Vigilance: Rise of the Mavericks [The Epic IC Thread]

[Raja]

As Feral dealt with the perpetrator, Raja sat in the lobby with the unsettled Simone Yeoman. It was an almost comical sight: Simone, all wide-eyed and trembling; Raja, wrapped in silent shadows and dwarfing her in size; the pair of them sitting side-by-side on an ornate, cream sofa. It looked to be of French origin, Raja noted absent-mindedly as he noticed Maki appear in the elevator.

"Well, Ms Yeoman," he said, standing and extending out a hand to the victim of the night's activities. "It appears we must take our leave. We'll be keeping an eye out, so try not to worry to much," he said, as he took her hand in his. "But, it may be worth asking your father to reassess his business choices. If only as a safety measure..." he said wryly, winking at the girl and eliciting a weak smile from her pale lips. He kissed the back of her hand. "Until we meet again, Ms Yeoman." he said, turning on his heels and following Feral out of the hotel, his long black garb billowing behind him as he stepped out into the street and vanished.

"So, how did you like your first shift with Mavericks Inc.?" Maki teased as they made their way to the bike.

Raja was silent for a moment before he responded. "It was fine," he said, a vague solemness to his tone. He opened his mouth to speak once more; to scold himself for the way in which he had allowed himself to become cornered, potentially risking the safety of both himself and Simone. If Feral hadn't caught up and intervened... Well, the night could have ended very differently. Fortunately for Raja, he didn't get the opportunity to air these concerns as the increasingly familiar voice of Ill-Advised buzzed in through the commlink in their helmets.

As Maki ignited the vehicle, causing it to hum and rumble into life, Raja noticed that the feed to his helmet had been cut-off, but that Maki's still seemed active. Trying his best to listen to the half of the conversation he was able to hear over the noises of traffic, Raja quickly realised that Makarios was angry. Far more angry than he had imagined the Maverick to be capable of; perhaps an oversight on Raja's part, considering Makarios' alias. But still, whatever secretive discussion was taking place with that helmet of his, was making the animalistic Maverick shake with rage, Raja able to feel his body tremble beneath his arms. Yes, whoever this woman was, she had certainly struck a nerve...

***​

As they arrived back at the Lighthouse, Raja's thoughts had drifted back to his own shortcomings of the night. In his previous exploits as a vigilante, he had certainly risked his life most nights in search of a thrill; that wasn't what had shaken him this eve. No, tonight had been different in that Raja's mistake hadn't just put himself in danger: it presented a threat for an innocent hostage, for a seasoned Maverick. He began to doubt whether he was competent enough to work in a team after all.

Feral snapped him from his pensive trance as he held out a hand, helping Raja dismantle the large motorcycle. "You can let go of your tension for the night." the man said, as though using Raja's own gifts of telepathy against him. Raja shot Feral a look of confusion, prompting him to continue talking as they made their way into the main HQ. "It was a smooth mission because of your efforts and I personally think you've got the makings of a great Maverick."

Raja did his best not to scoff. The idea of being pitied was completely patronising to him; he knew that he had made a mistake, and the notion of it being glossed over and ignored stirred a nasty side of him that he was usually able to suppress. "Is that so?" he asked, venom in his voice as he pulled off his black garb and threw it over his shoulders like a cape. His identity revealed, he was now able to look at Feral face-to-face for the first time. "I'm sure you thought that about that venomous scuff of shit, too." he said, the anger in him rearing its ugly head. "We all make mistakes, Maki," he said, stressing the true name of the Maverick. "I think this just might have been one of them." He dealt the parting blow, storming off from Feral and paying little attention to his response.

As he arrived in the common area of the Lighthouse, it seemed everyone else had already arrived. Raja's facade was completely restored, and he smiled with all the warmth he could muster as he looked around the room. "Great job, everyone," he announced, taking a single slice of the pizza he'd requested and heading for the door. "Really, it's been a pleasure, but I can't hang around," he apologised, taking a dainty mouthful of cheese and bread as he hurried through the room. "I've things to attend elsewhere. Call me if you need me, and well done once more on tonight's execution." He smiled, eyes glinting with the same enticing nature as the ruby attached to his forehead. And then, he was gone.

 

[Hillan]

Thomas and Aava had gotten out of sight as soon as the police had arrested the criminals, as the recruit jumped onto the rooftop, the celestial one flied above, his eyes peeled on the law enforcement of Larissa, men and women who risked their lives without special abilities to aid them. He felt a sense of pride in knowing that he could still help them, that even after getting defeated at the hands of Locke a time ago, they could still aid the city. They could still save it.

He landed back on the freeway, walking over to the officers, one of the captains was talking to another police officer when Angel walked up to them. Their hands on their sidearms. Thomas motioned with his hand for them to not pull their guns on him.

"You're the police force of this city. You lead a dangerous life, one you're not thanked for enough, and maybe not always sure you can handle. But I promise that as long as you keep fighting, we'll watch your backs." Extending his hand to the captain for a handshake. The Captain grinned and shook it "So, who are this 'we?' Last band of heroes we had got killed a month back."

Thomas tightened his grip for a second when the policeman brought up their defeat. "One could say that the rumors of our demise were exaggerated. We're still here, protecting this city, and we're not afraid of the scum who dares to hurt innocent." Letting go of the man's hand, he began floating in the air. "We're the Mavericks; and we're always watching over this city." Before dashing off in burst of light, lighting up the sky for a moment, before landing next to the girl who had helped him capture the Bloodhounds.

Following Chuck's transmission, he turned to the girl, and spoke. " You did well tonight – better than I could have imagined. I'm glad you chose to come with." He glared at her before chuckling warmly. "I've been informed you don't have a codename yet." Pausing shifting his weight while thinking for a moment. "I think you should be called 'Exentaser', Ex or Exen for short."
About to explain his reasoning, he was interrupted by another message from Caleb.

"I ran into Allison working with the Blood Hounds. Allison escaped in the chaos and if she's working with the Hounds, she's still working with Locke. I'm afraid our element of surprise will soon be gone." IllAdvised added. "With that note, watch your backs on patrol from here on out. We all know Locke is ready to employ any means necessary in order to bring us down."

His posture changed and he felt his blood turn colder, his body tensed up and the six tendrils on his back flared up, like the night before he was reminded of the hurricane he kept in a bottle. Allison Woltz - Traitorous Bitch.

Turning to the girl again, Thomas shrugged. "You've deserved some rest, you should head back to the base, I'll be there momentarily." He ordered, giving a brief smile as he did, before heading off in another direction.

Just a couple minutes later, he landed on the sidewalk, the neon signed let out a green light in his face. Luigi's Pizzeria – the best in town. Owned by Luigi Scaletta, a Canadian who's grandparents came from Italy. Angel pushed the door open and the bell rang, people chatting inside, but all the conversations quickly died down as the vigilante clad in full armor walked in.

Walking up to the cashier, he smiled. "I had ordered 15 pizzas, all different kinds, order was called in by a woman going by 'G'. " The man nodded "U-Uh, yeah, they're done, here you go S-Sir" He stuttered, clearly shocked as he handed over the pizzas to the Maverick, whom dug out money through panel in his left gauntlet.

"You can keep the change" Thomas told the man, grabbing the pizzas and walking outside, people all having their phones up, filming and photographing him as he did. Some followed him out of the door as he stood on the sidewalk, his six wings appearing on his armored back, and like a star falling in reverse, he shot up in the sky out of sight of the many.

***​

Thomas arrived just after Aava did, walking inside with the pizzas in a cage made out his wings, still as hot as the moment they came out of the furnace. Walking into the central area, he put the pizzas down, removing his helmet, revealing his face, the blonde hair was messy after being held by the armor, with his hand he pulled it back when his locks were falling over his face.

He removed his gauntlets and took off the outer layers of armor on his chestplate, his shoulderpads coming loose. Holding his gauntlets with his thumb and indexfinger, he quickly dug into the chicken and tomato pizza at the top, taking a slice and with a satisfied grin took a bite, heading to his armory to remove the rest of his armor.

When Caleb and Makarios arrived, recruits and all in toll, Thomas emerged from the armory, freshly showered, wearing a pair of jeans, a tank top and a flannel shirt half-buttoned along with his regular work boots on his feet.

Noticing Feral and Illadvised in their gear, a slice of pizza in his hand, he chuckled "We should've done a thing, huh. Damn." As he turned to the TV, Glitch was showing the local news, featured was all of their acts, images taken from all of the scenes were shown on three different split-screens in the news Broadcast.

"And here we see the leader of the Mavericks – Angel – Picking up pizza from Luigi's Pizzeria in Larissa." The anchor said on the television, the images from the iPhones that the people inside of the pizzera had sent in. Thomas let out a chuckle "Y'all are way too fast with phones these days."

 

[Blacksam]

If you pointed a gun at Lisa's head and told her to describe the route the Predator Larissa taken by the Predator on the the way back to the lighthouse she would have been forced to shrug her shoulders and dare the bullet. She'd began to shiver uncontrollably almost the second she'd clambered into IllAdvised's super-vehicle, and quickly followed up that embarrassing turn of events by passing in and out of consciousness so quickly and so often you would think it was going out of fashion.


Between that, nearly getting herself burnt alive, then completely losing her cool to the point of memory loss, she was forced to admit that Fury's début with the Maverick's wasn't quite the roaring success she'd been hoping for.


She wasn't paying much attention as she stumbled through the lighthouse after IllAdvised, teeth chattering like maracas, praying to God that she didn't fall flat on her face. That's just what her night needed. She missed the call for pizza, but if she heard it she would have questioned if her performance really deserved congratulations. To her mind she'd failed, and pretty spectacularly at that.


"I'm going to need you to sit on there and hold still. I need to cut your clothes off around the afflicted area. All goes well I'll have you patched up in a couple of minutes."


That jolted her out of her painful pensiveness all right. If she was to be completely honest with herself then thought of IllAdvised stripping her would be saved for her most secret and erotic fantasies, but right at that moment the idea had lost a lot of the allure. A sickly childhood spent in and out of doctors offices and hospitals had instilled in Lisa an inherent dislike for anything with even tangentially related to the medical arts. She had been so spacey with pain when Ill had given her the burn pill that she hadn't thought to raise any objections, but know she was with it enough for her misgivings to make themselves known. She took an involuntary step backwards, raising her palms up as if to protect herself.


"Oh, no, no, I'm feeling better already, really. My powers let me heal faster, honestly I feel like a million bucks already." It wasn't a complete lie either. Already the wounds where knitting themselves back together, the outer edges of the burns smoothing into silvered scar tissue. In a couple of days there wouldn't even be a mark to show for the nights misadventure. Though feeling like a million dollars was a bit of an overstatement. If she was to be honest she probably felt a lot closer to a bent penny.


"Being cooked alive was nothing, really. I don't want to cause any more fuss."

 

[Roman]

Aava waited patiently as Angel returned to the freeway. She watched carefully and weaved a short spell, subtly directing air and sound to bounce Angel's words to her own ears, as well as those they were intended for. She listened, the corners of her mouth spiking into a sly smirk, only dipping as Angel returned.
"Exentaser..." she repeated, the term carrying mythical connotations. Something inside agreed. Aava didn't want to know why. "It's a mouthful. Exen will do." She said finally, accepting the moniker. It was better to have a name than not, even if it came with...questionable approval. "Does this mean I now have a 'Public Hero Speech' quota to meet?" She asked, before regretting doing so.
She heard their apparent leader in her ear, and then her comms continued open, but without incoming transmission. Angel's head crackled, and he grew icy and still. Aava waited, silent and unmoving, prepared to defend herself - and then Angel's form became loose again, and he shrugged.
"You've deserved some rest, you should head back to the base, I'll be there momentarily."
And with that, Angel was away - and Aava summarily dismissed. Inside, something growled at the seeming condescencion of it all. Aava silenced it, and then turned on her heel and began her return to the lighthouse.
-
Angel had not lied - he appeared just as Aava reached the lighthouse. 'Momentarily' indeed. Aava wondered if he had left at all - perhaps he had flown out of sight, a test of skill and speed, or maybe one of character. Aava tried to pay it no mind. She entered behind him as he put down the pizzas and took off his armour. They were the first to arrive, and as Thomas disappeared to change, Aava took the opportunity to shed her armoured jacket and mask, feeling like she held more control as her true face was displayed to the world, the top she wore beneath her jacket covering very little of her heavily-scarred skin.
She didn't know what she had control over. She didn't want to know. She stood quietly against the wall, watching everything and slowly eating a single slice of pizza as the room filled. She didn't have much of an appetite. She never did.

 

[Stein]

Makarios' hand fell to his side and each word settled on him with a growing feeling of toxicity. It was enough to cause the heat to flush to his face, a feat all its own. Simultaneously, it ran a wave of nauseous confusion through his head as his thoughts all centered on 'How?

"We all make mistakes Maki, I think this just might have been one of them."

But the rage came before the confusion, it shadowed his questions. The "venomous scuff of shit" spouted back at him -- ignorant of context, falsely justified and arrogantly touted-- caused his senses to narrow. It showed only in his narrowed and unwavering eyes. His stance became rigid and any warmth Makarios had felt was expelled.

He held Mindfuck's gaze, giving no explanation. Offering no apology. Makarios feared what opening his mouth might bring. But soon, Raja took his cue to leave. Makarios' intentional silence unwavering. The Maverick stared acutely at the other man's back, face fully revealed. His thoughts wavered between simply staring, and seeing how quickly his suit's claws could render flesh.

***
He walked through the medical bay doors a few moments, having been briefed on Fury by Glitch. He had foregone the common area at this moment, choosing Caleb as the more pressing matter. The smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils, the intensity of the burn further expressed by his heightened sense. He saw Fury just beginning to stir and Caleb still prepped to treat her.

"Hmm, she has a very advanced healing factor. She must become more interesting by the second in the field," he nodded at Caleb. He turned to her, hoping to congratulate her, though he still felt an unwavering heaviness in his spirit. "Good work, Fury. Would you mind if I borrowed Ill for a moment?"

He took Caleb into the hallway, his shoulders tightening once more. "What are we going to do about her?" he asked, his emphasis on the word indicating Allison. "We can't let her roam unchecked. She's a danger to us, our civilian lives, and now the lives of our recruits." He held back on belaboring his point, not wanting selfish emotions to speak for him, and simply held Caleb's gaze for a moment. He worried, but he also mourned.

He tried to compose himself and stood back. His voice leveled when he spoke again. "We should be more careful. Especially in Fury's situation. From what Glitch told me, that was a close call for her. She's still green and having a Molotov cocktail thrown at you is going to affect anyone. Even if she can heal, that rage can cause problems. She can and will get careless." If anyone could speak on the power of rage, it was him. He held off from fliting to the past, going over his own instances of madness. "I think I should work with her one-on-one a bit."

His stomach chose that moment to voice its protest over the lack of sustenance in Makarios. He smiled, the prospects of the night still with him. The tinge of Mindfuck's words still rested on him though. "I don't know about you but I'm famished so I'm heading up to the common area. Oh, and try not to sleep with this one."

 

[Lord Wraith]

P

ulling the scissors back, IllAdvised returned the tool to the nearby tray as Fury insisted she didn't require his aid. Studying her body language, and listening to the intonation of his voice, he reluctantly nodded as he acknowledged both the truth and the fear behind the statement. Hyperhumans rarely had fond feelings towards being poked and prodded with needles, in his experience the majority of them spent their childhoods in and out of doctor's offices, the Hype-Gene making their immune systems far more vulnerable during the developmental years.

Giving Makarios a slight salute as the medical bay doors slid open. IllAdvised didn't hesitate to respond as the other Maverick commented on Fury's healing factor.
"Indeed, Fury's abilities boost quite a few of her attributes, far more in common with you then either Angel or I. Especially when she enters her heightened emotional state." Excusing himself as Makarios indicated he wished to speak alone, IllAdvised walked alongside the taller man, entering a private corridor as he removed his cowl. A subtle hiss came from the crimson armor as the segmented pieces slide back to allow his head to exit. Running a hand through the dark hair, Cal's shoulders felt like a weight had fallen on them as Makarios mentioned Allison again.

"For whatever reason Allison has kept our civilian identies to herself thus far. I'm not arguing that we can trust her, but you're right she needs to be brought in." Cal stated. "That's why I loaded a tracking chip into her blood stream." He added as he projected the display from his forearm. "I updated my tracking chips to be insulated against electrical attacks, just in case." He added with a slight smirk. A twinge of pain suddenly shot up his arm, Cal choosing to ignore despite realizing the time.

"Yes, working one on one with Fury would be beneficial. In fact all of our recruits could stand to do some training. Plus, I need to know more about their stats and abilities in order to design their armors." The pain returned as Cal finished his reply. A holographic emitter in the hallway suddenly came to life as Glitch's familiar appearance materialized between the two Mavericks.

"Boss, you're dangerously close to being late for your photopheresis session." She reprimended him as Cal stopped to lean on a wall. The ichor in his blood starting to cause a slight burning sensation in his veins.

"If you'll excuse me Maki, I'm due to return to the medical bay." Cal replied as he excused himself. "Enjoy the pizza, it's on me after all." As the medical bay doors slid open, Cal paused for a moment to call back to Maki. "Oh and on that last part, I don't make any promises."

---

Climbing into her penthouse apartment, Allison began to strip off her clothes. The smell of smoke and that abhorable foam Caleb insisted on using were an assault to her senses. Lifting up her sheet, Allison froze upon the sound of a man clearing his throat from the corner of the dimly lit room.
"I'd appreciate if you'd stay dressed Miss Woltz. I'm not one for mixing pleasure and work." The stern older voice was stated like a request but Allison knew from experience that it was an order. "Who interuppted my Hounds tonight?"

A knot formed in her stomach as Allison swallowed hard, thinking about her answer being reluctantly uttering the words she didn't want to have to deliver.

"The Mavericks."

"Who are they?" The voice asked again.

"I don't know." Allison lied, "They were different, new heroes calling themselves Mavericks." She stated, trying to mix truth in with her lies.

"Don't lie to me girl." The voice took on a steely edge as Roman Locke himself stepped out of the shadows. Nearly falling backwards with fear, Allison couldn't even bring herself to produce a spark as she cowered onto her couch.

"That was your last mistake." Locke roared. "At heart, you're still loyal to them. But that will change and soon this city will be rid of those insects." Locke snarled as he raised a hand. "Grey, please escort Miss Woltz to the car." A man came out of the kitchen, hauling Allison off the couch as Locke followed behind them.

---

Emerging from the medical bay several hours later, Cal made his way into the main room of the lighthouse as he looked over the empty couches and demolished pizza boxes. All of the recruits had returned home but Makarios was likely still around. Making his way down the stairs, some stiffness was still present in his limbs as Cal found himself relying more on the railing than he would have liked. Scrounging around the mauled boxes, he eventually found a spare slice of pizza before he resigned to the nearby couch, sleep eventually taking a hold of him as Glitch materialized in the main room.

Looking around the A.I. disappeared before sending a direct message to Makarios.
"I didn't want to tell this to Caleb, but Allison's head was just delivered to the LPD."[/hr]

 

[Raja]

Steam caressed Raja's skin as he reclined in the large porcelain tub, bathing in bubbly water that smelled vaguely of various sweet-smelling flowers. The rising sun shone through the floor-length windows of the immaculate bathroom, but Raja's modesty was protected by the sheer height of his residence alone as he twisted his neck strategically, soliciting a loud crack and pop from each side. The television (an image displayed within the bathroom mirror) played the morning news quietly in the background, though the Indonesian man paid it little mind as he took a black, tear-shaped bar of soap from the side of the bath tub and slid it softly down his slender arm. The soap's gritty texture tore at his skin in a way that almost painful and yet oddly satisfying.

He reflected on last night's events as he bathed. He'd exhausted his ability to berate his own incompetence over the last hours, and had reached some form of closure regarding his perceived failure. Maki had been right, after all; Raja did contribute to the mission's success. It was his strategy that got them up to the Royal suite in the first place... But his usefulness did not outweigh his poor judgement when it came to entering the suite alone. He had risked the mission's success, he had risked his own life, and most importantly he had risked placing Simone in more danger than she had already been in. The one redeeming factor of it all was simply the sheer thrill of it... Raja had danced with death numerous times on his own exploits, but never had he stared it so directly in the face. Still, he'd commit himself to not placing any innocent people in that situation again, no matter how exhilarating.

No, Raja was angry at himself for different reasons now. Makarios had been entirely supportive through the whole ordeal, allowing Raja significant input in the mission and praising him on his successes. Then, Raja had thrown it back into the Maverick's face by using overheard information to hurt him. The worst part for Raja was that he had not been angry at Feral; his venom had been spat from the rage he held towards himself, rather than towards the Maverick whom had been by his side all evening. When Maki had tried to pick Raja up at a time he felt vulnerable, the latter's reaction had been rapid and scathing and for that Raja felt terrible. He didn't even know what relation Maki had shared with the woman he'd used against him; but it had struck enough of a nerve for Raja to recognise he had stepped out of line. Whoever she was, Raja would be sure to refrain from mentioning her around Makarios again.

"--And we can confirm that a package was received by the LPD in the early hours of this morning, believed to contain the head of a Ms. Allison Woltz" a man on the television said gravely, causing Raja's neck to snap; his eyes wide in shock. "The daughter of Chester and Laverne Woltz, owners of the lucrative Woltz Vineyard, was known as a well-loved socialite and a fixture on the higher-end nightlife of Larissa." The rest of the newsreader's voice became a blur of nothingness as Raja's face remained wide in horror, staring mouth-agape at the photograph displayed across the screen. There, all blonde coiffure framed with a rebellious edge, was Allison Woltz. The soap slipped from Raja's grip and was engulfed by the bubbles with a muffled plop.

The fact that Raja recognised the photograph brought with it a sense of modern haunting, as he was certain he had been present that evening; perhaps standing with other revellers just a few feet out of frame. That was one of many nights he'd spent dancing and laughing with Allison since he first moved to Larissa; she'd proven notoriously difficult to bond with at first, showing little interest in the unknowns. But as soon as Raja's face (and wealth) became recognised in the cooler, more obscure venues of the city, she had been all smiles and air-hugs and they'd become quite cosy.

He forced his mouth to close, blinking several times as he tried to adjust back into some semblance of functionality. The blue-and-red lights of sirens span on screen as more information of the case was recited, though it seemed that they lacked any solid leads. Raja reached for his phone, scanning through the contacts rapidly and bringing up Allison's details. They could be wrong, he thought to himself, though part of him knew that he was acting more on hope than faith as he hit the dial button and held the phone to his ear.

"The number you have called has not been recognised. Please hang up and try again."

 

[Stein]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Makarios headed up the stairs, his mind slightly craving for the end of the night. He'd never thought a simple patrol night would tire him so. Had a month really rusted him to such an extent? But then again, Makarios knew it wasn't just the patrol that tired his mind. Nearing the main room where the rest were, he let out a deep breath, hoping to clear his mind at least for groups sake.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Only Angel and Aava still resided in the room, munching away at the pizza. His stomach made his entrance for him with a rather large growl. He simply stopped and shrugged. "We've had a busy night."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He took his mask off and grabbed four slices, almost neglecting the plate. He was ravenous, to say the least. Munching on his Four Cheese Tuscan Pizza, he walked over to Aava. He gave her a genuine smile, making sure it was free of food. "So I hear you definitely put down the hurt today. Good job!" She seemed to be doing well, better than he would have bet he could have fared. And so quickly![/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Thomas seemed to be unwinding with the news and he figured Aava would probably be tired. "I really am happy you seem to be doing well. I promise, it's a little tough but you get used to the life. Feel free to stay as long as you like, but you can most assuredly head out when you'd like."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He could feel his weariness creeping up and worked to stifle a yawn. For now, he would just enjoy his time in the common area among friends old and new.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]---[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]With the others having headed home, Makarios sat atop the lighthouse. He massaged his psyche with the gentle aura of meditation. It was difficult to clear his mind, especially in a time such as this, the lapping ocean provided the perfect sound to carry away his worries as he melted into his Other plane. The spirit of the animals swirled in his mind, given form by the Vis in his body. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He opened his eyes in the lightened sky, feeling exhaustion finally settle on his body. With the new recruits, they were going to have to put in some time. All of them as a team could use some brushing up in the skills department.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]---[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Makarios checked the last of the Lighthouses fortifications, assuring the building was locked tight. Caleb was still in the medical bay, and Maki hadn't yet chosen to go home or stay. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]These days, it felt so lonely at times. As he headed down the lighthouse, he received a message from Glitch, which opened immediately. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I didn't want to tell this to Caleb, but Allison's head was just delivered to the LPD."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The hope for an easy day was shattered before it could start and Makarios stood for a moment, processing her information. He felt a score of different emotions, each one more vivid than the last and building on itself. However, he felt no shame in admitting, he felt the constant stream of justification in the midst of it all. 'If you lay down with dogs…' he thought to himself.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He took no joy in Alison Woltz' passing. But, he didn't mourn for her either. He wouldn't mourn for her. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The seconds creeped by outside of his headspace before he finally spoke to Glitch again. "He's asleep isn't he?" Glitch nodded her head, and Maki allowed himself a sense of relief. "Good, he doesn't need to know yet. He needs rest."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'm sorry? Is this something you intend to withhold from Caleb?" Glitch asked, her emulation of concern almost fooling Makarios.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Of course not! I have too much love and respect for him to deceive him in such a way. But, he needs time to process this. He's taking the day off. Clear his schedules today, and I'll clear mine. If he's really angry with me, we can just work it out in the training ring. But, I think he'll need this today."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He left it at that, but Makarios also had every intention of staying with Caleb, no matter his reaction. His hatred for Allison Woltz was only overshadowed by his love for his Maverick family. There was a portion of him that almost reveled in her demise. But, he knew it spawned from hurt and a longing to bring back that which was lost. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]His bare feet made no sound as he paced the upper level of the lighthouse. The wind carried his stress away and cooled his mind. "We should let him sleep for now. You know him, he'll be awake in a couple hours anyway." His feet were heavy as he descended the stairs, heading to the armory.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"That shouldn't present a problem. But what about you? Shouldn't you rest as well?" Glitch asked as Makarios finished dawning his civilian clothes.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"We've got to clear this up now. So that means I have to make a small adventure to the LPD," Makarios told her. He tried to give her a bright look, but it was a struggle simply to keep his eyelids up. "I'll try and make it quick."[/BCOLOR]

 

[Lord Wraith]

~ A Collaboration Between Lord Wraith and Stein ~​​

P

ain was the first thing Cal felt as his mind stirred from its slumber. His honed senses suddenly came flooding back as the smell of soggy grease ladden cardboard and stale cheese overwhelmed his nostrils. The slapping of water on rocks as the waves crashed against the base of the lighthouse echoed through the circular building as Cal sat up straight, massaging the kink in his neck before giving it a quick snap. Looking around the base, Cal scolded himself for falling asleep here again, it was habits like this that had caused him to drop his guard before.

"Glitch do an emergency sweep of the property, note any irregularities and identify everyone in the immediate vicinity." Cal ordered as he stood up. "And can we get this mess cleaned up?" He asked as a small robot was ejected from the wall, vacuuming the floor as it made its way towards the table before removing the garbage from the previous night. The roar of the built in disposal echoed in the small room as the unit finished its task and retreated back to its hidden post.

Walking up the steep steel stairs, Cal made his way towards the Maverick's main computer. The 'Hub' as he liked to call it was his life line to the city, through the Hub, Cal could monitor Larissa, isolating her patterns, habits and of course any ailments with realative ease. It also happened to be where he spent the most time while at base. Passing one of his caches, Cal opened the small refridgerated unit and pulled out an energy drink, cracking it open and nearly drained half of it on his first gulp. Continuing his journey, Cal found himself stopped in surprise as Makarios was waiting for him in his chair.

"I almost didn't see you there." Cal began, his eyes studying questioned Makarios' body language. There was definitely something wrong, but if that was the case, the whole team should have been gathered. This meant it was personal, it was something that only affected Cal which since Maki was delivering the news could only mean one thing. "I take it Glitch found Allison." He asked, turning his left wrist over to check the interface housed there.

A digital copy of "The Complete Poems of E.E. Cummings" was projected across a few of the screens of Caleb's terminal. Makarios glanced at Caleb as he entered, duly noting his presence. He lounged in Caleb's chair, leg crossed over the other.

"You know the interesting thing about E.E. Cummings?" He continued to read the poem, a small smile playing on his lips. The words tumbled over each other in such a specific yet subtle way. "It's that his work was, in part, meant as an affront the Puritans. He was so sly at erasing the line not to be crossed, and he essentially gained notoriety by--rightfully--being a smartass." Makarios ignored Caleb's statement, spinning the chair to his friend.

"I really took you as more of a fan of Gertrude Stein than Cummings." Cal stated as he responded to Makarios' statement about the author. It was an obvious attempt at changing the subject but Cal decided to let him run with it for a minute. He was curious to see how this was going to play out.

"Glitch and I cleared your schedule for today. So, I guess you can think of this as Maki and Cal's Day Off," he grinned at Caleb. Standing up, his losse linen garments seemed to add a distinct flow to his movements. "So, you know that that means." He draped a shoulder over Cal, spinning him around and walking him to door, leaning on him ever-so-lightly to guide him. "Meditation time!"

"If it's my day off, I'd prefer to do something actually relaxing." Cal replied dryly, looking down at the device on his wrist, he looked back to Maki. "Why is the tracker dead? And what is it you're avoiding telling me?" His eyes fixated on Makarios, as he intensely searched the man's face for answers.

"Glitch, locate Allison Woltz." Cal snapped as he ordered the A.I. to follow his command.

Makarios took a step closer to him, his eyes narrowed. "Why do you do that?" His breathing was measured as he focused on it instead of the fertile ground of potential anger. "Anything that deviates from your realm is immediately discredited. Even to the detriment of those around you. Putting aside any ulterior motive you fear of me, I'd like you to recognize that I actually want to spend time with you."

Makarios held up his comm link, bluetooth and cell phone to Caleb, they were all turned off. "I wanted to disconnect myself from the world, if only for a day. I thought you might want to do the same and actually take a day to process...well everything that's happened." He gestured to the lighthouse they resided in. It was their headquarters, but also a symbol of everything they'd lost.

Makarios voice quickened slightly as he continued on. "We've come back from the brink of death, jumped back into a mad world with nothing but a dream and passion, recruited others into this death-laden line of work, and had that damned and darkened past thrown in our face. And we both felt it." He finally took a step back, his eyes softening slightly.

"I just don't feel like it's time for a day off." Cal started, "We've had two months off to lick our wounds and heal. Yes, we gained recruits faster than any of us could have anticipated, but it should not be us slowing down, it should be them. We should be bringing them all in for training." Cal stated. "There's a city out there dying of a virus that only we can stop, no matter what comes our way, you and I both know we can endure it. We have to endure because no one else is going to protect them." He sighed, running his hand through his tousled hair as he allowed his body to relax before looking up at the taller man.

"But if you insist on this day off for whatever reason you've convinced yourself of, I'm going to need a shower and a proper breakfast. So if you could find a place that serves steak and eggs while I change that would be great." Cal said reluctantly as he turned to leave the 'Hub'.

"And a paper." He stated. "If I can't go online, I'd at least like to see if we made the headlines last night for something other than Thomas picking up pizza."

 

[Roman]

Aava smiled patiently as Maki extended his praise. She appreciated it really, and those strange sparks of magic still pulled her - nearly physically - toward his form, but she was in unknown territory surrounded by unknown people. Allies, perhaps, but that had been so far untested. She wasn't even sure if she was her own ally.

This place distressed her, and more than that, the thing inside writhed and turned, full of lust for more of the power it had felt when Aava had been subduing those thugs. She needed time to collate, time to mediate. Time to understand.
"Maki..." she began, unsure how to respond to his kindness. She paused, wavering in her words. "I have to go. I'm sorry."
With that, Aava left, exerting not-inconsiderable self-control to stop herself from fleeing as she ducked through the main doors and out into the city. She swiped her mask as she left.
Aava was halfway through an alley not even a block away, shrouded in the night's darkness, before she began to sprint.

She quickly found her way home. 'Home', as much as the hollow remains of her late grandfather's residence could be. Once again she was in the old master bedroom, only this time sat cross-legged on top of the musty, emerald bedspread. The mask stared at her from where it lay in front of her legs.
"What do you awaken..." Aava whispered, as much to herself as to the faceplate she locked gaze with. It was a simple thing - purely utilitarian, no style intended in its form, only function. Comms, protection, clearer vision in the field. She laid hands on it, grasping before turning it over in her palms. She looked at the inside, the plating contoured to fit her skull, to sit in comfort on her angular cheekbones and strong jaw. A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead as she brought it closer, a terrible tension filling the room and threatening her safety, seeming to want to devour her whole, un-make her-
"NO!" She shouted, and threw the mask with a vicious force straight to the side, magical power behind her words and actions. It shattered upon impact with the wall, the pieces clinking quietly, innocently to the floor. It was only a mask. Just a mask. The tension was gone.
The thing inside her was not.

Exen is a good name. It said. Aava shook from the force of it - far clearer than ever before, nothing like the quiet, edging whispers that used to lap at her mind. This was clear, forceful, vocal. Words and accompnying sounds implanted directly into the forefront of her mind, demanding to be acknowledged. It was strong. It needed to be addressed.
"Exen is my name." She said, startling herself with the sound of her own voice coming through, reverberating around the room. Magic still lingered in it from the burst of emotion she had just experienced - likely the same one that had brought forth this...'discussion'.
It is appropriate. It continued, seeming to ignore Aava's reply. It will serve us well.
"It will do nothing for you. You are an infestation, a parasite. And I look to expell you."
It chuckled. You are so young...you know so little.
"And you are older? Wiser?"
I am infinite.
Aava stopped, disturbed, before finding her resolve. "You are trapped, for all your claimed power. You will not remain much longer."
There was a pause.
Agreed.
Aava shuddered. There was silence. It was gone.

She lay back, rolling on to her side to stare at the remains of the faceplate, going over the troubling exchange she had just experienced. The eyepieces twinkled mischeviously at her in the dark.
It wasn't long before she was asleep, dreaming troubled dreams of old demons and new friends.

 

[Stein]

-The Collision of the Unstoppable Force and the Immovable Object-
A Stein and Lord Wraith Collaboration​

"Actually, I'll cook," Makarios told him. "I've got some great salmon already thawed out for tonight downstiars." He took a step to his shorter counterpart and draped an arm around him. He'd almost lost his composure for a moment, but had reeled himself back ever so slightly.

"And I'll indulge your little 'go fetch' quip this once." Makarios gave him a slightly challenging gaze. "On the condition you'll be my punching bag in a sparring match. If I win, you meditate with me. If you win, we'll do whatever you want." Maki gave Cal a cheek grin, knowing the other wouldn't resist an opportunity such as this so easily. It had been a collection of ages since the two had last gone in the ring.

"You want to spar?" Cal questioned with a raised eyebrow. It had been a long time since any of the original Mavericks had sparred against one another. The last time any of them had come to blows was during Locke's assult on the team. Angel's mind had been warped against his teammates leading to Feral having to forcibly snap his comrade out of it. Since that day, none of them had raised fists against one another preferring to train alone.

"You know I won't go down as easy as the Texan with the glass jaw right?" Cal added, a small smirk crossing his face. "What are the conditions of the duel good sir?" He called towards Makarios, adopting an exaggerated accent. "Should I suit up or will we be going mano a mano today?"

Makarios shrugged, feeling an odd calm begin to ebb within him. "I'd personally prefer it to be simple. But I can go either way," he stated, throwing in a quick wink. "I'm just tired of covering my face up, so no masks whatever you choose."

He began walk to their training area, a slight air to his steps. The rage he'd felt previously was dissipated and he was slightly ashamed to admit that it was due to the prospect of a fight.

"Simple it is then." Cal replied as they walked toward the empty ring. Usually it was occupied by Thomas reenacting Rocky on the team's punching bag, but today it was just Cal and Makarios. "So how many rounds are we going?" He asked as he grabbed a roll of tape and began to wrap his knuckles and wrists.

"As many as you can take," Makarios replied. Ironically, his morning garb was perfect for a sparring session. The light grey linen pants allowed him mobility without clutter He began to stretch, a supple feline quality to his elongated reaches and leg extensions. "What are the rules of our friendly bout? No biting and slapping of course.".

"Everything else seems like fair play." Cal responded as he removed the remainder of his armor from the day prior until he was shirtless and in his shorts. "Don't worry these are actual shorts, not my boxers." He noted with a slight smirk as he moved on to wrapping his feet and ankles. "No gadgets, no weapons. Just abilities and skill." Cal stated as he moved to square off against Makarios. "Glitch, would you be a doll and count us in?"

"My pleasure Boss. Gentlemen, if you'll take your starting positions." Glitch announced as Cal dropped into the Panther pose, arms held forward while his feet provided a solid foundation to work from.

Makarios gave a slight shrug. "We'll get down to the nitty gritty, either way," he told Cal. Though smaller than him, Makarios knew Caleb wasn't to be taken lightly. Caleb's memory and computing mind made him as versatile as Maki in some cases. He dropped low, his arms down, balancing on the toes of his feet.

"Ready... fight!" Glitch announced as Cal went into action, attempting to anticipate Makarios' moves. It felt like forever since they been in the field together and longer since they had last sparred. There wasn't a doubt in Cal's mind that his mental footage of Makarios' fighting patterns were obsolete. Makarios was devoted to honing his body and that included his skills which meant he was likely much better than Cal had last seen.

Aiming low, Cal moved to sweep the legs as he quickly changed positions, guarding his body from a downward strike before lashing out with both his legs in an attempt to drop Makarios onto his back.

Makarios leaped back, avoiding the sweep. It had been quick, but Maki's reflexes had kicked in. Landing, Makarios sprung into a flip, sailing over Caleb. He used his brief pause in the air to get a view of Cal, analyzing his body and position. Landing behind him, Makarios quickly spun to deliver a low sweeping kick.

Falling onto his back as Makarios leaped back, Cal knew he had to get to his feet in a hurry. Calculating Markarios' trajectory as the agile Maverick flew over him, Cal pushed his hands against the hard floor behind his head causing his body to spring over the kick at the last possible second. Landing on his feet, Cal raised a leg, swinging high this time before pushing off with his opposite leg to aim for Makarios' mid section as he moved his body into a scissor kick.

Makarios didn't have time to evade, cursing his team leader's speed and finesse. He locked his legs and put up his arms to absorb some of the blow. Grunting slightly, Makarios kept his eyes locked on Cal's form. The initial force of the kick knocked him back a step and blurred his vision, but his hand shot out, grabbing Caleb's leg aimed for his stomach. Pushing with his other hand against Cal's torso, Makarios tossed his opponent back slightly, creating a little distance. Maki followed that up with a quick jab, aimed for Cal's stomach.

Hitting the ground hard, Cal scrambled to regain his footing only for Makarios to wind him as he failed to ward off the jab. Taking a hold of Makarios' arm before he could withdraw, Cal pulled the other Maverick in closer, aiming to deliver a hard elbow to Makarios chest as he slipped a foot behind Makarios' feet fully intending to drop his opponent to the cold pavement.

Makarios only had enough time to bring up an arm and brace for the attack. Caleb was faster than he remembered. Though he caught the elbow, the momentum caused him to fall over Cal's foot. He hit the pavement, hard, the wind leaving his chest. He pushed off with his guarding arm and rolled away quickly. He smiled wryly at Cal. "I almost forgot that I can't just take it easy on you, huh?"

"I'm almost offended you thought you could." Cal retorted as he rushed forward, raising an arm before side-stepping Makarios at the last minute, rushing the edge of the ring before using the rope to turn himself around as he flew through the air towards Makarios intending to tackle him to the ground again.

Makarios smirked as Cal rushed him. His senses focused and his vision seemed to zoom in on Caleb's form alone. Makarios spun to the side, narrowly avoiding the bulk of Cal's form. His hand caught Cal's arm as it passed and Maki locked his form, heaving with a heavy grunt. Using Cal's momentum against him, he spun and tossed Caleb back to the rope. Crouching down slightly, placing one foot before the other, he raised his fists in a praying mantis style.

Grunting as the rope collided with his back, Cal studied Makarios' form. The Mantis style of Kung Fu was know for its speed and precision. If Cal was to keep up, he'd need to adopt a similar style. Droppinging into a semi-squatting position, Cal poked his head around with a mock nervousness as he adopted the Monkey starting position. Springing forward, Cal landed on his hands, sweeping at Makarios with his legs before rolling behind Makarios and back flipping away. In order to keep up with Makarios, Cal was going to have to bring everything he had.

Makarios evaded the swipe as he jumped back, only to find Cal darting quickly behind him in turn. Maki spun as he landed, facing Cal and wasted no time in pursuing him. Closing the gap, he struck at both of Cal's upper shoulders before moving to release a flurry of strikes at his torso.

Reacting slower than he would have liked, Cal ended up taking the brunt of the barrage before pulling himself together. Whipping an arm down, he swept Makarios' arms away from his torso, pushing the other Maverick back in order to create an opening. Making an open fist, he drove his hand into the exposed side of his friend before freeing his opposite hand and delivering an open palm strike towards Makarios' face.

Makarios' head whipped back, the strike stinging on his face. He narrowed his eyes at Caleb before giving him a defiant smirk. 'So he wants to get into it? I can get a little dirtier then.' His hand shot out, grabbing the assailing arm and Maki jerked the hand down, while sending up an open palmed strike to the abdomen and lifting slightly. He released Caleb and took a step back, shifting his stance and priming his legs.

Shock momentarily flooded Cal as pain flooded his body before his training flushed it out, honed his mind back to the fight at hand. At this point the sparring match between Makarios and Cal had crossed a line from which there was no going back. Until this point Makarios hadn't even thought of using his abilities as Cal had been holding back his engineered strength. No longer was that the case as Cal barreled forward, bringing his left elbow in close for a sharp hook before delivering an upper hand with his dominant right.

Maki saw the switch in Cal's eyes. The flick, like a light, and Makarios knew the fight had shifted gears. He'd struck a nerve with their leader. For the life of him, Makarios couldn't tell whether it was a good or bad thing. But nonetheless, the barreling form of Caleb took all of his attention. He brought his right arm up only with enough time to catch some of the left elbow hook. Maki hadn't expected that amount of power. His knee shot up to guard him and deflected the upper right. He kicked out with his leg, pushing Caleb back and kicked for the knees, following it up with an open palmed strike to the chest.

Taking the hit to the knees, Cal shrugged it off with a pained grunt as he caught the strike aimed for his chest before delivering a hard blow to Makarios' elbow. Still holding onto the elbow, Cal spun Makarios around, delivering a hard heel to the back of his knees as he attempted to wrap his free arm around the other's neck for the take down.

Makarios yelped in pain, a flush running through him. He inhaled new air as his eyes opened once more. Escape became his only thought as he became hyperaware of the microseconds slipping by. The spirit settled over him with simple ease. It wriggled over his being and by the time Caleb's arm was begin to close across his neck, the Snake had engulfed Makarios' being. He twisted his arm, feeling the flexibility of the muscles and bones anew. Turning his body, the double-jointed arm and body bent to free him. Maki isolated control over his arm to twist it, freeing it from Caleb's grasp. Cal's weight fell on to him, but Makarios pulled himself away quickly, scrambling to his feet. Locking his fingers together, he brought his fists down on Cal's back, taking the time after to put some distance and release the Snake.

The blow hurt, Cal had to give Makarios that. The strength of a boa constrictor fueld into a two handed strike winded and disoriented Cal as he realized that Makarios finally had summoned an animal to his aid. The scales had now tipped in the favour of his opponent, an outcome that Cal himself wasn't overly thrilled with. Cracking his neck, Cal stood up as he firmly planted his feet before pushing off and rushing forward but instead of his elbow this time he lead his assualt with a knee aimed for Makarios' chin as he raised his hands to pull the other Maverick's face into the blow before using his opposite leg to push off from Makarios. Flipping backwards, Cal landed before dropping and swiping at Makarios' legs with a trip, scrambling to follow the attack up with a straight punch.

The battle was shifting to a more grimy feel, but Makarios was determined to stray from that path. However, Caleb was making it increasingly difficult. Maki only had only a breath to spare before his hand met Cal's knee, creating a slight barrier as it met his chin. Though he was able to stave off most of the attack, the sheer momentum caused him to bite through his lower lip. The sharpness of the pain flared his nostrils and stung his intake of breath. Cal's foot brushed his ear as he backflipped, using Maki as platform. He exhaled, hastily synchronizing once again. His hair bristled and his shoulders hunched ever so slightly. Planting his feet, the swipe aimed for him merely bounced of as he absorbed Caleb's punch, growling with intent. The Bear surged in Makarios as he yanked Cal to him by the arm, spinning him around and quickly wrapping both of his arms around his opponent, squeezing to subdue Cal. Releasing one arm, Maki lifted Cal up, slamming him into the pavement. He held him there, trying to suppress more of his abilities.

"Enough," he warned, referring to the turn the fight had taken, his words almost indistinguishable.

"I'm just getting warmed up." Cal grunted back defiantly as he twisted his body in a way to wrap his legs around Makarios' pinning arm. Letting out an anguished roar he dragged Makarios down to the ground with him, twisting the other's Mavericks efforts to his advantage as he put Makarios into a compromised position, pinning him with his arm locked in such a way that not even the snake trick from earlier would free it.

"I have you now." Cal managed to say as he fought against the strength of the bear, barely able to hold against Makarios' strength now.

"No," Makarios' voice grated from his compromised position. Feeling his blood pulse and his ears pound, a sensation of release spread through Makarios as he tapped into his energy, his essence. The Nox threatened to spring forth, finding comfortable ground with his current rage. It tinged his aura as he released his energy. But he fought the urge and dipped into the Vis. The lighter magical energy expanded around his form and flushed out with a swift push, knocking Caleb back.

The act, though small gave Maki enough slack to free himself. Turning on his back, he brought his feet together and kicked Cal in the chest. Rolling backwards with supple ease from his back on to his feet, Maki lurched forward delivering a swift jab combo before hopping back, balancing on his feet.

With no way to avoid the blow, Cal was sent sprawling backwards. He could have sworn he heard a 'crack' when Makarios' feet connected with his chest. The familiar pain of fractured ribs now burning in his chest as Cal forced his body to keep going. Rolling backwards onto his feet as he took up the position to fight. Spitting some blood onto the floor, Cal strafed forward jabbing at Makarios before bringing a quick kick up under the defending arms. Delivering a second kick with the opposite leg, Cal struck out with his hands at Makarios' shoulder as Maki moved his hands to defend against the second kick. Closing the gap, Cal took a jab towards Makarios' throat before following it up with a knee aimed for the stomach. Raising a fist, Cal intended to deliver a final blow to the back of Makarios' head if the other doubled over from the knee.

Maki felt the wind leave him, along with his sense for just a moment. A quick gasp for air was met with a knee to the stomach. Instinct took over. His eyes glossed over and the Nox surged. Maki's arm closed around the knee while his free arm shot up with a Viper precision and speed, just staving off the blow aimed for his head. Had Caleb honestly been willing to go that far? The stings on Maki's face answered the question for him. Using the caught knee to throw off Cal's balance, Makarios shoved him back. Planting his feet, Makarios wound up his fist, releasing the Snake once more and feeling the presence of the Bear again. He drove the punch up and into Cal's stomach, his teeth grated and eyes vicious.

He lunged for Cal again, hands poised to close around his neck. However, he stopped, the gloss leaving his eyes. He straightened and looked at Caleb, his guard lowered and his body tired. "She's dead." His words weren't an admission or a revelation. Simply a confirmation of what he knew Cal already suspected. "That's what all of this was for." Makarios turned away, heading for edge of the ring. "You're not..." he stopped himself, biting his lip and wincing at the swelling from before. "Do whatever you want for the rest of the day, just be ready to lead tonight."

 

[Lord Wraith]

~This post is a small reset, continuing directly after Makarios and Cal's sparring match.~​

A

numbing sensation washed over Cal as Makarios' words hit him like a slap to the face. The news shouldn't have come to him with as a shock, Glitch and Makarios had both been behaving oddly this morning and yet, shock was the only way Cal could adequately voice how her felt at this very moment. Slumping to the floor, Cal cross his arms and hung his head. Nothing else at this moment seemed to matter as he continued to sit on the cold floor of the sparring arena long after Makarios had left the room.

Hours went by, and still Cal had yet to move. The pain from his sparring injuries pushed aside by the raw ache created by Allison's death. Standing up, Cal's knees almost buckled beneath his as he took an uneasy step followed by another before finally gaining his balance and leaving the ring. Entering a shower, Cal activated the combination of steam and sonics as he continuously raised the temperature until the built in safety wouldn't allow it to increase further. The heavy lyrics of Nirvana's You Know You're Right echoed through the large bathroom as Cal pushed the volume until the vibration of the stereo overpowered even that of the shower's sonics.

Emerging sometime later, Cal continued to move around the base in his comatose like state, slowly dressing himself until he eventually found his way to the base's supercomputer. Planted himself firmly in front of the numerous screens, Cal began to relive each memory he had with Allison. Picking up a small glass, Cal opened a locked box planted in the floor beneath where his chair usually sat as he rolled back to allow himself access to it. From within, he pulled a square-like glass bottle as he poured a small amount of the amber liquid in the glass before returning the near full bottle to its hidden vault. The bottle had only been used once before.

The night Xander and Adam had died.

Smiling images of Allison's face filled the screen. Her smiling face almost seemed to increase the brightness of the screens that were the sole source of illumination as Cal looked at them. Videos of the early times the team had gathered played along another screen. Cal still remembered how proud he was of the armor he had designed her and how well it had flattered her figure the first time she wore it. He still remembered their first kiss, the tingling sensation her powers had left on his lips in the rain.

And then everything changed.

A picture from Allison's public profile caught his eye as Cal ordered the computer to freeze. It was from a week before the night she betrayed them. Always a creature of the night, not even patrol could keep Allison away from Larissa's clubs and this picture was just another example of that. Cal could even see the greasepaint wore underneath her mask manipulated to look like eyeliner. But it was the face in the background that bothered him the most.

Raja.

It can't be a coincidence.

Staring intently at the image on the screen, Cal locked eyes with the photograph, the same eyes that had so intently tried to pierce his mask the first time he encountered them.

It can't be a coincidence. It's highly improbable that Raja appeared in Allison's personal life before she betrayed them and then dropped himself on the Mavericks' door step the night before she was killed.

Cal placed his elbows on the desk, crossing his hands over top of one another as he mulled over what he had learned. Could Allison, like Judas have denied her payment, thrown the proverbial thirty silver pieces back at Locke? But instead of hanging herself, Locke had his own personal assassin bring her down. Did Allison know Raja, or was Raja simply assigned to infiltrate her circle in order to keep a close watch over her. Was Raja even know working to complete the job that Alison had failed.

Picking up his glass, Cal tipped it back and swallowed the contents in one gulp. Standing up from his seat he felt the pain in his chest being to burn. Sparks igniting as something new replaced it with each step he made. Locking the door to the hub, Cal turned around as rage fully consumed him.

There would be no disturbances. He had work to do.

---

Three days had passed since anyone outside of Glitch had seen Cal. For the past three days, the Maverick leader had been locked within the Hub aside from the one time he had stumbled to the medical wing while Glitch constantly reprimanded him for neglecting his daily photopheresis. But no sooner had the treatment been completed, Cal locked himself within the room again, refusing any contact with his teammates. Even Glitch had been ignored by Cal, locked out of the system he was working so not even the Maverick's A.I. could inform the others what their obsessive leader was working on.

Despite the passage of time, Allison's body had still not turned up and police were no closer to discovering who exactly had ripped her head off her body. Were he not already in police lock up, Anthony Cleaver would have been their prime suspect. Outside of the Woltz case however, crime in Larissa seemed to have for the moment subsided.

"Quiet few days since the Woltz girl died eh?" Ron Harvey replied to his coworker as the two security guards made their way along the catwalk of the Thrill Energy Drink Bottling Plant.

"It's almost like the city went to sleep." Replied Oliver as he did a head count of the workers below. Fumes from the ever full vats of the glowing blue liquid filled the air with an almost sticky sensation that stuck to every exposed inch of skin much to Oliver's displeasure. "Hell, even traffic seems to have been better."

"Amen to that." Ron replied as he signed the headcount and motioned for the pair to go back the way they came. "Do the pipes always rattle like that?"

"Damned if I know." Oliver replied as he looked at the heavy pipes above their heads. "I generally get in and out of this part of the plant as fast as I can. Can't stand the smell of this swill, don't know anyone who buys it."

"Apparently it's big in Pointe Bordeaux." Ron stated as Oliver raised an eyebrow. "They say the rave scene is rather big in the Neon City."

"I'll bet you know that first hand."

"Guilty as charged." Ron said with a wide smirk as the two guards continued on their way. Suddenly the room shook as scalding steam burst from pipes along the wall. Screams of agony filled the air as Ron flailed about, skin practically melting off his body while Oliver watched helplessly in horror. The catwalk began to collapse beneath the two of them as an explosion engulfed the room. More screams echoed as the workers below began to panic, pipe after pipe bursting as flames began to spread through the building. Another explosion rocked the plant as the whole building became unstable, alarms echoing through the halls as they began to ring out in every room.

---

"Calling all Mavericks." Glitch's voice cut in over the Maverick's private channel. "The Thrill Bottling Plant is in a state of emergency. Explosions of an unknown origin are rocking the plant and trapping the workers inside. The local fire department is unable to move on the facility due to its current volatile nature. You are the workers only hope." Glitch paused, usually Cal would take over from here, but the Maverick leader wasn't even listening in on his commslink. "While there's been no official release, I personally believe there's foul play at work. The bottling plant has run without incident for over three years. Someone has purposely sabotaged the plant. Hopefully the saboteur or saboteurs are trapped inside like everyone else. If that's the case then they can be served justice." Glitch hesitated again before continuing. "If they aren't…" Glitch didn't know if any of the other Mavericks had Cal's skill in detecting evidence and piecing together the events as they had unfolded but at this point she had to trust they would be able to work without him. "Perhaps you'll be able to uncover their identity and ensure they pay." If Glitch were human, this would have been the point where she would have taken a deep breath. However lacking both the need for oxygen and a set of lungs, instead what followed was an uneasy silence before Glitch gave a conclusion to the mission briefing.

"Mavericks, move out."

 

[Stein]

Feral


[BCOLOR=transparent]The breeze from the water still met Makarios as he stood miles from the city, looking back on the warmth of the lights of Larissa. Tucked away from the world and nestled against the coast, it almost gave the misguided impression of a state of peacefulness. A little home for denizens with no need for vigilantes or heroes with a dedication to a misguided life. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Upon leaving the lighthouse, Makarios hadn't really stopped to think. His thoughts had been dangerous to let roam around freely. He changed without realizing it, donning civilian exercise clothes and began to run. One foot followed by the next, rhythmically--with vigor and necessity--and quickly. His thoughts became solely the repetition of inhales and exhales. With his eyes forward, he kept running. A dull ache began to form on the balls of his feet inside his sneakers around mile 7, but he ignored it. The pain was good, it helped drown out other thoughts and it meant distance. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]At the beginning of his trek, Makarios told himself he'd wait for the call. The call to come on patrol and find Alison's killer. Maki knew it was inevitable, and that only kindled his infuriated state. To find the killer of a traitor who had killed two of their own. Alison had ruined everything Cal had started to build, that they all started to build. And yet, he mourned her. She'd done it for a wooden nickel and the promise of a life she threw away. But Makarios knew it had to be done. For the continued functioning of this dream, that Xander and Adam had given their lives for. Though he acknowledged that fact, he still stood a long way from accepting it. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The call never came though. After a while, the run just became part of him. A steady jog he kept until he found himself twenty miles outside of the city, panting for breath. He looked around him, only now aware of how far he was from the city. Even now, more stars were visible and for a moment, so alluring. But even now, the city needed someone to hold it up, he could feel it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Looking over the city, Makarios could feel a heaviness in his legs. Lifting one foot and then the other seemed a bit more labored this time around as he began to walk back home. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]---[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]3 days passed without a word from Caleb. Makarios moved quickly to cover his absence to the recruits: Locke was up to something and Caleb had become obsessed. The complexity of the situation had taken his complete attention, even to this extent. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Before a night of patrol, he met with Angel. He wanted them both to keep an eye on him, the best they could with Caleb being secluded in such a manner. Maki knew it wouldn't do to force him from his seclusion, so they would have to ride it out. The streets seemed quiet as of late, so even their patrols were sparse. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Something was coming, Maki could feel it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]---[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Makarios sat atop the Lighthouse as he got the alert. The sun was beginning to set and a chill creeping in from the waters. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Calling all Mavericks!" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]In the midst of meditation, Makarios' eyes opened intently. The streets had been rather silent and this was the first notable alert he'd gotten. He held his breath instinctively, as if waiting to feel Caleb stirring below him, locked away in his bunker.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"The Thrill Bottling Plant is in a state of emergency. Explosions of an unknown origin are rocking the plant and trapping the workers inside. The local fire department is unable to move on the facility due to its current volatile nature. You are the workers only hope."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Makarios felt the pause that swelled in the few seconds over the comm link. The pause that Glitch and he expected to be filled by a voice. A voice that never buzzed in, calling the Mavericks into action. The call of their leader. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Feral took the mantle, rising from his position. He shuddered off the unease that nestled within him before taking off for the armory. He didn't pause to knock on Cal's door. He knew the outcome of that encounter, or lack thereof. He couldn't take the time for it, now. Makarios didn't know if the answer alluded Caleb, or if the answer was too devastating for him, the finality of her death. Whatever it was, it had taken their leader. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]By the time Glitch finished giving her rundown, Makarios was in the armory, suiting up. He spoke into the commlink.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Mavericks, Feral taking point here. Rendezvous at location in 15. Mindfuck, stand by for Angel. Fury, I'm coming for you. Exen, we'll see you on scene. Oh and Mindfuck...maybe something not as billowing tonight? We're playing with fire tonight, babe."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Makarios grabbed smoke masks for each of them, loading them into the saddlebags of his bike. With a second thought, he grabbed a few flame retardant jackets and loaded them as well. Starting his bike, the portal slid open and donned his helmet. "Feral, heading out. Fury, my ETA is 7 minutes."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He inched his bike forward, giving one last look to Caleb's room. He switched to the private channel and said into Caleb's frequency, "Come back to us when you can, okay?" He didn't know if he'd hear it. Cal had probably long since shut his off. But, it was done.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He took off, racing to an unknown night yet again.[/BCOLOR]

 

[Lord Wraith]

T

ruth be told Cal was not in his Hub, in fact Cal was not anywhere within the Lighthouse as he entered the dark condominium. It had been nearly a week since Cal had returned 'home' and most of that time he had spent dodging the people who cared about him the most. Still they say everyone mourned in their own way and Cal was no stranger to that. Dirty dishes still sat in the sink from the fried egg sandwich Cal had made himself when he was here last.

Cutting himself off from Glitch had been his only choice. Cal knew Glitch would track him back to his apartment and keep Makarios and Angel up to date on what he was doing. He couldn't have that, especially not with what he was doing tonight. Opening a large closet in his hallway, Cal looked upon the outfit hung there. It was his original costume, the one he wore when he first met Angel and Feral. An amalgamation of a biker outfit and his Black Lotus Society armor, it offered significantly less protection than his current costume but the important thing was it also lacked Glitch and the GPS used to keep track of the Mavericks. Pulling the outfit out of the closet, Cal began to take his current clothes off before being interrupted by a slight knock on the door.

"Just a moment." He called. Had the knock belonged to Maki or Thomas it would have been heavier but this knock was light and soft. It was a familiar knock, one that Cal knew rather well. Opening the door, a head of golden hair turned around to look at him. Her soft green eyes looked up into Cal's full on concern, her words faltering as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Hey, I uh…" She started before hesitating as Cal lowered his gaze to match hers.

"Did you want to come in Sam?" He gestured smiling weakly.

"No, I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Sam said as she stretched her arms out and wrapped them around Cal. "I know you and Allison used to be close."

"Yeah, a long time ago." Cal said quietly as he hesitated before accepting the hug and placing his own arms around Sam. A long time ago she had been the girl for him, and then he had met Allison. Where Sam was the girl next door, Allison had been the rich party girl. Cal had no doubt he had made the wrong choice in the long run even if he overlooked Allison's betrayal of the team.

"Were you in for the night or…?" She asked knowing the more likely answering. Cal could tell she immediately regretted asking, he knew she suspected who he was and what he did. Sam wasn't stupid, she never had been and Cal had no reason to suggest that age had slowed her any. There was after all a reason why Cal entrusted his company to her capable hands.

"I was actually just about to step out." Cal said lowering his head as his answer hung in the air between them. Raising his eyes as her hand gently coddled his cheek, Sam was the one to break the silence.

"Give them hell."

A small smirk appeared at the corner of Cal's mouth as he nodded stoically as Sam walked across the hallway back to her own condo while Cal closed the door and began to change.

---

The black Audi drove slowly down the Somerset District as woman after woman waved to the man behind the wheel. The warm spring air had led to the solicitors upping their game as cleavage spilled out over their tops and skirts barely hid any undergarments they were wearing. Pulling the car over beside a redhead in a leopard print skirt, the driver rolled down a tinted window before speaking.

"Get in."

Doing as she was told, the redhead blew a kiss to her coworkers before climbing into the passenger seat of the R8.

"Not a lot of room in here Tiger, hope you have another place in mind."

"Cut the games Candy, I need information." IllAdvised said as he turned to look at the prostitute before pulling away.

"Someone burn down your home again? What'cha wearing that relic for?" She asked eying the old costume up and down.

"Someone murdered a Maverick and I intend to make them pay." IllAdvised replied as he continued to drive.

"Allison Woltz? She was one of yous?" Candy said with an amused look. "Man what do I gots ta do to get my costume?"

"Tell me what you saw outside her apartment three nights ago and I'll bring your name up at the next membership drive." IllAdvised replied, his stern tone leaving Candy to wonder whether he was serious or not.

"Well like you said to, I'd been working the corner outside of Aly's pad." Candy started as IllAdvised took a quick turn keeping an eye on the rearview mirror to ensure no one was following them. "Well three nights ago I will nevah forget what I saw. Roman Locke himself went into the building wit two other guys. One had a shaved head, a real military type. The other…" She paused, thinking about her next words. "He was damn fine, hair was slicked back with shaved sides and a trimmed beard. Everything was a nice silver, a real silver fox type. But he was strong looking, his arms were as big as Laquisha's thighs."

"Had you ever seen him in Somerset before?" IllAdvised asked.

"Ain't no gurl ever described a man like him." Candy said as taking some time to think about it. "And trust me they would. A client built like that would hurt, ain't no way he'd be gentle." Candy paused as before IllAdvised urged her to continue. "See, you learn to spot the beaters, the ones who get off more on the pain than the sex. A man that looked like that would be a beater."

"Where did he go?" IllAdvised asked.

"He left with Allison, looked ta be headin' towards the Dead Man's Bog." Candy said as IllAdvised came to a stop where he had originally picked up the girl.

"You've been very helpful." IllAdvised stated as he handed a wad of cash to the girl. "Thank you again Candy. Keep safe out there." He added as the girl blew him a kiss and climbed out of the car.

 

[Blacksam]

For the last few weeks Lisa's studies had taken a back-seat to her 'night-time activities', and now her grades were really starting to suffer. The day before she'd fallen asleep during class! Luckily she'd startled back awake before the lecturer had noticed, but it was still way too close a call. It was her own fault though, she should have seen it coming. Nowhere in the history of real life or fiction had anyone ever tried to lead a double life and have it go off without a hitch. She'd promised herself that she'd do better, actually manage her time, do her school work, and learn to drink a whole lot more coffee. It was the only thing for it.

So she'd gone to her room, got out her homework, and resolved to have the study session that would end all study sessions. It had gone great, she'd got a lot of work done, and really felt she was making some serious headway with her course load. . . for about five minutes, then she'd gotten distracted. It had started off innocently enough, free hand scribbling on a near by business pad while she pondered on the best way to word one of her answers to an art history question, but before she knew it she'd ditched the homework and began to sketch voraciously, all different designs and ideas for her Fury suit MK2. That led to an impromptu session of sit ups, consumed with the desire for killer abs – because it was an unwritten rule that all vigilantes needed abs – but she'd quickly lost motivation for the hunt for shreddage when she changed training tactics to something that was a little more specific to her.

Pain training.

Ever since her slight issue with being-set-on-fire-and-flying-into-an-uncontrollable-rage she'd been obsessing over just what the limits of her own power actually was. She'd always kinda assumed that she'd be able to take whatever came her way, be it punches or kicks, bullets or explosions. The night in the clubhouse had disavowed her of that lie. Yes, she'd survived the punches, the bullets, the explosions, and even being afire, but she'd lost all reason in the process, regressing to something little more than a savage animal. She might have killed on of those Bloodhounds! She might have killed IllAdvised! Well, she was sure IllAdvised would have had a plan to stop her, but that wasn't an excuse. She couldn't lose control like that again, not if she was serious about being a Maverick. But the only way she could think of increasing her personal control while under stress was to practice.

Meaning that she was going to have to get hurt.

Looking back, it was the fire that hurt the most (like that had ever even been in dispute!) so it was the flame that she was going to learn to deal with first. She decided to start small, 'borrowing' Vronnie's lighter so that she could practice with the tiny flickering flame that was normally only used to light the 'funny cigarettes' that daddy had warned her against.

She cranked the thumb wheel and held the gas, little blaze popping into life. She cranked the outlet to max, the flame tripling in size. Near instantly she felt heat from it, but she knew that was just an illusion, her mind playing tricks on her, trying to make her reconsider what she was going to do. Unfortunately if she wanted to be the best hero she could be then she'd have to ignore her better judgement and forge on ahead.

She tried not to think about how many catastrophes had started with similar logic.

With the lighter held out at eye level in her left hand she took her right and let it hover half a foot over the flame, then began to slowly lower it. Closer and closer she got, the heat no longer a thing of the mind but a real, tangible sensation. Still lower, and now she was fighting the urge to pull her hand away. Lower still, brow furrowed as she phsyched herself up, readying herself to let the orange and red kiss the palm of her hand, summoning the will power to –

"Calling all Mavericks."

Her concentration slipped as her phone chirped out behind her, and as she twisted round her hands came together, smooshing the lighter between them.

"FUUU-- Dddgge!" She dropped the lighter instinctively, but the damage was already done, palms all red from where they'd touched the heated metal. That little flame hurt a lot more than she would have given it credit for! She began to fan her hands rapidly to try and cool them while Glitch made his report, then Feral barked his commands. Lisa only spent a second wondering why it wasn't IllAdvised handing out the orders before getting on board.

"Gotcha Feral. . . . I mean, uh, over?" Was that right? Did she have to say over? The Maverick's definitely weren't the military, so probably not. No time to waste thinking about that now though. She leapt to her feet, scattering abandoned homework and crude costume designs in all directions, shooting towards her mirrored wardrobe. Throwing open the doors revealed a rail of fresh and mostly orderly hanging clothing, though it was a small, dark sportsbag hidden at the back that she was looking for. She retrieved the bag and dumped her Fury costume out on the bed, still crumpled and balled from it's time in the bag.

A glass costume display case was a little out of her budget for the moment.

She got dressed quickly before clambering out of her window and making her way down the street. She figured Feral would be able to track her through her communicator, and didn't think he'd want to pick her up from the house she shared with the girls, seeing as that would hardly be the most conducive thing to maintaining a secret identity. She stopped in a nearby alley mouth and waited for the veteran Maverick to arrive.

 

[Hillan]

That night when they found out about Allison, Thomas had been mad, angry. Was it a sense of comradery he felt, despite that she had betrayed them? He hadn't been home, but out on the streets when he had been informed, the newsreport streaming directly to his phone. He still felt that Allison was still a Maverick, even after what she did. She was one of them, even after her actions let Locke kill Adam and Xander like dogs.

Yet, he still mourned her. And it made him even more angry that it did. Yet, somewhere in him, he was mad that he hadn't been the one to rip her head off.

And maybe that was what really upset him.

***

Three days had gone by without a word from Caleb, instead, Thomas and Makarios had met, agreeing that Makarios had the most experience with the new recruits, he should take charge in Cal's absence. That disturbing Caleb was a poor choice, that if he wanted to be left alone he would be left alone to grieve. Allison had meant more to him than to anyone else, her betrayal had stung him more than Maki and Thomas. Her death must have made his heart bleed.

Since their meeting, Thomas had stayed away from the lighthouse, knowing full well that if he didn't he might just end up tearing the doors to Caleb's sanctuary off their hinges.

Thomas sat in his apartment, sipping on a beer, Tiffany was at school and he was done with work for the day – at least his day job. He sat on the wooden chair and reminisced, the streets were quiet – Angel wasn't needed today.

He believed in facing your emotions head-on, that pushing them down would only lead to more hurt in the end, that grieving was best done in company. He learned that the hard way since losing both of his parents only two years apart, and cutting ties with his brother.

Family was important to the celestial Maverick, and to him, the team were his second family, brothers in arms, and every other cliche he could think of. It was killing him to not be able to help Caleb, or to help Makarios grieve over losing Xander – but he couldn't, in a way, his relationship to the Mavericks was as estranged as his relationship to his brother.

With a sigh, he finished his beer before putting the chair away, checking his phone, he had a text from Tiffany.

Hi honey, I have a surprise for you tonight, try and get home by eleven. Love, T.

The text read, Thomas smiled, Tiffany was truly the best thing in his life, someone he could truly rely on. Maybe the fact that he had never really been alone – unlike his friends, was why he couldn't truly help them.


***
"Calling All Mavericks"

Thomas was already in flight when Glitch called, he had stopped a grand theft auto, leaving four thugs with broken ribs and a street sign bent around them to stop them from running away before the cops could arrive. Feral spoke into his ear, Thomas responded immediately. "Already at the factory, I'll keep the fire from spreading, firemen are on their way. Angel out." He spoke, as he landed right next to the factory. "Glitch, fetch me blueprints for the factory. Use the sensors in my suit to find the biggest heatsource." Thomas commanded, said and done, Glitch quickly instructed him with the details of the factory's design, and the heat sensors in his suit and visor that Caleb had put into all of their gear allowed Glitch to directly find the hottest area – the valve room, where the power to the machines and pipes were. If foul play was involved, this was probably the place to start looking. However, he would wait to take action, as he was distracted with the screams of help from civilians on the upper floor. Leaping into the sky, Thomas climbed into the window, finding four workers inside, he landed before them. Telling them to back up, tore a hole twice the size of the window where the window had been. The shapeshifting nature of his wings allowed him to create a makeshift-fire escape slide for them to quickly get out of the building, the four of them got settled in safety on the ground as the Firemen arrived.

Opening the private channel to Makarios, Thomas tapped his ear. "I'm inside the building, but I've got no evidence to follow. I'll need you to use your senses to figure out what happened. I'll focus on getting civilians to safety. Angel ou-" his words interrupted with another explosion inside of the building, almost directly below him.

 

[Raja]

Raja had laid uncharacteristically low in the days following Allison's death, barely leaving his apartment during the day; instead remaining indoors and poring through what resources he had and putting together the pieces. Always a visual thinker, he'd pinned images and news articles to a board, connecting them with fine scarlet thread wherever he suspected a connection. He had made no contact with any of his new teammates: after his disappointing performance at the Andromeda, his dispute with Feral and now the death of his friend, the Mavericks were very much the last thing on the wealthy man's mind. But Raja had been a vigilante long before he joined the Mavericks...

"Dead man's bog." he said firmly to the Uber driver that he'd arranged to collect him from a rougher area downtown, so as to protect the obscurity of his residence. His voice was devoid of any of his trademark regality or jocular intonations; there was no purring inflexion or detectable lip-curling. Rather, he spoke as an authoritarian; with clear, undeniable purpose and certainty. The Arab man behind the wheel raised his eyebrow, looking into the backseat of the vehicle in the rear view mirror as he spoke.

"Dead man's bog?" he repeated, Raja scowling beneath his niqab. If he'd wanted to ride with a parrot, he would have brought Princess along for the trip. The cab had yet to move and the Indonesian passenger was beginning to grow impatient. "I don't know, friend... It's no good up there..." he said, apologetically, making it absolutely clear that he lacked the spine to take Raja where he needed to be. Raja's inconvenience was betrayed by the way his bright eyes rolled in his skull. "I'm sorry, efendi. Can I take you anywhere else?"

Raja brought his eyes up to meet the man's, reflected back at him in the mirror, and fixed his own emerald orbs upon the driver's dull brown ones. Raja's seemed to shimmer in a way that could only partially be attributed to the streetlights as they burned beneath his burqa. "Dead man's bog will be fine, thank you."

The driver paused for a moment, as though lost in thought, and then nodded. Turning his gaze to the road, the engine started and the vehicle was soon rolling swiftly through the streets of Larissa; making its way towards the city's forbidden outskirts.

***
​

The air was thick at Dead Man's Bog; the kind of sickly miasma that left a taste in Raja's throat as it consistently threatened to choke him. It was the stench of rot and decay; of death. Raja didn't need to wonder why the bog reeked so, or indeed how it earned its name: the stories of the unsavoury characters that lurked in these parts were enough to keep most sane folk away. Those who did visit tended not to linger, such as Raja's chauffeur, whom had sped off out of the swamp as soon as he came to his senses, leaving only his hurried tyretracks in the muck and a tall, shrouded figure as evidence he had ever been there. Of course, it's likely that some fools were prone to hanging around in the bog, but those aren't the kind of people who were often heard from again.

Raja scanned his environment, his garb proving no match for the tendrils of stench that steeped from the mud and attacked his senses. He knew better than to linger in the open, and soon found himself a overgrowth of deadwood within which he could hide; his black burqa allowing him to melt seamlessly into the dark of night. From there, he watched.

As his eyes swept over the barren land, he recalled the events that had led him here. It all stemmed back to that fateful morning, the memory of which still churned his stomach. He was aching... Exhausted from the nights efforts, bathing... Then the news was broken. Driven by a mix of vengeance and justice, he'd wasted little time in calling his and Allison's shared friends; allowing them to talk and mourn for her down the line as he made secret note of every word they spoke. From this, he gathered leads, names that kept cropping up in conversation; people whom Allison's friends scorned, the 'wrong crowd' into which she had apparently fallen.

Raja did more research, and was soon meeting with an individual under the guise of a drugs trade. They spoke for forty minutes or so about the deal over wine and steak in a high-end restaurant, before Raja worked his 'charm' and picked around the man's brains for relevant information. Once he'd done, the dealer 'mysteriously' became unconscious at the table, and a 'shocked' and 'concerned' Raja sped to get help. He did not return; he had other places to be.

It turns out that his dinner guest had been kept in the dark about most of the details, but his thoughts pointed towards the Bog, the name Grey swirling around his head. Images of a brawny, brutish figure forced into a tailored suit were vivid in Raja's head, and he assumed that the man must have been utterly terrified of the grey-haired brute. Now, here he was, lurking in the shadows of the Dead Man's Bog, surveying the area for any signs of the mysterious Mr. Grey...

The low hum of an engine emerged in the distance; drawing nearer and nearer as it was accompanied by the sounds of wheels on the dirt track. Headlights came into view, followed by a sleek black Audi that pulled up beside the swamp. Raja held his breath and waited.​