something that he cared to repeat anytime in the near future. However, as Dullahan spoke, the fear abated.

“Indeed.” Midas said, more as a way to clear his mind and gather his thoughts than an actual statement. Midas had spent his entire life dealing with competitors in the boardroom, or twisting the arms of politicians in order to get special considerations in regards to new legislation. He was accustomed to dealing with hostile work forces and entire corporations that wanted what he had. He had even dealt with men, and women who specialized in areas of expertise that were less than on the up and up. Some of those people were more than capable of making someone disappear from the face of the earth.

Dullahan was an entirely different animal altogether.

“I think that this deal will certainly be mutually beneficial.” Midas agreed, looking over toward Jordan, who appeared to be somewhat preoccupied by the appearance one of Dullahan’s employees. The young woman was quite striking, Midas had to admit, and if he knew anything about Dullahan, she was probably more than capable of killing everybody in the room. Midas cleared his throat, which caught Jordan’s attention.

“And as for what is in the briefcase...it is merely a gift.” Midas said as he motioned for Jordan to place the case on Dullahan’s desk.

“Inside the case is something that can tip the scales in your favor, in the event of an emergency.” Midas said as Jordan opened the briefcase, revealing a single vial containing a strange reddish black liquid.

“My friend, what you are looking at is the blood of one, Racheli Desdemona, though slightly altered and synthesized. If you have been keeping tabs on my new pet, then you know what she can do, and that she gets her abilities from the special...properties in that blood. And now I offer you a sample to do with what you will. I just caution, that it should only be used in the event that there is no other option.” Midas said as he stood from the chair and closed the briefcase.

”And a fine gift it is. I am certain that it will go to good use closer to when my plans for change happens. That plan, of course, you can be a part of.” The leader looked as glances to a woman that hung quietly nearby.

”Ah, I see that you’ve already been acquainted with Anput,” Dullahan spoke, his eyes focused on Jordan’s gaze on the woman who seemed to appear out of nowhere. ”She might be a person to watch for days on end, but don’t let the looks fool you.They are more than what they appear to be.”

Anput appeared as a woman in her mid 20s, glowing blonde hair dangling gently past her shoulders. Her left hand placed on Jordan’s right shoulder, nails in contact with his clothes as blue eyes looked at him. As soon as Dullahan finished his last statement, her form shimmered until the visage of the secretary dissolved away. In her place, an androgynous figure that gave little in the way of gender. They appeared in full military gear of numerous knives, bullet belts and padding on the elbows and the knees above combat boots. The fabric underneath the gear appeared charcoal in colour with tessellating hexagonal shapes fading to black from a purplish light they gave off. A mask with glowing purple eyes stared at Jordan while the hand on his shoulder revealed a combat knife that remained mere moments away from his throat. At the moment of revealing their true form the assassin removed the hand from the shoulder, retracting the knife with it.

”Now while I cannot allow full control of everyone in The Eye as there are people such as Sobek that are needed personally. However, Anput’s services are available at your beck and call. While the name might not ring any bells, the moniker Silent Death might be more… readily available.” The assassin slowly walked around the desk, keeping their eyes on the three guests. ”And in a world where every so-called ‘hero’ has abilities, they are more than capable of eradicating them. With you having knowledge of the archer that has been a minor nuisance to my operations in Lost Haven, I believe there is some knowledge that would be shared here.” The Eye leader turned to Anput.

”The hero known as Icon. I know who they are and who they are associated with.”

Dullahan’s arms went up to indicate the knowledge being welcomed to the room.

”There we have it. You know the identity of the archer known in the city as Fletch and I know the identity of the charlatan. Now, as a man who had been humiliated by the ‘hero’, I think it seems personally reasonable to send a message that he chose wrong. You only need to say the word and it is done. All I ask is for the same to the archer and possibly locate one Kayla Mason and have her brought to me.”

Midas’ eyes shifted from Anput to Dullahan when the leader of the Eye revealed that he knew who Icon was, and who his associates were. If the old saying was true, that knowledge was power; then this knowledge alone would make Dullahan, and by extension, Midas himself, the most powerful men on the planet. With this knowledge, Midas could make Icon pay for rebuking him so long ago. After all, Midas was a man with a long memory, and the ability to hold a grudge even longer.

“If that is true, then we can change how this game is played. You say that all I have to do is say the word, and you’ll deal with him. So, by all means...do what you must.” Midas said as he leaned back in his chair.

”That is a good choice, Midas,” Dullahan replied to Richard, nodding in agreement. His head turns towards Anput. ”I think it is time to ‘hint’ at our knowledge to the charlatan. Send a message to him before destroying everything he loves.”

Then, as quickly as they appeared in the room to announce their presence, Anput nodded at the pair of them and slinked into the shadows. As the assassin visage dissolved into the shadows, the silhouette seemed to meld into the shadows as their presence is no longer in the room.

“As for your archer…” Midas said after a momentary pause. “I don’t know her identity. Not yet, anyhow. However, I do know her location. She has been spending quite a bit of time getting very friendly with one of my assets. If you want her, I can certainly give her to you.”

Midas let his words hang in the air for a moment as he pondered the question of the mysterious Kayla Mason. Midas hadn’t heard of this woman, however, he realized that if Dullahan and the Eye of Osiris wanted her, no matter the reason, then perhaps he should familiarize himself with her.

“Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about this, Kayla Mason. However, I may have something that can help you locate her. Due to the sudden emergence of so many metahumans in recent years, my people have been working on a new technology that will help us track anyone on the face of the Earth. Essentially, it combines facial recognition with biometric markers that help us identify and locate just about anyone we’re looking for. It is in its early stages, but thus far has proven to be effective, afterall, it did help us locate and acquire Ms Desdemona. If you give me the information you have on this Kayla Mason, I can certainly locate her for you in short order. All you have to do, my friend...is say the word.” Midas said as a smirk began to stretch across his face.

When the words of knowledge of the archer’s whereabouts and having the technology to find the woman he had been needing to locate, the leader laughed. The laugh at such news made Anhur worried, especially with the weight behind the news.

”I get the sense that this will be a fruitful relationship,” Dullahan announced, the maniacal glee hinted in his voice. ”With the failings of tracking down the archer with the large bounty on her head, that will certainly be appreciated. In fact, I think it seems reasonable to me that the bounty would be sizable for any trust fund that you will use in the future.”

The leader’s demeanour shifts slightly to a more serious one when it came to the subject of Kayla Mason and what was tied to it. ”But for Ms Mason, that knowledge can be easily obtained in public record…”

Without moving his eyes away from the mogul, his hand reached into a draw. Pulling it out, it revealed an older looking newspaper that seemed to be at least 5 years old, various stains of age on its surface. Dullahan placed it onto the table, the title of the LA Times in bold on the top of the page. Apart from the advertisement on the page, one headline stood out from the page of text: OLYMPIC HOPEFUL IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER DEADLY ATTACK. Attached to the news story is a headshot of a woman of American Indian descent with charcoal black hair and cognac eyes holding a recurve bow.

”But to save you a lot of the legwork, Ms Mason was an athlete aiming to compete at the Olympics for archery. At least, until I intervened after her then-fiance stole an important object from me. An urn dating back long before the Egyptians. I believe she still has the information to where this urn is and I want it back for my future plans to change this world. So yes, locating this woman is important and any assistance you can have that can end the failings of my men will be appreciated. In fact… I think with all the help you’re giving, I can let you in on those plans.” Sobek motioned as if to object to the idea of letting someone else in on a hidden agenda, only to be stopped by the raising of Dullahan’s right hand.

”But first, I must ask a question: Do you believe in the supernatural?”

Midas looked at the yellowed newspaper that Dullahan had offered him. As he looked at the headline while Dullahan gave him a brief description of the young woman, Midas began to get a clear picture of just who this Kayla Mason was. A former Olympic hopeful in archery, the victim of a near fatal attack which in theory could lead one down a darker path. Pieces were beginning to fall into place, and Midas was beginning to suspect that the two women that Dullahan was searching for were perhaps one in the same. However, before he suggested that to the criminal mastermind, he would need to independently verify that theory. However, Midas believed that there were no such things as coincidence, and the fact that Dullahan was chasing this former Olympic level archer with an understandable grudge, and the vigilante who’s preferred tool of choice is a bow and arrow would be a coincidence of the most monumental order, Midas knew that this was something to look into immediately.

Midas smiled as Dullahan asked his last question: “Does he believe in the supernatural?”

“My friend, I live in Lost Haven. I survived a portal to a Hell dimension opening up in the middle of the city and legions of demons pouring out all over Sherman Square. I suppose I believe in the supernatural the same way that I believe that we need oxygen to breathe.” Midas said in a jovial tone as he met the leader of the Eye’s gaze.

Dullahan remained motionless as Midas confirmed his interest in the supernatural. His hands returned to a steepled position, his glowing eyes focused on the mogul.

”Good,” the Eye leader replied. ”Throughout the ages, there have been times when the population of the world began to grow in size. During those times, tragedies occur when millions of people die in a span of months to years. The Black Plague. Spanish Flu. The colonization of The Americas. All these events, where people have died from a disease. At least, that is what history books have taught us.” Slowly, he leaned back into the chair.

”What if I told you that the diseases that caused all of that pain and suffering originate not from the bacteria that is often attributed to it, but trapped souls of ancient civilizations? This urn that I had been talking about has many names but I simply know it as the Urn of Souls. An ancient container created by beings on another plane of existence that has been used to trap souls indefinitely. And when the lid of the urn is opened? Well, they escape and cause untold damage to every living thing they touch until it is sealed again.”

”These so-called ‘heroes’ are a disease on the world. Everything they touch whenever disasters happen, the death toll on the civilians rise. And they go about doing this unchecked with no consequences for their inaction from stopping the wanton action, least of all from the Hounds of Humanity. This urn becomes part of my plan to put an end to their foolishness. The Hounds will face their judgement in due time as well. And the only thing that’s stopping this reckoning is Ms Mason hiding the urn that was stolen from me.” He paused for a moment to let the anger subside.

Motioning his left hand to Anhur, the skull-faced man turned behind him and picked up a case himself. The man walked to the desk and placed the case down near Midas, the case remaining closed. Dullahan leaned forward once more, his hands now placed on the desk.

”While the Urn is still to be located, there are other ways both of us can prepare while hunting down Ms Mason and the charlatan. Inside this case is an item that will prevent the effects of the Urn from affecting the owner. While we still need these for the end plan, I think the properties within could be useful to protect your interests for when it happens. Collateral damage with this plan, unfortunately, is high. However in order for change to happen, it is a necessary evil. Would that satisfy your needs to make money against the supernatural?”

Midas looked at the case with an air of skepticism before taking what the leader of the Eye said at face value. After all, with all that he had seen in recent years: flying strongmen, “meta domes,”space lasers, and portals to Hell, among other events that had he not lived it himself, would seem to be the work of a science fiction writer, why couldn’t this be true as well? Midas decided to err on the side of caution, and accepted the gift.

“Yes, thank you. I do believe that these will certainly come in handy.” Midas said as he took possession of the case. “Here’s to the next era.”

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

How does one get one of those cool character banners?

@LukasVolkov

I can always do one for you too if you want. I've done most of my banners and a couple of other members.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

RACHELI

and



Location: Inside Taylor’s Garage
Time: 8:00pm

With the plan set in motion, Kayla spent the time after the ‘shopping spree’ to get ready for tonight. Having donned on her Fletch outfit after being out of it for a while, she left to go to the garage to rendezvous with the rest of her group. In the safety of underneath her shirt in her cleavage, Archie remained curled up. It was about time you got out of the house, she thought, thinking back to the last time the plant-based sugar glider was with her. It had been a month since the Hounds finally fell and that was when it had been out. Since then, it remained in the side room used for her archery gear lounging on the window sill. While it did annoy her from time to time, the archer had grown fond of her ‘familiar’.

It had been a few hours since she arrived at the garage. She focused on getting ready for tonight and throwing in a last-minute practice. While it had been a month since she last shot her bow, she hadn’t lost her touch. The years of training had ingrained the muscle memory of the tension in her traps. Making sure she expanded through the shot as the click of the release aid sent another arrow into the tattered foam boss that resided in her work cabinet. Once she had finished releasing her 24th arrow, she walked up to the target and set her compound bow down. With trained deftness, she quickly began pulling out all 24 arrows from the target.

Racheli approached the garage an hour late.

It was a nice night to simply walk. Her aura seemed to ooze out a warning to anyone stupid enough to mess with her, sparing her from harassment.

She had changed into a red checkered shirt, rolled up at the elbow and open V neckline. It stopped short of her small bust giving only a hint of what was underneath. Several small, silver chains looped across her side from her leather belt. They clinked and clanged with each slander of her hips.

A wicked, mischievous smile darted across her lips. Her eyes shifted into a darker hue before it snapped back again into the green-blue color. A hand reached up to check the short, pixie hair and ensure it was in the proper place. Then she began to walk inside.

"Hope I didn't miss the party," Rach's voice rang out, shutting the door behind her.

Pulling out the last arrow and sliding it into her leg quiver, Kayla turned her head towards the door as it opened. She’s arrived then, she thought, her mind stating the obvious fact. Arriving earlier to the garage has given her time to think and to focus on what was planned. Now that the time is almost here, she appeared unusually calm. This was despite the fact her bow was now tens of feet away from her at her shooting line.

”Oh hey Racheli,” the archer responded, eyes darting to the clock on the wall. ”In fact, you’re early.”

Slowly, she walked back towards her bow on the other side of the garage. The workbench that lined the shooting line was long, but there was a gap with another that was in line with the door her friend came through. Kayla approached the gap and shot a glance at Racheli.

”Are you ready to find that murdering bastard that has been elusive for the past few months?”

Racheli turned to face Kayla, finally noticing where she was. She seemed to think a moment before she replied.

“Yeah, if you think we can. Where are we heading to first?” Her hands moved into her jeans where she let them settle. Her posture was relaxed through her mind was anything but chilled.

Kayla kept her focus partially on Racheli, still making sure she was making her way to her bow. Her body starts making it across the gap.

”I had been thinking about the immediate area around first. There are at least 3 different families that fit the profile.” The archer’s gaze turned to her friend, waiting to see what her response was.

Like a predator, Racheli’s attention zoned in on Kayla. Her eyes watched the woman’s movements and observed it closely. Her teeth chewed on her lip, but not hard enough to bleed. A thoughtful expression crossed her face. She turned her back, walking toward the rack filled with tools and stood there.

“I recalled you had found some leads. Which one do you think he’ll hit first?” Her hand reached out to touch a wrench lying on the table.

Kayla’s eyes narrowed for a second before relaxing again. Her mind was racing to think about what to say. What lie to say. At some point, they must slip up and reveal their identity. However, being as observant as she was, she noticed a possible slip: The revealing of the gender from Racheli herself. Even the archer didn’t know for certain what gender the killer was. So how did she know? Only one near-certain answer: if the suspicions of the killer being a shifter are true and took the form of Racheli.

”Funny you should ask,” she replied, stopping as soon as she reached the gap. ”I think I also recall saying that I was not 100% sure on the killer’s gender, yet you’re confident in the killer is male. And why is that?” Her facial expression turned accusatory, the latter question also morphing into that tone.

Racheli turned and hid the makeshift weapon behind her. She shrugs. Her words were carefully chosen as she explains.

“I said he because the murders remind me of someone. Someone from my past and I rather forget. It’s impossible through. I was told he died, but I guess I was lied to.”

Her hand tightened about the handle of the screwdriver while she waited. Her eyebrow raised and she snickered, the tone finally dawned on her.

“Unless you think I’ve taken after him and been moonlight murdering. Cause if that’s what you think, it just means I can’t trust you to have my back and I might as well fucking go alone.”

Kayla’s eyes narrowed. The explanation does seem reasonable as to why the assumption of the gender was made as well as the information about her past. In her eye, she sees that there was something hidden in Racheli’s grasp. Seems that there is another slip, she thought, keeping her body calm for what was about to happen next.

”True, that did happen. I’ve read into it after you introduced the murders to me. It’s the reason why I helped you track the killer down. Your father.” And now, to press. I will have to thank Leila for getting me this information. ”I know that your father was executed and then interred by James MacGrath into Parker Funeral Home in Oregon. Only, there’s no James MacGrath or a facility called Parker Funeral Home in Oregon.”

A smirk begins to form.

“And you expect me to trust you after you did a background check on me?” Racheli growled.

Her eyes heated in anger as she closed them, exhaling her frustration out. It ended in a long sigh. She brought the weapon to her side before she loosened her fingers. The screwdriver dropped onto the ground. The impact rang out throughout the garage while Racheli lowered her face from Kayla’s view.

“If it helps… not everything is as it seems.”

And now I’ve got him.

The archer watched as Racheli’s arm that hid the screwdriver to her side. While she didn’t expect the improvised weapon to be dropped to the ground, it didn’t phase her one bit. As the head of what was her friend lowered, Kayla made a quick glance to where her compound bow was. This was in case an attack happened after her next statement.

”Indeed. Not everything is as it seems. And it is for 3 things. First, the way you tried to hide my screwdriver in your grasp as you talked to me kinda revealed your intentions. The Racheli I know was uneasy about these murders to begin with and I don’t even think she would kill one of her friends. Second, that meeting in the alleyway was far too suspicious for me to think that you are not who you look. And finally, the one thing that gave you away…”

She paused, her right hand hovering over the arrows on her leg quiver. Her eyes kept their focus on the person in front of her. While she appeared calm, Kayla was mentally prepped to dodge any oncoming attack after the next bit.

”Coffee. You had coffee at the cafe earlier today. Racheli does not drink any hot drinks. Especially as the virus that is in her creates illusions of itself to chastise her for drinking it. The same virus that should have appeared in that alleyway. The same virus that should be defending her now.”

Slowly, the archer physically appeared to shift to be ready for any attack.
”So yeah, everything isn’t as it fucking seems, Racheli. Or should I say… Michael Garth.”

“The little charade couldn’t last forever. I will admit, I was growing bored.” Michael answered.

Guess the cat’s out of the bag now, Fletch thought, instantly hearing the male voice coming from the form of Racheli.

Something dripped down his face and splattered onto the floor. It was flesh-colored liquid. He lifted his face, the female form ruined by several blobby lines running down the length. They ended in drips like wax off a candle’s surface. Muscle and bone peered through the ripping seams that appeared underneath. Long tendons began whip-like tentacles that flailed around the faceless head. The jaw widened into two parts with a long, slimy tongue hanging down, tipped by a curved bone hook.

Her right hand, hovering above the arrows on her leg quiver, instantly shot into the nearby pocket to grab something from it. She watched as Michael began showing his true self. The sleeping sugar glider instantly clambered out of her shirt and scrambled into the trouser pocket on her left side.
An inhuman roar erupted from the throat becoming guttural toward the end. Without warning, the tongue lashed forward followed by about six or seven smaller tentacles.

As the hooked tongue lashed out after the deafening roar, the archer instinctively dodged out of the way with her legs surging her towards her bow. One by one, the other tentacles joined in smashing into the wall on the other side of the garage, missing Fletch by inches. By this point, she pulled out a small device in her hand.

From the outset, it looked like a small plastic tube with plastic taped over cut out holes. Each end is capped off by a stopper, with one stopper having a string tied to a very short strike-everywhere match. Pinching the match head between her index finger and thumb, Fletch flicked the match alight and threw the improvised device at Michael.

As each tentacle came back empty, it retracted back into him with a slurping noise. Michael spotted the incoming device and lifted his arm. It flattened out and became a shield, using the interior bone and extending it through the flesh. The device exploded into a blinding light temporarily blinding him.
Continuing her run forward, she turned her head. A second later, a loud bang erupted in the garage followed by an intense light. As the last tentacle lunged at her, she leaped forward into a roll. Getting back up, her left hand grabbed the resting compound bow. She knocked an arrow she grabbed from her leg quiver. With precision she turned and let loose the string, snapping the arrow towards her target.

The arrow deflected off Michael’s new form.

Any remaining features of Racheli were gone. Bones crunched and muscles stretched, all of them had contorted into something new. Muscles had swallowed whatever remained of his human form into the larger mass before it hardened into a jagged shell. Two long, three-fingered hands whipped about on jointless arms at the top of it. On the lower part, an eyeless face peered out with feelers darting around. Needle teeth dripped with an unknown substance that hissed when the droplets hit the garage floor. He was now about the size of a school bus. Four crustacean legs bore the weight of the alien creature as its two pincers snapped.

“I will enjoy your screams nearly as much as I did hers.” He hissed then rushed forward.

He moved surprisingly fast for his size as he closed in on Kayla, his right pincer stretched out to snag her waist.

Kayla had to admit, she didn’t take into account what a monstrous form Michael would take when she confronted him. Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me, she thought, tensing up as he charged forward. The workbenches between them were easily thrown aside by the large beast. ”Not how I imagined things would happen, but it’ll happen regardless."

Twang!

The archer expected Michael to arrive early. It’s why she managed to spend some time after that coffee break in the garage setting up boobytraps. As the charge began, several of the near-invisible fishing lines snap apart from the abrupt force. Several snapping explosions occurred from underneath the benches, launching broken pieces of exhaust pipes, iron bars and anything sharp that Kayla could get her hands on.

With a set of 5 traps released aimed in different directions in the garage, the archer managed to dodge out of the way of one at the same time as the outstretched claw, her body going underneath. Grabbing one of the seeds in the pocket she pulled the flashbang from, she tried to stash the seed in the nook between the wrist and the claw. At the same time, she used the momentum of the claw going into the garage door and her fall to flip up onto Michael’s outstretched arm.

”Well, you’ve got to catch me first,” she retorted. As her cowl wasn’t on, she used the opportunity to raise her left arm to bring down her lower left eyelid and stick her tongue.

Michael was unable to turn on a dime. His body kept going and plowed into the doors. The thin metal warped outward on the impact leaving a gaping hole behind. Through the deafening sound, his body stumbled onto the street. Several cars veered off into the side to avoid the hulking monster slipping along the road. Their drivers stared in awe or escaping their vehicles and fleeing from the scene.

The monster came to a stop in the middle of the road, the momentum finally died. He shook his head as he noticed the weight on his pincer. Instinctively, his legs wheeled about and the pincer slammed into the ground.

Along his surface, rebar and other metal stuck out at various angles. Few of the arrows had managed to find purchase through the thick hide. Their remains were scattered along the path from the building.

Fletch hung on for dear life as the momentum dragged the monster through the garage door onto the street outside. At the moment, she only thought about hanging onto him to not make her prone to another attack. The momentum and speed through the garage door were enough to set off the other trap she had, though her eyes didn’t catch any glimpses of any engine valves shooting out in the direction of the doorway.

Once Michael’s body had stopped skidding into the middle of the street, the archer took the moment to try and grab her cowl to cover her face, but the sudden jerk forced her hand to cling onto the shell once again as she kept her position on his claw. Finally, with the claw on the ground, she pulled the cowl up with her right hand as she began running up his arm onto his back. With her left hand sorting out the finger sling on her glove, her right pressed the button set into the glove. Her back quiver whirred as the arrows appear to spin in place.

Happy with the arrow choice and nocking it onto the bow, she leaped from his back and fired at his face. The resulting explosion from the arrow caused the crab to stumble in place as she was launched away. Landing somewhat precariously onto an abandoned car, she drew another explosive arrow and fired it at Michael, aiming for his left side.

Another inhuman roar erupted out, a mix of frustration and pain from the creature. The arrow that exploded on his face left a bleeding mess. Bone shattered revealing cooked muscle and a small hole in the cheek. As the hazy from his own blood cleared, his senses returned. When the next arrow shot at him, his left claw reached out and jerked up a piece of the pavement. It came away easily proving a shoddy shield from the attack.

As the arrow exploded harmlessly on the pulled up pavement, Fletch growled with disappointment. That slowly went as she noticed the three poles sticking out of its body. While the rebar from the first trap looked embedded and the exhaust pipe didn’t appear to cause any significant damage, an iron bar lodged in the body was close enough to the ground for her to do something about it. Taking the opportunity, she jumped off the car and dashed forward. Darting towards Michael’s back, Kayla launched herself into a skid between the many legs of the creature and kicked out at the bar, aiming to drive it further in.

Michael tossed away the pavement to relocate Kayla. A new pain shot through his lower half and his face twisted down, seeing his target in range. Blood gushed out. The metal went in deep enough only half a foot sticking out now. Cracks began to form along the hole causing more blood to flow out and stain the street.

His lungs inhaled as a pouch on his throat expanded. The skin thinned out and revealed a liquid being poured within before it spewed at her current location.

Kayla was pleased with the end result, seeing the cracks form from the hole. What she didn’t appreciate was the blood coming from them and covering her. Note to self, need a serious shower when this is all over. It was only a brief look as she noticed the movement to see Michael looking in her direction. She saw the sack swell with the liquid inside it. ”Oh shit,” she squeaked as she pressed the button for a grappling arrow and grabbed one from her back quiver. She nocked it onto her bow before seeing him ready to send the liquid her way. Seeing no way to avoid it with her arrow, she began rolling to her side.

For the most part, the majority of the near boiling water splashed harmlessly to where she was, the tarmac hissing with the heat. She didn’t fully escape it as she felt the fizzing on the back of her jacket. She yelped out in pain from the sudden flash of heat onto her back. Fortunately for her, her recent confrontation with the werewolf with caustic acid has allowed her to upgrade her jacket from textile to leather to afford some resistance to prevent direct exposure. But her position closer to his right legs as well as the hot water seeping onto her back meant she needed to get out of there fast to ditch the jacket.

Aiming between her legs, the archer fired off an arrow to a distant car and zipped away with her grappling mechanism on her armguard. Once at a safe distance, she quickly disposed of her drenched jacket, leaving her with her black tank top, gloves, armguard and cowl. She cursed at the thought about getting told off for getting burnt from Jai and Racheli as her shoulders feel like hot embers. Still, she had to keep him occupied.
”Is that the best you can do?” Kayla called out teasingly, nocking another arrow in the process. ”I thought you wanted me to scream? I know guys who made me scream quicker than you can!”

Michael growled, his frustration building. His mind ticked through the fight until something clicked. A low rattle of enlightenment echoed through his throat. Bones to skin began to melt, becoming a liquid blob. It slithered to the nearest storm drain and disappeared into the sewers.

Kayla smirked under her cowl as he growled at her. However, the smirk disappeared when the rattle was heard. Then, much like him shifting into the crab creature, she watched as he shifts into a slime-like creature. Just realising once it started slithering, she shot a grappling arrow at it. As it passed through harmlessly into the drain, she scowled.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, spending towards the drain. Seeing her quarry getting away, she begins running towards the nearest manhole cover. She moved the cover to one side.

"Leila, heads up," the archer said, having pulled out a communication device from her left pocket. "I've lost contact with the target and he's gone into the sewers. I'm heading down after him, but be ready for him." Putting the device back into her pocket, she began her descent into the sewers to chase after Michael Garth.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

RACHELI

and



and

It was a brand new day and people were busy as always in the French Quarter of Lost Haven. People were making their way through the bustling streets, walking past the various cafes, pastry shops, and restaurants. For a normal weekend day, people who were off work spent time with friends and family with day trips to the museums and art galleries. With the summer going into full swing, various ice cream places and water fountains were open for people to enjoy the cold delights that are sorely needed under the sun. With the sun beyond the peak of noon, the intense heat was easing off with the cool breeze.

Near one of the cafes, Kayla stood by. As it was a day for her to spend time with Racheli and Jai, she decided to take the time and make herself more presentable than the usual overalls they have seen her wear. Despite the uneasiness in showing off the scarring on her left shoulder, she opted for a palm-print cami, a pair of blue jeans and floral-patterned Vans. A thin chain hung from her neck that something hid in the cover of her top. Behind her daytime shooting glasses, her eyes scanned the crowds to look out for the people she is intending to meet.

Tonight was the perfect night to go hunting, but there was one issue: Kayla. 'Racheli' reflected on the woman's reaction to her behaviour and disliked it. The woman would become an issue later. The thought drew a sigh from Racheli's lips as she picked out her outfit for the day.

After some searching, she settled on high waist military cargo pants and a black halter top. She tapped the boots to ensure they were snug before she exited the apartment.

The hot weather was suffocating to walk through. The air seemed to hand off her like a clinging child and worsen with each movement. After a bit of searching, she finally spotted Kayla.

Part of her toyed with the thought of vanishing back into the crowd and stalking this woman. She dismissed and stepped forward, breaking from the mass. Her right raised up for Kayla to spot.

It was nice that Kayla and Racheli invited Jai to join them on their day out. Though, he felt that it was unnecessary to invite him to what he could only assume was originally a girls' day out, it would no longer feel like a girl's day out if he joined. Still, Kayla insisted. (Something about him being too much of a recluse since he's moved here.)

Opting for a white linen shirt with a portion of its sleeves rolled up to his elbows and some washed-out blue jeans, Jai forwent the boots he typically wore for some non-slip Old Skool Vans in its typical black pattern. Accessorizing himself with a leather bracelet that Leila had been kind enough to give him and a leather necklace with a shark tooth as a pendant, the soldier mused the overall look. Unused to civilian life, but he found that his ordinary sense of style was fitting enough for summer. Picking up his wallet, cell phone, and his keys, he was set.

Donning a pair of Ray-Bans, Jai swam through the crowd of people, using his height to his advantage to find the meeting place that Kayla set for them. He's several yards behind a familiar silhouette, watching her wave to catch Kayla's attention.

Kayla sighed as the time ticked on. She considered going to the nearest gelateria and grabbing a scoop to have while she waited. However, a raised hand in the crowd was caught in the corner of her eye and the familiar face of Racheli was enough to smile and stand up from the wall. She began walking towards her friend, keeping a calm pace as she meandered through the crowd. A moment later, she finally reached Rach.

”I hope you didn’t have trouble finding this place,” she commented, her eyes warm in their greeting.

“I’m still new to Haven, but I managed to find it. It’s better than most places I’ve been in,” Rach pointed out, her attitude attempted to be positive.

As soon as the greeting was made, it didn’t take long for the archer to notice the hulking frame of Jai. She had thought about the last time they spoke, but with him being here it seemed that he dismissed it as another emotional episode. Her eyes changed shape to a mischievous one as she watched him approach.

”I guess we can manage to get you out of where you were hiding?" she shouted out cheekily, a smirk following her teasing taunt.

Jai glanced around their surroundings, precautionary—habit—before he settled his gaze on the two women who’s now spotted him. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and he made his way over. It was only upon his approach did she speak loud enough for him to hear and he raised a brow in response, hidden vaguely by his bangs, noting that it's her way of teasing him back.

Rach’s attention turned to Jai’s figure when Kayla noted him. Unlike Kayla, he didn’t seem to notice anything off or give her reason to believe he suspected anything. She noted that might change as the day wore on.

“I assume you didn’t call us here for a casual visit, did you?” Rach asked, getting down to the point now that they were all here.

He heard Rach's words as he came up behind her. "Greetings," he nodded in acknowledgement. "While leisurely escapades are what I imagine the pair of you often do, but I am curious as to your plans—my own plans notwithstanding." Another jab at his rather reclusive life. What he did in his own time when he was no longer in the garage will perhaps be remained to be seen.

Idly, he took note of each of their outfits and their current behavior while shifting to keep an eye out to their surroundings.

Kayla chuckled in response. ”I definitely know that feeling. Was the same for me four years ago. You’ll get used to the city in due time.” That was certainly true. While the past few months had been crazy with a lot of the major events such as D-Day and Pax Metahumana, the city had adapted and survived.

Just as Jai arrived to the little trio, both he and Racheli asked her the same question. She smiled, closing her eyes to make a faux-cutesy expression. ”Nope, just to see if we could get Jai out of his cave and enjoy some clothes shopping,” she replied to both of them, her upbeat tone hinting sarcasm in it. She chuckled, her eyes hidden underneath her eyelashes to scan for any eavesdroppers.

“I figure setting it on fire might do that trick,” Rach seemed to tease.

The soldier was impassive, tilting his head in question toward Kayla. "Your sarcasm is duly noted," Jai remarked. If they honestly thought they were going to drag him for some clothes shopping, they had another thing coming. His eyes flit to Rach, brow lifting at the seemingly harmless tease. Did Rach ever make any teasing comments like that before?

Once Kayla was certain there was no one around, her face quickly dissolved away from the happy expression she had. In its place, the cold, calculated expression she often had when the cowl was on.

”But in all seriousness, you guys are right,” she spoke, an icy tone apparent with the seriousness of the topic. ”I think I finally caught wind of those murders we have been tracking for the past month. If I am right, we need to be out in the streets tonight to stop this serial killer.”

Racheli didn’t react for a moment. She shook her head, disbelief in her movements as she spoke.

“The guy is too clever to be caught. How do you figure this new trail of information is worth following?”

Jai crossed his arms across his chest, a hand lifted to hold his chin in thought. He heard about the murders from Leila, but she was under the assumption that it had nothing to do with their current mission of finding out the string of anomalies that frequently caused supernatural disasters in Lost Haven. But, if two friends asked him to investigate it, then he would.

Unfortunately, having been pulled into such an investigation without any information left him with only the ability to observe and listen for what information they currently had. He took further notes on both Kayla and Rach for the duration of the conversation, monitoring for any changes.

"Is this really the place to be talking about this?" he asked. He made a mental note to ask Leila to use her abilities and natural talent for finding information after this meeting about these murders.

Kayla paused for a moment, causing her to think carefully about the information she was about to give. While her initial look made it seem that no one is watching them, hearing them out in the open was another matter and someone could catch wind of the conversation.

”I think the tiredness of everything that happened yesterday played with the cases in mind and something clicked,” she replied, her right hand raised towards her chin in a fist. When Jai spoke up about this being the place to talk about it, the archer nodded. ”I figured as much. Just figured we meet and raise that point before we go into details. There’s a quiet bookstore that has a cafe inside. I’ll take you to it.” Using the balled right hand to produce a wave, unclenching it to motion them to follow her, she began walking.

-----------

The bookstore was located around the corner from where they met. Stuck between two busy restaurants, it was often overlooked by most of the crowd. The weathered bookshelves were crammed with some of the latest bestsellers and favourites of years gone by, the old wooden floorboards matching the bookshelves. With chandeliers hanging above and a fireplace in the middle of the ground floor, the floor gave off a pleasant atmosphere. Further towards the back of the store, past the first set of staircases to another floor of books, a dinky cafe resided. With the coffeemaker lining against the back wall and a case of homemade cakes and treats next to the counter, there were plenty of places for people to sit between the two floors.

Kayla quickly ordered a green tea from the lady behind the counter. While she waited for the others to get whatever they wanted, she found a table in the corner of the room that was far away from prying eyes and ears. Sitting down, she poured the sachet of honey that came with the tea and stirred it around, making sure the golden liquid dissolved thoroughly. Taking another sip, she waited for her friends to sit down before she told them the information.

Racheli sighed then followed Kayla. Her eyes shifted from side to side across the interior when she entered the small dingy cafe. Casually she placed her hands in her pockets. She paid for a small, black coffee. Unbothered by the heat, she walked back to the table where everyone was going to meet.

As she reached her seat, Rach slouched down into it. She tapped her fingers on the table while she crossed her leg underneath. Obviously, she was waiting for Kayla to continue.

After Jai's initial perusal of their surroundings upon their arrival, he opted for an espresso, the dainty cup waiting to drained of its contents on the table Kayla selected for this meeting. Once he sat down, like Rach, he waited with a questionable lift of his brow.

From the moment she saw Racheli grabbing the coffee, Kayla knew something was up. From the moment both women had been in the Hound’s base to now, she has known her friend to avoid hot drinks. Not unless the apparition that came with Rach made its irritable moan. And the moment between getting the coffee and sitting down to listen to what she has to say would have been the perfect opportunity for it to show up. It was that moment that all the pieces came together. Gotcha, you motherfucker, she thought triumphantly, keeping her stone-faced façade up to hide that fact.

As soon as Jai sat down, Kayla was ready to give her information, ”At first, the murders of the women didn’t seem to connect in any way at all. The different backgrounds of the women made it difficult for the police to figure out. Just the dark brown hair, blue eyes and slim build and that it was the husband that did it.” The archer paused to take a sip of her green tea. ”However, with everything that happened yesterday, I just looked at the wall with the information and I noticed one thing in common with all of them outside of the description. It was not the women, but the family composition. They always had the parents and a child between eight and ten. The man has black hair, grey eyes and is taller. In this killer’s mind, a family's make up is important to them.

“But that isn’t everything,” she added, pausing to take another sip of her green tea. ”I have noticed a pattern in the killings too. It was always night time and it happens on a biweekly occurrence. Outside of an extended gap that occurred about a month ago, it always was two weeks. Guess when was the last murder?"

Racheli remained silent. She knew exactly when the last murder was, but saying it would’ve given her away. Her eyes glanced over to Jai, expecting him to answer the question instead.

Jai furrowed his brow in thought, a hand on his chin. What they don't see is the method in which he was cycling through the last several months of information he had already seen on the news and other police reports on top of the ones Leila provided for him. After a moment longer, he finally responded, "A few weeks ago, at best, according to your victim profile."

”That’s right,” she replied. Kayla looked at both Jai and Racheli to wait for her response. While not making it obvious about her knowing that her female friend isn’t who she was, the archer made a mental note about the lack of response. I guess you’re trying not to reveal that you aren’t who you are, she thought, imitating the idea of saying those words to ‘Rach’. Instead, she turned her head towards Jai as he answered the question.

His gaze flicked briefly in Rach's direction before returning to Kayla. "Am I correct in assuming that you think he will be presently striking at any given time? Perhaps, even tonight?"

”Your assumptions are correct, though I’m not 100% sure if the killer is a guy,” she answered. Her hands wrapped around the cup that held the rest of her green tea to keep them warm. ”However, judging from the other murders, I would assume it would be at night. It would fit in with the MO of the killer, especially if the husband was out at work during the time. And tonight would be a good time to be out there and put a stop to this. While I am still not fully recovered from everything that happened yesterday, I’m good enough to nail this guy.”

With his hand still holding his chin in thought, he appeared to be looking at the table, only his thoughts were elsewhere altogether. "Apologies—I didn't mean to sound presumptuous. But, yes, I agree that tonight is as good as any to go after them." Jai shook his head.

"If all else, you'll have me to assist you."

She picks up her mug as she drank half of the tea that was inside. Now comes the difficult part. She knew that she had to get the message to Jai about a possible identity of the killer, but make it subtle enough that the killer missed it.

”The only thing that didn’t seem right with all of this is the child seeing the father murdering the mother. If the killer had killed the mother in that instance, then why was the father seen?” The archer’s eyes turned to Racheli. ”Then a thought came to me: remember the ‘werewolf’ we came across at the Hounds’ base?” She paused for a moment, her eyes expressing unease as she remembered fighting it. She shook her head slightly as she closed her eyes to wipe away the images. Then, once they were gone, she focused on the pair of them again.

”Well, if there was something like that existing—and us living in a world where superpowers exist—a thought and a question came into my mind. What if our killer was capable of shapeshifting into someone or something else entirely?”

Rach was silent for a few moments, then she spoke. Her words borderline on laughing as she took another second to regain control.

"If I didn't know better, I would've thought you were crazy. It sounds crazy though. Way crazier than accepting a few people snapped from stress." The words sounded forced as she leaned back farther into her chair.

Jai let the words sink in, his gaze remaining on Rach.

"So... what's the plan then?" She asked, eager to listen into the woman's idea of how to catch this killer.

Then he looked away, regarding Kayla with the subtle lift of his brow. Ah, so my hunch was correct, Jai thought.

"It certainly sounds as though you're prepared if you've found and concluded as much," the soldier said with the crossing of his arms. "Is there anything you need of me? I trust you to let me handle the dirty work if push came to shove, given your condition."

He hoped she got the hint, much as how she did the same for him.

Fortunately for Jai, Kayla had been observant enough to notice the slight shift in his brow. At least I can talk to him after all this, she thought. This was through ‘Rach’s exasperated comments about the idea. However, the archer remained silent through them, barring one comment. ”Believe me, if we weren’t in a world of metahumans, I would have thought that it was crazy too.”

Racheli missed the exchange, but the tension had become obvious. She could taste it and she suspected both individuals were stepping on glass around her. Instead of making a scene, she merely pretended to notice nothing.

Draining the rest of her tea, Kayla got straight back to the point. ”I think the plan is simple enough. We meet at the garage and fan out to find the guy, whether it is by following women that are similar in appearance or listening to the disturbances in the area. I say we meet at the garage at 8:30 pm. Sound good?”

“Do you have a list of suspected victims? It’s sort of pointless if we don’t know who is going to be a possible target in the area and I doubt we all could do the detective work in a short time.” Rach pointed out.

Kayla’s eyes turned to ‘Rach’. ”Fortunately, I have found a few people to start from. That list I will bring with me tonight and we choose a few people from the list and we’ll go from there.”

Following suit, Jai drained the sub-par espresso and nodded. "I guess we'll further discuss this tonight." After setting the small cup back down on the little saucer, he lifted his brow again in a mild frown. "Is that all or were you serious in trying to drag me for a shopping trip?"

“You wouldn’t survive one. Nor would I.” Rach replied with sarcasm.

"That makes it sound like Kayla's shopping excursions are something else," Jai said. He waited a moment, watching Kayla.

Kayla looked at Jai, a smirk forming on her lips. ”I think there’s no way I’m letting you off the hook of a shopping trip.” While her mischievous expression was saying one thing, her eyes were subtly hinting that she needed to talk to him. And if he put two and two together, he would have an idea on what the topic is.

Oh, he did. He was dramatizing a point to a person who wasn't Rach to think otherwise.

Racheli took a sip of the coffee as she stood up, “I don’t see anything else we need to do. I might be late as I got something to do before this. So just leave me a copy and I’ll catch up with you guys when I can. Is that all right?”

Rach didn’t appear to be asking permission as much as stating a fact.

Kayla turned to look at ‘Rach’. ”I don’t see any problem with that. I guess we’ll see each other tonight.” She got up from her chair as she gets ready to leave.

Glancing between both "Rach" and Kayla, he sighed, seemingly displeased with the plans that Kayla had made for them. "Yes, Rach is leaving me so I can suffer shopping alone," Jai said as he rose to standing. "Excuse me for a moment and see you tonight then." He turned to each person respectively before he moved off to hand off the little espresso cup back to the barista.

“Stop being a baby. Big tip: just smile and nod while you hold the bags. It makes things easier,” Rach smiled in a cheeky fashion, tossing the coffee away on her way out. She didn’t seem to want to waste more time here than was needed. It was hard to tell if it was because she feared that Kayla might drag her into the shopping trip or she had something more pressing to deal with.

Kayla saw the opportunity to talk as soon as ‘Rach’ left the cafe. Following Jai’s suit, she brought her empty cup to the barista and thanked him for the service. She led the soldier away from the cafe in the direction of the shops. Might as well make the shopping trip believable, she thought. She didn’t know if their mutual ‘friend’ was following them in case something else was on the cards. Once she was sure that they weren’t followed and were out of earshot of any dark place, the archer turned to Jai.

”Ok, this is the real plan…”

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

I think it is finally time for me to do this. As The Psionic Nexus isn't being used much and is still a part of the CaH-verse, I'm demoting it to an NPC.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

 
In
 

A Man Out of Time #8: Breaking the Silence

Location: Pacific Point, California

 
It had been days since The Wanderer’s introduction to the fantastic building that is the library. So much knowledge within the walls that few people surprisingly didn’t use often enough. The mutant poured over the history of the world and everything he could during the time he hadn’t been searching for the cause of the Esper family death. While the information about the world before him was fascinating, it was frustrating that he could not find anything relating to it. Not in the archive of newspapers, not in the local gossip, not even from words of the other patrons of the library. His frustrations boiled over a few times with loud moans but were quickly silenced with various hushes.
 
The Wanderer had made a little corner for himself towards the back of the library. The chief librarian had agreed that with him not having a home to go to that he would make himself comfortable near the breakroom. Despite many protestations from the mutant and the thought the moans would get the better of them, the librarian insisted that he stay there. “After all, he did save us from those monsters,” was the typical retort to his arguments. In the end, he gave up and just resided there. Another even managed to lend him a gym membership to access the shower facilities. With a steady place to stay and cleaner than he has ever been, The Wanderer carried on with his research.
 
After several hours of researching, another moan escaped his lips. ” It can’t be this hard to find at least a clue to a possible suspect,” he said, muffled by the shushes from the other patrons. Realizing that this wasn’t getting him anywhere again, he walks towards the breakroom and enters it. With his trademark coat still by his place, his frame was nothing but the slightly rusted armour covering his body and the revolver that hung on his hip. ” If there’s one thing I’m glad that I’ve come to this timeline for, it’s for this… ‘coffee’…” He grabs one of the mugs near the sink and pours yet another cup of the black liquid. Coffee hadn’t been around in the future, and if there were, it was nothing but a mouldy powder that was undrinkable. The caffeine that registered in his head and the bitter taste took to him like a fish to water. Taking a sip, he looked at the empty pot. While he had contemplated walking back to where he was staying, he decided to make another brew. At least that would be courteous to the librarians, he thought as he set the machine up for the umpteenth time. I really should pay them back for this genero…
 
Once the machine was set, a loud bang was heard from the other side of the door. Sounding like gunfire, The Wanderer walked out of the breakroom to investigate, coffee in hand. It didn’t take him long before he found the source of the shot, keeping out of sight behind a few bookshelves. “Come on, old man… We know you’ve been hiding a few superpowered heroes in this fine establishment of yours. Just give them up, and no one else would be harmed.” The mutant looked at the scene as one of the men held the receptionist at gunpoint. Several other men had spread themselves out throughout the library, keeping all the patrons hostage. Between one of the stairs to the upper levels and the desk was a body, limp in position as the carpet was slowly being stained with blood.
 
“This is a public library… We wouldn’t have any…” the librarian muttered, her voice scared from the shock.
 
The masked man frowned, his eyes showing some annoyance. “I will give you to the count of 5 before I put a maggot hole in that thick skull of yours, bitch. One…” The man cocked his pistol and fired another shot into the ceiling. “Two!” He holsters his pistol as he storms up to one of his compatriots. “Three!” Reaching his companion, he was given a spare rifle. Cocking the gun, the man storms back to the desk. “Four!” Reaching the counter, he raises the gun towards the receptionist.
 
Before he could pull the trigger, a loud sipping noise was head in the immediate area. The men that heard it raised their guns towards its source, including the man that was about to shoot the receptionist. The Wanderer had seen enough and decided to deal with the problem. With coffee in hand, he lowered the mug from his lips and sighed with delight as the liquid went down smoothly. ” Nothing quite beats a cup of coffee on this beautiful day,” he announced, looking at the mug. He had been bored from the entire affair of research, so he was going to have some fun. ” It would be a shame if I had to spill some of it due to a couple of assholes…”
 
“Who the fuck do you think you are?!” The man with the rifle shouted.
 
” To most of these people, just an annoyance that moans too much. To you guys, I guess you could say I’m one of those… ‘heroes’ you are looking out for.”
 
The man with the rifle couldn’t believe his luck. “Alright, boys! Looks like we’re getting paid! If you would like to come with us, no one else would be harmed.”
 
” And who said I would be going?” The Wanderer, still not giving them their full attention, raised the mug to his lips for another sip.
 
Bang!
 
The mug shattered under the impact of the bullet, splashing coffee everywhere. “We make the demands here, asshole! You’re coming with us!” Looking at nothing but the handle and drenched in the coffee he was drinking, the mutant turned his head towards the supposed ring leader. Fury was now in his eyes, an ebb of purple flames emanating from them.
 
”Big mistake, jerkoff.”
 
Raising his hand, The Wanderer blasted the ringleader square in the chest. With the surprise attack, the man was sent flying into the wall near the entrance. Instantly unconscious, he crumpled into a heap. After a few moments to take in the surprise of their boss being taken down, the rest of them trained their guns at him, aiming to kill. The mutant then walked into view of everyone. With a smirk on his face, put his hands together and cracked his knuckles. ”Well… let’s get this over with, shall we?”
--------
A few moments later, with nothing but gunfire sounding out from the library and the sirens of the police, the lead officer grabbed the megaphone. “Remember men, we save the hostages first and arrest the captors,” the bald man said. Finally ready, he pulled the device to his lips. “We have you surr…”
 
Before he could finish, one man came crashing through the glass door, falling into an unconscious heap. With all police officers raising their weapons in readiness, more of the gunmen were thrown out of the building. After the 10th man was thrown out, The Wanderer emerged. With now the police aiming their guns at the coffee-soaked mutant, he sighs. ”Relax… These are the men you are after…”
 
Hours went by as the gunmen were rounded up, statements were given, and the injured man was taken to the hospital, The Wanderer walked up to the officer in charge. ” I take it you were as surprised as I was when these gunmen attacked a library in broad daylight?” he inquired.
 
“Surprised doesn’t quite cover it,” the bald man responded, eyes looking at the hero. “However, with a lot of criminals going after superpowered heroes in the past couple of days it’s, it’s only going to get worse.”
 
The news of criminals attacking heroes being a surprise, The Wanderer took a more serious tone. ” What do you mean ‘criminals going after superpowered heroes’?”
 
“Well… talking to a few of the ones we arrested and were cooperating, there seems to be a $500k bounty placed on heroes winding up dead. We have no idea where this came about, but a few of the small-time heroes were already killed in the process.”
 
”I see… Well, I guess I have to help find out where this bounty is coming from. Thanks for the information.” The Wanderer turned and began walking towards the broken library entrance.
 
“And Wanderer… Be safe…” The mutant raised his hand in acknowledgement as he entered the library.
 
Once inside, the mutant immediately walked to the place where his stuff was. Donning on the coat, he turned to walk back out of the building to begin his exit. He paused for a moment to think about something. After a brief moment, he turned again and walked towards the breakroom. When he entered, he said hi to the shaken librarians and reached the coffee pot. Grabbing another mug, he poured himself another cup. As he turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of the broken door. ” When I get back, I’ll make sure I get anything damaged replaced,” he said, feeling guilty for the damage he had done throwing the men about.
 
“I think after being taken hostage and you saving us, you don’t have to worry,” the receptionist replied, appreciation apparent in her tone. “But make sure you get back safe an unharmed, ok?”
 
Smiling as he walked out, he called back to them. ” I intend to. But I’m still replacing damaged items.” Walking out of the building, The Wanderer looked to the city. ”Now then… where to begin…” he said as he took a sip of his coffee.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

IN

Chapter 1: The Falling Pieces

Location: Unknown building, somewhere in Crown Ridge

---

Weeks passed since The Hounds of Humanity lost their battle to the superheroes of Lost Haven, and the Eye of Osiris was busy. The sudden influx of recruits from the former organization that were mostly scattered in most of Lost Haven and Crown Ridge were rounded up and were either drafted into the fold or ‘purged’ at the whim of Dullahan. The faithful already in the Eye before the influx were consolidating their positions in the two cities that were left because of both the gang war between the Yakuza and Triads plus the Hounds. In each case, the use of the Penose in Lost Haven and the Haitians in Crown Ridge made keeping the secrecy of the organization easier in the long run.

In Crown Ridge, Dullahan and a few of the key figures in the Eye were in a separate room. Altogether, there was him, his bodyguard Sobek, the spear-wielding man and the axe-wielding man standing around a table with a fifth person lurking near the ominous leader. “Right now,” Sobek spoke, keeping his eyes on the table that had the map of Maine and smaller maps of both the city of Lost Haven and Crown Ridge. “We have the base facilities for the import of our needed equipment set up in the Chinatown edge of Lost Haven, so we can get the specialized gear from our main warehouse across the Atlantic. As for the facilities here, we are mostly using them to keep stock of Eye personnel and military gear. That plus the warehouse on the edge of town allows for the drugs that will be coming in from the Netherlands and Haiti could be supplied throughout North America. Funds from previous endeavours allow for the goods to leave the city easier. The city’s no capes policy, although will be circumvented by local heroes such as Lyger, will make things easier as well.”

“But what about the big heroes like Lyger?” The spear-wielding man spoke up. “Small heroes could be easily deterred by the No Capes policy in the city, but heroes that stopped D-Day and Pax Metahuman will certainly cause problems down the line.”

“But you forget that in the process of setting up shop that some of our high-tech gear used to obtain those facilities will be there,” replied the axe-wielding man. “While the turrets and the gear we used was only specific to target the gangs and Hounds, they will be targeting both human and superhuman invaders when we finally set up everything.”

Sobek looks up at the two men. “Sekhmet’s right, Montu. The gear we have already is getting changed over as we speak in terms of the programming so that it will target heroes like Lyger and with them being high-tech, any of the known instruments used by Lyger himself will have reduced effectiveness against them. Trust me… He won’t be much of an issue and things being low-key will not warrant the attention to Iron Knight and Icon.”

” And of the location of our missing item?” Everyone bar the lurking figure turned towards their leader as he spoke for the first time during the meeting. ”Is there any progress?”

Sobek’s face turned sombre as he shook his head. “Anhur reports in that since locating the woman in question weeks ago, she had gone underground and with…”

Dullahan’s fist curled into a fist on the table as the red eyes of his helmet turned bloodier in colour. Both Montu and Sekhmet silently gulped in trepidation. Sobek was the only one unmoved by the sudden threatening posture from the leader. ”Get Anhur on a line… NOW!”

---

Location: An unknown warehouse, Chinatown, Lost Haven

The Penose were hard at work. Since the warehouse facilities on dockside Chinatown were obtained, shipments from worldwide came in and were running like clockwork. While some of the cargo was for legitimate uses such as imported food and textiles, some of the Penose product was also important and were prepared to be distributed. Overwatching it all, Anhur leaned against the railing on the upper floor of the warehouse. “Everything seems to be going along smoothly,” the man with the skull-face tattoo muttered to himself. “Just wish that Pasadena bitch would be found.” He had spent the past few weeks getting the network of Penose to locate the woman in question, who he knew as Kayla. That was the only information he had, despite the accurate description of her looks and the rough area of where she lived.

The closest he got to get to her was a college student who wanted the money for blow. He had managed to find her. And how did that turn out? An arrest and interrogation from a bow-wielding vigilante that came to be known as Fletch. Since word got out from what happened that night, not only had the woman disappeared, but no one followed up on obtaining the bounty he placed on her. And the fruitless endeavour was the reason why Dirk, the tall-blond Dutchman that led most of the Penose in the reclamation of the warehouses, was by his side with a phone in his hand. Reaching for the offered phone, Anhur pressed it to his ear. “Can I help you?”

“It’s Sobek. How goes preparations in Lost Haven? Any news about the girl?”

Anhur sighed, left hand raised to the bridge of his nose. “Things have been proceeding as scheduled. More of our turrets and ground-based attack drones have arrived and being distributed to the warehouses in Lost Haven as we speak. Once the next shipment arrives, they will be shipped to Crown Ridge. As for the girl…” He sighed. He had an idea that Dullahan was on speaker too to hear everything. “… Still, no signs. She seems to have slipped the…”

”Find her.”

Anhur shivered at the sound of Dullahan’s voice over the phone. “I’m trying, sir. But no one is taking up on the bounty that has been placed. Not while a vigilante with a bow is going after them.”

” I don’t care how you do it… Raise the bounty on finding her… Allow people wanting it to use our weapons… I don’t care… Just get it done, Anhur. You know what’ll happen if you disappoint me again…”

Then, Anhur was left in silence as the phone was hung up, with Dirk behind him wondering on the conversation.

---

Location: Unknown building, somewhere in Crown Ridge

With the phone to Anhur hung up, Dullahan sighs. ” Now that matter has been dealt with, what about our other sources? Have they narrowed the search?”

Sobek perks up a little. “While we haven’t had much progress with finding the girl, our network has sensed that the search area is on the western side of the US. We’re still narrowing down as we speak, though anything from Anhur will help significantly.”

Dullahan sighs. ”Very good. Keep your eyes on that. As for what to do, Sekhmet will head to Lost Haven and help with keeping our men in line. He would also help Anhur with his search for this… Kayla. Dismissed.”

---

Location: An unknown warehouse, Chinatown, Lost Haven

With the monotonous tone of the call ending, Anhur paused there in silence. On the one hand, everything was going smoothly with bringing the Eye’s equipment and product through that it would make the upcoming operation smoother to run for Dullahan. On the other, the smooth operation going on now meant jack shit if the girl was not located. The skull-faced man knew that without her, the critical item for the operation would not be found and scupper everything. And the last thought, tied in with the vigilante archer, pissed him off.

The skull-faced man threw the phone onto the floor below, yelling in anger that surprised Dirk. Then, Anhur turned to the Dutchman, his golden eyes swirling with hatred. “Get… the word out to every motherfucker in the city!” he bellowed, the Dutchman cowering with the overwhelming fear he was facing. “I am tripling the bounty on the bitch’s head for her to be brought to me alive. I’m also putting a $2 million bounty on the archer’s head to be brought to me on a fucking platter!”

While he was on a role, he thought about the hotbed of heroes that were present in the city. He thought about the thousands of poor people and criminals in the city that were in desperate need of the cash. If the operation were to run smoother than it already is, might as well remove a few more obstacles out of our way. The thought made Anhur smirk maniacally. It was for this reason that Dullahan had put him in charge of the operations in Lost Haven. “And while we are at it, send the word out to every poor soul and low-life thug that is out there. I am putting a $500k reward for each hero’s head. If they need the gear to do so, they get it through our suppliers.”

Dirk stood there, still frozen with fear.

“WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO!”

---

Location: Unknown building, somewhere in Crown Ridge

With the three men gone, only Dullahan and the lone figure remained in the planning room. The Eye leader paused for a moment, pondering on something. ” For now, keep a close eye on your phone for any new orders from me. In the meantime, you carry on with whatever contracts you have open. Is that understood, Anput?”

The lurking figure stood up. Moving into the light, the figure wore a full military gear, hooded and mask covering any features that would identify what gender they were. Through the purple lenses of the goggles, they looked at Dullahan. ”Understood.” Then, as if by an unknown ability, the assassin disappears from the room.

Dullahan remained in his chair. While he sounded menacing to their comrade in Lost Haven, he knew that the words he said were to only fire up Anhur to getting things into motion. After all, a city of heroes is hard to cause chaos from the get-go. Weeks are needed before his plan could finally go into action and the better prepared they were for the operation, the smoother things will run, and the probability of success will increase. Then, much like the moment with the Hound recruitment, Dullahan smirks under his helmet.

”Everything is now falling into place.”

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

and

JAI HALE

Kayla’s eyes flickered towards Jai. While she was still getting her bearings straight from the healing process from hell, she did manage to catch some of the words he said. Slowly, she propped herself up into a sitting position, her cognac eyes looking at him. ”Maybe at some point, when I have come to terms with it,” she replied to the comment. Her head throbbed, her sense of balance thrown into spinning circles as she tried to regain her other senses. When she felt her body was stable enough, she raised her left hand to go to rub the temple.

About halfway through the movement, her hand stopped mid-motion. Without her willing it, her hand - her whole body - slowly shifted towards Racheli. Much like what had happened in Sherman Square when the Hounds attacked. Kayla’s mind still bogged down from the pain, recalled the same moment when Racheli was also annoyed at that kid. That moment caused her to stop too. She also controls metals or magnetism? But before she could follow that thought with the same question, her friend turned and left the garage. She winced as the door was slammed shut.

It was at that moment she noticed a change in demeanour in the virus in the room. Normally, she wouldn’t be bothered by the apparition, but something was different. The words that came from its mouth stunned the archer before it disappeared into thin air. In her moment of showing both Jai and Racheli that she wasn’t weak - that she wanted to feel as strong in her human form as those two - she pissed off her friend. ”Oh hell,” she spoke, exasperated in tone. ”Looks like I need to talk to her before she disappears…” Slowly, she tried to get up onto her feet.

Jai was near unresponsive at Kayla's remark, just shifting his dual irises in her direction with a subtle quirk of his brow. His blue eye had mechanical like circles inside it as if he was continuously analyzing the scene and her. But, the gaze shifted its focus when Racheli stormed out, slamming the door behind her. The virus's words were ominous, but he said nothing. At the moment, everything seemed well enough…

He moved when she did, hands reaching for her to hold her steady. "Steady, Kayla," Jai warned, gripping her forearm and shoulder. "I do not think it is advisable to move quite yet."

He blinked and his sensors were giving him the information he didn't notice before. Switching his one eye to a different view, he noted the strange electrical energy coming off of her. "She will be back in a moment, but pace yourself. I should warn you that there are changes happening that I'm not entirely sure is happening."

Leila was observing and taking notes and seemed to be very dedicated to it while she paced the room.

Kayla was surprised to see Jai near her when she tried to get up from the ground. Logically, she understood his concerns and should be following them. However, her stubbornness and determination weren’t having any of it. ”And doctors told me it wasn’t advisable to do archery ever again, but look how that turned out.” As she looked at him, her eyes gave off a sense of deviousness to them. There wasn’t hiding the fact that she was going to ignore what was advised and try to get up. If she wasn’t to get onto her feet, then at least she could get onto the nearby chair. ”Besides, I bet you’d love to say ‘I told you so’ if I collapse onto the floor again.”

Slowly and hesitantly, she got off of the floor and moved onto the nearby chair. She wasn’t going to lie to herself and say that was a piece of cake. Her entire body ached throughout the move. When Jai spoke again, the archer looked somewhat perplexed at what he had said. ”There are changes you aren’t sure of? What’s that supposed to mean?” The concern in her voice raised the volume slightly to make it more audible in the garage than what it would normally be.

When she rejected his aid, he dropped his arms to his sides. Still, that didn't prevent him from standing close enough to catch her if she did stumble. There's a wry smile that ghosted over his lips, a faint semblance of amusement at her words of practising archery. "As amusing as it would be for me to say 'I told you so,' I don't think that would give me or you any sort of enjoyment for rubbing it in." The only look he received was a raised eyebrow as Kayla doubted he wouldn’t enjoy the comment.

There was a wary glance when she shifted to the chair without much trouble. Still, the sparks of energy had yet to cease. The amusement dissipates when she asks and from the corner of his eye, he can see Leila shifting, and listen in with a keen eye.

Kneeling down in front of her, his elbows on his knees, he said, "You have strange electrical energies radiating off of you that shouldn't be normal in someone who just received what Leila gave you." His eyes darted to her and returned his focus to the woman in front of him. "Not only that, but I was absolutely certain that there was nothing entirely metallic in that injection and I'm watching—" His eyes slide to her shoulder blade where she had been previously shot, "—where you've been previously shot slowly be filled with something metallic." He looked away and returned his focus on her.

"Is there something either me or Leila should know?"

At first, a puzzled expression was etched on Kayla’s face as the information on electrical energies came up. While the nanites she was injected with could be something that is the cause of that, she doubted that as Leila had tested it before and it didn’t come up. And the concoction that Evergreen gave her that enhanced her agility? That certainly wouldn’t be the cause of this energy.

The expression changed into shock at the mention of something metallic being in her body. She knew that the modified nanites that came from Racheli’s blood were organic, so that definitely came from something else. Her eyes widened with shock and panic at the idea that something was inside her that she didn’t know about. Her heart rate began increasing once again as panic set in. ”There’s something inside of me?!" she gasped, her voice breaking. It certainly didn’t help her that whatever was inside of her was going back to where she was shot before. The whole thought of that night giving her something else made her nauseous. Her skin paled as her skin began to clam up.

It didn’t take long before the archer’s arms scrambled for the nearby bin and threw up. It had been too much for her. Once she finished, she slumped into the chair. She felt more exhausted than she did the moment the healing process finished. Breathing heavily, her eyes slowly moved from the bin to Jai and Leila. ”I swear… I don’t know… I didn’t know…”

Jai could only sympathetically watch when Kayla did not take the news well. But, clearly, there was someone else intervening with Kayla and her body that was not Leila. Setting the thought for another day, he needed Kayla to focus on something else and try to move past the initial news. They need to try to figure out a way to find the answers rather than worrying about it. Though, as concerning as it was, he supposed that it was only normal. Most, if not all, do not take too kindly to finding out that there was something invading one's body. The very thought gave him pause, and he forwent the idea of further contemplation.

The soldier shook his head, glanced in Leila's direction where she gave a hard look. At Kayla, he stood up so that he could reach forward and place a hand on her shoulder as a means of reassurance. "If you don't know, then perhaps it will be best if you let Leila take a few samples from you to figure out what it is exactly you have in your body. Much like how she did for Racheli."

At her cue, Leila walked over with her arms crossed, a finger tapping her chin in thought. "Certainly," she said with a nod. "I'll definitely have to take samples and analyze. I want to make sure that they are not going to wreak havoc on you, but it doesn't seem to be anything alarming since it seems as though it is helping you rather than being a concern. So I do not imagine it'll be too much of a problem for the time being." The woman hummed. "But rest first and we'll collect the necessary samples later. Don't worry, I'll take good care of you as I did with Racheli."

Jai dropped his hand from Kayla's shoulder. "You are in good hands, Kayla."

Kayla gaze sank to the floor in front of her, her mind still trying to process everything that was said. While she thought of the possibilities into what caused whatever was inside her to get there in the first place, her thoughts instantly returned to the night she almost died. It seemed to be more than a coincidence that the place the metal inside of her was returning to the same spot of where her injuries were, but it was reopening a wound she spent the past few years trying to close. It was getting too much for her and she was on the verge of breaking down.

When the warmth of Jai’s hand touched her shoulder, she stiffened slightly. It was the first time someone outside of her family and Mr Taylor had placed a hand on her in a while. The added thought of someone else getting in her personal bubble was mixing her addled mind more. However, the touch and warmth of it grounded her tumultuous emotions to allow her to think more clearly. She failed to notice her body slowly gravitating towards the source of the touch as she zoned out for the briefest of moments. It wasn’t long before she focused back on the conversation about Leila going to examine what was inside of her.

”It sounds like a logical course of action,” she replied, her voice still choked up from the shock. Her body returned to its normal position when Jai’s hand was taken away from her. ”The sooner it is examined, the sooner it can get out of me.”

Jai isn't accustomed to touching since he's "returned" to Earth. Reappearing as he did, touch felt almost foreign to him that doing it seems almost a necessity rather than any sort of habit. Rehabilitating him when he was with Leila helped, he noted, and that was perhaps why touching never seemed to give him the same sort of initial aversion when he "came" back. So seeing Kayla relax and perhaps become grounded from his touch was something he noted to do a bit more of in the future.

"I suppose this is a lot to take in one go," Jai said with a subtle lift of his brow, but his tone of voice was almost… concerned.

"We'll take this one step at a time," Leila said, frowning. "Just focus on recovering and resting from this first and we'll tackle this another day. I'll figure out whatever it is later, I promise."

Jai crouched in front of Kayla, looking her over with his eye. While the electrical energies had yet calmed, still, it was fascinating to watch it bounce off of her the way it was. For now, it seemed harmless and he hoped it would stay that way.

"Like Leila said, it seems harmless and it's helping you so I cannot think it's going to hurt you. I just wanted to let you know to be on the lookout for any changes."

Leila nodded. "Mhm. You should be experiencing the things I've outlined in that documentation that I had you sign before we started all of this. If you experience anything outside of that, tell me right away."

Kayla listened to both of them as they both understood that the information was a lot to take in and it was something they would deal with. At least that is reassuring, she thought, nodding to them as she understood that she needs to rest after the healing process. It was at this moment that everything caught up to her. Exhaustion kicked in as her energy levels plummeted. Her back slowly fell to the back of the chair she was sitting in, allowing it to support her as she fully relaxed.

When it came to the topic of letting them know she was experiencing things that were unexpected. ”Yeah, I’ll make sure I’m on top of it,” she sighed, the sudden fatigue apparent. ”It’s certainly the last thing I want to happen, especially when the trail of the Penose is still warm.” While she hadn’t mentioned much about it, Kayla had spoken to them about a problem she encountered prior to the Hounds attack and that she obtained some information to follow up on. The specifics of Mark’s injuries and her infiltration of the police HQ to ‘question’ the man who attacked her were left out as it had been need-to-know. Roadblock was the only one who had an inkling of an idea of the former and knew of the latter. With him involved now, she needed to make sure some of the information is correct.

It was a moment in her reflection on the Penose that she noticed Jai was looking at her, crouching in front of her. She noted the fascinated look on his face. ”Anything that eye of yours noticing?” Her left eyebrow curled up as she asked him that question, her gaze curiously looking at his response.

Leila, at this point, had wandered off to the other part of the garage once Kayla gave her confirmation, taking a seat on one of the chairs in the corner as she recorded her notes.

Any comments either of them could've made regarding the Penose fell short when Kayla seemed to be lost in thought.

"To be frank, it's interesting to see how your body is reacting to both the injection and how there was already something else inside of you that is creating what I see," Jai answered, gesturing to the sparks that hovered over the surface of her skin. Even if she couldn't see it, he could. "It is not often that I can see the effects of something like this." And in person, he might've added, if he were to consider his stance on the matter.

He dropped his hand to return his focus to Kayla. "Forgive my impertinence," he said with the shake of his head. "How are you feeling?"

Kayla listened as Jai talked about what he was seeing. She had to admit that it was interesting to hear what he was seeing, still wrapping her head around the idea that one of his eyes can see more than what she can with her own. Her gaze on him remained as curious as ever. The corners of her lips curled up slightly as her subconscious noted the gaze he was giving her as well as his hand hovering over her. She failed to notice her heart skipping slightly with his hand being close to her.

The fleeting moment disappeared as soon as his hand returned to his side. Her curious gaze disappeared and returned to a resting face she had before, the signs of fatigue returning. ”I’m feeling ok, all things considering,” she replied. ”Tired as all hell though.” Her eyes looked up at the clock on the wall, noting that it was getting closer to when she was due to leave. Jeremy had other business at another location he was hoping to buy, so he was giving everyone in the shop half a day. She cursed under her breath. ”And it’s almost the end of the working day too. I still have a lot to do before closing up for the day.”

Tentatively, Kayla pushed herself up onto her feet, her footing feeling slightly uneasy from everything earlier. After a few moment, her entire body was steady again. ”I shouldn’t keep you guys waiting. I’m sure you have other important plans waiting for you back at where you’re based than to babysit me.” Her lips curled up slightly as to try to reassure both Leila and Jai that she was going to be alright. ”I’ll be fine with doing the closing and getting myself back home, okay?”

When her gaze shifted to the clock on the wall, Jai knew what she was thinking moments later. He frowned and stood with the shake of his head. "As appreciative as I am of your work ethic, you just went through a huge ordeal that I don't think it's advisable that you move when you just said that you're 'tired as all hell'," he said when she pushed herself to standing. His hand shot out to her side, hovering next to her when she was unsteady on her feet.

It was only when she was steady once more that he slowly dropped his hand once more. Still, he didn't move too far from her. His gaze subtly narrowed and he sighed, despite the reassuring smile. "I wouldn't call this babysitting as it's more out of concern for your wellbeing."

Leila lifted her brow at Kayla once she was finished with her notes. Rising to stand, she said, "Kayla, Jai can finish up your work for you—just direct him and he'll do it for you." She glanced around the garage. "I'd rather you not push yourself this first day." She shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "And we only did this today because it was a halfday and Jai can help cover if need be since he was the only other mechanic in the shop that knew what we were going to do," she pointed out.

"Unless you don't believe I can help you finish your work properly? In which case, I have half the mind to prove you otherwise." There was a ghost of a smile curling at the edges of his lips, hinting toward something of amusement. It seemed unlikely, given how he was just as qualified and competent as she was for the job. Still, it was what most would've considered a joke and it's perhaps the first one that Jai had ever made.

When Jai retorted to her wanting to close up shop, Kayla wanted to object. ”I’ll be fine,” she replied back, her tone turning sterner. In her mind, she knew she was the complete opposite. She had never been fine since that night. She knew that her physical capabilities would never be the same with the muscles in her shoulder being damaged. But she endured through that and she was sure as hell was thinking she’ll endure this. And she was sure as hell not letting anyone get in the way of that.

Kayla had to bite her tongue when Jai tried to reassure her that he wasn’t babysitting but ‘being concerned’ for her wellbeing. While she knew that they do mean well and whatever she was going to say will only make her feel better, she didn’t know the impact on the words. The archer had an inkling of an idea that Leila would have picked up on the types of medication she is currently on with the condition she’s on. It didn’t help that the same medication on her medical file was wearing off and she would be needing it soon. It hadn’t helped when Leila herself interjected into the conversation and mentioned that Jai should help.

”Fine…” Kayla responded curtly, her right hand rising up so her thumb, index and middle finger pinched the bridge of her nose. There’s only so much I can hold back of my irritability, she thought. She needed to take her medication before it wore off and her annoyance becomes too much. ”Just make sure all of the machinery in the shop is shut off for the day. I’ll get the end of shift paperwork sorted out and shut the computer systems in Jeremy’s office.” Reaching for her bag that was by her bench, she began walking towards the office to fill in the sheet and shut the computer down.

Despite the fact that Jai suspected otherwise in Kayla's demeanor that she was anything but fine, he dropped the subject. In fact, he lifted his brow but said nothing when there was an indication that she wanted to say differently. He waited several beats before Kayla finally responded, sounding exasperated, if not at herself, but at him.

He only turned away when she pinched the bridge of her nose, and he began their closing procedures with shutting each of the machines and closing up shop. Their current cars were parked and locked, and current projects left for the next day to tackle. He did a cursory glance, switching between his visions to make sure all of the machinery were off before proceeding to doing a quick cleanup. It was a lot quicker than he expected but by the time he was done, Kayla stood off to the side, watching him.

"How do you like supervising me?" he asked and he walked over to her. "I trust it meets your expectations?" Jai glanced around the garage for another glance, but dropped his gaze back on Kayla. He knew he did a fine job, having been at the garage long enough that the closing procedures was committed to memory. Still, maybe he ought to tease the ruffled feathers of a certain archer.

Leila seemed to be finishing up her notes from where she was sitting. She hadn't moved from where she initially sat down.

Kayla arrived in the office after storming out of the shop floor for the electrical work. She closed the door behind her before resting her back against the door. The archer took heavy breaths as she finally slumped fully against the door, her body slightly shaking from the pent up emotions. She didn’t know what it was, but the way Jai teased her struck a chord in her. The shaking in her shoulders moved heavier as she raised both her hands to her head, her finger tips running through her hair. The more she thought about it, the more the question she thought resonated with what she felt. Why of all things he is doing reminds me of him? With her body propped up against the door to prevent her from slipping down, her head slowly sank towards her chest, fighting the tears back.

Gathering a few moments to try and compose herself, the archer got back up onto her two feet and walked over to the computer. Wiping her eyes from the excess water, Kayla began closing the running programmes. Once satisfied, she began closing the computer down. With that task done, the only thing left was to sign both her and Jai out. She walked over to the clipboard where the sign out sheet was. Seeing a water bottle by the stored archery kit she had at the garage, she took a moment to pick it up. Her left hand reached in the bag to pick up the medication and deftly opened it with one hand. Shaking the contents towards her mouth so two of the tablets entered her mouth, she closed it again and drank the contents of the bottle. Once happy with getting everything done, she turned to walk out. While she thought about it, she decided that the arrows in the kit would need to be refletched. Decided in the last minute, she turned back to her archery bag and slipped the arrow tube of the case and walked out of the office.

When she returned, Jai was almost finished with the cleaning. Kayla had half a thought about watching him, though the emotional drain caused her to zone out. She was tired. She felt overwhelmed. She wanted to just be left alone for the rest of the day. Despite all that, she did want to say sorry to Jai, Leila and Rach for everything that has happened today. It was the one thing she wanted after the past few weeks: she wanted to feel like she wasn’t burdening everyone she came across. Especially in a world where there are people with amazing abilities.

Just as Jai finished cleaning up and was looking back at her, Kayla zoned back in. Listening to him, she instantly felt the teasing nature behind the words. Her head slouched forward once again, trying hard to regain her composure. When she thought she had her emotions in check, despite the redness around her eyes suggesting otherwise, they all flooded back. ”Just stop…” she muttered, choking on the words. But the words weren’t enough to stop the emotional breakdown she was about to face.

”JUST STOP IT!”

Her face shot up as she screamed in the shop. Her eyes welled up to the point of her starting to cry. The glare she was giving fully betrayed the hurt behind them. She couldn’t take this any more. The only thing Kayla wanted at this moment was to get out of here. Without much warning, she tightened her grip and ran out the door. Ripping the door open, she left without any further word and slammed the door behind her.