Xandrya

The Energy Storm

A New Partnership...

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^{A collaborative post between @Chulance & @Xandrya}

Floyd was surprised Network was having a better start then he'd hoped for, but things were starting to pan out in a positive manner so to speak. Getting Shade on his side was a major win for him, and one that he'd hoped would have a snowball effect on bringing forth momentum for his organization. But in order to effectively seize the black market & take the company where he wanted to go then he needed help. Not to mention his confrontation with Lori Martinez had left him reeling, people like her needed to go. He felt that both of his primary goals/obstacles would align with the interests of a certain female agent who'd decided to let him go free a few days ago. Fumbling through his materials he found Anya's card, and produced one of his burner cells. Examining the card once more he pushed in the digits and called her. Two more days until the deadline for registration is up, things are about to get hectic.

She was sitting on a barstool leaning on her kitchen counter. Anya was wearing nothing but underwear and a white tank top. Fresh bandages covered her wounds, and despite the medication she was currently prescribed, Anya had a glass of wine in hand. She hadn't left her home much these past few days. While Liberty sent her home until she was fully recovered, the FSS did not have the same expectations. Had her incident been work-related, meaning, she was ordered to take Floyd into custody, they would have been a little more understanding of her situation. But Instead, when she was questioned, she explained to her superiors the she had engaged the Altered on her own account. Anya wasn't formally reprimanded, but there were some closed-door discussions she had had with her superiors, though in the end, all she was left with was some side work to handle that wasn't all that physically demanding.

Since she was lost in thought as she sipped her wine, Anya was startled when her phone went off. She grabbed it and noticed it was a number she didn't have saved.

“Hello?”

Floyd was tapping his fingers on his desk when he finally heard a click. "Hey, we need to speak or rather meet it'll be well worth your while. It's Floyd, Floyd Banker, the flying altered from the other day." Floyd added at the end to try to jog Anya's memory of him incase she didn't recall who he was.

"Yes, of course," Anya knew right away who it was. She quickly finished the wine left on the glass by gulping down the last mouthful. She wasn't looking to get drunk, but she didn't want to be completely sober either. "So you want to meet now?" she added, more so talking to herself. "I mean, yeah, I can meet you somewhere, I just need to get dressed. Will you text me the location?”

Floyd was glad Anya recognized him without having to say anything further, it was good to have things going his way after the earlier confrontation with Lori Martinez. "Well now would be good timing." He added and went to his phone to send her a text of the location of a new factory he'd purchased two days ago to replace the warehouse Paige wiped out on the same day he'd finally gotten ownership of Taste of Paradise. "It's a fairly unoccupied factory, meet me there as soon as possible." Floyd added with some urgency in his voice wanting to meet up with her in person as soon as possible.

After getting the details from Floyd, Anya hung up with him and went ahead to get dressed. As she did so, she winced in pain a couple of times. She simply put on shorts and a light jacket, leaving some of the bandage exposed. Anya was not wanting to make the pain worse by wearing tight or restrictive clothing. Besides, she wasn't meeting Floyd in a professional capacity, so dressing down was fine. It could also possibly help her keep the meeting under wraps from her superiors since she wasn't running around town looking official as usual.

A while later, Anya finally arrived at the factory. She didn't see Floyd right away, so she walked around near the entrance.

"Floyd?" Her voice echoed off the walls.

"What the fuck happened to you." Floyd retorted as he became visible walking over to her from her a corner in the room. He was eying her up and down, noticing the bandage but also noticing more of her body with the way she was dressed. She had a nice figure, and the agent was more attractive then he recalled. Of course this meeting was much less tension filled then the last one that started off with him in cuffs. "Anyway I need your help, right now I'm starting my own group of altered humans and I'm trying to take control of the black market. I think being in charge of the american criminal underworld would be a valuable resource as the President's new laws make it harder for the majority of altered to have jobs aside from busines owners & the like. I'm looking to partner with someone in the government, and willing to offer up all manner of criminal enemies in exchange for immunity while in pursuit of this goal." Floyd retorted to Anya getting straight to the point.

She could tell he was checking her out as he didn't make any attempts to be the least bit inconspicuous, but Anya refrained from saying something. She couldn't deny he was attractive as well, but she wouldn't make it obvious. "Did you already forget how that Altered nearly killed me? Unfortunately, I'm not as strong as a lot of you with your abilities, so I've been out from work for little bit.

Floyd then brought up the reason he had called her. And to be honest, Anya had to give some thought to what he had just proposed. She wouldn't be breaking protocol with just one employer, but with both of them...despite the fact that she was not a legitimate Liberty employee in the sense of holding allegiance to the agency. "That's a very tempting offer...but I would have a hell of a lot more to lose than you. How do I know you're not going to screw me over?" she asked.

Floyd rolled his eyes at Anya’s first comment, surely an agent like her wasn’t complaining about being hurt or not being as physically strong as superhumans. Besides not all altered had super strength anyway, hell he didn’t. “Oh come on, what do you have to loose? I’m the one whose a criminal trying to partner with the government. Not only that I’m offering you an unlimited peak into the other side, endless pool of regular criminals & altered criminals for you & your buddies to string up like a Christmas tree whenever you want. You’ll literally be the best agent ever.” Floyd continued trying to focus on the potential benefits of working together while proposing this deal too Anya.

“Anyway how the hell can I screw you over in this partnership. You think in any scenario they’ll believe me over you if something we’re to go left.” Floyd added with a grin, although he wasn’t planning on crossing her if she agreed. Part of the inspiration for this idea came from watching Sons of Anarchy. “Or maybe you don’t have the juice to pull off what I’m asking for huh? Is that it can’t get it up for my request hmm?” Floyd teased but with a hint of seriousness, after all if she wasn’t high ranking enough to help with what he wanted then he needed to be careful because that didn’t mean she might not have enough rank to put an end to it.

“Listen, if I get found out, I might as well start digging my own grave. All they need is any ounce of proof that I’m working with you instead of taking your ass to jail and I’m a dead woman.” Anya was being honest; she wasn’t exaggerating. Her superiors would not take kindly to her going behind their backs. She’d heard the stories of what’d happened to other operatives who just so happened to betray the FSS, and that alone was hhea deterrent on its own. Still, Floyd brought forth a pretty good point. She would be gaining a lot, and to her, it was worth the risk. Anya smirked at his latest statement. “If you didn’t think I had what it takes to offer you an in then you wouldn’t even be here right now, so don’t play that game. But you are right, your offer is a pretty good, one that’s hard to pass up… And with that said, I hope you’re ready to play by my rules.”

"Wellllll I guess you have a point there, if I didn't think you could do it I wouldn't be here, or I'd be pretty screwed considering I can't wipe away memories or anything." Floyd noted jokingly although he was being partially serious, if he had made an incorrect assessment he would be totally screwed right about now. "And okay then what are "YOUR" rules then Agent Donnovan." Floyd asked somewhat sarcastically wondering what he was getting himself into. Still he shoved any potential regrets he had to the side, if he was going to do this then he wanted to be connected with government forces from the start, it would lead to making the Network succesful, plus he was determined to take down Lori Martinez, Reaper & any other similarly threatening forces.

“The rules are simple. Every major job, movement, shipping, and anything else of significance must be previously approved by me. You will not carry out these actions without consulting me first, and if I tell you to pull the plug, you will listen to me.” Anya then stepped closer to Floyd, decreasing the distance between the both of them. Her tone now lowered, she looked him square in the eye. “And last but not least, no one but you knows about me. If I find out you as so much mention my name, you are fucking dead…and that’s a promise I’ll carry out myself.”

"Suit yourself if your into micro managing, although I forsee that particular condition of yours being quite difficult as Network grows in number, fortunately for you the group's not that big right now."Floyd shrugged if she wanted to make her life more difficult and his easy that was fine with him. He could use the management help anyway. thi was not a field he use to being a leader in anynway. As she got closed he clenched his nose a bit. "Jeez you smell you went swimming in a pool of wine, stand back a little your breath is intoxicating." Floyd said to her when she approached and made her final lecturing threatening remarks. "You don't gotta get drunk, to threaten me.”

Anya rolled her eyes in response, shaking her head as she stepped back to turn away from Floyd. "It's not so much a threat as it is a fact. You may get a slap on the wrist compared to the hell that will rain down on me." With her back to the Altered, Anya placed her hands on her waist as she looked up at the sky. She was remembering the footage they had showed her during her training of what they did to operatives who went rogue in one way or another. She initially had turned her eyes away from the screen, but the was warned just once to keep watching or else there'd be consequences. But that was then, and things were much different now, at least in her experience. "But as long as we can work with my rules, we won't have any problems...”

Floyd couldn't help but laugh a little bit at Anya's response, not that he found her particularly funny. "Right you think me, a black man & an altered will get a "slap on the wrist" for what amounts to being the leader of a super powered terrorist group trying to take over the entire criminal underworld." Floyd found that amusing, although maybe Anya's punishment would be more severe. After all she was an agent helping to make it all possible, he didn't have the government connections to fulfill this whole plan which is why he was here seeking her to work together with him in the first place. "I don't see any reason I can't abide by your rules Agent Donnovan, as long as you don't cross me you'll or try round 2 with the handcuffs you'll find me to be particularly loyal. Also your alcohol fueled breath isn't a problem the only real problem is that you didn't invite me to join you? Relaxing and having fun unwinding with good drink all by yourself? Come on now that isn't any way to treat a new partner is it? Floyd added at the end somewhat teasing her.

"Oh, so you're interested," Anya smirked, pausing briefly to contemplate the fun them two could have. "I would have invited you but you never gave me your number...and a man like you goes through burners probably at the same rate I go through bottles. Besides, haven't you heard? Never mix business with pleasure.”

"Hmmmm" Floyd responded allowing his eyes to survey Anya's figure once more before giving his answer. "Okay that settles it I'm 100% interested, and excuses excuses. Excuses are are the tools of incompetence, used to build monuments of nothingness. Also I tend to think the opposite, mix business with pleasure and it hardly even feels like work." Floyd responded.

"I suppose that's another way to look at it... Open invitation, to celebrate this new partnership of ours. If you're interested you can join me back at my place, I have a nice variety for your choice of poison. If not, I'll continue drinking all the same.”

“Why thank you, it's always a good idea to look at things from a variety of perspectives." Floyd shot back at Anya with a mischievous grin plastered onto his face. "Sounds like your gonna enjoy life with or without me one way or another, but I'd be happy to accompany you on this journey back to your place. Would you like to handle transportation I've acquired a more discreet means to go about it." Floyd added with a smirk as he hovered in the air before turning invisible, only to resume being seen by the naked eye with both feet planted firmly on the ground. "Or would you prefer more traditional means of moving around.”

“Preferably the more discreet method as I’d rather avoid being spotted with an altered outside of work. You know how it goes...”

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

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Can’t wait to hear all about it. Give me about an hour to get ready and I’ll see you there... Michele picked up the pace, not wanting to look like the hot mess that was currently running around San Francisco. She liked Michael, and she would be lying to herself if she did’t admit that she was trying to impress him later on, whether he considered it to be a date or not.

Some time passed and Michele was setting up a variety of finger food that consisted of a couple of cheeses and hams, some crackers with fig jelly on the side, corn nuts, and mini ham croquettes she had quickly fried up. It had taken her quite a bit to figure out what she wanted to wear, something nice but casual enough to not make her be overdressed in her own home. In the end, Michele decided on a denim dress accentuated at the waist by a red belt and a simple pair of sandals. Once she was done, she looked at the time and realized she had maybe a few minutes until the hour was up. The young woman was relieved, and started to pour some wine on a couple of glasses.

@FunnyGuy

The Energy Storm

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@FunnyGuy

It seemed as if her life lately was one giant mess as Michele currently lay face down on the ground with her arms placed on either side of her head. Officers dressed in all black with rifles aimed at their now dead target stepped over and around her as they quickly pushed forward. They had shot the Altered who'd had a hostage in his grasp, a young woman trembling and crying as she pleaded for he life. Michele just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and her, like every other individual in the hospital lobby, was ordered to get down moments before all hell broke loose and bullets started flying. As it turns out, the man took out his frustrations on a nurse when she kept telling him there was nothing more they could do for his brother, and in turn, he demanded that every doctor and nurse required for a life-saving procedure tended to his brother. But in the end, both siblings simply ended up dead. Michele was questioned by police regarding the incident once they verified her driver's license, and soon after that, she was let go.

During her walk home, she received a text message from Michael. Nah, I have no plans. Why, what's up?

The Energy Storm

Presently...

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^{A collaborative post between @Chulance & @Xandrya}

Reaper had taken Olivia elsewhere after her father's failed missio in saving her and the soldiers deaths it had caused. After the suicidal shoot-out with the failed rescue officers Reaper had transported himself, Olivia & the goons to a new location. He had one of the goons turn Olivia's phone off and go to another discreet location with it, while taking Olivia elsewhere to a with just himself, her & two of the remaining goons.

In the midst of their travels, they ended up switching vehicles with Reaper "convincing" a pedestrian to give them an SUV, walk home & not report it to the police until 3 days later. The new location wasn't a dingy warehouse, it was a mansion in a gated community although Reaper had used his powers to engulf Olivia in blackness on the way to the new destination. Upon arrival he had the guards escort her inside this time less rough and of course without hand-cuffs. Once they were seated in the living room Reaper himself had taken a seat a table where he had his goons sit Olivia. "Well Well Well it seems like you saved yourself after all, now I must admit the thought had occured to me during the ride to simply siphon your mind of the knowledge but let's just say this will be much easier to use you in person rather then comb through your thoughts. As part of the team you will not be rough handled anymore and may actually enjoy quite the nice lifestyle if you co-operate." Reaper spoke in a soothing voice to Olivia, almost caring despite the fact that he'd effectively kidnapped her.

She’d barely slept. The torture Olivia had to endure, although realistically speaking, not for long, had taken its toll on her. Her chest was on fire and she was sure she had a few broken ribs, maybe a burst blood vessel from the discoloration. She was fed, sure, and she was also given water to drink, but there were times where Olivia wished she was dead.

But that was then. Now, while not entirely put out of her misery, she felt a tinge better. Olivia sat in a room with her kidnappers in an unknown location, and wherever they were, it looked a lot nicer than where she was previously being held. She listened as Reaper spoke, her face expressionless until it was her turn to respond.

“How do you plan on getting us to DC? I can maybe get my hands on his laptop from here, but that’s as much as I can do.”

"Hmmm that does pose quite the interesting question. Right now my plans are to use my abilities to acquire us a private flight, however I am the process of seeking individuals with powers that allow for the transportation of people." Reaper explained showing technology was the plan if powers weren't an option, but if they were then of course things would be different. It was awkward at first being around this woman he almost killed when ransom wasn't payed, but she'd proved her worth. THus he spard her and while some might feel that it was mistake, showing unplanned kindness to enemies was a power move that could have benefits at least that's what Greene and the 48 laws said.

Simply nodding, the young woman turned away from Reaper. She had thoughts popping up in her mind about escaping, calling her mother and getting as far away from San Francisco as possible, and she was trying her damnedest to push said thoughts out of her head. Not that the idea was completely unappealing to her, but going that route would surely result in her death. Besides, she wanted revenge against her father for abandoning her and leaving her for dead.

"Well, at this point it's only a matter of waiting to get there then... If you find your person, we may go straight to his office. Avoiding him altogether will make him think I'm dead, unless you'd like to send that message.”

"Don't be so nervous Olivia, our thoughts are fluid and for that matter private. Although I am keen on listening in to them, I won't punish you for every little straw though that flutters through your mind. After all desiring to escape captivity is only natural, as well as thoughts about acting on that desire." Reaper said in a soothing voice albeit probably no doubt unnerving & down-right creepy to Olivia considering her situation.

To be kidnapped by someone who could read your very thoughts did seem to be something out of a horror flick. “I am in favor of gong directly to the office so that we may obtain the information I most desire. It’s well past the time to leverage your life as a bargaining chip with your father, the last time it nearly ended with your own death and the deaths of his men. The past is just that merely the past, now we march onwards towards the future. Once I get what I want I’ll have no need to hold you hostage anymore, unless you want my help to exact revenge on your father at that point otherwise you’ll most likely be free to go after that.” Reaper spoke matter of factly, he wanted to motivate & encourage Olivia.

Hope was a powerful emotion & useful tool against captives. Reaper found it effective against her as well, knowing that she could be truly free by co-operating against a “loving” father who left her for dead in the first place. “That’s my first, final & only offer. Work with me to get the intel I require and your life will be yours to lie again.” Reaper said truthfully, he didn’t bother going on a spill about not telling the cops after being released. He was sure she probably would, but he didn’t fear the police.

With a sigh, Olivia nodded, her glance angled downward as she avoided looking directly at Reaper. "We will visit his office...maybe then my father will learn the meaning of the word loyalty..." The hint of bitterness was evident in her tone, though that was a result of not just one, but a multitude of feelings and emotions threatening to pour out all at once.

You'll most likely be free to go...

The thought stuck to her. Even though Reaper hadn't necessarily found a way to get them to Washington just yet, Olivia was thinking of possible back-up plans. Yes, she had access to her father's laptop, but she wanted more in case the current plan took a turn for the worse. She wanted to guarantee her own survival, even if it meant trading her father's life for her own. He had, after all, done the same with her and his job; a gamble no person in their right mind would take against one of their children.

But that would come soon enough. At the moment, Olivia needed to rest as she didn't even have the energy to come up with a solid plan.

"Can you show me where the upstairs bathroom is? I'm thinking it's about time to change out of these clothes.”

Reaper made no comment in response to Olivia’s own about loyalty, allowing her anger towards hr father to simmer. That was a natural weapon he could utilize against the head of the CIA without having to use any machinations of his power whats-ever. He was very well versed in the functioning of the mind & how to manipulate it even without his altered ability.

“Of course Olivia right this way.” Reaper motioned for her to follow and led her to the upstairs bathroom, a woman emerged from around the corner and stood near the door. She was of asian and black descent and had a calm smile on her fac.

“Hello I am Malina, I am part of Reaper’s team, I will be your company throughout the residence, but don’t worry I will not follow you into the bathroom.” Malina said in a cheerful tone that didn’t fit, even though Reaper was leaving Olivia alone and was monitoring her mental signal throughout th mansion, he still had somone else from his team stand close by. And unlike Reaper Olivia had no idea what powers Malina had at her disposal to prevent her from trying to accelerate her departure from Reaper’s captivity.

She was relieved to hear Reaper's response agreeing to her request. Aside from some caked on blood she had wiped from her face with the back of her hand, Olivia still very much looked like she had gone to hell and come back multiple times. She followed him upstairs quietly, for a moment wondering what level of privacy she'd be afforded at this point. That question, however, was soon answered.

"I'm Olivia," she responded neutrally, mostly out of habit. But of course Malina would know, probably. Initially, she was disappointed to see the woman there, but then she was glad to know she would be able to bathe without the company of an additional pair of eyes. Though a little more unsettling than that was the fact that Reaper had unrestricted access to her mind, and that violation of privacy was on a completely different level.

Once inside, Olivia closed the door and locked it, turning around to lean against it momentarily. She looked around the bathroom, wondering whether this place would become her permanent home for the foreseeable future, but she supposed time would tell. After about a minute, Olivia walked over to the bathtub. She sat on the edge to prepare her bath, pouring a wash into the mix with a strong scent. Once that was done, she slipped out of her ruined clothes and into the tub, the bruises throughout her body a painful reminder of what she'd endured. Despite all that, Olivia managed to relax herself long enough to fall asleep in the bath.

The Haunted House [18+]

Mikaela had quietly motioned for Xander to follow her into the living room. If she was being honest with herself, she was relieved to have had company, though if shit hit the fan, she could very well end up on her own. "I just don't get people's fascinations with clowns...was it about them?" Mikaela shook her head, primarily speaking to herself. However, the moment Xander started going on about swords, she rolled her eyes, turning to gaze over at him. "Maybe because the guys [i]wielding[/] the swords are dweebs, very much like yourself," she added matter-of-factly, crossing her arms in front of her. Just then, she heard Adele's cry for help after one of the nearby doors slammed shut.

"Holy shit..."

Mikaela's heart nearly skipped a beat. She looked over at Xander with an expression not often witnessed. Scared out of her mind for what seemed like an eternity, Mikaela was finally able to speak once more when Evan joined them and chimed in with his two cents.

"Hey, watch your damn tone, none of us did anything!" Mikaela subconsciously walked in front of Xander in a protective manner, her fear subsiding momentarily. "Just because Adele is on the other side of that door doesn't mean we are the ones responsible!"

Firefly - Second 'Verse

A bit of light stretching to get her blood flowin' was one of her favorite routines, and one of the few she was faithful to. Alana had settled her belongings a few minutes prior and now that she was done with her warm-up, she mentally made note of what she had yet to do. Right, best get to it then. She kneeled down and unpacked the topside items, looking over a few as she went. It was funny...she could've sworn she was missing a few things, but she didn't pay it much mind for long. It was only a little while later and she had everything out in an organized layout. Rather pleasing to the eye, and much easier to work with. Picking out her medical items to be brought over to the infirmary, Alana hummed a familiar tune easily recognized by just about anyone who'd hear it. She stowed them away in her medical bag and headed out to her place of work.

Despite hearing a few voices through her short trip, Alana didn't meet anyone new aside from those she'd previously been introduced to. Once the walk was over, and the young medic entered the infirmary, sighing in relief. It'd been a bit of time since she'd had something steady, and she was grateful for the opportunity, though it was luck more than anything if she was being honest.

Alana didn't bother shutting close the door behind her, And instead, she got to work right away. She had her own personal checklist as well as the checklist she had located hanging in the corner just over one of the countertops. Beautiful. When it came to her work, Alana was as organized as one could be. She found it to make her work performance that much more efficient as it allowed her to work faster in more urgent matters requiring her attention.

Nearing the items at the bottom of the checklist, Alana heard the comms go off. She looked up for a moment before resuming her work. Up to that point, everything seemed to check out save for the occasional missing item, though those were nothing of too much importance. Alana also tested some equipment to make sure each one was in good working order, and the results were in her favor. She was making good progress; the last thing to do being going over to the various first aid kit locations to take care of any necessary restocking. Maybe she'd get the chance to meet some of the remaining crew.

The Haunted House [18+]

Giving others a chance to post. Don't want to alternate every other post.

Werewolf: Party Game for Devious People

I am down.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

OOC: collaborative post with @Gunther & @Aalakrys

The food stores had been delivered. As both a deckhand and the boat’s cook, Joe Hooker saw it as his duty to store the food and find something for the boat’s complement to eat. He needed to prepare a meal as soon as possible. He was certain there would be several hungry folk aboard including himself.

The food came packed in either cardboard boxes or insulated crates. A few of the larger items required a second hand to move up to the galley. Afterall, it was two flights of stairs, but each trip seemed shorter. Some items needed to be in cold storage, some in the freezer and others in the walk in pantry. On his last trip down to the cargo bay, he spied a young blonde haired woman step up the ramp. She was shorter than himself. In fact, it appeared all the women aboard were much shorter than the men. He hadn’t met the Captain yet, the first officer was a few inches taller. Hook looked for Abby, but was nowhere to be seen. As was his way, he felt compelled to welcome her aboard.

Joe placed the cardboard box back on the deck, wiped his hands on his coveralls and taking a few steps forward, held out a hand to shake, “The name’s Joe Hooker, but most folks call me Hook.”

The journey to her new home wasn't all that long save for a speed bump along the way, but that was resolved rather quickly. She'd stopped by the temporary quarters where she was staying to make sure she had all her belongings, but some hassler along the way caused quite the ruckus for a passerby as well as herself. In the end, Alana simply ignored him as she tossed some credits for the bastard, shaking her head in disgust. She'd been victimized twice before under similar circumstances, and the memories burned fresh in her mind. This time, what might have saved the stranger from at the very least receiving a mouthful was the constant sea of people surrounding them.

Soon after that, however, she finally came across the China Doll. Alana noticed it to have an empty ramp as she made her way up until seeing a man approaching her who took the time to introduce himself.

"The pleasure's all mine, Hook. I'm Alana Lysanger, the new medic," she responded, returning his handshake with a warm smile.

“Very nice to meet you, Miss Alana. Allow me to show yew to the crew quarters and the infirmary.” Traditional sailors would refer to it as the sick bay or simply, bay, but there are those who used the term infirmary. Joe led Alana to the back of the cargo bay and opened the door. “The bay is right here. Not sure how is stocked. Might’n be supplies in some of them thar boxes. Yew can check em out later.” Joe allowed Alana to take a look inside, and gave her a pause to check it out. Joe had pointed out the boxes in the cargo bay.

She entered the sick bay, looking at her surroundings momentarily. "Yeah, I will check the available supplies later, don't want to hold you up too much..." Alana then reached in her bag and pulled out some medical items, more so to ease the weight being placed on her shoulder rather than for organizational purposes. She set those aside on the counter as she would come back later and do a full inventory and inspection on whatever they had. Stepping out onto the passageway, Alana followed Hook to her quarters. "So what's your role gonna be on here?”

“Miss Alana, I am a simple deckhand and the boat’s cook,” Joe replied. “If you follow me, I’ll lead you up to the crew’s quarters. They be just beyond the galley, on tha’ way to tha’ bridge.” Joe Hooker led Alana Lysanger up two flights of stairs to the Galley and ran into Penelope Randell.

“Miss Alana, this is Miss Penelope, the ship’s pilot,” Joe Hooker introduced the two women.

Penelope had been having herself a real nice time getting to know the flight deck. Overall, she was pretty impressed. Fireflies, after all, were their own breed. Once she'd had the one or twice over up there, she decided it was a fine time to go poking about, meet some passengers, and see what was what. Maybe get an ETA on any departure since the captain hadn't come a callin' yet. Just as she came to the end of the hall, there was Hook again - with a new face.

"Howdy, there." She said at the introduction, eyes turning to Alana and soft smile that was seemingly always on his lips spreading as she extended her hand. "Since Hook is showing ya around, I reckon you're a new part of the crew, too?”

"That'd be right, I'm the new medic here," Alana replied as she shook Penelope's hand, a smile on her face as well. "I'm fresh onboard but so far the crew seems to be friendly." Even though she knew what she herself was talking about, it took Alana a second to realize they didn't know that she had met Cal prior to her arrival. "I mean, I met Captain Strand not that long ago, to be precise. He, um—" In a split second decision, Alana decided to forgo any specific information regarding the incident from earlier, "I had to patch him up real quick and well you know, the rest is history. The timing is perfect, actually, since I'm between employment." She readjusted the strap on her shoulder, looking at Hook as well. "So have you guys known him for some time or are you fresh like myself?”

“I have not yet met the man,” Hook interjected. “If’n yew ladies wouldn’t mind, I need to tend to the food stores and ready a meal for t’night.”

Penelope closes her mouth before words went spilling out as Hook dismissed himself. She nodded, as it was fine with her. She understood the need to make sure things were ship-shape and whatnot. As he departed, she grinned at the woman she was left with. "It's real nice having someone else worryin' after the meals. I can't cook much, so most my last trip had crispy or soggy selections for me. But, anyway, I just met the Cap'n a few hours ago, wantin' to book passage but he was wantin' a pilot. Worked out for both us.”

Upon announcing his departure, Alana nodded at Hook with a smile. She then turned to Penelope. "So you can't cook, huh? Yeah neither can I... Although I can figure out recipes even if they're a little complicated. However, I've been told before that's cheating, so I'm not sure..." she added with a shrug. After a brief pause, the young woman went on again. "But hey, I don't want to keep you if you got anywhere to be. Hook there seemed to be in a bit of a rush himself, especially since he's never worked with the Captain, much less met the man.”

"Here I was thinkin' it was me." Penelope gave a breath of a laugh, shaking her head gently before turning her amused gaze back to the doctor. She gave a little shrug as it faded, soft smile left behind. "I ain't got no special place to be - just giving a self-guided tour to myself 'fore I'm bound to the flight deck for a while. But, reckon ya want to settle in - them hatches down lead to open rooms. I was told just to pick one, so I reckon the same goes for you. Won't keep ya none.”

Though Penelope was also dismissing herself to give the other woman time to settle in, she didn't continue on her way immediately. There wasn't much she could do by way of answering any questions about the ship or crew, but if Alana had anything else on her mind, it was obvious she was welcome to share.

Alana nodded in the direction she needed to go. "Then that way I'm heading. I should be going now, need to run some inventory myself and make sure we're all set. Pleasure meeting with ya, I'll see you around.”

After a small wave, the young woman made her way in the direction she had been told. She wanted to make sure the essentials were all accounted for before they were scheduled to leave.

The Haunted House [18+]

"This place is a dump," Mikaela stated with disgust before taking another sip of beer. She eyed the place warily, scratching an itch on the back of her neck. "Y'all are a trip, y'all know that? One idiot is apparently terrified of clowns and the other one is shitting himself. She's cool though," Mikaela then motioned towards Adele, "and she's the only other girl in our group. Honestly, I should have just stayed my ass in detention..."

The girl then decided she might as well go explore the property. "Anyone wanna tag along? Maybe we can find something valuable so this little excursion isn't a total waste," she added as she walked to the door farthest to the left that lead to the living room.

To inquire for a potential partner was uncharacteristic of Mikaela, but she'd be lying to herself is she said she wasn't at least a little bit apprehensive of the place.

The Energy Storm

The previous night...

---

^{A collaborative post between @Chulance & @Xandrya}

Reaper had a devious grin on his face underneath his mask. He was poised & ready for what he was about to do next. Earlier today he'd been walking around San Francisco in his civilian guise & happened to run into Olivia whose beauty had caught his eye. What started off as harmless flirting had become so much more when he got an inkling of who he was actually dealing with. Or rather who he would be dealing with if his plans for her went off without a hitch. And so after uncovering this pertinent information the stage was set, and he'd offered to take her out on a date that very night. In the end was receptive to his flirtatious behavior and agreed to meet up with him that evening. She found herself wooed by his game that was so good it was almost as if he was reading her mind.

Of course a romantic night out was not the real reason he'd offered her dinner, no his purpose for luring her out was for more sinister. He was parked in his car, a 2013 silver camry hybrid across the street from the place he'd invited Olivia to. Unlike earlier when he met her, he was dressed in his full reaper garb & heavy tint was applied to the windows so no one could see into the vehicle. He was smoking a cigarette as he awaited Olivia's approach, also checking his phone just in case he messaged her. As soon as she got to the restaurant he'd make his move and the games would begin.

The Altered incident from the previous day had Jack Damore on edge. He threatened Olivia once more, demanding she return home but she wouldn’t have it, not caring what he nor what the rest of her family had to say. Olivia was actually excited despite the chaos surrounding her. She was going on a date for the first time in a while; nothing fancy, just a nice dinner to get to know each other and talk. She liked first date dinners as she was able to get to know the guy a lot better versus having to sit in silence at a movie.

Heading to her car, Olivia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She had on a floral dress and red heels. Maybe a bit too much for a dinner date, but she was dressed to impress. Turning on her vehicle after getting inside of it, she set her GPS to take her to the restaurant. On the way there, Olivia listened to a variety of songs from her phone. She preferred listening to her playlist rather than listen to the radio as their commercials were annoying most of the time, especially those involving injury attorneys.

The spot was on the opposite end of town from the catastrophe from the previous day. After maybe 15 minutes, Olivia arrived. She put the car in park and texted Alex.

I’m here.

Putting the phone away, Olivia turned off the vehicle and grabbed her purse. As she was stepping out, she noticed the parking lot was a bit deserted save for a few cars, but given what had occurred, that didn’t seem out of place.

As he was ashing his smoke in the holder his phone buzzed. Perfect Timing He thought to himself as he shot her a text that he was here. A brief stretch of his neck and a satisfying popping noise after he was ready to get going on his mission. Looking out the passenger window he spotted Olivia and she was dressed down. A smirk crept across the edge of his lips as he looked her up and down. He briefly entertained following through with the actual date and maybe whatever came after. No, as sexy as she is I can't allow that to interfere with my mission, there's too much at stake.

Reaper followed dismissed any thoughts romantic, sexual or otherwise involving himself & Olivia. A switch went off within him then he was locked into his mission. Turning the keys he started the car and drove to the other side of the street the parking lot was on. He pressed down on a button to partially roll down the driver side window slowly. “Olivia!” He called out in his voice as Alex as he pulled up next to her.

Right as he did that the street lights near her as well as all the lights in the restaurant turned off & two muscular man rushed out the restaurant tackling her against the car hard. A third man emerged from the restaurant with a gun in hand. He approached Olivia and pressed the cold barrel of the gun against her skull. Reaper pressed the button again now mostly rolling down most of the window. Reaper unleashed his power on her causing her sight/vision to b replaced by pitch black, & also cause his voice to sound extremely loud, distorted & demonic.

“Olivia listen to me closely if you want to live. Do not fight, do not struggle, or you will be shot dead.” Reaper barked orders at her, while one of the first two men who initially bum rushed her against the car took out a pair of hand-cuffs & attempted to cuff them around Olivia’s hands/arms.

Her phone went off. A moment later she also heard her name being called out. Olivia looked behind her, smiling. They had arrived together it seemed, but her smile faded as the lights suddenly gave out with no warning, startling her a bit. She then heard some shuffling which confused her as she was sure she was alone in the parking lot. The young woman turned towards the noise, and her eyes widened when she saw the outlines of two figures rush her. She didn't have any time to react, being unable to brace herself immediately before being slammed into a car. In the heat of the moment, Olivia dropped her purse with her cell phone and her wallet in it.

"What are you—"

Olivia then felt something being pushed against her skull, and given what was transpiring, it wasn't hard to guess it to be a gun. "Please, I can give you money!" Her vision then went black, and an inhuman voice addressed her. She was at a loss for words as she listened to the instructions, her heart nearly about to burst through her chest. She wanted to push back and defend herself, get away from whoever these monsters were, but she feared for her life. Once she felt the cold, hard steel come in contact with her wrists, Olivia tensed up. She didn't struggle, but nonetheless they weren't gentle, forcing her arms together to handcuff her. The fact that she was practically blind and unable to see her attackers was really scaring her. "What do you want from me?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Your soul, hahaha no just your life." Reaper chuckled he couldn't help but to threaten her soul with the demonic voice he was using. He had a sick twisted sense of dark humor, He had the men open the door and shove Olivia inside the car before getting two of them got in the vehicle with her in the back-seat, while the third man took a seat in the front passenger seat.

Reaper went to his apple maps on his phone, and put an address in. Siri’s robotic monotone voice was heard and began giving instructions. Reaper pulled off from the restaurant and began heading towards the location an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. “We don’t want your money bitch, we want you! If you follow my instructions you may end up being able to keep your life. Of course much of that depends on your father, and his willingness to comply with our demands. You know him best, what do you think matters more to your father his precious daughter or national security?” Reaper poised to her trying to drill into her that she was being taken because of her father & his position. He felt a rush as he sped through the streets in the car, having snatched the daughter of the head of the CIA.

"Oh, you're using me to get to him", she responded with a slightly bitter tone. She was still a little scared, but the initial shock was beginning to wear off. A couple of years ago, prior to her father's promotion to the position he was currently holding, Olivia, along with her mother, were instructed to watch a safety video. The content highlighted various topics such as what to expect being related to someone in her father's position. Thinking back, Olivia should have paid closer attention to the video, though it probably would not help change her current situation for the better. "I think he would do just about anything to get me back. Of course, that depends on the manner in which you're willing to conduct business..." she trailed off, wondering to herself the lengths her father would be willing to go to get her back. In a lot of instances, he tended to put his job ahead of a lot of things. "If you lay a damn finger on me, you and your goons are dead, and he'll make sure of that."

Reaper laughed at Olivia's commentary and at a red light reached back to slap her as hard as he could before getting back to driving. "Listen here BITCH, a LONG AS your still BREATHINg your in good enough condition for me to bargain with your father." Reaper growled after saying that wanting Olivia to know he was not going to treat her humanely if she irritated him or talked back. He didn't have to give her any sort of majestic treatment either, he wanted her father to know that she was suffering in order to truly motivate him to listen and give into his demands. Soon they arrived at the warehouse, and Reaper parked out back. The goons in the back opened the door and tugged/pulled at Olivia to bring her out the car and follow Reaper into the warehouse.

The slap stung, and she bit her lower lip to prevent herself from screaming obscenities while struggling against her handcuffs. But instead of fighting a losing battle, Olivia took a few deep breaths and thought of something to say. "Look, I'm not saying my father will play fair, but he's been involved in enough hostage negotiations to know when he's going to lose." That last bit was a lie. Her father was never a cop nor a detective, but no one else knew that. "If you harm me and I'm barely breathing, he won't concede. Trust me, I want to get out of this alive...it's my life, not his."

She was then roughly pulled out of the vehicle, nearly losing her footing. "Wait, do you have my belongings? Please, just give me my sight back!"

Reaper rolled his eyes under his mask as she complained about her purse & phone. "Are you really worried about your damn stuff, yeah we have it." Reaper announced seeing that one of the guys actually had her stuff although. hewonderd why he even cared considering her situation.

Once they made it inside the warehouse, he decided the least. he could do was honor her last request. Focusing his power on her he caused the darkness to dissipate, as well as removing the distortion caused by his voice. Even with her sight restored the abandoned warehouse waw as dimly lit building. "By the way don't bother lying to me, I knowwhen your lying it's kind of me thing if you will. But if you don't believe me you can put me to the test if you want me to help you realize that I can know all your lies." Reaper announced as he went to sit down in a chair and took out his phone. Now the next step was to contact her father and let him know that he had Olivia.

Reaper had the three men standing around Olivia where she was now sitting. He picked up her cell phone and walked a few steps away from her. He went to her contacts and texted Olivia's father. We have your daughter, if you ever want to see her alive again, call now.

The young woman blinked a few times as her vision returned and the darkness surrounding her slowly dissipated. She wasn't surprised to see that those who had taken her were wearing masks in order to protect their identities. Olivia sighed, realizing the little bit of leverage she had was useless at that point. Out of all the Altered she could have encountered, it just so happened to be she was kidnapped by one able to read minds.
___

The text Jack received nearly paralyzed him, especially since the message was sent from his daughter's phone. With a shaky hand, Jack placed the phone call, bringing the device up to his ear as he waited for an answer. He simultaneously got up from his desk to close the window blinds of his office, wanting to have complete privacy as to what was about to occur.

Reaper had the three men standing around Olivia where she was now sitting. He picked up her cell phone and walked a few steps away from her. He went to her contacts and texted Olivia's father. We have your daughter, if you ever want to see her alive again, call now

A sly grin formed on Reaper's face underneath the mask as it dawned on Olivia that any lies to him were a fruitless antic. "Alright time to speak with dad and see how he feels about his wittle girl being gone." Reaper had mockingly used a baby voice tone to further antagonize her. He made a mhmm hmm sound of satisfaction as the face-time call he placed to Olivia's father went through. Sliding to the right the call was accepted, and after a few moments said connected. The call went through and Reaper flipped the camera phone to to be facing Olivia.

While two goons stood guard of Olivia, the third guard approached Olivia and pulled out a taser. Reaper gave him a nod and the third goon proceeded to use the taser on her, while Reaper held the phone still wanting her father to be able to see his men harming his daughter. "How do you like the view Mr. Damore? My name is Reaper you might have heard of me with your profession, although I'm sure your people are focused on finding that rather large woman Lori Martinez. I assure you that while I can't grow big and step on your daughter, i can do so many other horrible things to her like dousing her in gasoline and "dropping" a match, plucking her hair out with tweezers or even better her teeth, or maybe just slowly beat her to death among other things, all of which you can prevent if you co-operate." Reaper said the last part slow but steady anunincating his words to indicate he had no qualms with bringing serious harm to his daughter

Her body suddenly tensed to the point where she could not do anything but scream in pure agony in response to the pain spreading through her body. The feeling was truly indescribable, and her hands were unintentionally struggling and pulling against the handcuffs to the point where her wrists would be bruising later on that evening.
___

The video didn't seem real and Jack could only stare as his daughter was tased for what felt like an eternity by some asshole twice her size. However, he found his words relatively quickly.

"Alright, enough!" he barked, barely able to maintain his composure. "Tell me your demands and I'll do the best I can to make sure it gets done, just please don't hurt her."

Reaper's hands clapped at the screams of agony being emitted from Olivia. Hearing the pain & suffering from a regular human with ties the CIA was music to his ears. He had developed an intense hatred for anyone involved with and related to the government since they'd chosen to persecute his kind. "I'm glad you understand the gravity of the situation sir, most importantly I need to procure the location of the Tartarus Compound. From what I hear it's a secret underground prison facility for altered humans & the numbers of hostages you have has rising rapidly the past two months." With access to Tartarus he'd be have access to hundreds or more altered who were already suffering the worst fate at the hands of the America Government. "A cash stipend as well wouldn't hurt, I mean what's 200K for your daughters immediate release?"

A lump caught in his throat. The cash was not an issue, but the exact location of the Tartarus compound was something he did not have access to. Not because of a lack of security clearance, obviously, but he was not on the access list for the facility and thus he didn't know exactly where it was. That was handled by another branch altogether.

"I can get you the cash right away, you just need to send me the details so I can get that to you immediately. However, I need to speak to someone to find out the location of the facility as I don't know exactly where it is"

Reaper wished he could extend his power through visual chat but as well as that would be he required close physical proximity for his talents to take effect. Unlike Olivia it was very unlikely he'd be able to approach her father so easily. "As I said sir the cash is a welcome ADDED bonus, the icing if you will but Tartarus is the cake, and I much prefer the cake if i HAVE to pick." Reaper made a hand motion to the taser carrying goon.

The goon set the taser down and slipped on a pair of brass knuckles. He clenched his fist and after making sure the camera was focused on Olivia the goon threw four hard blows to Olivia’s chest. “Speak with them fast, lightning speed if you will, next up is boiling water or slowly cutting her fingers & toes off, I need the location of Tartarus right away otherwise I’ll be mailing your daughter to you in pieces.” Reaper spat back with venom, a sick twisted joy could be heard in his tone as he was taking pleasure In drawing out Olivia’s torture. It was a power trip to cause pain & agony to the daughter of a man in the same government that abused & violated the rights of altered humans with no regards for there well being.

An unknown amount of time passed by, but eventually, Olivia stopped screaming once the pain vanished. It was gone instantly, and she looked around scared before noticing a figure standing in front of her. Olivia looked up only to see the man’s fists coming down on her. The few blows he delivered were enough to knock Olivia off of the chair. She fell over with a loud thud, her chest heaving up and down as she was finding it hard to breathe. Unable to speak, Olivia lay there with tears rolling down her cheeks and a thousand yard stare expression on her face.
___

Jack gasped, seeing what was happening to his daughter. “I’ll get you what you need as soon as I possibly can, just please don’t hurt her anymore! I will start making my phone calls right away!"

"Hit her again!!!!!! In the face!" Reaper yelled as the goon was about to punch her in the face. "Stop" Reaper commanded the goon right before he punched her in the face with the brass knuckles. "I think you understand the seriousness of your daughters plight and hopefully for her sake you act in accordance. You have one hour to give me an update, hopefully you have the location by then, but I'm not an entirely unreasonable individual. However I'd be a shame for her if no progress has been made by update time. Talk to ya soon pops." Reaper hung up and put her phone in his pocket.

Reaper waltzed over to Olivia who was now sprawled out on the floor. He put the chair back up-right and motioned for the goons to help her up back into the chair. “Olivia I want you to know I’m many many things but a liar is not one of them….most of the time. If your father gives me what I want you will live and regain your freedom. However if he doesn’t, the taser and brass knuckles is just the warm up.” Reaper said In a sinister yet smooth tone.

Jack hung up the phone, slamming it down on his desk as he rubbed his eyes with his free hand. He would have to find a way to give Reaper the location of the facility or else Olivia was as good as dead. Unless...

Being the head of the CIA had its perks. Jack phoned the San Francisco Police himself, speaking directly to the SWAT supervisor to let him know of his plan. Yes, just about anyone who had a gun was busy that evening, but this took precedence. While the team was being rounded up and debriefed, Jack contacted one of the analysts to pin down Olivia's cell phone's exact location. It didn't take long for the results to come back to some warehouses quite a ways from downtown. Jack video called the SWAT supervisor to give him the location of the warehouse. They discussed possible entry methods with the least risk possible to Olivia. As time went on, Jack was mindful of his deadline.
___

Her hair was a mess as it was matted to the sides of her face. The mascara and eyeliner she had put on earlier that evening was streaking down her cheeks. Her chest was on fire, and Olivia was breathing slowly in order to avoid worsening the pain she already felt. With her head down, anything she said was barely audible. "So are you really going to kill me if you don't get what you want?"

Reaper brushed at Olivia's hair while humming. It wasn't a violent action but it was one that was no doubt unwanted from the man who'd kidnapped her & had men harm her on his command. "If you want me to be brutally honest, then it's a 95% possibility I will murder you if he does not comply. Otherwise I risk my future threats not being taken as seriously, the remaining 5% is the small chance you have something else to offer in light of your father's failure that compensates for his lack of co-operation." Reaper answered plainly remaining honest as he told he was.

She recoiled as the man who had caused her so much pain in so little time began to play with her hair. The fact that she would never see the light of day sunk in, and Olivia started sobbing. "I-I don't know what to offer you! I don't have anything of value with me, no information..." She then stopped, looking up at him. "I know the password to my dad's work laptop. He keeps it in his study but if I can somehow get my hands on it, you'll be able to access a ton of files obviously not meant to be seen by anyone else." The sound of desperation was obvious in her voice as she clung to what little bit of hope she could.

One of the three goons left the open part of the warehouse they were in and returned with a wireless speaker. Reaper took out a third cell phone, & went to his notes clicking a saved mp3 audio recording. He pressed pause before the pre-made recording played & connected the phone to speaker via blue-tooth. He had the goon who fetched the speaker place it in the corner of the room they were in. He made no commentary about what the purpose of this tactic was and simply continued stroking Olivia’s hair for a little bit until stopping.

Reaper was giddy with twisted excitement at causing her to be uncomfortable, the feeling of having power over another person was addictive. Reaper rubbed his fingers together underneath his gloves while considering what she said. Unfiltered access to the computer owned by the CIA Director? That could prove to be invaluable "Well well well you are certainly full of surprises, that last ditch effort to preserve your life is amusing. Of course with the skill I have, I technically don't need to keep you alive anymore." Reaper said tapping his head jokingly to refer to his own talent. "I want you to know I am not evil, men like your father are evil, and unfortunately your collateral damage as a loved one of an evil man. If you were on my side Olivia you'd already be free, there is NO information, career or money I'd put ahead the life of any of my family or people, yet here we are still which likely means your father isn't planning on giving me what I want." Reaper added pointing out that while he was a violent extremist he valued the people he loved more then anything else unlike her dad.

"He's not giving you what you want but I am! Clearly like you said, my dear father isn't gonna do jack shit to save me. They know me at his job, I have Level 1 unrestricted access meaning I can come and go into his office as I please. Wouldn't you want someone like that on your side?"

Olivia was jumping through hoops to save herself, and she meant it when she said she'd be willing to betray her father to save herself. He'd just done the same to her. In fact, what he did was way worse, and she hated him for it.

"Hmmm perhaps you have a point after all." Reaper considered what Olivia was saying, of course fearing for her life was a powerful motive. Unlike her father she had relented giving up his secrets, and he'd clearly chosen the security of the nation & his career over that of his daughter's own well being. "Well then Olivia you've just saved your own life, welcome aboard to the revolution." Reaper clapped his hands together as he was now fully sold & on-board with utilizing Olivia as a vital tool for the war brewing against the Altered.

She finally managed to breathe a sigh of relief, looking around the warehouse. “Thank you, it’s much appreciated,” she added, never having been so honest in her life. The goons were still around, and Olivia didn’t know how she felt about them just yet. "So, uh...can you take off these handcuffs? They're starting to hurt quite a bit.”

Reaper debated on what she said internally before fishing the keys out his pocket. Without a moment's wait he unlocked the cuffs & released her.

Within thirty minutes it was on, SWAT had been dispatched to the warehouse. Luckily Reaper had the ability to detect them long before they had arrived at the door of the warehouse & adjusted accordingly. As the warehouse was two stories, he’d taken them to the top floor. As the first SWAT team burst in, the radio was playing a recorded message. “Everyone shoot yourself In the head, kill yourself you have NO reason to live, come on everybody let’s go, shoot yourself in the head if you not a hoe.” A recording of Reaper’s voice was playing.

His power was infused with the message, causing the SWAT agents who’d burst in to fall under his spell. The agents were stripped off there willpower and put their guns to their head. Within seconds gun-shots went off as the agents that had entered had all killed themselves. Up on the second floor Reaper had head-phones covering his ear, and had given head-phones to Olivia as well as the three goons on the second floor to prevent them from falling under the mind-controlled message on the speaker. The speaker was still replaying the same message over and over ready to trap any other agents who entered.