ꜱᴇɴᴛᴇɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴀᴘᴏᴄʀʏᴘʜᴀ | ᴛᴇɴᴢᴀɪ & ᴛᴡɪʟɪɢʜᴛ ɢᴇɴᴇꜱɪꜱ

[Tenzai]

ꜱᴇɴᴛᴇɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴀᴘᴏᴄʀʏᴘʜᴀ
A story by @Tenzai & @Twilight Genesis

ꜰᴏʀɢɪᴠᴇɴᴇꜱꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀʙᴏᴠᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴀ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ, ᴀ ᴅᴇᴄɪꜱɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ɪɴꜱᴛɪɴᴄᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴀʏ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴇᴠɪʟ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴇᴠɪʟ.​

Sulfur​

Null​

Forgery​

Tide​

Aether​

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Yurushi Prefecture, 20XX

"Call me a fucking hypocrite for asking, but C-14? Seriously? Isn't that a bit... I don't know... Overkill?"
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ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴠɪᴄɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴄʏᴄʟᴇ | ᴏᴜʀ ᴍɪʀᴀɢᴇ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

Why don't you give me a sign?
I need a last one
When I'm awake, I'm a walking disaster
Fire up my heart and let it burn
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Rain poured on the sinners as they worked on completing their mission objective. They were one of several teams assigned to sabotaging a gambling ring that dealt in more than just luck. Given the responsibility of cutting power, the five of them had worked alongside the team above to enter the casino without alarms being raised. The unconscious bodies of the few gangsters unlucky enough to get in their path had lined the hallways which led from the power room to the entrance outside. "Adriana only asked for the job to be done, Tide. She never mentioned anything about collateral." Tick tick tick. With every button press, the chemical warfare specialist, Sulfur, was well aware of just how much danger they were in. The bomb he placed had enough power to level a small building. However, he would be damned if the mission failed because the explosion wasn't big or distracting enough. With walls like these, thankfully, the explosion would only be contained within the floor, allowing his equipment to function well within mission parameters. "Relax. You and Null make sure you do your job and handle the guards and I'll take care of what I'm good at and handle the explosives." Using duct tape to attach the explosive device to where the building was connected to the local power grid, his job was done. "Fifteen minutes. Unless you want to make this floor your grave, it's time we leave."

[You hear that, Forgery?] Hidden in a parking garage outside was a van that held various displays of the building's blueprints. In front of all of the monitors sat the team's hacker, Forgery. Taking a sip of his iced coffee, he typed a message over to the other team before responding back. [Read you loud and clear, Sulfur. I've made sure the team above knows that the power will be cut in fifteen.] Alt-tabbing over to another window, he brought up the floorplan of the basement they were currently infiltrating. Dots had appeared where each member was located. [There looks to be another stairwell that leads to a maintenance tunnel on the floor your on. You could take it to get outside.] His eyes were kept busy, watching through the various screens which dictated mission information from team member wellbeing over to the cameras of the floor. Though, before Sulfur was able to move, flashlights had shined down the hall, greeting the man dressed from head to toe in standard grade SSU black armor. [Shit. Null got caught. Sulfur, lock the door to the room. Tide, assist Null with taking out the guards. We'll be damned if they make us fail the mission. I'm not going back to prison.]

[On it.] Tide gave Sulfur a nod before bursting his way down the hallway. As he ran, he bit his thumb, drawing blood for him to summon a rifle forged in his own solution in his arms. Should the fight end up lethal, he was ready to commit murder. Nothing was going to get in his way. Right now, their forgiveness was on the line. If not for the SSU, he doubted any of them would have remained alive. All taken from prison, sentenced to death, these sinners were given a choice between a second chance at life by choosing to serve an organization that was hell bent on peace at all costs, even if it led to acts of state-mandated crimes on a scale like this one... Or death. By choosing the former, they were deployed on missions where other, more legally aligned squads would deem deadly to attempt. However, he wasn't going to complain. At least, by working for them, some good would come out of his expertise in hurting others. At least, when he died, he would be able to greet his sister in the afterlife with some level of dignity left. [Null, where the fuck-]

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Punches as explosive as lightning.

"I'm here."
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Massive impacts that shook the very world around him had called Tide to Null's location. While fighting through fists and kicks was not his particular forte, his strength had granted him the power to do away with the guards without much danger. "It would've made it easier if Adriana allowed us to use ordinary weapons, but I suppose its unnecessary for dealing with hostiles like these." Wiping the blood off his fists, he stared for a moment at the bodies before seeing their chests heave. They were breathing. "Fifteen minutes? That should give us enough time to move these bodies out of harm's way." Giving one a kick on the shoulder to see if they would respond, he eventually picked them up and heaved them over his shoulder. "Can you help me? I'd rather avoid making Forgery angry if I could help it." The blue haired rifleman sighed in relief, unsummoning his rifle. "Yeah, yeah. Just... Don't go off on your own next time and worry me like that." Lifting another body, he joined the armored man's side, moving quickly to keep within the time constraint.

As they brought the bodies outside, Aether inspected them for injuries, holding a cig in his mouth while Sulfur tied their arms together. "Well, the good news is, they aren't dead. Bad news is, they won't be speaking to police when they wake up." Upon closer inspection, he found broken ribs, bruised lungs, and broken jaws. "Why's that?" In between restraining each guard, the gas masked man looted their unconscious bodies for wallets and cell phones for Forgery to sift through later. "How about you take a look at them? Tell me what you see." Sulfur stared at them for a moment, scratching his chin while the other two kept dragging more bodies for them to restrain. "Bruised jaws? I mean, it'll hurt for them to speak, but I don't think-" The fallen angel facepalmed, shaking his head. "Broken. Our friend here decided to punch their jaws down their throats. At this rate, she's going to force them to type up their testimonies."

Once the bodies were moved, Forgery left the van with his phone in hand, taking a look at the timer. "Looks like there's less than half a minute left. If you guys want to take a look." The hacker gestured his hands towards the massive casino building in front of them. "The power to that skyscraper's going out in five... four... three... two..." Before reaching one, the ground shook. Instantly, the lights that once shined from the casino's massive neon sign had gone out. Curiosity and frustration had appeared on the faces of customers and staff who left the building, inspecting what may have occurred from the outside. Due to the potency of the bomb, in one fell swoop, Sulfur had managed to take out both the building's connection to the power grid and its backup generators should an emergency happen. With no technology getting within the infiltration team's way, their main objective was accomplished.

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"Beautiful sight, isn't it?" Sulfur stood proudly, enjoying the view.

"Now its up to them to finish their job."
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Why don't you give me a sign?
These dreams don't last, love
I see your ghost, need to get to you faster
And each night is a lesson I didn't learn
A lesson I didn't learn
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[Twilight Genesis]

· · ─ · 𖥸 · ─ · ·

ℕ𝕠𝕨 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘: ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕖 ☾ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕤𝕖 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕔

· · ─ · 𖥸 · ─ · ·


The lights had killed both the mood and the atmosphere of the lively crowd in the casino halls. No more the sounds of jeers and clinking casino tokens, or the accusations of a hidden ace up the sleeve. Only the grumbles and disappointment of the patrons as they exited the grand building. This would hit the business hard that was for certain... but that would be the least of their worries when the second team rolled in.

"This is as far as I go, as for the payment I expect—"
The smoking woman was cut off by a thick manila envelope shoved into her chest.

"As for the payment you get what we agreed on, half upfront, the rest after a job... and a bonus for your silence. Be grateful our boss has taken mercy on your gang." The woman was met with scrutiny despite the fae before her never having opened her eyes once since they had met just weeks ago.

"Bonus? You promised safe travels for our—" Rio was cut off again and likely would be for the rest of this conversation. "That is your bonus Rio. You want to protect your people?" The woman spoke and tossed another item at her side.

"Then prove it."

The woman had tossed a blood blade onto the ground. The chain linked to it ended with another handle strangely enough. "What the FUCK?! You fuckin' supers are all insane I swear to... UGH! Fine. The least you could have done was clean the blade." Rio huffed and the fae laughed. "That task is beyond me. Now either fight or leave and do not return until it's over." "Damn crazy ass bitch."
Rio was met with a sharp bite to the shoulder after all of that, or rather her shoulder plate. "OW! OW OW OW Whatthefuck—" "Mmm~ Metal humans taste funny." Spoke a much higher pitched and innocent tone. Rio was met with fluffy ears and a tail all the while the strange cat was licking her lips. "Fuckin' weirdos... just take me to the damn fight already, Odessa." The woman huffed only to ear a few laughs from the group before her. All woman and all masked, then the radio sounded along the groups comms. ["I have eyes on Lapis, surrounded by six Onyx units. Armed. Obsidian is onsite. The boys have made their debut."] ["Just call me Helena. . ."]

"And that would be our cue. Ri'zu, Astrea, Rio. Let us depart. The others are waiting."

"Ri'zu can't wait~! No-eyes is good at spotting! Let's eat~!"
["...I heard that you know."]
"But it's not wrooooong~!"
["I'm calling you 'Concrete' for the rest of this mission."]
"Awww...."

"Come on already, enough with the bickering. We can't waste time." Another spoke and Odessa nodded, "By all means, Astrea. Get us in." The older woman spoke and they began to move. Their first obstacle was a team of shady looking security guards, they had gotten half way into the back entry way before being held back by the shady men aiming their firearms at them. Before one could even speak Astrea had clicked her tongue. And Odessa shielded her eyes from view with her hand. "Ri'zu." "Yes ma'am~ Astrea likes a private show~" The cat girl giggled and clamped her eyes over Rio's face. "Bitch what the fuck are you do—"

"And you will be mine."
One by one each gun had been sat on the ground. The siren's song was often a deadly one... but with no water to drown the mortal men, she let the others take care of it. The fae bobbed and weaved through the sea of men. A flick of the wrist and the sounds of shattering ice left the men as nothing more than hollowed out husks that shattered with a single touch. "Come now. We mustn't waste time.. I won't repeat myself again." "Yeah! Yeah! Let's rock!" Ri'zu giggled as Odessa and her team ran through the hallways. "I'm on sight with the artifact in view, waiting for the next task." The airy wispy voice of the shadow in the comms spoke as he held her vision on their mission objective. "Eyes on the prize ladies, all of our adversaries beyond this point will know what we're here for, and they won't be acting stupid about this. Eyes open." Odessa led her team as Rio stared at the husks of glass. She shivered as her hands prodded the smooth edges of the glass. The otherworldly material was cold and smooth under the tips of her fingers.

"Focus. I don't tolerate incompetence. You want me to hold up our bargain, don't you?" Odessa grabbed Rio and jerked her forward, her cold touch was near blistering to the other as she was forced to follow.

The events that followed were a blur to those around them that had been dispatched. A siren's song, a cool touch, skin being flayed from the bone from razor sharp claws, and the haunting visage of their own shadows coming out to choke the life from them. Rio was witnessing the horrors around them, the sweat trickling down her skin as she chewed her lower lip in anxiety.

The combat was like watching a dance. Motions were fluid and not a single move was wasted as she watched the carnage. Non-lethality was no longer an option for the opposition they were facing now, and doing the job quietly was near impossible with the deck Adriana was handed, but she would make it work.
There was nothing wrong with a little public execution especially when her name was erased from the files. Right now the group on this were simply a nameless organization hell bent on destroying this place. It was a statement.

Of course the cursed artifacts stored here were ripe for the picking and a nice bonus for their troubles. Odessa began to cleave through their adversaries with practiced violence. Her eyes hadn't opened once as she pierced flesh inch by inch, their bodies becoming stiff as they lost their movement. Eyes rolled back as half gargled screams stopped as lips hardened then crackled until shattering entirely. The horrified looks of their last moments of lucidity frozen on what was unbroken. Rio was shortly overwhelmed with it all. She sat there as if her feet had been cemented to the ground. Her eyes widening as she watched Ri'zu pounce over her, a swirling black and pink mass growing around her arms as she sliced a man to ribbons.

The damned cat was enjoying herself as if she was hunting fresh prey. Long slits made up her pupils and Rio could swear they blinked just as her eyelids themselves closed to blink with them. The cat woman hadn't said a word since the violence started, aside from the sounds of tearing flesh she hadn't heard the woman utter a single word. Then she looked to Astrea, how she drew prey in with her siren's song. The soft melodic humming sounded like an Angel's choir in heaven, those swirling swampy eyes as the the men drew close and her fists drawing closer. The speed at which she snapped their necks was damn near a world record. She had mouthed the three simple words all people wanted to hear at least once or twice and so much more. If it wasn't the fists that had done their enemies in it was the seashell encrusted staff that did the job for her. The conch shell at the top was practically pulsating every time it was met with fresh coats of blood, absorbing the liquid as if it owned it.

Rio was seeing the depths of this world in real time all at once. She had known since childhood that there were things not of this world here... and she knew there were many mysteries that humans had yet to unravel... but this? The display of eloquent violence was all too much for her. Not to mention the shadows that had swirled as pools of tar on the marble tiles in the room, how they absorbed any that touched it, the way the men sunk, screaming curses at the women before her. Some throwing their guns away to beg for mercy, only for their mouths to be covered in a thick goopy layer of shadowy tar. The sickly pale figure in the middle of inky black pools, sitting there in her stained black dress as the darkness loomed over her very being.

Her breaths had become shaky as she shook her head. "This... This is INSANE!" She called out as she ran forward to pull out the remaining soldier in the tarry waste only to catch a bullet to the ribs. She coughed and hacked as a flurry of lead rained down in her direction, only for sheets of clear glass like material to snake upward as a barrier. "I told you this Rio, you fight or you flee. I will not allow you in the way of required cruelty!" Odessa yelled out as Rio shook her head. "F-Fuck... FUCK!" The woman screamed out in frustration and lunged forward, her blade clashing against another as Odessa had taken a blade to her side. The weapon lodged and caught on her bones as she smiled. Her body growing into a glass body as she shattered immediately, giving Rio an opening.

"YOU BUNCH OF PSYCHO SHITS!" Rio called out as she hacked and slashed at the man behind the other blade. Her body moving on her own as even she was surprised at the deadly blows she was delivering. An arm and a leg later she had stood clashing a blade against a blade. Holding steadfast, her angered frustrated cries only increased in volume as she pushed back against her attacker, Blood gushing from the open hold in her shoulder. It wasn't enough.
The blade was brought down onto her other shoulder, Rio shrieked in agony at first before the world fell numb around her. Next was the shattering of glass and the bullet that had blown through the skull of her attacker. Falling to a knee, Odessa had stepped out through the marble tiles and had thrown Rio over her shoulder. "We'll take this one with us." The haze of battle faded and Astrea was wrapping a strange blackened Bismuth cube in a blue fabric then encasing it in some capsule. "The new toy's broken?" "And she will be fixed. Now let's grab the rest and haul ass. These lights won't stay off forever."

["Subject Lapis is down."]
"Oh don't worry, we all saw it. Though next time don't hold back on your aim. The new one is missing limbs already."
There was silence on the comms as Odessa was busy sealing the wounds of Rio's severed limbs with crude magic. Helena absorbing the organic bodies that hadn't been turned to statues of glass. There wouldn't be a single spec of body cam footage left to find when it was all said and done. Ri'zu was busy picking her teeth with a split rib bone as she glowered over the remaining weapons and armor that Helena's tarry mess left behind. "So what do we do with the pew pews?" She asked, her tail swishing left to right as she tilted her head at a near ungodly agnle. "They'll break. And then they will find nothing but shells and glass... They won't be able to comprehend the scale of this attack... Though I recommend we leave sooner than later. Astrea, is the package secured?" "Already getting ready to send it to base, Odessa." The siren spoke as she pulled out a small box. She tapped the buttons across the little screen and the container began to expand until she could stuff the package inside. A digital smiley face flashed across the pixilated screen as it simple vanished out of sight. A little worm hole taking it away, and a confirmation through their radios.

"Let's get ready to move out, I have no doubt that we won't be resting easy tonight. Now look alive."

["Odessa... I'm sorry. I'll—"]

"Silence, there won't be any sorrys from you. You've done well Isha. Now keep at it and spot for us, we aren't out of the woods yet. We need to reconnect with the other team."
"Alright, Let's be on our way. Package has been received."
"Yippee~!"
"Hmph... I'll meet you there..."

Rio's vision faded in and out, and before long it had gone dark for her, the clicking of heels and manic giggles was the last thing she heard before the world around her grew just a little cooler. ​

 

[Tenzai]

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The sounds of gunfire over idle puffs of laced smoke.

"Looks like it's time for plan B. Drop the smoke. We're moving."
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"I'll be damned if we gotta deal with cops too."
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ꜱᴘʟɪᴛ | 1ɴᴏɴʟʏ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺
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While crime was an ordinary occurrence in the Yurushi prefecture, violent crime was not. It made the local government look weak, hence their massive investments in militarizing their police force to maintain face should the worst arise. Unfortunately, due to the nature of their mission, it was unlikely that they would know of what was going on at a state level. If they were caught, especially with explosives and weapons on hand, they would not be granted lenience. Rather, they would immediately be made examples of. As such, plans were made should the worst arise. Upon receiving their order, Sulfur and Tide withdrew their cigs and stomped them out, leaving nothing but ash and smoldering remains. Rolled inside were hints of a drug meant to keep their sociopathic tendencies in check. "The local police feed is lighting up. Emergency calls are coming from the casino and the buildings and streets around it."

"Five and a half minutes." Standing beside Forgery in the back of the van, Aether had used his divination to look ahead. "Five and a half minutes before this area becomes locked off. Exits are being cut as we speak." With his vision now coming to an end, his eyes had lost its holy luminosity. "Got it. I'll go ahead and let the others know that we'll be meeting them in a new location." Rapidly typing at the keys, he quickly shot a message over to the other team's leader while Aether walked over to the front to start the van. [We're swapping over to Plan B. Exfill point D. Inside the back of your van is a locker that holds ordinary restaurant dresses fitted to your size. We'll be meeting you at the restaurant called the Jade Garden. Its best you hurry. Police will be all over in five.] Without waiting for his hacker to finish, the van took off from the parking garage, leaving the unconscious outside. They were going to be the police's problem now.

As they drove through the commercial district's streets, due to the lockdown in effect, the traffic that they usually expected had died down, leaving the roads bare of other vehicles. It was an eerie sight given how efficient the city could be at tackling their inner issues when they wanted to be. However, internal corruption had made utopia an impossibility. There was too much money in the wrong hands for the locals to know peace. "Aether?" Sulfur walked over to the front passenger seat, sitting beside the fallen angel. His mask was hanging at his neck, allowing him to return back to some semblance of stable mind. "I always wanted to ask you. How long does your foresight go for anyways?" His eyes squinted, flashing its divinity for a moment before making a turn to avoid certain intersections.

"Seven minutes but I'll need to channel it and make a decision. A minute if I'm not given the space to think." Again, his eyes had flashed before making another abrupt turn. Police were wandering the city streets, in search of potential suspects fleeing the scene. "Hmm... Are there any limits?" Striking conversation to keep Aether's nerves down, the fallen angel didn't appear phased. After living an eternity with this curse, he grew used to wielding it without much thought. "I have to be there to predict it. If I wasn't around you, I don't know what you'll be going through." The van had slowed to a near stop before reversing down an alley as a helicopter spotlight waved through the streets. "It's not as great of a boon as you think though."

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"Often, you see the bodies of the people around you, especially in this line of work."

An angelic curse that granted those around him a sense of immortality.
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Sitting in the back of the van was Forgery looking over the menu with Null and Tide. "Hmm... Those dumplings look pretty good. What do you think, Null?" While the back had rocked back and forth as they drove, the masked man remained for the most part silent, preferring to speak less and do more. "Fried rice." Clapping his hands together, the hemomancer couldn't help himself but have his mouth water at the thought of what the food would taste like. Their barracks lacked a great cook of its own, often leading to them needing to order food from the outside to avoid needing to stomach Null's bland but nutritious food. "That sounds wonderful! Order that! Order it!" Forgery rolled his eyes before ordering enough in advance for their party so the food would be ready as they arrived. While the restaurant might have been a lot more fancy than what he was used to, he took comfort in knowing that he wasn't the only one who would feel out of place. His band of misfits were bound to garner attention from the staff.

Though, before they were able to reach their destination, they were met with a final obstacle that was unavoidable: A police checkpoint denying people access into and out of their zone of interest. Given their out of place look and the fact that they stored weapons and explosives in the back, it was likely that they would be stopped and searched if they failed to feign innocence. "Shit." Forgery closed his eyes as he attempted to navigate the different avenues of escape. As he searched through his memories, he could hear the sound of weapons being loaded. Upon opening his eyes, both Tide and Null were ready for violence. "Relax! Guys. I have a plan."

Motioning his arms downward in a display to calm them both down, he returned to his computer to forcefully inject himself and his crew into a local police database as undercover operatives. Quickly, he opened up photoshop to recreate proper police identification with his face on it while they waited in line for police inspection. Without stopping, his hands had drawn the awe of the passengers inside, thundering at the keys and slamming at the mouse as he performed digital miracles in front of them. By the time they had made it to the front, Forgery had swapped places with Aether, letting him sit in the passenger's seat while all of his suspicious counterparts remained hidden in the back seat. "License and registr-" Before the policeman manning the checkpoint uttered another word, he recognized the scent coming off of sulfur. "Freeze! Out of the vehicle with your hands up! All of you!"

Feigning confidence, Forgery withdrew his badge, displaying a rank three levels higher than the policeman in front of him. "I wouldn't recommend you shoot unless you want to lose your job." Noticing the badge underneath the light, the policeman's sergeant instead approached them, telling his own to step back and let him handle this. "Finally, someone who looks like they know what they're fucking doing. We just came back from a mission. A nasty drug bust." Leaning forward, the smaller hacker had caused the sergeant to take a step back. "How about you do us both a favor. You let us through, and I won't make you and your partner over there deal with the paperwork of pointing a gun at an undercover operator." The sergeant gulped before waving them through. "This way sir. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening." Slowly pressing his foot on the gas, Forgery lifted his window. "Smart choice, Joshua. Would've been a shame if you lost your career over someone stupid." A flash of his own eyes had revealed a short facial scan had given him all the info he needed to break him.

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The Jade Garden

"Welcome in, please take a seat. We'll get right to you gentlemen shortly!"
─═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═─​

A short change in a parking lot later, the men had entered the restaurant, finding tables sitting alongside a wide window that led into an indoor garden. A pool had resided within, bubbling with passing koi. Immediately, Sulfur and Tide had waltzed over to the bar while Null and Aether had chosen a seat at a table for ten beside the window. "We're actually here for our reservation for ten." Dressed in suits, they didn't garner suspicion, despite their odd looks gathering attention. "Oh! That table your friends are at was actually reserved for you! Is this your entire party?" The cute waitress working the counter leading into the dining room tilted her head. "The other five will be here soon. I'd rather start with them if that's fine with you."

Eventually, upon gathering drinks for themselves and their teammates, the chemical specialist and the hemomancer had returned to the side of the reserved warrior and the fallen angel. Forgery on the other hand had stood outside, waiting for the other team to arrive from their mission. Little was known about them, other than the fact that their team leader was a woman. "They're late." He muttered to himself, leaning back against the cool wall of the restaurant's exterior. [Did you all make it out?] As he messaged her, his cybernetic eye had flashed. It was a personal project that helped him hack and interface with technology nearby. Though, before he waited for too much longer, he noticed a similar looking van pulling into the driveway. They were finally here.

─═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═──═─
"Took you long enough. I was beginning to get worried."

"Name's Forgery. I've been told by Adriana that you're the team we'll be working with from here on out."
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[Twilight Genesis]

["Roger that, We'll be fashionably late, expect us soon. Anyone in your team a dedicated medic? We have some... unconventional methods, but if you have someone better on your team than Ri'zu and Astrea then we'll take that. We had a few complications in the field."] Odessa was the first to speak, the girls had quite literally bagged up Rio and took off to the escape vehicle stuffing her under some bags and strangely enough... cold meat and vegetables. "Yeah Ri'zu thinks this is overkill!" "Just put the dress on, and stop speaking in the third person already!" Odessa sighed and the girls hastily dressed up. "Seventy-two percent Rayon? Would it have killed them to look for satin? Crêpe? Silk? I understand I'm old, but good gods." "Ri'zu can't taste the difference." The cat shrugged much to Odessa's annoyance. "That's what we get for letting men shop for us." Astrea sighed and Odessa rolled her eyes. "Men or women that's irrelevant just—" "Just put the damn dress on Odessa." Astrea snarled and the fae rolled her eyes as she stripped down and donned her new outfit. Ri'zu needed a bit of help, mostly because of her tail that kept swishing under the dress itself. "Yeah! Ri'zu thinks you should put the dress on!" The cat smirked only for both Odessa and Astrea to face her.

Ri'zu got behind the wheel as Astrea and Helena looked over everything. Isha was just getting in and changing too. All of her tactical gear packed up and hidden. It made a fairly nice pillow for Rio all things considering. You'd think they were wrapping a dead body and its limbs, and if it weren't the combined magic of the girls then they really would likely be hauling a body right now.

Right as they were coming up to the police gates Ri'zu stopped the car as she was ready to pull out the needed documents. "Heh? And where are you fine ladies headed?" The man had asked as the cat girl threw up some pretty convincing tears. Astrea was also in the passenger seat, giving the officer a fearful look. Their side was met with some traffic. Many people were still evacuating the casino after the power was knocked out. "Well we were gonna enjoy my friend's birthday, but with all that happened we're just so shaken up! So we're just gonna have a nice little cook out~ So much for a fun vacation am I right?" Ri'zu was laying it on thick, and with such a generally happy personality it was so strange seeing her mock sadness, especially with it coming off so genuine.

"Well I'm sure you pretty ladies will have a great night, but if you don't mind... could I check the back of your vehicle?"
"Go right ahead~" Ri'zu smirked as the man gave her a nod and walked around back, opening the doors only to see make up being done and a half dressed Odessa now covering her chest with her arms. "A warning and a knock would be lovely, next time." Odessa huffed as the man attempted to break the awkward sight with a dry cough. His eyes flying between the girls and looking away. "S-So sorry, so sorry, I thought I was loud enough. Ah..." They didn't show it, but between Odessa and Astrea they always found it so amusing when a man was rendered speechless just by looking on them when indecent. Odessa was aware what she was doing. She had been aware since the van stopped and she pulled down the front of her dress to cause some tension.

And it worked, with nothing out of place they looked like a group of girls whose night's been ruined and now off to find their airbnb or the hottest club they could run off to for the night. Not even the search dog picked up anything anything strange. Meat, Produce, and the like all disguised with some subtle illusion magic was the perfect cover for the bloody half living Rio buried under the pile. "Well I'll let you ladies get on going now, you guys drive safe. The perpetrators are still out there and still dangerous. If you see anyone suspicious do not hesitate to put in a tip." He spoke with a calm smile as the girls nodded, bid some friendly farewells and drove right off.

The rest of the drive was as simple as could be, and before they knew it the girls had arrived, empty stomachs and all.

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One smooth parking job later and the girls filed out in their prim and pretty dresses. They weren't ball gowns by any means, but it was enough to catch eyes. Odessa had heard her contact come through on her ear piece as she fixed her hair. ["Just parking in. See you in a moment."] She spoke and one by one the girls switched off their ear pieces and stowed them away somewhere or another. "Wowie~! These guys sure know how to pick a nice date spot!" Ri'zu teased only to get eyerolls from the other women in the group. "Let's just relax... I'm starving..." Astrea mumbled and placed her arms on either side of Isha to help guide her in.

Odessa approached first, Ri'zu and Helena on one end and Astrea alongside Isha on her other side.
"Well I'm quite charmed to meet you all~ You may call me Odessa." She allowed herself a smile and looked all of the men up and down. "I am to assume you're the team leader for this squad?" She asked and took her seat after leaning forward to shake his hand. The women on either side of her exchanged brief hellos with the group before them then took their own seats. "Ohhh~ What are we getting??" Ri'zu asked and looked up at Odessa, her tail began to swish under her dress and her ears began to flicker and twitch. "What ever that pea sized heart of yours desires, Ri'zu." "Awwww you're not gonna order for me~?" "No." "But you order for Ishaaaaaa!" "Ri'zu, Isha can't even see the fucking menu." Astrea chimed in. It was all harmless banter and Isha just seemed to giggle as their menus were placed in front of them. It had been a long day, and a casual chat among co-workers in a fancy cafe was a perfect way to unwind after the previous events. "It's a pleasure to meet the team, Adriana briefed me on the lot of you, Meet Ri'zu, Astrea, Isha, and Helena. As you noticed, we handle the more... intimate matters. The ones who ensure no traces are left behind." Odessa spoke and sipped on water that had been placed before them, a slight scowl on her face towards Ri'zu who fell back into her animal instincts. Lapping up the water like a house cat would.

"I must say, your team surely knows how to impress... that whole thing with the... well... you know... it was fantastic. Artistic even~" Odessa smirked and leaned back in her seat, Astrea had pulled out her phone to check up on media coverage, "Hmph... they waste no time." She muttered and slid her phone over to Forgery. It was a silly piece of tech. A normal phone drowning in overdone decor with pearls, shells, and charms across the back and borders. It was... creative.

As for Isha and Helena it was evident that neither were really the type to speak first. That and Helena was focused on reading off the menu options for Isha. She was blind that much could be said, why she was an operative and her position as an active field agent? Well that would be explained at one point or another. Hopefully soon. Very soon. In private.​

 

[Tenzai]

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'Blank profiles. How intriguing.'

"That depends on what you define as team leader, Odessa."
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"I guess you could say, I'm something of the sort." Approaching the fae woman, the team's hacker removed his gloves in order to greet her properly. While Forgery did expect to see an experienced team, little did he know anything about their composition. Adriana had kept them a secret, only giving enough information for the two parties to work alongside each other without identifying each other. In front of him, the species that followed by her side had brought him to question. There were no humans among them but rather an assortment of oddities and exotic species. "I'd ask where Adriana found people like you, but I'm assuming you're starving and exhausted." Even if he wasn't able to identify them using the files in the SSU servers, his eyes were still able to detect their bio-signatures. Sweat had dripped from several of them as a result of the physical exertion from their mission and a low grumble could be heard from the Siren's stomach. "No point in discussing everything out here. We could talk about it over food." Opening the door for them, he appeared gentleman-like as they entered the building, taking quiet pictures of their side profiles as well to begin building a profile of them without their knowledge.

The inside of the building appeared larger than how it did outside. With an open air garden making up its central space with tables and fairy lights hanging above, it was meant to offer wealthier parties an authentic Asian cuisine experience in both environment and taste. Aether and Null sat at one of the tables, discussing the night and the menu over cups of tea. Sulfur and Tide on the other hand were walking back from the bar with bottles in hand, somehow able to convince the bartender to let go of one of his more expensive bottles through what Forgery assumed was a bribe or a threat. Still, without a weapon in sight, save for a staff that sat behind Astrea's back, the hacker didn't feel like he was in any need to worry. At the least, his own men were tame when it came to the affairs of eating. Entertainment and peaceful discussion on the other hand were another thing entirely.

As the women began to take their seats, the team put down their menus to observe their new partners in crime. Null was the first to notice, staring at the transparent ghost that hovered over to the seat in front of him. Often did he put an end to lives, but little did he know that there were some stubborn enough to exist after their expiration date. Helena's presence made him question whether some of his other victims before had ended up similar to her condition, though to the rest of the party, his mask hid his emotions, leaving him appearing blank except for the subtle tilts in his mask that were used by the other guys in his crew to tell what he was thinking.

Tide on the other hand was met with two girls sitting by his side, specifically Isha and Ri'zu. Despite the three of them being beastkin, he felt like they couldn't be any further apart. Ri'zu appeared much more friendly than him, while Isha on the other hand had kept an air of reservation. "Oh, I recognize that voice." He turned to Ri'zu first, hearing her speak excitedly to her boss. "You're the one who's always sounding like they're having fun. Didn't think you'd be that short though." While he had his attention turned, interestingly, Isha was able to hear the subtle whispers of his blood up close, beckoning him to be used. Whatever lived inside of him had treated Tide like a cohost, acting like a symbiote with a roommate.

Upon sitting beside him, Aether stood up to leave. Having so many new others arrive at the same time had made him tense, straining his mind without the muttering of a single word towards him. Too many new fates had availed themselves to him at the same time, all these possibilities being subject to the same risk that his closest allies had undertaken while serving their sentence. "Forge. I'm gonna be outside if you need me. I'm getting a headache." With an understanding nod of his head, his team captain gave the angel his affirmation. "I'll bring you out some food once we're done. Just text me what you want."

As soon as the others arrived, he made his departure. With the only available seat separate from the one that Aether took up being in front of Sulfur at the end of the table, the unmasked man looked curiously at the siren. "So you're one of the people who's been working with us, huh?" His eyes went from her attractive face down to her legs. "Drink? Tide and I managed to bag one of the bottles on the top shelf. A wine that's called Ether, made of plants grown without sunlight." Pouring her a glass of the glowing liquid before pouring one of his own, it was far from any wine he had tried before. Its odd look was what interested him most.

"Ah, I don't think I've introduced myself, didn't I? I'm Sulfur. My team's chemist and weapons expert." His eyes were drawn towards her staff. Interestingly, his mask couldn't detect the same magical potency that Tide's blood had, though one look at her hands had revealed to him practice with its material. "And you are?" Grabbing his glass, he lifted it up, causing Tide's own to be lifted in addition. It was a common courtesy for the two drinkers to celebrate new meetings, since no one knew when their departure would be. "To surviving long enough to finally meet each other in person and to surviving until retirement, cheers!" "Cheers!"

In the center of the table sat Forgery and Odessa, the two team leaders in the middle of all that went on with their teams interacting. "Wish Adriana would have done the same for us, but I understand. Its not like we're the most welcome people around." On one side of the table were agents that were considered Adriana's trusted. On the other were felons given a second chance as a result of their abilities. "Though, it does make me wonder why she'd think we'd be a great match for you. If you couldn't tell from how we performed, we're not exactly the most subtle of teams."

As Forgery reached over to take a drink of the water the waitress offered the table upon Aether and Null sitting, the sudden compliments caught him off guard. In his opinion, the job was sloppy, their oddities leading to constant extraneous factors coming into play. Much more guards were present than expected, leading to an additional component that Forgery had to work with on the fly. Then the gunfire occurred and the explosion was larger than he expected, leading to a quick police response that forced him to come up with hacking the police database and forging identities on the spot. In combination, a lot of what he done was controlling all the consequences of his team's actions. While they were all capable, they often left a mess that he had to clean. "Thanks for the compliment. If anything, we get the job done, even if the methods we employ aren't the most reasonable." He sighed, turning to his own team. Far from perfect, while there might have been better, he didn't wish to replace any of them. Chemistry had formed over their shared circumstances and each brought a unique edge to the table.

"That being said, do you know anything about what Adriana has in mind for us?" Shifting the topic of conversation, Forgery's eyes ran through databases in front of her, scanning while he stared blankly at her due to the various displays appearing in his irises. "Ever since we got hired, all we were given was mission after mission. No amount of digging could give me a hint of what's going on in her mind." Taking his attention off the displays, he leaned further into the table, placing his shoulders on its surface while his chin rested on his knuckles.

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"I get it if we're tools to be disposed of. Honestly, I might even prefer it so I know how to feel."

"But every time I think it's our end, she always finds a way to be there when we need her."
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ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴇɴᴅ | ʀᴀᴠ
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So, despite my better judgment
I will turn to you until we can both figure this out
Cause all that i and you have built is worth the fight
Even if it's mortifying, we'll prevail
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Adriana was a cold boss. Her emotions were hidden underneath a thick layer of stoicism making her hard to predict and even harder to read. Every single time the human had felt like he had a reading on her, he would be met with far more kindness than he expected. "Why? I've heard that vampires are often the manipulative type. Every other one I've met in the SSU had been pretty much the same. Prideful. Selfish. Self-serving. At times, even her." Sighing, he scratched his chin in thought before hearing the footsteps on the server approaching him. "Why would she even care about us?" He muttered, putting on a face of normality to avoid raising suspicions from the waitress.

"I'll take the fried rice, the peking duck, and the hot soup for the guys." Choosing from the menu, he pointed out his choices. "And I'll keep the menu if we want anymore." Raising his hand to Odessa, he gestured the waitress' attention to her. "Go ahead and order what you like. We'll just talk about this later."

 

[Twilight Genesis]

Odessa seemed rather pleased at his consideration, but she would answer him anyway. The girls all sat by one another. Odessa taking her spot in front of forgery so that they may discuss more and introduce her team. She looked side to side at her fellow colleagues. Astrea had immediately gone for the water just shy of chugging it as she finished it in only seconds, Ri'zu also went for her glass of water, lapping it up as cats did. "For starters, I'd like to repeat that it's a pleasure to meet you all in person, In truth most of us haven't been a part of the organization for quite as long as our little rabbit has." Odessa let out a chuckle and fixed her bangs as she looked over the menu, tea would be a good start. Sweet and earthy to refresh the body and her mental state.

To put it simply, the lovely lady has brought us from all walks of life. Isha technically is the oldest agent in our ranks, she's been... involved with the organization at a young age. Though perhaps it's more appropriate for her to tell you that and not I, you can call me Odessa. I'm the team leader and one part of our... 'clean up crew' so to speak. If you have any plans to run by in working together you can bring it up to me. I'm very flexible when it comes to planning, and I'm rather openminded to ideas... it'll be a pleasure to work with you more." The woman smiled, yet her eyes never opened.

Seeing her teammates socialize with the new group was refreshing. It wasn't long since they all first met each other themselves, now that they were meeting a new group it was intriguing to see who would get along with who. She had made her predictions then and there, smiling a little wider. She had to stifle a laugh at Tide's comment about Ri'zu being short.

"Heeyyyy! Rude~! I may be short, but that just means I can squeeze into small spaces! You're lookin' at the teams best driver and best tracker~!" Ri'zu grinned and blepped out her tongue, it was hard to say whether or not she was more cat than person, but if there was anyone that could sense the more dark and corrupted nature of the cat girl before them, it would likely be Aether. "Let not her childish behavior fool you. Ri'zu truly has the skill she claims to. She could even tell apart shifters and mimics even in their disguised forms." "Yep yep! I just gotta taste ya first! Then I can tell anyone impersonatin' ya!" The cat's tail swished back and forth as she hosted a proud air about her. She was the groups most eccentric member, but she was on this team for a reason. The best of the best were handpicked from Adriana herself and Ri'zu being apart of that spoke volumes alone.

As for Helena and Isha they hadn't paid much mind to the group, looking over the menu first. While the strange spirit had the eerie atmosphere about her, it was hard to say what she could have been in her past lift, hell it was even harder to distinguish the era she had come from all together or if she was a wraith that had crossed the veil between worlds. She eyed the others curiously, but went back to the menu to help the blind rabbit with her order. She even ordered her own meal as well, not something spirits would care to do because of... well... their nature of being hella dead. Isha was mostly staring at the menu even if she couldn't read it. Shivers were shooting down her spine, mostly because she saw things others did not. Her ears were folded back and she sighed shakily. Helena began to whisper, calming her friend down as best as she could. They could both see the nature of the angelic figure before them. More eyes than any thought possible, rings of pure gold that could never lose their luster. Even Odessa, a being of true natural magic could not look upon Aether's true form with such ease. Once the angel excused himself that's when the bunny began to calm down. Reaching out for her cup of tea and sipping it carefully.

Astrea on the other hand was gladly partaking in the wine drinking. She gave a nod of thanks as she took the glass and swirled the glowing liquid around before taking in the aroma and then a sip. "Ah, you can call me Astrea, I'm a siren a type of merfolk if you couldn't tell... I'm the team's hand to hand specialist and their best tech analyst... so in short I beat people to death and I'm pretty good at computers out of the girls here. And there's the siren powers and what not, but you get the gist." Astrea chuckled and took a long drink from her glass and sighed in delight. She joined their little toast, the other girls followed suit as Astrea grinned. "May we never go to hell, but always be on our way!" She chirped, the reactions from the others were some exhausted yet relieved sighs and a few smiles.

The strange spirit woman seemed to pipe up next now assuming a far more corporeal form. "Call me Helena, it's a name I've adopted. I'm the other half of the clean up crew, and the teams infiltrator... I pretty much get past anything you want me to... or anyone for that matter. I'm more or less Isha's seeing-eye dog." She wasn't as quiet, now taking on a proper tone to introduce herself formally. She had a natural pout and baggy eyes to match the sickly pale skin, but overall she didn't mind being here. All that was left for the time being was the bunny. "It's nice to meet everyone! I'm Isha! I'm the teams sniper, and their best spotter!" She was the embodiment of 'fake it 'til you make it', it wasn't hard to tell that she was a bundle of frazzled nerves from her shaky hands to her sheepish smile. Despite the lack of confidence though, she was still here for a reason and a damn good one at that. The blind bunny being the best shot was moderately concerning though.

"Now now, don't look at me like that boys. Isha is very obviously blind, but don't let it fool you. She has abilities that can allow her to see the body and the soul of a person. Nothing hides from her, nothing." Odessa spoke with warning as the other girls nodded in agreement. No amount of disguising could fool the bunny girl. Her and Ri'zu were similar in their abilities. Having them on the same team together worked out in their favor, always having the jump on a target trying to be slick.

"I take it the one that just left isn't much of a talker? I do hope he will come around, by the looks of our success we may be working together and we may even share living arrangements since the op went off without error." Right, Adriana did make mention of that. While some of the girls themselves were also less than innocent it seemed that their esteemed leader made the right call in grouping them together.

Astrea gave Forgery a smirk and shook her head amused, "Listen buddy, you should see the guys we handled." She snickered and leaned in, he could see the pink glow in those teal-jade eyes. "Nothing. Left. Not a hair nor bone." Astrea hummed as Odessa looked to her and cleared her own throat, snapping the siren out of her unintentional charm attempt. "Let's talk about the op later... and maybe over a screen..." "Ah- My bad my bad, when the blood gets pumping my abilities get outta hand." Astrea shrugged and leaned back as she enjoyed more alcohol.

Forgery brought up the main question to light, quite frankly it was one she herself wanted to know. "Honestly? That broad has a lot going on in that head of hers... but I can't say I don't get it. There's a lot on her shoulders. Much more than the lot of us combined... she gave me a taste after I pushed my curiosity too far. It gave me quite the headache and I mean that in a literal sense."

The gift of future sight... it wasn't something to be taken lightly, hell it wasn't really a gift at all to those that possessed it. Odessa had unfortunately pushed Adriana a bit too hard the day they met. Adriana had never lost her cool like that until that day, Odessa was forced to see her own death, she was forced to see her home in ruin... and not much had gotten to the true fae until that moment. She was given dozens of visions, a drop in the ocean for someone like Adriana who had tens of thousands of those same visions every hour of every day. Odessa had gone nearly insane that night, holding onto the memories of what could be herself dead in the future, dying around every corner... She wasn't going to question her ever again after that.

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Odessa listened to his concerns, but before she could answer... Isha was the first to speak, she looked upon the man with milky blue eyes. They looked familiar even if they were fake. "Adriana is someone we can't really explain... Vampires are exactly as you've described... and while many would scoff at what I have to say... Vampires are more human like than many think... Some vampires want to be away from it all... and some want to live peacefully whether there are people like us around them or not." Isha explained and Odessa nodded. The little rabbit had explained it much better than she herself ever could. "She's certainly not perfect, and neither are we... but if she wanted us dead, she would have killed us already. I believe she has big plans for us in the future. Though aren't we all self-serving and prideful? They likely think the same about you, about us. And that's ok. At the end of the day we're all here to have a chance at living again." Odessa smiled and looked up at the waitress with those closed eyes.

"I'll take your crystal dumplings and your mooncakes. Bring me two orders of both if you please." Odessa asked and closed her menu as the other girls ordered right after, fried fish and pork for Ri'zu, shrimp fried rice for Astrea, pretty much anything oily and fried for Helena, and a hot and sour soup with only tofu for Isha.

"Let us discuss more in private. I'm sure we'll have a lot of time to get to know one another at the new safehouse." Odessa spoke as she handed her menu off to the waitress and sipped her tea once again.​

 

[Tenzai]

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"For starters, I'd like to repeat that it's a pleasure to meet you all in person,"

A face to the faceless. The girls in front of them were the answers to the question: Who was speaking from the other end?
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ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀꜱᴋ | ʟʏɴ (ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀ 5 ᴏꜱᴛ)
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺
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Upon being given tea, to the remaining members who sat at the table, Forgery and Null appeared to join Odessa in the partaking of the green solution, finding it a better choice to pair with their food than the bottles that Tide and Sulfur managed to secure elsewhere. For the other two, there was nothing better than celebrating the success of a mission accomplished with a bit of tasteful alcohol to calm the nerves. It was a fitting enough distraction to take their minds off of what could've gone better. Listening to Odessa's introduction of her team, the four watched as she started with herself first as the team leader. [Odessa. Team leader.] The hacker was quick to note her name and position, snapping a picture with his eyes for future notice. She seemed to be the most in-control of the bunch, addressing her new partners with the grace of a leader. Watching the other girl's reactions, it was clear that she was someone they were all capable of respecting. At the minimum, she was true to her word. She would make for a great ally in the missions to come.

The next to introduce herself was the team's premier cat girl. Given Odessa's response to her, the other men who were present in mind during the introduction were able to figure out her name and personality. [Ri'zu, tracker and driver.] Right as Forgery created a log with her face and basic information, he overheard Tide speak. "Not to be rude or anything, but you sure you could see above the steering wheel with that height? Ach-" Before being able to finish his sentence however, he felt a sudden pressure in his side: Null's elbow. Despite him being the most quiet out of the bunch, he was surprisingly very socially aware, able to keep his team in check to avoid starting unnecessary drama with the wrong people. Left foaming from the mouth, the hemomancer himself fell face first onto the surface of the table after being made subject to Null's correction. "Sorry about that. Tide tends to get rude when he's anxious."

Astrea was the next to follow, the fins on the side of her head already telling of her species without a need to share it. [Astrea, computer expert and brawler.] Upon speaking, her voice had grabbed the attention of the other guys, making it hard for them to shift their focus away to even the valuable drinks they held in front of them. The only one that appeared to resist her affect was Tide himself, more focused on the pain than anything else. Only until Helena spoke, sending shivers through the bones of Forgery and Sulfur, were they able to take their eyes off of her. Astrea's power was extremely effective against the men, quickly causing their team leader to make note of ordering protective equipment to avoid being distracted by her side. [Helena. Vision.] She didn't speak as much as the others did, bringing a bit of question as to what role she served elsewhere. Though it wasn't the time to investigate now, not when the team was hungry while introducing themselves.

Isha was the last to speak out of their entire team, though interestingly, a faint scent of another had caught Null's attention. Not everyone was there it seemed, a human had yet to join them all. [Forgery. They're missing one. A human.] Quick to notify his team leader, Null sent a message from his helmet over to Forgery's eyes where the text displayed on a window. If he was using the private messaging system, then it was most likely important. [Thank you, Null. I'll be sure to bring that up later, but for now. Let's focus on the people in front of us.] His eyes only flashed for a moment as he sent the message in return, finally coming back to note taking.

[Isha. Sniper and spot-] Hearing those words come out of her mouth had made her the center of attention. "What the fuck? A blind sniper?" Null joined in on Sulfur's voiced concern. "That sounds... Problematic." Forgery's eyes were message enough to tell Odessa that he held the same opinion as the other members of his team. Only after her explanation did a collective sigh of relief join the three who were able to sit up while Tide gathered his bearings. Wiping his saliva away with a napkin, he turned his eyes up weakly at the lapin sniper. "Its... Good to meet you. Ugh..." Leaning into the table again, he rested his arms above to use as pillows while the pain slowly inched away from his gut.

Turning his attention back to Odessa, Forgery sent his notes back to the computer in his van wirelessly, making sure that their faces and their names would be remembered. "Hmm? Aether?" Waving his hands in a gesture to say that it was normal, he made an attempt to ease her curiosity for the moment to avoid having her join him outside. "He gets like that sometimes, especially around meeting a lot of new people at once. Just give him time to get to know you, meet him one at a time. He'll turn around."

After ordering his food, an interesting use of the word to describe Adriana arose from an unexpected place: Broad. It immediately made him question Odessa's relationship with their redheaded boss, though her words that came after had brought more question than answer. It was clear they were being left out in the dark, but the reason for it might have been with their best interest in mind. She was a vampire surrounded by many mysterious forces, her own power being mysterious on its own. While many rumors of what she was capable of came up in conversation, from changing the future to being able to read people's souls like a book, instead of interrogating her any deeper, he decided against it. She was right, now wasn't the time to investigate the truth. They just finished a job and they deserved at least a little time away from all the chaos they endured.

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More questions than answers.

What she had planned for both teams had still remained a mystery.
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A dinner followed their brief introduction. Between the hemomancer and the chemical expert sharing drinks to Null enjoying the meatiest portions of the Jade Garden's menu, Forgery was able to enjoy his little moment of peace, refusing to give any more thought to the reason as to why Adriana had placed their two teams together. He was an overthinker, someone who made plan after plan in the case that the unexpected should arise out of any of them. More often than not did they rely not on their primary or secondary plans, but on their tertiary contingencies whenever they went on missions together. Though, in spite of what could go wrong, he never accepted Adriana's offers to swap teams should this one feel too difficult to work around. Out of every sinner squad he was placed on before, it was this one that felt the most like home. He'd rather die with them than be forced to coexist with failures.

"Wow, I'm stuffed." Sulfur gave a content smile after eating his meal. He wasn't much of a heavy eater, though he wasn't picky as well. Given the array of items on the table ordered by their new companions, he was brought new flavors, each of various spices and seasonings that granted him a taste of China that he never tasted before. "It was alright." Null placed his empty plate atop a stack of several others, eating more than the rest of the team combined. His body required a lot of fuel to function. Regardless of his rather mediocre reaction, Tide gave him a curious glance. "You liked it that much?" If he genuinely thought it was nothing worthy of mention, he would have remained silent, yet here he was finishing his plate several times over. "I liked the bar the most, but to each their own, eh?" Unlike the other guys in his team, Tide preferred to eat his meals raw. Blood was no issue to the hemomancer who used it as the core component of his spells. "Ready to go, Forge? Introduce em to our place?"

Lifting his eyes from his plate, the team leader scratched the back of his head as he tried to figure how their move-in was going to work and what changes needed to be made. There was only one set of showers in their barracks to go around, and while there were several bedrooms with locks on their doors to give each member their own privacy, most of their living arrangement would be shared. "... Yeah, just about. Give me and the others a little bit more time to discuss and finish our food, yeah?"

Given their exotic nature too, it was likely that special arrangements needed to be met in order to house them appropriately. "Anything special that we have to know about your girls, Odessa? Things like... Smuggling homemade explosives? Experiments? Summoning spells going wrong? Biological needs?" Sneaking in the outlandish issues he experienced while living with his team throughout the conversation, he hoped to be made aware of all that could go wrong without looking like they were only a source of chaos. "Just hypotheticals of course, but uh... If there's anything of the sort, any pets or plus ones included, it would be good to let me know now."

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Elevated alleviation.

Divine highs to make up the everyday lows.
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ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴄᴀʀᴇ (ᴘᴀʀᴛ 2) | ᴍᴀᴄ ᴍɪʟʟᴇʀ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

Well, didn't know what I was missin', now I see a lil' different
I was, thinkin' too much, got stuck in oblivion, yeah, yeah
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Standing outside with his staff in hand and a smoke in another, the angelic sage twirled a lit cig, watching the stream of light move in both past and future. His boon was a curse which afflicted him with an uncanny feeling at nearly all times, multiplied by the number of people he surrounded himself with. Though, thanks to a favor granted by a joint effort between Sulfur and his boss, he was able to find something that served as a relaxing medium: A drug known as Heaven-fog. Through its inhalation, he was able to inhibit the effects of his power, going from being able to see several minutes in advance of the fates of those that surrounded him to mere seconds. While it was not the perfect solution, it offered a bit of peace and a method to cope with after seeing the gruesome deaths of himself and his closest friends for so long. The only true side effect of it was that its smell would remind him of his dead daughter.

Taking a puff, Aether inhaled slowly before finally letting go, blowing Heaven-fog smoke into the air as he watched passing tail-lights blow past flickering stop signs. "Wonder what heaven looks like for dead angels... If there is one." He muttered to himself, turning his gaze upward at the constellations above towards the one she called her favorite. The skies of Earth had always looked shittier than the one in heaven. Light pollution, smoke, smog, and an imperfect atmosphere had made for several layers of distortion compared to the perfect, unchanging world he knew before. Yet, this was the world he was destined to belong to. Earth was the new home he was "sentenced" to as a mercy. After all, he was an exile, an angel deemed unworthy of heaven's gates. Despite him knowing the angel that took his own kin away, he lacked the evidence to back up his claim to the Heavenly courts, earning him a one way ticket down to Earth as an unageing mortal to live for the rest of his terrible eternity.

"I hope when I die, I see you again, Elysia..." Whatever came next wasn't guaranteed. After spending enough time serving his second life as one of the sinners reclaimed by the SSU, Aether's expectations of fate and karma had grown jaded. Never had he experienced such levels of vitriol from those who surrounded them for no more than just a title. Never had he seen such evil be so rewarded, yet here he was on a weekly basis, fighting against enemies that were able to make a fortune off the suffering of others, dealing with innocents caught in the crossfire over nothing more than mere coincidence. Earth had felt backwards compared to the world he left behind. Good people were punished for simply existing. Bad people were rewarded for taking advantage of others. No matter how many times he and his team could bring villainous people down despite the odds, there never seemed to be an end to the hushed comments behind their back about why Adriana took them in the first place.

After enduring enough from experiencing the future of others, of good endings to terrible people and of bad endings to those who never deserved it, Aether was quick to become exhausted when in the company of strangers. If not for the redheaded vampire's ability to understand how he felt about his curse, it was likely that he would've been dead by now. But, convinced that there was a reason why he still roamed this Earth, whether that be out of a desire to do good or a wish to take revenge on the wounded angel who took his daughter away from him, he stuck around enough to grow fond of the people he surrounded himself with.

Their stubborn cling to life had granted the angel some solace in his bonds. Unlike the other mortals he worked with, they were an odd bunch as resilient as cockroaches, each with the conviction, confidence, and creativity to overcome overwhelming odds. Their uniqueness, combined with Heaven-fog, had made living in the world manageable, even if for just a moment. Though he knew a time of tribulation would come. Recently, there was an uptick in the terrible fates of the people he worked with as well as the rapid mobilization of both VigilCorps mercenaries and high ranking SSU security personnel. Both were signs of tougher missions to come, of future unavoidable risk that came with missions they could not refuse. "Maybe that time will be soon. I hope you're proud of me then." Aether threw his cig away, stomping its ashes out into the cement outside.

"I wonder... If this me was the hero you always envisioned for me?"

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High caliber weapon fire was his calling card.

All this violence for a romance born in lead.
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​

Glowing crimson eyes had accompanied the light of his heated twin gun barrels as he walked into the darkness following another failed capture attempt. Surrounded by the scrap corpses of SSU drones meant to incapacitate him for interrogation, Seung remained an elusive target, slipping through the traps that his rival corporation had set up in order to bring him in for questioning. "More drones again? Its like they don't want me to be caught." Kicking the remains of a robot's head to the side, the vampire walked down a hallway covered in holes and lead as he made his way back to the entrance of an abandoned warehouse. It was places like these that kept him free from attention of others, forgotten areas where gunfire was seen as common among the destitute and the criminal. "All this over an ex too. Gods, my fucking luck can't be any worse."

Lifting the skull of one of the drones that he obliterated in a hail of heavy gunfire by the entrance, the vampire gunslinger eyed a flashing chip on the insides of its metal frame. It appeared to be a flash drive, one of many used to hold the code which dictated the robots' logic and commands. "Sloppy. Now... I wonder who sent you." Ripping the flash drive from its socket, he pocketed the wealth of information before closing the door behind him, returning to the streets of the Yurushi prefecture as another faceless stranger travelling under the neon sea of lights. The city acted perfectly as a fog that occluded his movements, each skyscraper and alley standing in the way of the SSU as a fog that shielded his movements from their many trained eyes. Placing on a mask that shifted his face from his own to that of another bystander, his hair shifted in color to hide his vampirism, appearing similarly to a human.

"... Only one way to find out."

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[Twilight Genesis]

The girls seemed to giggle, save for Ri'zu who was crossing her arms and pouting. "Geez, I may be short but I'm good at what I do and maybe one day you'll be thanking me for saving your ass!" She giggled and stuck her tongue out. All things considered she took the size jokes fairly well. She'd prove her worth in her actions just as she had with the other girls around her. The team of women before them didn't look like experienced agents that were tasked with saving parts of humanity that didn't look under threat at all. Even Isha as experienced as she was looked nervous and unsure of everything around them. Even still they all understood their roles, and they understood that these men may not trust them immediately. Who could really blame them?

Isha spoke up first and looked both Tide and Null up and down, "It's ok to be anxious. We've all just met... but everyone seems to be getting along. I hope we can all be friends or at least work together well as a good team!" She chirped and Ri'zu teasingly stuck out her tongue. "Whaaaa~ Cut the sappy shit! You're gonna make them boyz hurl!" Ri'zu giggled causing the bunny to pout, which in turn earned a glare from both Odessa and Helena. "Hey hey I'm just jokin', You're the best at keeping spirits up you know!" The cat woman had barely managed to save herself from the wrath of her superior and from the pissy tar demon. But she wasn't lying when she said how well the rabbit was at boosting morale and keeping spirits high. These woman had worked together for a short time, but the road always began with Isha. Even when she wasn't the team leader. She was there when everyone was brought in. Always encouraging them to do their best and to move forward. That optimism really made a difference in some of the more grittier missions they faced.

Hopefully the boys would be able to use some of that optimism to boost their spirits too. They looked like they needed it even if they spoke otherwise. Even when she could not see, Isha looked towards the patio where Aether set foot, she saw the sliver of pain in his spirit when he left, and in turn it left her more concerned than she should have been. The soul was a piece of a person left bare to all who were able to see it. You could not hide the feelings kept within, not from those who could see it laid out plain as day. She saw the spirits of her friends who were much the same. She saw their smiles and laughter on the body, but where was the joy and mirth in their souls? She didn't blame them for the lack thereof. There wasn't much to smile for these days. Sometimes she wondered what her own soul looked like.

That curiosity and focus on the angel broke when she could see a shift in spirits. The way they looked at her... no... looked down at her when she had spoke of her position. At least she felt looked down on. Isha knew she was a strange case. Her eye lids had been sewn shut with thin threads. She hadn't opened those empty black sockets in so long, and yet she felt like crying. Her ears had visibly drooped even if she kept a strong face and her chin up. Even when Odessa came to her defense and the collective sigh of relief was sounded it really made things worse. This wouldn't be the first or the last time she would be put under such judgment. She was used to it by now, and there was nothing she could do about it other than continue on and show her skills just like Ri'zu wanted. She could be strong.

She promised Kaia and Ace that she wouldn't cry anymore.

════════════════════※✧☽✧※════════════════════

The dinner was a bit more lively than Odessa expected, a warm and well made meal was the perfect end of a long day of hard work. Even Helena and Isha seemed to mellow out with the meals and as their bill was paid for and the last of their drinks had been drained dry the fae looked at Forgery and smiled. "Ahh~ First of all thank you for picking such a fabulous place. I'd definitely come here if we crossed paths with this establishment again, everything was perfect." She hummed in delight. When Forgery brought up living arrangements she nodded and spoke up again. "Well for the safehouse I'd say we're fine as is, as far as actual living arrangements when Adriana wants us to all stay together... I'd say the best thing is just a tank in an empty room... a fish tank I mean, or a nice deep tub. Somewhere for Astrea to sleep." Odessa clapped her hands together and Astrea nodded. "I'm good till we get back to the states though, Maybe a dip in the tub for a few hours once everyone goes to bed will be ok... also... Uhh... Odessa?" "Yes darling?" "You wanna... uhm... we should tell them about the... you know..."

Shit. Rio was still in the car. Odessa at that moment flagged a waitress and hastily ordered a few dishes to go and then waited for her to leave before looking back at Forgery. "Right, we have a small teensy tiny little issue... The one that smuggled us here is in need of some medical help... do you have any sort of medical bay at the safe house? Even a clean empty room will do. I just need a place to help this woman. She fought with us in the underground, I can't just let her perish for nothing." Odessa had become deadly serious in that moment. What she was asking wasn't really a question at all. She wasn't going to ask to use their medical bay. She was going to.

"We don't need any more accommodations other than that. We can bring our own stuff in should we need to make immediate changes. Right now the main thing is to keep our mermaid—" "Siren." "—Siren hydrated and the human girl alive." She explained and pursed her lips together, even with closed eyes forgery knew she was staring into him. She didn't even flinch, nor did her closed eyelids make that phantom blink either. She was simply waiting for his answer. At least that explained the missing human for them, the human was currently beat up and kept under freezing food, her breaths were shallow but the magic Odessa and Astrea had used on her would thankfully hold out until they were all safe and sound.
​

 

[Tenzai]

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"Right, we have a small teensy tiny little issue..."
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As soon as his hopes were raised upon hearing their first meeting going perfectly, Forgery raised an eyebrow upon hearing her sudden addition, believing that a night with no added issue was a pipe dream. He expected this much given all that went wrong with the men he usually was deployed on missions with, though he hoped that these added complexities were only limited to his team versus those that worked alongside them too. Preparing for the worst, he scratched his chin, tossing out guesses as to what it could be. "Is it something involving people following you? Unwanted attention? ... Did one of you decide to take back a souvenir?" Going through the list of possibilities he already experienced when it came down to his own, he aimed to get to the bottom of this, only to find out the truth.

"The one that smuggled us here is in need of some medical help... do you have any sort of medical bay at the safe house? Even a clean empty room will do. I just need a place to help this woman. She fought with us in the underground, I can't just let her perish for nothing."

"... I'm guessing she isn't one of you all here?" Inspecting the other members of the team for injuries, he found none. "Don't you think it would've been wiser to start off with that first instead of getting down to ordering?" The seriousness in her voice had made him believe this was far from a joke, though the timing of it had felt rather odd given the scale of the potential injury that could have necessitated that level of seriousness. Realizing that asking any more questions about the what ifs wouldn't take them anywhere, he sighed. "Nevermind. We'll have someone be able to take care of her as long as her wounds aren't too grave. Aether is our medic, but I could create implants should she have lost a limb or another part of her body."

"We don't need any more accommodations other than that. We can bring our own stuff in should we need to make immediate changes. Right now the main thing is to keep our mermaid—" "Siren." "—Siren hydrated and the human girl alive."

"You see, Forge? I told you to take it easy. Bad shit's gonna come regardless of whether we stress out about them or not. Its better to just prep for them and chill, than to always be so amped about it." Sulfur didn't appear to take his mission work as seriously as Forgery did. While he was a vital part of the team working with chemicals and explosives, given his proximity to death and disaster, he always assumed that his death was to come, that it wasn't to be avoided but rather embraced. If he managed to succeed in his mission, it meant he had more time to indulge into his hobbies and if he made a life ending mistake, he wouldn't be around to worry about it either.

"You're gonna give yourself white hair before you even turn thirty at this rate. Hell, maybe even before you turn twenty-five!" He chuckled, before turning his attention back to Helena. "So about rooming together. In the case you need someone to spot a room with, I think you're perfect for me. Everyone else wouldn't do so hot around all the stuff I work around, but I think, given your ghostly form, you won't have to worry about it!" While the others were thinking about the rooming arrangements, Sulfur grew partial to the ghost, already having experience living with the three that possessed his mask. What more was a fourth when he lived with three already. "And hey! At least, if you're around me, you don't have to worry about a lot of noise! People don't tend to stick around my room if they know what's good for them."

Rolling his eyes, as the food approached them, instead of choosing to break the entrees down into portions, he grabbed the waiter's attention. "Hey, can we get this in a to-go box? Something just came up." Standing up from his seat, he looked over to the other guys who appeared disappointed given that they had their dinner interrupted. "If someone needs us, we can't just sit around and wait. Come on. We'll take this food on the go and help out. It wouldn't be a good look for us if a corpse ended up in the parking lot."

Gesturing at his team to follow him, Tide and Sulfur gave an audible groan while Null stood up on his own, already ready to move. "I'm assuming that your human friend is in your car, yes?" Upon hearing her response, Forgery gave her a nod before walking towards the door. "We'll go ahead and meet you there. I'll send the coordinates over to Ri'zu so you can catch up once you're done."

"We'll discuss what our home is going to look like then. See you there."​

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"You were thinking about her again, weren't you?"
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: 'ɴɪɢʜᴛᴛɪᴍᴇ' | ᴜɴᴜꜱᴜᴀʟ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴᴛ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺
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Instead of being stored in the trunk, while they were driving back on the road again, Rio was left to rest on the back bed of the van. She was held still, given something from Sulfur to help keep her at ease and her pain at a minimum: A drug that was used to induce a medical coma in monsters thrice her size. Aether sat at the driver's side while Forgery sat on the passenger's. "She would have liked to eat at a place like that." Usually quiet, tonight was different for the angel. His mouth had felt a bit more at ease when it came to speaking his mind. It was nights like these where not much had gone wrong where his mind would wander a bit more than usual, exploring the thoughts that typically remained dormant in his heart. "Isha reminds me of her."

"Isha? The blind rabbit?" Curious, Forgery prodded the angel's mind. "What about her had you thinking of her like that?" With his eyes to the road, he scratched his chin. There wasn't something he could explicitly put his finger on, but her gentle demeanor and bashfulness was something that they both shared in common. "... I don't know. She just feels like her." Focusing on the streets ahead, he grew quiet while others became rowdy in the back.

"... So what do you think happened to her?" Sounds of a switch echoed off the walls of their van while Tide made passing peeks at the wounded girl while they were driving. "Most likely fought someone that used blades. I doubt these wounds are accidental." Blunt and to the point, Null gave his honest thought as he scanned her wounds for clues as to what have occurred on the other team's side. Given the extent of the damage, it was clear that the girls had also faced resistance, though unlike the sinners seeking redemption through their work, it appeared that they had taken the brunt of the casino's attention, facing much more dangerous guards despite having an advantage. "Oof. You think she'd mind if I take some of her spare blood?"

Upon hearing the bat hemomancer speak, Forgery and Aether were both quick to respond. "No!" "No." Sulfur took a swig of his drink while he listened to their exchange, amused that they knew Tide well enough already that he would take more than what was considered spare. "By the kami, relax. I was only thinking about taking a little. You're acting like I'm gonna drain her dry!"

Facepalming, Forgery turned all the way to make eye contact with Tide. "YEAH! THE LAST TIME YOU WANTED A LITTLE BIT OF BLOOD, THE VICTIM NEEDED A BLOOD TRANSFUSION!" Pouting, Tide turned his face away. "... Well, he survived didn't he? It's not like he needed all that blood anyways. With all that muscle, he could learn to spare a few pounds. I was doing him a favor." Squinting, Forgery glared at him. "And she's lacking blood. Taking anymore will KILL her. So relax, Tide! No more asking! I'll request Adriana for more later! So are you happy now?" Nodding his head, the hemomancer smiled, returning his attention back to his switch. "Absolutely! I was running out anyways."

"I swear, its like you're asking to catch a murder case; On our new friends no less."​

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"Scalpel please."
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Once they returned home, Tide and Aether were quick to operate on their new ally. She was in bad shape upon coming into the medical bay. With her limbs detached and her extremities carved in ways that would otherwise be near impossible to mend, the two required each other to make her body heal. Given Aether's gift of foresight combined with Tide's ability to sculpt blood, they held enough talent to attach some of Forgery's spare limbs to her body. "Don't worry, I could take care of her bottom half from here. Just hand me the screwdriver! I'll fix her leg! You take care of cutting off some of the dead flesh from her arms."

Piece by piece, they rebuilt her, starting with her leg before finishing with her arms. Given time to operate, they sowed her arteries and nerve endings into the mechanical wirings of her new attachments, carefully ensuring that she would be able to hold full control and feeling in the new limbs regardless of their artificial origin. "Now what about her face?" Meanwhile, as Tide got to operating on her, he forgot about one of the biggest components to "fixing" her. "Uh... Just get whatever you can from Forgery's spare part drawer. I'll flesh-sculpt the rest to make her look better." By the time the girls had finally made it to their barracks, the operation was done. Tide and Aether relaxed in the living room while Forgery inspected her body.

"Hey, relax. You're gonna feel a little woozy and that's normal. Take it easy, yeah?" While Rio woke up post surgery, Forgery gave her a glass of water to drink. He knew what it was like to wake up after an accident, though given the scale of her reconstruction, it was more than what he ever endured himself. His body came in pieces but hers came as a whole set. "Care to tell me your name? Mine is Forgery. I was the leader of the team that helped yours at the casino. The same who spoke on the radio. Remember?" Knowing that this is their first time meeting, he was careful not to inspire anxiety in her, being slow with his introduction. "You're in a safe place now and the others will be here soon. So take it easy." Turning around, he swirled a smooth drink he grabbed on the way back home: A smoothie that would help her wake up. "Oh, and I love the ink. They look great on you."

Outside, Tide immediately noticed Ri'zu coming in with the other girls. "Oh shit! Hide the snacks!" Rushing towards his snack drawer, Tide was quick to padlock it before Ri'zu had a chance to investigate the scent of Tide's guilty pleasure: Fish chips. Meanwhile, as Odessa arrived last, Null waved her over. "We took care of your friend. Aether said she would make a full recovery given some time. As for your mermaid friend. Sulfur and I have made arrangements for her company. A pool has been set up for now, but we made space in our storage room for added accommodations in the future." Sulfur on the other hand had laid on the ground covered in sweat. Their storage room held a slew of heavy materials and objects, each feeling like paper weights to the massive man himself.

As they got closer to the center of the living room, Aether walked away from them towards his room, preferring distance instead of the company of several strangers at the same time. Noticing the downtrodden look on some of the girls' faces, Sulfur was quick to comfort. "Eh, don't mind him. He's just not one for big groups. Don't take it to heart, yeah?" Changing the topic of the conversation, he gave a curious glance over at the luggage the girls' held in hand. "Oh yeah! Rooming assignments! We don't have enough space for everyone to have their own room, but I'm sure we'll find an arrangement that works with everyone."

 

[Twilight Genesis]

There was no good way to describe all that had happened during the infiltration. Alas even backup plans required back ups, and back ups for said back ups. If there was anything Odessa was talented at it was turning plans on a dime and adapting to sudden shifts. Ri'zu could never comprehend how her team leader was able to weave new directions in plans that got wrenched. She was seamless most of the time. Even if it involved someone getting injured. At least no one died on her watch so far. She'd packed a lot of magic into Rio when she got sliced up. Preserving her parts in white ice and a strange glassy material that kept her insides from going outside. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it kept the poor human alive until they got her chromed up.

"With the way I have her in the car, she could survive for days need be it. Besides, my powers are weaker when I don't have energy to sustain off of. Foodstuffs are what work best to keep my magic flowing." It was the best answer she could give. She could not freely leave and return to the veil that separated their worlds and with how unnatural the world around them was right now... the smog, the light pollution... all of it played a part in how much magic she could regain at any given moment. Of course explaining all of this would make her just sound like a hippie so the simpler the better. Food good. No food, no good.

Sure under normal circumstances they'd rush the poor thing out and get her to the nearest hospital quick... but there were never any normal circumstances when it came to her people nor were the situations they found themselves in. Despite how rough things might have been and the missions building up, she knew there were things more incomprehensible than what this was. She heard the stories, hell she had seen the calamities that befell the world long ago, she'd been there protecting her people beyond the veil between her world and this one. She wondered if the others had seen such things too. Or if she was simply too old for anyone in this team to relate to her. Perhaps she'd talk to Aether or Null later... she figured they were the oldest by how things looked. The corner of her lip quirked up into a half smile as she stared off into no particular direction. She could hear Helena groaning at the mere thought of rooming with a stranger. Odessa would likely stay with Rio tonight. She owed it to her. No see through her operations. To ensure she wouldn't wake up alone... To ensure Rio would be alive to see her family that she risked everything for. Adriana was already making preparations to move Rio's family to a safer place she was sure.

"You got it bawss! We'll be there soon!

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Rio was certainly in a shape. In fact she was currently in multiple shapes. More specifically she was an unassembled human puzzle. Half her face had been sliced off, you could see the skull below. Both arms were missing at different points. One was severed from the shoulder, another only to the elbow at a diagonal angle. It couldn't be saved and would have to be cut away. Organs were plenty pierced and her legs were too messed up to ever be considered normal again. Odessa had already given the go ahead to give her cybernetics. The open wounds had frozen over and a strange glass like material was packed into her wounds, the magic emanating from them was what kept her alive. Luckily the remaining blood had drained into a reservoir to store it. The magic keeping the blood usable, alive even.

Once both groups had made it to the safehouse Odessa got to work, leaving the unpacking to the other girls as she walked towards the scent of blood and sterile cleaners. When it came to taking the pieces away to fix the poor woman, Odessa had finally appeared, her hair was tied up in a bun and she was dressed in a pristine coat and washed up before sliding on gloves. "Sorry I couldn't be here sooner. Let me help with the eve fragments." She spoke and approached the group. While all the women in the team were trained with basic field medicine, Odessa was a proper doctor. She had learned about so much in that lengthy lifespan of hers, her magic could breathe life into anything. At least if it were human.

As the men got ready to work on the damaged human Odessa's arms began to glow with markings that looked like elegantly threaded vines. She was pulling away shards from Rio's sealed wounds. The blood hadn't begun to flow just yet, These "eve Fragments" were the strange mix of glass and ice that kept the woman stable.
"If these don't suit her well I have more we could test on her." Odessa spoke as she assisted with dead tissue and using her abilities to keep her stable.

When it was all said and done Rio had slowly woken up from the strong anesthesia. It was a wonder she had woken up so early. Most would have been out until the next morning. "W...What the fuck...? Where the FUCK am I?!" She suddenly shrieked and sat up. The woman had knocked the air out of her own lungs. She'd swung her limbs wildly in a sudden burst of strength, knocking over the glass of water. Odessa held down the barely coherent woman and tried to calm her. "Hey now hey now... Rio, Rio, Rio, it's me." Odessa spoke softly. "M-My name... I'm Rio. Rio Yoshida. I was hired to help Odessa...I... I remember fighting." She sighed and tried to wrack her brain. When Forgery made the comment about her tattoos it made her flex her arms, moving them, but it felt wrong. Her arms felt cold and heavy, then came the realization. "Wait.. I remember losing my fuckin' arms... what happened??" She seemed to remember some things at least. "You indeed lost many parts of yourself... my team and I saw to it that you survived." "But why??" "Because I wasn't about to let you die for a cause you weren't fighting for to begin with." Odessa went straight to the point. Rio wasn't a combatant like them, hell she wasn't even SSU. Just a smuggler trying to keep her family safe.

"So what now? What's going to happen?? My friends, my family... I..." Rio was replaying the scenes in her head. She took a shaky breath and Odessa patted her back. "We've received word from our operative that they're safe. Moved to Osaka like you had requested. As for what now... well... you could go back to your life, but if you want to keep fighting, there's always a place." Odessa replied and Rio slowly laid back down. "Well... for what it's worth... Thank you guys." She sighed and raised her hands, moving and flexing the fingers. Cybernetics were so strange...

When the girls came to visit Ri'zu was the first one in with the packed up Chinese food. "Nya~! We brought you something to eat, Rio!" The giggling cat approached, her tail flicking back and forth. Rio herself seemed a bit unnerved. This was one of the same agents she watched rip men limb from limb with nothing more than the claws on her hands. She'd never seen such clean cuts before, not like that. "Uhh... Thanks uhm..." "Awww forgot my name already?" Ri'zu pouted but there was nothing behind it. Astrea rolled her eyes and sntached the food and brought it to Rio. "Here... I'll feed you. I know you're getting used to the new tech." She mumbled and picked up the chopsticks. Spirits seemed to raise when the others walked in. Everyone talking about living arrangements and overall getting along. Astrea seemed pleased with the pool they brought in, Tide was locking away the snacks as Ri'zu eyed him hungrily, Isha just seemed happy to be there... perhaps sticking with these guys wouldn't be so bad after all.​

 

[Tenzai]

"Sorry I couldn't be here sooner. Let me help with the eve fragments."

"Don't worry about it. Her condition is stable for the most part thanks to these things you put on her."​

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ | ʜᴏᴛʟɪɴᴇ ᴍɪᴀᴍɪ 2 ᴏꜱᴛ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

Once the doctor had reunited with the boys of the group, it appeared that some work had already begun. Her wounds were cleaned and sterilized and her new limbs were partway through the reattachment process. Certain exposed nerve endings were made open to the air, but with the help of the chemicals that ran through her system, she was held still, unable to wake up from her slumber. The chemical specialist on their team was an expert at determining the concentration and dosage required to put down a person of any weight, appearance, and stature, ensuring that the process would go along smoothly.

"If these don't suit her well I have more we could test on her."

The others nodded their heads, making sure that the doctor had room to work while they continued on the opposite side. Given her position on their team, they didn't have room for error. This surgery was more than just for the sake of survival, it was to restore what was lost and upgrade her dead flesh from mortal to machine. Eventually, after a long night spent operating on the woman to ensure that function had returned to her extremities, she awoke to see the doctor and the leader of the new team they were to work with standing side by side.

"W...What the fuck...? Where the FUCK am I?!."

"Hey, relax. You're gonna feel a little woozy and that's normal. Take it easy, yeah?" Handing her a glass of water, the hacker was careful not to give too much for her body to handle so soon. Putting too much strain on her muscles while they needed time to recover would only draw adverse effects on the patient's body. "Care to tell me your name? Mine is Forgery. I was the leader of the team that helped yours at the casino. The same who spoke on the radio. Remember?" Instead of taking it for a drink, the woman swiped it out of his hands, spilling the clear liquid across the console and the nearby medical equipment in proximity.

"Hey now hey now... Rio, Rio, Rio, it's me."

"M-My name... I'm Rio. Rio Yoshida. I was hired to help Odessa...I... I remember fighting." Rio. making a mental note of it as Odessa calmed the stressed stranger, Forgery made a mental profile of the woman in front of him, entering her name, appearance, and dimensions into his mental database for him to get a better read on her profile later. "You're in a safe place now and the others will be here soon. So take it easy." Grabbing his smoothie, he swirled its contents with a straw before leaning back and taking a drink of it.

"Wait.. I remember losing my fuckin' arms... what happened??"

"You indeed lost many parts of yourself... my team and I saw to it that you survived." ​

"But why??"

"Because I wasn't about to let you die for a cause you weren't fighting for to begin with."​

The odd movements of her arms had hinted at a lack of familiarity with her new limbs. He recalled his body going through the same once he received his first prosthetic. Akin to riding a bicycle, only this time, the bicycle was attached to the body; The cybernetic sinner gave her a reaffirming smile as he drew on his own arm, revealing artificial parts of his own. "You'll get used to those eventually. It'll take time and practice, but trust me. Having these will be an upgrade to what you're used to." As if he wished to show off the capabilities of his arm, small tendrils had broken through his metal carapace, each grabbing wrapping around the cup with greater stability, keeping it flat as he rotated his arm. "Maybe you might even find a preference for it eventually."

"So what now? What's going to happen?? My friends, my family... I..."

"We've received word from our operative that they're safe. Moved to Osaka like you had requested. As for what now... well... you could go back to your life, but if you want to keep fighting, there's always a place."
​

"Well... for what it's worth... Thank you guys."

Sighing in relief upon seeing her finally being able to relax in her changed body, Forgery grabbed the cup from the ground before filling another glass with water. "Don't mention it. You're one of us now. The least you deserve is us treating you right." As he spoke, he heard the door crack open, revealing a cat girl on the other side of the door with spare Chinese food in hand. Despite his mind not being able to immediately recognize her, the cybernetic eye implant on his body had displayed her name right beside her head: Ri'zu. Even if it wasn't her true name, it was the name that she and the other women in her crew referred to herself as.

"Uhh... Thanks uhm..."

"Awww forgot my name already?"
​

"Here... I'll feed you. I know you're getting used to the new tech."

While Astrea stood beside Rio to feed her, now that he felt that their patient was acquainted with her environment, the hacker went outside to take stock of their newest team mates. In front of him sat the other girls, still dressed in the dresses they wore on their first meeting. Beside them were the carry-ons that held their primary essentials. With everyone present and accounted for, he pulled out a clipboard with a page he just printed, each holding the specific arrangements with the cohesion of each team member in mind. "Everyone here and ready to listen?" Given the differences in personalities and species, he knew that regardless, he would receive flak for his bedroom arrangements. However, it was the best he could do with the knowledge he had on file.

"First of all, Astrea. You will be taking room 1-A. Sulfur and Helena? 1-B." Given her need for an aquatic setting to rest, Astrea's room was an aquarium with waterproof furniture left inside to ensure that her living arrangements well suited her. "Aww, really? You're going to put me with someone?" Sulfur shrugged, giving a yawn due to the exhausting, earlier events of the day. "Looks like we're going to be rooming together." Leaving the others, as he entered his room, he got to work on explosive tools meant to be used for the next mission. After their last mission, he had to use most of his stock to leave a sizable dent in the power grid. It was his proximity to dangerous chemicals that made it difficult for Forgery to assign anyone else. Other than Helena, it was likely that being around him for too long would end up with medical complications.

"Tide, Ri'zu. You both would be sharing room 2-A. Rio, you're with me in 2-B." Tide turned towards the cat girl, giving her an odd look. "Really? You couldn't have put me with damn near anyone else?" Despite his initial comments, to the CPU assisting Forgery with his logic, the two seemed among the most compatible with each other. Their interests on file had aligned well and their personalities, regardless of how far apart it might seem on the surface, complimented each other well. "Rio, as the only other person here with cybernetics, it feels right to help you grow accustomed to your own body. I'll show you how to deal with maintenance and the methods that worked with me and getting adjusted to this new body."

Turning towards the next pair of rooms, he continued reading out the rest of the names. "Aether, you're going to be rooming with Isha in 3-A. Null? You're going to be with Odessa in 3-B." The angel didn't speak a word upon having his orders be delivered. Unlike the rest of the other girls, he didn't seem to mind her presence. Her future was a lot more tame than most, bringing the sage a semblance of calm despite his lack of familiarity with the lapin woman.

Null on the other hand nodded his head before turning to Odessa. "It's my pleasure to meet you. I hope we could end up good roommates." Respectful to those he fought alongside, now that they were a team, he didn't feel as much of a need to hide his own words from them. Still silent for the most part, given his knowledge of her accomplishments, he seemed a bit more open to speaking with her. "Perhaps you could show me how a fairy fights. I hear that your kind are tough as they are strong and swift."

With their arrangements finally in order, as the men helped their roommates with the moving of their gear into their other rooms, Forgery was among the first to strike conversation with his roommate. It had been years since he last had to share a bedroom with somebody else, let alone someone of the opposite sex. "Hey, so about your family." It felt odd speaking the word. Other than the people who made up his team, the world beyond lacked anyone he cared enough to deserve that title. Still, he felt that the organization that offered him a pardon was good on their word. Their history with working with other criminals like himself had afforded him a kinder opinion of the redhead that led their organization. "About what Odessa said. She's not lying. The people here do care, hells, maybe even a lot more than most others."

Sitting on the bed opposite of her, as he took off his shirt due to the rising heat from the bunker as the world around them grew hotter due to the shifting season, Rio's eyes were met with the extent of how much his body was replaced. His arms and his eye were changed. Surgical scars around his chest had hinted at more implants being embedded within his body. Noticing her eyes, the hacker looked away for a moment. "...Are you... Ashamed of me?" He was far from normal and even further from natural.

"Be honest. There's no wrong answer. But without these things on my body, I doubt I would even be alive, let alone someone as capable as what I am now." Turning on the fan with his cybernetic components connecting wirelessly to the electronic devices nearby, the hacker leaned back in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. "I won't judge you for your looks by the way. Really. Cybernetics are only just an extension of one's soul. At the end of the day, you are what decides what your body does. Not the other way around." Closing his eyes as he readied himself to rest, instead of preparing to enter a deep slumber, he opted for a low power state, connecting a certain plug from beside his bed towards his body to help his mechanical parts recharge after a long day of use.

​

 

[Twilight Genesis]

Even with the soothing words and the kind actions of the people before her, Rio looked like she was on the verge of losing her mind. All that tech strapped onto her body wasn't exactly good for her already shattered psyche, but there was very little choice in the matter. She'd lost so much blood, and most of her humanity. She felt warm liquid start to drip down her cheeks. More blood? She wiped her shaky arm across her face and looked down, not blood... tears. She was crying and hadn't realized it. Odessa gave the woman a sympathetic face and slowly held her arm out and patted her shoulder. "Odessa... my... my family. You said you guys took care of them... Are they..." Odessa cut in before Rio could make an assumption, the poor woman was so disoriented she was asking the same questions again. "They're ok. I just got updates from Adriana after we returned. They were moved as soon as the job was wrapped up." Odessa grabbed a tablet and opened a message and turned it to Rio. A picture... Rio's gang in silly poses next to a scantily clad woman with draconic wings, holding up peace signs. The location read Osaka. It was one of the bases of operations for the Japanese SSU.

"They're safe now, Rio." Odessa whispered softly as Rio slowly took the tablet, she was leaking tears onto the screen, and she let out a sigh of relief. The weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. Losing limbs and pieces of her mind were now worth it. They were safe. She was so choked up, looking at Forgery and Odessa like they were everything. They had stuck to their word. Adriana stuck to hers. "What will happen to them?" She asked and Odessa smiled. "They will have lodgings and protections within the SSU. Jobs will be open to them, but they're optional. Everything will be provided to them as per the agreement." Odessa explained and Rio nodded her head slowly. "So who's the white girl beside them?" Rio asked curiously. She definitely didn't look like some top secret government operative. "That's Lyra. She's good at transporting goods under the radar, and lots of goods at that. She gets things done instantly." Odessa herself didn't put much faith in Lyra. At least not at first. In fact, the first time she met the woman, she was wearing some sexy cop Halloween costume, ripped fishnets, platform boots, and all. The shock on Odessa's face when she found out Lyra had outranked her significantly was a reaction Adriana herself wished she could have gotten on camera.

"So how does she do it so... uh... efficiently?" "She can open portals." "She can do fucking what?"

Odessa and Rio both snapped their heads up when Forgery had read out the sleeping arrangements. Astrea seemed rather pleased to have a room all to herself. In general, it would be a bit awkward to share when a fourth of the room was just a deep, see-through hot tub. Helena wasn't fond of sharing a room, especially with someone sounded like he smoked seventy packs a day, but hey, she didn't really have a choice in the matter. So she would live with it... For now. Isha seemed to tilt her head a bit. She'd never roomed with someone she hadn't already been close with before. She always had her own room, even when living with the couple that took her in. Maybe she would text them later and ask about what to do.
Odessa just smiled up and Null and nodded her head. "Oh, I'm sure we'll get along just nicely." She hummed and looked back at the little ragtag group.

Ri'zu was staring at Tide the entire time. Her smile only got wider and wider, it was too late by the time he felt her connect with his back. "WEEEEEE'RE ROOMMATES~!! You can't escape me now~!" Ri'zu exclaimed as she pounced on him. Her tail was wagging damn near as fast as a dog's now.

"We're gonna be the bestest! I'm gonna bring in all of my snacks and my games and—" Ri'zu was abruptly cut off when Astrea tried tugging her off of the poor bat. "Holy hell, don't crush him to death, you stupid cat." Astrea sighed as the nekomata wrestled with her arm a bit. "But I haven't bitten him yet!" Ri'zu complained and kicked at the siren before Ruiher.

Rio was the first to start laughing, hell, she might have been the only one laughing. It was silly seeing a grown woman tackle a grown man in excitement. It was absolutely childish, but Rio desperately needed a laugh. Odessa was the next to laugh at her side then spoke, "Best wishes Tide. You'll never have a dull moment with her in the room. I promise." This was good, way too good. If she ever had her eyes open, she'd wink at him.

"You guys are so fucking weird... I like it here." Rio seemed to smile a bit brighter, she seemed to relax around the group just a little more.

Rio looked back at Forgery, she realized that they had more in common now. Like her, he had many pieces of himself that were changed and replaced. The faded scars told a story about just how long he had these cybernetics. They were a good look for him, and if he hadn't stripped off his shirt, she wouldn't have believed him when he said he had parts replaced. He wasn't the only one to have cybernetics in the SSU either. They were expensive, but made available to those that were torn apart in their line of work. There was no need to be ashamed of it. Some took the offer of cybernetic treatment, and some didn't. Either choice was valid in the eyes of the SSU.

The girls promptly went off on their own, getting themselves settled in their new rooms. Odessa was simply unpacking clothes in her new room, Isha had immediately taken a shower and went to bed, Astrea was meditating in the water, Helena had decided to phase out of existence, and Ri'zu was just generally being a menace to her new roommate.

"Ashamed... No... No, no I could never be... I mean, even if I were, would it matter?

"It's just..."

Rio took a deep breath and looked at her arms. "It feels so new... strange... and I can't tell if it's a good or bad thing. So much has suddenly changed in such a short time for me... and I just don't know how to cope. It's not just the cybernetics... I'm grateful for everything your group has done for me, It's just a lot to take in... I don't know how you grew up, but people like Odessa... Ri'zu, your guys, all of them really... That's the sort of thing I heard in myths and legends. Then the cybernetics? The magic artifacts with power to shatter countries hidden in my hometown? I just don't know what to believe in anymore. This sort of thing is absolutely insane, man..." Rio sighed and ran cold fingers through her thick locs.

"What was it like for you? When did you get your cybernetics? When did you first meet a supernatural?" She asked and looked him up and down. Rio knew, sighed and took a step back with her probing, she had just met the guy. "Never mind, That's really personal of me to ask... you don't have to answer." She sighed and laid back down in bed. "Maybe I'll get used to all of it eventually." Rio mumbled and closed her eyes for the night.

This was a new world for her, she hoped to not waste her second chance at life.

​

 

[Tenzai]

"WEEEEEE'RE ROOMMATES~!! You can't escape me now~! We're gonna be the bestest! I'm gonna bring in all of my snacks and my games and—" "Holy hell, don't crush him to death, you stupid cat." "But I haven't bitten him yet!"
​

"Fucking kill me." The moment that Ri'zu had a chance to pounce, as she contorted her arms to pull him closer into a hug, the sound of bones cracking and muscles twisting was made audible to the other sinners in the group, each responding with eyes showing varying levels of concern. The first to notice the cat woman's strength was the doctor himself before she even pounced in the first place, though instead of interrupting their little moment, he refused to intervene over the sake of their shared happiness. The others on the other hand were more focused on the girls that were introducing themselves; If this was to be their accommodations for the soon future, then there was no better time than now to better get to know who they were going to be living with.

"Best wishes Tide. You'll never have a dull moment with her in the room. I promise."
​

"Hnghh. Thanks-" Try as he might to push her off, upon realizing that she was stuck to him like cement, the bat boy finally relented in his struggle, letting whatever happened happen. There was little use in trying to fight her off, especially when he would soon be subject to more given their team leader's gracious roommate assignments. "Why the fuck are you so strong?" Though despite how much he could resign to his fate, there was still a need for air. Collapsing his lungs on the first day of meeting them was not something he expected nor preferred.

"Ach- Help- Somebody- I'm dying." The last of his words came out as no more than a whisper; With the only one able to detect it being Null himself, as he got in between them, he slotted his hands on both of their shoulders, separating them apart at the cost of Tide's shoulder. Once released, he fell onto the floor, laying flat atop it face down as he tried to regain some life in his lungs. A Ri'zu shaped hand print was made visible on his skin where she grabbed him: A bruise that grew darker with every passing moment.

"You're very strong, Ri'zu. Perhaps you and I should spar sometime after I help Odessa arrange her boxes." Not minding the sight of his dying friend on the floor, Null was quick to swap topics, focusing instead on personal growth rather than the day to day usual scenes that took place within the sinner's barracks. "There are few that could bring down a man with the grip of their hands alone. I would like to see how you handle yourself in combat personally."

"You guys are so fucking weird... I like it here."
​

"Just wait until you get comfortable." Upon hearing Rio's thoughts, Sulfur smiled. Her words were a sign that she would make for a good fit for the others. Given their status as sentenced seeking a pardon, they were often judged much more cruelly than their other SSU counterparts. Regardless of where they may have stood when it came to saving lives and serving the organization they were forced to take a part of to escape execution, it seemed as though no amount of work could make others change their minds. "These guys are like family to me; Treat them well and they'll treat you the same way." Patting her on her cybernetic shoulder before separating off on his own, as the others made their way to move their boxes into their assigned rooms with the help of portals, Rio was left alone with her soon-to-be roommate, Forgery.

Once alone, he exposed his body curious as to her feelings towards their transformation. The cybernetics were his tie to existing beyond common reality; Of beginnings where he grew exposed to the world that existed beyond that which most people knew of. But, despite his expectations, she didn't seem disgusted nor in fear of who she became and of what life she was soon to live. Her family was given a home and she was around people that seemed trustworthy enough. "Might sound crazy and well... Given the life we led before, it is. But, you'll get used to it. At least you know the truth and you could never say that its ever truly boring." Now that they were alone in their room, he was able to relax on his side of the bedroom. Living with others was something that he got used to. The presence of another, especially of somebody so close in proximity, didn't bother him much.

"What was it like for you? When did you get your cybernetics? When did you first meet a supernatural? Never mind, That's really personal of me to ask... you don't have to answer."
​

"Nothing wrong with asking Rio. I've asked the same questions before to others. Its no big deal." Grabbing a photo frame on his desk, he looked at the images of a past life he could never return to: Of a brother he looked up to that mysteriously disappeared after getting himself involved with something way beyond himself. "I met my first supernatural after hacking a government database in search of my lost brother. The cybernetics? All that came afterwards... After getting hurt seriously for the first time."

To figure out what happened to the only family he had, Forgery had sacrificed his arm as well as his eyes, replacing them with upgrades to help him survive the hidden world that his brother had succumbed to. "If there's anyone to blame for me fucking being here in the first place, its him. Though I'm sure you know already of how far we're willing to go for family. Maybe I'm the stupid one." He chuckled to himself before placing the frame back on the table, only to lay down on the bed opposite of her. "We'll worry about it more tomorrow. Let's get some shuteye. We'll have all the time in the world to talk once we get a little rest."

"Maybe I'll get used to all of it eventually."​

"You will, whether you like it or not. At least, you have people to get used to it with." Closing his eyes, the hacker turned on the sleep sequence in his brain to shut down his automatic logistic processes for the night. If it wasn't for his installed off-switch, he doubted that he would be able to find as much peace at night as he did now. "Goodnight, Rio."

──═──═──═──═──═──═──♘♗♔♖♙──═──═──═──═──═──═──​

"Morning." Being the first to wake up, as Null prepared for the day, he did an inventory of the weapons and ammo they had on hand on top of the dinner table. From magic staves to knives, rifles and sidearms, he was diligent in ensuring the integrity of their gear first thing in the morning just in case combat were to happen by surprise. "Hmm? Something the matter?" Tilting his head at the smaller fae, the massive war machine seemed curious as to the response of Odessa. "I usually do this before everyone else wakes up to avoid disturbing them. There's also no surface that serves better than this table out of everything in the barracks." While the workshops were an option, the fact that they held a layer of drug dust due to its proximity to Sulfur's work area had made him question whether its surfaces were fit for use.

"Did you receive the report from Adriana? It appears we are all due for a summons. The leader of Vigil Corps wants to oversee us in person." His helmet seemed active with screens behind it as he prepared to forward a summarized down message for Odessa to digest. "I believe he wants us to "test" each other's mettle in combat. Personally, I don't think Rio is quite ready to be stress tested due to the status of her mind, but with everyone else? ... I'm not against it." Null seemed keen on getting to know Odessa, both in combat and out of it. To make proper predictions of what he could expect when it came down to combat, there was only one way to vet her out truly: To do so in person.

"As long as Ri'zu didn't hold onto Tide the entire night, he should be ready to go. Though if you do have any concerns, please feel free to share it with me. I'd rather you let me know now who should sit out before Adriana's husband decides." His reputation was well researched and well known by the other sinners. It was his fault that they were often left exhausted after long training camps, given just enough for them to be combat effective but no more than that to avoid potential rebellions.

"I'm sure if we give Adriana enough time in advance, she could craft an excuse for some of us to sit out, but in general, we're still expected to go." Donning his weapon now that his daily morning inspection was complete, he slotted his hand-held artillery piece on his back before hilting his massive knife on his belt. "And unfortunately for us, Vigil has expectations to meet. If we fail to reach it, its likely that we would end up being among the first on the chopping block." Even if Adriana had preferred their services, she was only one among a board who determined which teams were combat effective, which teams required their members to be rearranged to reach optimal combat efficiency, and which teams were to be axed.

Among the board at the head of the mercenary organization supplementing supplies and troops, the vampire that sought to bring safety and security to supernaturals for the government, their daughter who was a great judge in character, and an android that only saw people for their statistics and merit rather than their emotional ties, as well as several other notable names and faces among their ranks. To perform well was to bring about promotions and greater allocation of resources; To do the opposite was to lead to the deconstruction of their group and most likely, the loss of their chance for a second life. "I'll be damned if he ends up being the reason we get split apart."

 

[Twilight Genesis]

Poor Tide was pretty much all bent out of shape by the time the cat girl was pried from his seemingly fragile body. She pouted like a child immediately after, "Awww c'mooooon, I gotta taste him real quickkkkk!" She whined and kicked her feet when Astrea lifted her up now separated from her chew toy new friend. She liked making friends. She liked biting friends. It was a strange ability she had, but not unseen by the eyes of Adriana. Tasting a person for whatever strange and magical reason was something Ri'zu did, and the girls had done all they could to get used to it. Of course when it came to biting their opponents or even their points of contact... things got a bit complicated.

Her eyes went wide, and her smile stuck on her face as she looked up and down Null. Now that he was in such proximity to her, she could finally register their height difference. "Wha? You wanna spar me?? Ion think I'd live big guy, but I'll throw paws witcha!" Ri'zu smirked and stuck out her tongue. Her eyes seemed to zero in on one of his arms almost immediately. Practically salivating she reached out, but Astrea smacked her arm away. "No biting." "But—" "NO. BITING." "Awww... you're so rude..." Ri'zu began to sulk, her ears drooped as Astrea continued to scold her like a child, pointing to the exit and pulling her out of the door.

Rio seemed to snicker and hold in her laughter just a bit longer. She didn't want to be on the receiving end of the next bite and simply kept her mouth shut. She looked Sulfur up and down and smiled weakly. "I'll remember that." She nodded and laid back in bed.

The chatter with Forgery turned bittersweet when he started to talk about a lost relative. She knew the feeling. Back in the day she lost family left and right in her little gang, made new family too... but often Rio found herself wondering what could have been if she had just stayed in that old broken home of hers.

════════════════════※✧☽✧※════════════════════
​

​

"Hey Touko?"

"Yeah?"​

"What's it like in the states?"

"It's a weird place. Lots of people with silly accents, and they have loud music all the time! Like WOM WOM BNNBNBBNNNN!"​

"Hehe, you're so silly. Half of those sounds don't even make any sense!"

"Americans also wear their shoes INDOORS!"​

"Whoa... mom would kill me if I ever did that!"

"Right??"​

"What else is there?"

"Big plates of food! Like the size of the MOON!!"​

"Is what Auntie said true? That the wolf man and his friends run around like us?"

"Yeah!! I met this lady at the ice cream shop, and she said she was a fairy! And then she turned my candy pink and blue! And then she gave papa a cake and the candles lit on their own! And, and, and, and—" ​

════════════════════※✧☽✧※════════════════════​

The simpler times were often met with teary eyes when she thought about it. When she was little all she had wanted was to grow up and see the world, and as she grew the cruelty of the world grew with her. She had to get used to the changes one way or another, whether it was a new cybernetic enhancement (or six) or burying the body of a loved one gone too soon. Time was something that waited for no one, no matter how much you begged the universe. "Yeah I get it... family... is everything to me. I can tell it means the same to the people here too..." Rio laid there as she drifted between the lines of unconsciousness, the memories she loved had found a way back into her sights as she relived the life she missed dearly. She danced, she sang, and she played in her dreams. Sometimes she even stood there and watched herself run around like a child, studying hard to make her parents proud, always staying for the family she loved so dearly.

Love, hope, and memories had kept her going despite everything that had happened. It was amazing she hadn't broken after being ripped to shreds, but that hope kept her going. That aching desire to run around and play again helped her heal. It kept her from wading through the darkened oceans in her mind that threaten to pull her down each and every day. These times wouldn't last forever, but at least here she felt at home. She'd never slept in a bed with a man like this before, and though they were strangers his presence was warm and comforting.
​

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Odessa tilted her head left to right, she was observing everything he did, her head tracking him and yet her eyes never opened, hell her eyelids never even fluttered.
"Oh? I suppose it's quiet enough. I couldn't hear a thing." She laughed softly, her voice sounding calm and inviting. Odessa leaned back against the wall, her blanket smoothed over her lap as the lace of her night gown tickled her skin with every movement. "You certainly are handy with all the equipment here, I see why you were chosen... where did you learn all of this? I mean you definitely seem like the type of man that's worked on perfection for a few decades or so." She spoke with an almost breathy laugh at the end.

She knew when someone was older than they let on, the signs were rather easy to pick up. After all, she was also a being that was much older than she looked, she might even come from the stars themselves so to speak.

"Come now, have faith in your group, I'm sure they will shape up as needed. I must admit I did a bit of digging on our would-be superiors. A fascinating bunch I'd say. Some are just like us. I think it'll be a perfect way to show our skills. Fighting here and there and everywhere else." She seemed to dart from thought to thought at the same time, not really leaving room for input or a breather. "I wonder what they'll be like. Adriana is quite the woman I must say... I've never met someone so... knowing... yes, yes that's it." Odessa laughed again, as if she was thrilled to bits at the thought of sparring her new allies and discovering more about the mysterious vampire that ran the place. It had been ages since she put real effort into anything anymore. At this point she might as well just lay down and rot with how little there was to do. That was her own thought process at the least.​

 

[Tenzai]

"You certainly are handy with all the equipment here, I see why you were chosen... where did you learn all of this? I mean you definitely seem like the type of man that's worked on perfection for a few decades or so."​

Speed and precision came with practice and perfection came with time. The construct had lived for much longer than he had ever expected, beyond many generations of so called teams and friends. Though this one, unlike all that came before them, were rather stubborn despite the odd nature of their personalities all coming together to work out. By adequate preparation did he ensure mission success, limiting the mistakes that led to sacrifices before. Null was a stoic, stalwart anchor for his team, one of the few they could consistently rely on. "Past teams. They taught me all that I know. I've learned from their strengths and I learned from their mistakes."

"Come now, have faith in your group, I'm sure they will shape up as needed. I must admit I did a bit of digging on our would-be superiors. A fascinating bunch I'd say. Some are just like us. I think it'll be a perfect way to show our skills. Fighting here and there and everywhere else. I wonder what they'll be like."​

Naturally, there was risk involved with dealing with help from outside sources: Specifically Vigil. His motives were shifty at most, finding them tools instead of invaluable agents. In doing so, there was no one better than knowing just what limited them more than the man responsible for ensuring the integrity of tactical logistics himself. With dwindling supplies and a lack of modern gear, they were always fighting at an unneeded disadvantage, though that disadvantage was never enough to break them... yet.

"I have faith in this team. Our merger on the other hand, it's a lot of unknown factors all at the same time." Hilting his weapon to his back, the construct looked over the rooms of the other sleeping members of his team, hearing their counterparts snoozing in the same rooms as well. "Then combine that with Vigil's unneededly sparse supply drops and... I don't think there's anything wrong with saying that I'm particularly hesitant over our performance." Null crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. With his preparations done and their gear scanned to be digitally uploaded over to Forgery's database, there was no need to offer further examination. "It makes me wonder what Adriana is thinking."

"Adriana is quite the woman I must say... I've never met someone so... knowing... yes, yes that's it."
​

There was something about their boss that made her different. Oddly enough, she seemed to know the team better at times than the team did themselves. To his organic counterparts, she was either disturbing or comforting. She understood them, but at the same time, their futures lay within her hands. For Null, he was rather neutral. A part of him did like that she was able to understand their situation, but at the same time, she was aware of what Vigil was doing and what she was doing to counter it wasn't enough. It was a bitter pill to swallow knowing that even someone who was so adept at reading futures was someone that wasn't particularly working for their benefit.

"I'm surprised you'd think of her so fondly, given that she chose to make you all work with us despite our reputations." Lifting himself off the wall, Null began to put away the gear he displayed over the table, already hearing the alarm go off in Sulfur's room. It would soon be time before the others would wake up and he was sure that they would need to use the table regardless for breakfast. "Here I thought working with us would be career suicide."

He was aware of how the others in the SSU had felt about the members of the sentenced. They were merely captured folk that were destined to die for good reasons, only given one last purpose to serve in dangerous missions with whatever life they had left. "Though, I don't think suicide would be a bad term alone either given the types of missions that Vigil keeps deploying us on." Looking over at a deep scratch on his arm, Null glared towards his broken reflection. Preparation can only do so much bin the face of abject adversity. Another alarm, this time from Forgery's room. "Do me a favor and keep our conversation under wraps. It won't do anyone any good if they got a glimpse into how I've been feeling."

Forgery's door opened first, revealing a dark haired mess of their leader with a sleep mask ridden halfway above his face. "Morning, Null. Odessa." He yawned, walking past them before reversing his steps as he noticed her closed eyes with her nightgown. "Uhh... Odessa, Are you awake?" Null nodded his head as she responded, causing the hacker to shrug. "Feels like even after the merger, we have yet to find our first normal person." He chuckled, turning towards his bedroom. "Hell, the one who seems the most normal out of all of us is over seventy percent robot at this point." Rio had the most ordinary reaction out of everyone he had ever met, both when it came to her own body as well as her environment.

"Good morning, Forge. How was she last night?" Upon hearing her stumble and shift when she heard his alarm, Forgery assumed that he was soon to rise after him. "You could ask yourself soon but... She wasn't that bad. She understands. That's enough. Its more than I could ever ask for." Oftentimes, they were met with harsh words if not outright rejection for some of the others they had worked with in the past once they found out just who they were. None of them were good people. They were just people that did the best they could with the bad hand that they were dealt and their actions had followed them, even after promises of a second chance.

"Rio's doing alright... Though I don't know how long it'll last once we're put against you all." Their leader turned towards the fae leader of her squad. "I might not particularly care much about fighting for the sake of it, but my boys on the other hand, save for Aether, are quite different." With their gear put away, Null walked over to a set of weights placed beside a bench in the living room, working out his body before breakfast was to come.

"You see, we've been spurned enough by the SSU that now, they have a point to prove. That we're better than the rookies that keep saying we'd be better off dead." With a flash of his eyes, the coffee machine had turned on and the air fryer beside it had started preheating itself at a select temperature. It seemed that with his mind connected to the router in the bunker, everything electronic within it that had a signal was under his command.

"And I'm beginning to feel the same. Whenever it's known what we are, people look at us differently, thinking of us like we're less than human." Tossing some pre-cut potatoes in the air fryer once he heard it beep, he leaned on the counter, shifting the color of the lights to daylight to wake everyone within the main room up. "And now? It seems like we'll be making you an example. Don't take any losses harshly. We just have a reason to win."

 

[Twilight Genesis]

Odessa could tell she was going to like working with this group, though this man in particular was an interesting one. Without opening her eyes she could practically see into him. He was different. Well that was putting it too plainly now, wasn't it? They were all different in their own weird ways... But she could tell who was what for the most part. Forgery kept that rag-tag group together, he was intelligent, and while his humanity left him vulnerable, the combination of cybernetic augments and his wit got him far. He was also fairly charismatic which definitely gave him the upper hand already. A human that could use their charm efficiently on any supernatural was a dangerous one.

Tide was a strange fellow to her, he seemed a little too carefree, he was naive, but there was something about him that told her he was more than his silly side... that much was true with the file she read along with that little display. Bending water and blood were no joke, he had potential to her. Someone that could eventually bend blood even better than the purest of vampires. She knew she had to keep an eye on him in particular, then there was Sulphur. She couldn't read him entirely, at least not yet. He seemed like a loose cannon, a bit obnoxious even, and just strange overall... the smell was also something she'd be fine with keeping away from.

And of course there was Aether. The most simple creature of the bunch, brooding, Stoic, an obvious angel of some sort, and well, boring. She was sure he had his reasons, hell, they all did, but it didn't make him any more interesting. If anything he was the opposite... but at least he wasn't a dick. Most angels were. She'd met many, and killed a few. They were all assholes. All of them. They couldn't season their food for shit either.

And then Null... He was the strangest of them all. He was strong, that much was apparent... but there was something just off about him, yet it didn't make her distrust him. She was sure he'd seen many things, more than anyone ever should have... So she would pay extra attention to him. She would find his secrets one way or another. She hung onto every word with interest as she smiled at him, nodding along with his words. She laughed a little louder than she should have at his final comment. "Oh darling, if you think we're just a group of innocent ladies that pulled the short end of the stick when having to work with a team. You. Are. Mistaken. That being said, I am not Adriana's biggest fan by any means, but I trust her judgment. I kept a watchful eye on this organization before my capture... I knew it was only a matter of time before I was found and recruited. It's how most stories start here I'd imagine..." She looked thoughtful for a moment, pondering her next words.

"That future sight alone makes her one of the strongest people I've ever met... I was admittedly... Arrogant when I questioned her abilities. I was immediately proven wrong. The things she showed me... Ah... and that husband of hers? He's... insane. Yes... that's an appropriate description, he's utterly insane. I think they both are. I suppose that's why they're married." Odessa allowed herself a laugh. How anyone in this organization found any semblance of romance was beyond her, but she'd seen it while working her way through the obscure jobs here and there.

She'd seen hundreds of stolen kisses in her time, and had seen a hundred more while working within the SSU. Brief pecks of reassurance between couples who were stationed on the opposite ends of the base, loving embraces in death grips between those who hadn't seen each other for months to near years, and more... There was a particular couple she'd seen almost everywhere. A vampire and his half fae, some said he had her on a tight leash. Many say that leash was quite literal. Everyone knew them or at least knew of them. It was hard not to, they were more than their species, a prince and an assassin thought to be just some urban legend in the SSU ranks.

She was no myth. She was the one that fought Odessa to the near death to bring her in.

It should have been an easy battle. Just some mutt of a fae, something she could deal with easily.
But it wasn't like that. No, no, of course not... that would have been far too easy. What fought Odessa that night was nothing short of a monster. Something that should have never existed. Something that crawled its way out of the abyss smiling.

How could a half human mutt be so nightmarish. . . ?

She snapped out of her thoughts when Forgery passed by, she waved at him and let out a soft laugh when he questioned how awake she really was. She got that quite a lot, always mistaken for just resting her eyes. It's why she wore shades if her outfit of the day allowed it. "Good morning Forgery, you both sleep well I assume?" She asked. Before she could inquire about Rio, Null had already beat her to it. It was nice of him to ask about her, the poor woman had gone through so much in the span of one night. The first day would always be the hardest.

"She's a strong woman, that much I can tell. I think she'll be just fine... and I think you'll be the perfect person to guide her, Forgery." Odessa smiled and stretched out as he grabbed a sweater from her wardrobe and threw it on, she'd get properly ready later, breakfast was required for further productivity.

Happy giggles and the sound of clattering pans made her snort, Ri'zu was up early, she always was, and she was most certainly out in the kitchen cooking right now, probably fresh eggs and whatever meat she managed to get her paws on.

By the time Forgery was talking again Ri'zu, Odessa, Astrea, and Isha were the ones out there beside them, the smell of eggs wafting through the home as Ri'zu spiced them up with cheese and pepper flakes, sausages in another pan. Their breakfast supplies had made it in, and the cat was immediately making the best use of it.

Forgery's words weren't lost on the girls, even when they were just waking up. "Then winning it is. Adriana believes in you lot, which tells us all we need to know, and with our first job going smoothly from your end, I think we have what it takes." Odessa smirked and took her place at the dining table. Isha and Astrea seemed to nod in agreement with her. "Yeah, and whatever comes next we're in this together. No one left behind on either team, no matter what." Astrea chimed in, a smile on her face with a determined expression. Isha nodded along with a much more cheerful smile. "We can do this! We'll make a name for ourselves here. We just have to work together!" The bunny pitched in and raised her glass of water, the liquids sloshing about.

"Well then, I think that's that then. No matter what they throw at us, we'll be ready. If we fall then at least we know where our weaknesses lie. It'll help us grow stronger in the end." Odessa spoke and looked around at the group. Though the others weren't awake for their inspiring little speeches the sentiment would remain the same.

"You know what else makes us big and strong? Breakfast~! Now grab a bite before it gets cold!" Ri'zu exclaimed and slapped cheesy eggs, toast, and sausage on a plate one after another... in varying quantities of course. Some of the group needed to eat more than others... There was a lot to serve, and if they were going to make a good first impression then they needed to be energized for the day.
​

 

[Tenzai]

​

"Then winning it is. Adriana believes in you lot, which tells us all we need to know, and with our first job going smoothly from your end, I think we have what it takes."​

Ping. One new notification: A sudden change in their match. Instead of working against each other, the hacker was surprised to find their new orders bringing them to work alongside each other to claim victory against another team. Most likely it was Adriana's tampering that had led to the last minute adjustments. Whether she saw something in their future that she didn't wish to happen or she wished for them to build up chemistry instead of losing it so soon, it seemed that whatever it is was enough to warrant a same-day shift in plans. The girls were the first to respond to it, reacting with faith that the boys would be enough. Sighing in relief, Forgery ordered a few more drinks to be made for the others entering in.

"Well then, I think that's that then. No matter what they throw at us, we'll be ready. If we fall then at least we know where our weaknesses lie. It'll help us grow stronger in the end."
​

"Looks like we'll be working with each other, Forge." Null patted him on the shoulder, carefully navigating around the others to ensure that his broad frame won't knock down anything fragile. "I wonder what Vigil would think up instead. If he knew we had numbers, I'm sure he would find a way to make our opponent a fitting match." While who their opponent's team would make up of had yet to be announced, some names were quickly being displayed over his visor as the information updated. One of them was the premier assassin of the SSU: Zero, the SSS Rank agent.

"Hmph... That's concerning." All they were told of their capabilities were from rumors given the fact that most information about them was classified. Even though Null had felt content in his own ability in combat to keep himself safe, to keep others on the other hand was a different story. They were known to be amazing at picking opponents off. "If they're coming, then whoever's accompanying her might be just as difficult to deal with."

Forgery on the other hand had immediately begun to scour the agent database with his implants to ensure that he could do his research on her well in advance. Even though they had less than a day to prepare, he wanted to give his new combined team the best chance at victory through any means necessary. While Ri'Zu had brought up breakfast, instead of letting the others worry about who they were going to face, as the list of high ranking staff began to download, he redirected the others to the table. "Yeah, I think some breakfast would be the right place to start. No point in fighting on an empty stomach."

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A roar of applause and cheers had come from the arena as the SSU held their annual combat festival to celebrate the most skilled among them. With the field itself covered in spell scars, used shells, and rifts from weapons being used against others, it seemed that they were far from the only people fighting during that day. "Ugh. This place fucking sucks." Still waking up from his morning, the night owl hemomancer yawned, grumbling over his new roommate's proclivities to sleep on him and against him rather than on her side of the bed. Unlike the other rooms within the bunker, their bedroom just included a queen sized bed. "When can we go, Forgery?"

"We'll go after we prove a point to Vigil." The hacker rolled his eyes at Tide's complaints, smiling due to the fact that if Tide was there in the first place even if he was bored or tired, it meant that he cared. "We can't have him resigning us and returning us back in prison." Turning to Odessa, he overlooked her shoulder to make an examination of her staff. With everyone accounted for save for Rio who was sitting in the stands while recovering from her injuries, most of the others looked like they were in high spirits. "Hope that his threats only apply to us and not you all." He crossed his arms, looking towards the stands where the most prestigious of SSU staff were sitting. "I don't know if he threatens everyone like that or if he just hates us in particular."

"Whether he hates us exclusively or not, he's gonna have to deal with us regardless." Inspecting the chemical bomb in his hand, the bags over Sulfur's eyes was a clear sign to the others there that he didn't take a moment to sleep. Believing that he was going to fight the team they were meant to be combined with, he assumed that he needed to invent some sort of bomb that would disrupt the manifestation of ghosts and the breathing of other supernatural species. However, upon finding out that the faerie assassin was going to be one of the enemies they were going to face, he didn't feel the need to invent anything special. In the case that Adriana or anyone else in the SSU had decided to turn against them or break their promises, he had ensured well in advance that they wouldn't get away from their terrible decision scot free.

"Aether? What are you thinking?" Unlike how avoidant he usually was, the angel[ felt the need to be present alongside the other guys. Given what he saw before, he was aware that if he didn't participate directly himself, most likely, the team was going to lose. "I simply want to protect you all." His eyes hovered over Isha, showing a small hint of concern only present in his voice to the most sensitive of ears. "I'd rather avoid having to stitch more of you up when you inevitably get hurt."

"Oh, look. Our prey." Null glared at the shadow that appeared opposite of them in the arena. From dark smoke, a physical shape had erupted, revealing the assassin that they were warned of in advance. With armored plates resistant against cutting and blunt force pressing against his body, the construct warrior stood in front of his family, acting as a barrier against her before the fight even started. "Leave her to me. Handle the rest, okay?"

Unfortunately for the team, they wasn't alone. With a portal appearing underneath displaying one of the more popular fae from the SSU and the assassin's shadow holding red eyes of its own, it seemed that Vigil had set her up with a team befitting of her rank. "So they're expecting us... To fight THAT?!" Gripping his staff, Tide reached over to his pouch that held blood bags to use for his spells. "Seems so. Looks like it'll make for a fun challenge." Sulfur on the other hand appeared excited to test his bombs on more durable opponents. "I think they would serve as a good test of our abilities. If we beat them, it would serve as a testament to our abilities." Null, ever the more pragmatic figure, thought similarly to Vigil. "Hmph. That's not all of them." With a knife cutting a hole into the fabric of reality, a certain smiling artifact hunter entered their domain with a drink in hand and a crow on his shoulder.



"Odessa. I think it would be best for us to split our team's focus." Reaching into his backpack to grab a certain drone, with a toss, a robot flipped into existence out of his pouch, revealing a set of hovering rotors, a camera, and a gun mounted atop. "Split them apart with our numbers and beat them individually. Divide and conquer. You know the deal." Smirking at the idea of potentially pulling off one hell of a stunt in front of the entire SSU, the hacker played into a personality similar to that of which ended him up in the prison system in the first place. "How about we give them a show that shows off how much we're worth?"

 

[Twilight Genesis]

Events at the SSU were always celebrated with high energy crowds, music, snack stalls, and more. The use of magic to expand the simple room to an all out gladiator arena with seats and snack stalls was a good investment. Another good investment was the Simulacrum. An arena, or rather a room where agents could test their mettle against anything the SSU has ever fought, even other people within the SSU. Of course certain people lacked enough information in the system to be fought against. People like Adriana herself weren't even on record for security reasons. After all knowing the ins and outs of your own leader were quite the security risks. The only way to train against people like her were to fight her in real combat. At least in the simulacrum getting ripped apart would definitely hurt, but at least you wouldn't actually die. None of the damage done or received in such a strange arena would have no effects on you in real life. Several agents here had been melted, eaten, ripped apart, disintegrated, burned alive, and more in this strange room. Not to mention any spectators were protected against attacks with... let's just say big surprises. Like explosions and showers of lead. All you'd end up after a fight in the simulacrum would be knowledge on how to fight your opponents better, and a world of trauma from dying horrible deaths. Luckily the pain went away as soon as they left the premises.

The current fight was just wrapping up, a group of rookies versus another group of rookies. One group a mix of humans, fae, and an elemental. Then another group with werefolk and a few elves. Both groups were down a few members, exhausted, but still fighting to the 'death' despite all of this. The portal borne fae was flying and walking through wormholes the entire way through, popping in an out of realities with a microphone in hand as she hyped up each team and announced hard hitting blows for each side.

Odessa looked around, her eyes still closed as her brows quirked. "It's an absolute bloodbath out there... and they don't even look good doing it... gods." She mumbled, looking up and down each member file of the current teams fighting on her tablet. Then she scanned the crowd. There were many people she recognized. Legends she heard about through the grape vine... "That one there... she's also trouble." Odessa nodded her head in the direction of a woman with a wide smirk and curly deep red hair. She was putting on a helmet that was brought to life as soon as she secured it to the strange bodysuit she was wearing. The graphic that popped up was a simple black mask with white 'eyes'.
"Looks like Vigil's mini-me has entered the stage." Astrea spoke as she crossed her arms. Odessa looked at her for a moment and spoke. "And here I thought the whole thing about Vigil and Adriana having a kid was a myth." Odessa replied and Astrea shook her head. "Nope, in fact they have two... One of them was taken in when their daughter was around thirteen or so, but not many people talk about him... Vigil apparently has a certain... disdain for that one. Anyway, that gal is Jae Hwa. The prodigy of the SSU. Never stopped learning so I've heard, she's honed every skill she's ever learned until she's nothing short of perfection... specially crafted siot, helmet, and all. She doesn't even fight with a fuckin' weapon. Just hands on sight." Astrea replied, looking up their files as they spoke. If all Astrea said proved to be true, then Jae Hwa was going to be a nightmare to fight against let alone someone like Zero.

The girls continued to size up the crowd. Odessa almost shivered when she met the mask of the woman that originally brought her in. She couldn't see her face, no one could... but she knew she was smiling. She could feel it, her eyes on her at all times. Despite meeting the fae's masked eyes with her closed ones she felt watched by her from every angle, like at any moment the half-breed would strike at her right from behind.

Even cosmic entities could feel fear... what a horrible way to find that out.

"It's best you don't underestimate that one, Null... she... she has powers like I've never seen before... something that could never be merely describe as... well... anything." Odessa would never forget that day. Zero had torn through her defenses effortlessly. Shadows swirled around and brought her into the ground like she was melting, the screams never even left her mouth when she was half submerged into the concrete.

Everyone had a weakness... everyone... so why would she not. Fucking. Die?
Odessa was the cream of the crop amongst most fae, birthed and fallen from the stars themselves, gracing the world with her existence before Zero was even a thought to the gods. Odessa would never forgive herself for losing to some half-blooded mutt. It was a blow to both her ego and her psyche getting beaten to a bloody pulp. Magic was one hell of a thing, getting rid of scars and blemishes so easily. It was certainly a blessing to have.

She had to hand it to the mutt though, Zero looked damn good while beating her into a fuschia colored paste.

"Quite frankly I'm not even sure it's appropriate to call her a person... She's the purest definition of a monster... things like her shouldn't have the right to exist." Odessa hissed with malice. The shiver that ran down her spine as those words left her mouth nearly had her double-taking. She could feel Zero's gaze sear into her glimmering skin. Words filled with such vitriol were rare for the starfallen. For the most part Odessa was fairly polite, and genuinely supportive and kind to a degree... seeing her speak such hate to the masked menace sitting pretty in her seat was unsettling to her team to say the least.

That simply meant they needed to take the masked woman seriously, lest they be sliced to ribbons... or worse, subjected to the torment Odessa had been when Zero dragged her into the ground and right back up. Letting her body grind and scrape against everything as it was pulled back out from the ground. There was definitely an Odessa shaped hole out in the world where the two had fought merely months ago.

"Get ready... if any of the others out there fight like her, we'll be in for a royal thrashing if we aren't careful." Odessa spoke as Ri'zu stretched out, her tail flicking back and forth as her vision was zeroed in on some bipedal cat folk that were chasing some bubbles produced by a blonde with a bubble wand... she wanted to chase those bubbles too...
Odessa and Astrea both let out a long, slow sigh. This was going to be a rough match.

════════════════════※✧☽✧※════════════════════

A wide smirk crossed the woman's face as her eyes had met Odessa's. "Let me at them, one v ten... I want to test them all." Zero laughed as she tilted her head at a near impossible angle. "If it gets bad... then you can come out love~" She let out a laugh as she got up and stretched out. She didn't seem dressed for battle. A hooded dress with thigh high boots
that had at least five inches of heel or so. Even the garter belt holding up the stockings below was visible. That mask... a white porcelain mask with eyes that pointed down with a sharp spiked smile like some ripped up jack-o-lantern adorned her face. Something about that mask wasn't right. Even if Forgery tried to examine her with his eye, there wouldn't be much to see. Just an approximate species that read half-human half-fae, in fact it was like something was trying to mess with the sensors.

"Awww boo~ I wanna taste of them too." Spoke the woman with a helmet, her faceplate mirroring that of the Vigil mask lighting up her helm. "Wait your turn kiddo, besides, you might take out two of them before I get a hit in, gods forbid Nev goes in and fucking lobotomizes the half of them with his bag of cosmic horrors in there." Zero scoffed and took a look at the seemingly normal human man, currently being scolded by Crow, his wife that had a particular affinity for animals. He was using her crows again, and she wasn't bloody having it... Of course, she let him have it in the end. Because they were married, and married couples shared things and made compromises... Most of the time. "You're fucking insane, Z." Jae sighed as Zero merely scoffed. "I want to see what they offer, that's all." Zero let out a laugh and shook her head. Fresh meat was always her favorite item on the menu.

Zero didn't question Nev much, no one really did which was truly the best decision for anyone curious. He might have been fairly human, but both his genetic composition and his strange knack for showing up right on time to major events both disastrous or otherwise was... certainly something special. She often wondered what street corner Adriana dragged him off of when recruiting him for the first time when she was in a state of death those years ago. Crow liked to say he found her as much as she found him. Truth was, the world was in a state of fucking ruin at the time. Supernatural creatures ran rampant after the SSU took a massive hit along with several other places in the world. Cities had been glassed over killing millions, and most of the SSU's finest had perished in the fray of battle.

It was a dark day for the world. Mercenary groups sprung up out of the woodwork to take on the workload the SSU had left behind. Adriana and her daughter had only barely survived, taking up arms once more and recruiting everyone under the sun out of sheer desperation.

That landed them some interesting folks. Nev among them. It was hard to say how they got together, Nev and Crow... then again Zero could make some well-educated guesses. It was simply fate for their kind. Love at first sight was rare among their kind, but when it happened it bloomed into full-blown obsession that left her kin susceptible to manipulation, herself included. The volatile nature of a fae in love could make them downright suicidal. Zero knew from experience.

The kind of love that made you want to to serve your mutilated heart on a silver platter...

It was the only love she'd ever know.

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Bodies were soon hauled from the battlefield, a short blonde fae was dragging their asses back to some lounge chairs where they could pop back up from their intense fighting like nothing ever happened.

"And that's that! Team Saturn has absolutely demolished Team Venus~! Give it up for our lovely combatants everyone! Bringing you the most PREMIUM entertainment the SSU has to offer!" The smaller fae yelled out into the microphone, cheering for both teams as she hyped up the crowd. "But get ready! We have two fresh teams coming up to the stage! Lights please!" Lyra called to a few fae chilling out on the ceiling beams, using their light magic to shine bright on the simulacrum grounds.

With that a blinding light shone on the fighters of Odessa and Forgery's teams. Ri'zu hissed at the light while Helena barely showed up at all.

"We've got Team Sol with fresh-faced recruits fighting to prove their worth on the field for all to see! Give it up for them, love 'em or hate 'em these guys might just have what it takes to put down team Lua! Let's hear it for Team Lua everybody~ Some of the SSU's first and finest will take the simulacrum today against our inmates on Team Sol! So let's cheer them on and get ready for a L E G E N D A R Y battle!"
Lyra lit up the room with her energy as her magic created whirls of sparkles and lights, shining on Zero, Nev, Jae Hwa, and Kaia, the blonde blowing bubbles for her cats.
"Huh? Wait what—?" Kaia blinked in surprise and promptly handed off the bubble wand and the two cats into the arms of a purple haired maid that looked utterly unamused.

Isha audibly gasped when she saw Kaia get up. She shook like a leaf and clutched her rifle in her hands. "W-We're fighting... Her?" She gulped as Helena put a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok to be scared, Isha... but right now? It's time to shape up." Helena spoke in a calm tone as Ri'zu patted her head causing her bunny ears to fall on either side of her head. "Nya... Don't worry Isha! This just means you get to prove to her what you've learned working with us! You got this." Ri'zu smiled brightly. Isha couldn't see it, but she could feel the warmth in her words and nodded along.
"Alright... I... I can do it. We can do it." Isha was still mortified, but most of her fears had been quelled by the support of her team. Now all that was left was to label her opponents by rocks to keep track of who went where.

Her ears perked up when she looked at Zero. Isha was blind to most of the world, terrain and obstacles only showing up as vague shapes and blocks... but souls was how she navigated the world. Everyone that had one she could see. She saw people in the stands, and boy there were so so many... but Zero... Zero had many all at once. One was the tormented soul of a half-human that lost her way, another was the soul of a dark spirit long forgotten to the lips of her cosmic kin, there were several more tacked onto her like bees swarming their queen... then there was the soul of a peculiar looking man... a vampire... she knew who it was. She didn't know how Zero fought and killed, but she damn well knew the woman was always accompanied by her husband wherever she went. He wasn't sitting by her though, but she saw his soul looming around her. The odd couple baby sat her now and again when she was a little girl. Many days were spent running around with their kids, and feeling safe in the arms of that same fae... this fight was going to be personal, fighting against what was essentially her adoptive mother as well as several figures she looked up to in her life.

"Odessa's right... watch out for Zero especially... she... she's not normal, her vampire's there too. Somewhere around her... I can see it. I can see him." She spoke in a hushed frightened tone. She'd always feared Fenn. He could give any variation of Dracula a run for his money. A man driven on love and obsession, the love Kaia warned her to stay away from at all costs for her own sake. She'd never seen him fight before, being so new to the SSU she just never got to see him in action, and Kaia had done well to protect and hide her away from the world when cosmic calamities struck. It was like his abilities were under lock and key, even when asking Kaia about her old adventures answered very few of the many questions she had.
"Be really careful with her." Isha spoke once more as she saw Zero rise to her feet.

"𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕤 𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕙𝕖𝕣, ℍ 𝕆 𝕄 𝔼."

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Zero took the stage first, stepping into the arena seemingly all by her lonesome. She held an arm out, telling her group to more or less stay back. She wanted to test them out all at once all by her lonesome. Lyra looked on with big wide eyes and cheered to herself, kicking her legs in the air and fluttering her wings at near mach speed. This was her big sister after all. The crowds roared so loud that it was hard for anyone to hear themselves think, but once inside the bubble the sounds of the crowd fell into silence. With every step the shadows drew closer to her body, even the shadows of the sentenced agents were drawn to her as she walked onto the scene like it was a fashion show catwalk. Her entrance was simple and stylish and the crowd continued to roar. This was one of the most legendary assassins know to the SSU. Not many had the chance to see her fight in person, and now they would.

And no one would remember it when it was all over... aside from the agents that were high up the chain.

Her shoulders started to twitch as they heard the sickening pops and cracks come from her body. Zero then hunched over as her spine suddenly snapped. Even the women of the sentenced squad were taken aback, all but Odessa. She knew what was coming.

The fae's skin began to expand outward as two large lumps formed before the sickening sounds of both fabric and skin tearing echoed through the simulacrum and the arena. Bright reddish pink blood splattered all over the floor, webbed with pulsating black strands that slowly moved back towards her.
Large metallic wings that resembled the blades of a battle axe ripped through her body, her back momentarily exposed to the mostly stunned crowd. Her back told stories, a strange faceted gemstone in the shape of a crescent moon seemed fused to her back... the centerpiece for a strange symbol branded into her back that held an eerie magenta glow for a few moments.

Slowly her skin fused back together around the skin as shadows crawled up her back to remake her dress. It was quite the entrance. Despite the fresh blood on the ground, Tide would find that it was likely of no use to him. Be it due to the shadows corruption, or the power of a stronger hemomancer controlling it for her.

"Let's start this thing~ Just you and me~!"
The fae smirked under her mask and opened her arms. The shadows swirling around her feet as they manifested into real matter.

The girls looked unnerved, even Helena who was already dead now feared the worst from this fight. The perpetually cheerful Ri'zu had her ears pinned back with pursed lips, a nervous sweat drop rolled down her forehead. The heat from the lights was uncomfortable. "They... They want us to fight that?" She asked, her tail flicking as her claws extended, Ri'zu was suddenly not as confident anymore, but they had to prove themselves here and now, so she put on her brave face for her team, but mostly for herself.

"It's just some edgy chick with a title and a knife, she's gotta be fucking suicidal if she thinks she can take us all on." Astrea scoffed and twirled her staff. She stepped into the arena first, the stands cheering on the attractive siren that took to the field first. Zero wasn't moving yet, waiting for all of the sentenced of team Lua to stand in the simulacrum before her. Ri'zu and Helena followed suit, then a reluctant Odessa and a fearful Isha. They had to prove themselves capable of fighting for the SSU even if they lost today.

Zero drew out two seemingly normal looking karambit blades from the shadows. Double edged and worn to hell, those weapons had certainly seen use probably longer than Isha was alive. Inky black shadows swirled around the blade as she stared at them expectantly. "Come now. The whole team." Zero spoke, words of venom doused in honey all wrapped up in a thick Italian accent. The rubies on her black wedding ring glinted in the spot lights as shadowy smoke began to fill up the arena, the walls coming up in connected hexogonal patterns and then turning invisible. A barrier for the barrier just incase things got too out of hand.

Adriana was watching from the stands high up, a hand on the thigh of her husband, another on the control panel of the simulacrum. Settings were confirmed and she locked down the arena. Feel all pain, terrain shifts, sudden death, along with full strength and full magical capabilities were enabled, which meant every single fighter in the simulacrum was about to fight at their best. If they were lacking sleep they would suddenly feel refreshed, if they were famished they would find themselves energized, thirsts for water or blood would be quenches, and all needs were generally taken care of at the start of the match. It kept things as fair as possible for the most part.

It was clear Zero wasn't going to start fighting until the full team was in the arena, she sized up everyone one by one while they took their time coming in. With every victim coming onto the stage her smile widened ever so slightly. Now all that was left was for Lyra to blow the horn and start the match. Jae Hwa and Kaia stood near the entry way, waiting for their own time to shine. "She's definitely lost her marbles." Jae scoffed and shook her head. Kaia merely laughed at her statement and tilted her head left or right, debating on whether she agreed with her fellow agent or not. "Hard to say, she never had many to begin with. She was never really all put together ever since we met when the SSU first started." Kaia shrugged.

The three women looked nearly identical in age, all around their younger to mid twenties or so... but in this world, physical looks were merely an illusion. Kaia and Zero were up there in age, it was really hard to say with all the timey wimey stuff they and most of the SSU had to suffer through when several galaxy eating threats decided to make their way into the star system. From being a simple human in the slums of a neighborhood sex ring to some otherworldy blessed mess of a woman with a chain whip and a child, Kaia still wondered if most of her life was some weird drug induced fever dream. Either way she got to spend her life with her childhood love. A gang leader leader turned demi-god with un managed trauma from the local carnival... that sounded about right.

Jae Hwa was a bit different, the child of two legendary people among the SSU. The leader and founder of the organization itself. The enigma that was Adriana, a psychic vampire with a story bathed in blood and stone. Then Vigil, a man with no face, no name, similar to Zero in all the best and worst way, and just as unhinged which was an achievment in it of itself. She looked similar in age to Zero and Kaia, but was much much younger... hell, Kaia and Zero definitely baby sat a young Jae Hwa at one point or another.

Now they were going to stand on business and on battlefield with one another just as they always had. These new recruits were either going to make it, break it, or a strange mic of the two. It happened before and would happen again... they were just lucky it was only the lot of them that they had to fight.

Any attempt to make their fight equal in terms of numbers would prove to be an all out sweep from the SSU's finest. Even five people were pushing the limits here, right now Zero was going to figure out the sweet spot for this group. Seeing who's powers she could lure out first before snapping unhinged jaws over their pretty little heads. Of course she couldn't underestimate any of them, from the goofy looking bat to the sweetest looking bunny rabbit. These people were hand picked by Adriana herself. With or without their consent. They were chosen for a reason, and now it would be time to prove their worth to the crowds around them once and for all.​

 

[Tenzai]

"So let's cheer them on and get ready for a L E G E N D A R Y battle!" An announcement that signaled their end. It was never meant to be an even fight. The informal leader of the mercenary organization working alongside the SSU had aimed to make their display a beatdown: A representation of what was to come for any criminal that was deemed a liability for either organization. Despite the initial fear that the others had displayed, it appeared that there was a resolution made up in their minds, knowing that there was no alternative than to try their best. This was their way of showing the world that they were worthy of their right to a second chance at life: That they were worthy of the grace and investment from the leader of the SSU herself: Adriana.

"Alright... I... I can do it. We can do it." The sight of the smallest one among them steeling her will to fight against the top brass of her organization itself had inspired courage in the heart of the angel and the android. To Sulfur on the other hand, a single smell of a special concoction he had cooked up the night before the battle was enough to fill him with a euphoric high. "Ha... If they wanna see their top agents lose that bad, why hold back, right guys?" Underneath his clothes hid a multitude of bombs, each ready to detonate at a level that would rock the fortified building they were inside down to its foundation. Even if they lose, he would ensure that it would end a draw. "I mean, this place would keep us from dying, so there's no point in being scared. The only thing we should be nervous about is putting on a terrible show."

Sweat dripped down Forgery's hands. Unlike the rest of his party, he was the most aware of his enemy's capabilities. By doing his research of some of the agents they could potentially face against, he exposed himself to anxiety over the sake of research. His hacks led to a deep dive that revealed the mythological components of the top agents, including the censored information of their missions in other realms and against extra-planar entities. The people that stood in front of them were a step beyond extraordinary; Leagues above he ever imagined he could one day reach with the best of his abilities.

"Relax, Forge." Their chemical specialist patted his shoulder, immediately noticing the tension in his shoulders. "If you worry any more, you're gonna make Tide nervous and he's fucking shaking." A quick glance over to their hemomancer's side had revealed a bat boy that was trembling as he held on his staff. The potency of the blood that stained their weapons was overwhelming. If they were going to go against the people that could extract that blood in the first place, it meant that he was walking straight into the jaws of death. "Besides, its not like we can't... Alter the odds in our favor, can we?" Hinting at the fact that there was an electronic component to the Simalucrum, he hoped that it would serve as a solid enough in for the hacker that had yet to be held back by digital walls.

"We'll cover you." Null stood by his leader's side. "We have enough bodies to give you some time, so make sure you don't take our sacrifice for granted. I'm sure that if I fight at my best, I could buy you a couple minutes." While the android was speaking, his body began to rise in heat, preparing to move quickly to keep up with the assassin's moves. "And I doubt that the others are going to hold back either. Have faith in us. We're a team now."

Nodding his head, Forgery wiped the nervous sweat off his brow before turning towards their enemy who steadily approached. Given the fact that she was willing to come in on her own, leaving behind her arena companions, it meant that they had the advantage of numbers to offer the hacker more time. "I get it. I'll see what I could do and do what I can, but no promises." The other boys in his team smiled towards him. "Of course. But I don't underestimate you as much as you do yourself, Forge."

Drawing their weapons as she approached, it was clear that the enemy they were soon to face was a step beyond all they encountered before. An uneasy cracking of her body and bloody, metallic wings erupting from her back had made her seem more like a monster than a human. With the shadows swirling underneath her adding to her unholy image as well, she showed herself off as no normal foe: A dark idol that the SSU had prided itself with in their cheers. "Let's start this thing~ Just you and me~!"

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴡᴀᴠᴇꜱ ᴄʀᴀꜱʜ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ᴀ ᴅɪꜱᴛᴀɴᴛ ꜱʜᴏʀᴇ | ᴀᴢᴀʟɪ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

"They... They want us to fight that?"

"It's just some edgy chick with a title and a knife, she's gotta be fucking suicidal if she thinks she can take us all on."​

"Come now. The whole team." Her introduction shook many of them. Those who came into the arena expecting to fight someone like them were sorely mistaken, made aware that nightmares like this one were in the vampire's employ. The knives in her hand were well worn, used throughout the course of many years, hinting at her experience on the battlefield. Forced to advance forward less they suffer a penalty by failing to adhere to the responsibilities assigned to them by their new masters, even the more fearful among them had entered the arena, only for the doors behind them to seal. There was only two ways through this, certain defeat or through her.

"Aether." "Mhmm." The first to charge forward was Null and Aether. The two were used to fighting alongside each other, staying within range of each other's attacks without ever being concerned about wounding each other. With the angel's glaive being drawn forward and Null's mounted cannons embedded in his arms extending outwards, they have assaulted Zero from her flanks, forcing her to turn her attention to two opposite sides of her body. While they fought, they hoped that the other girls in their team would take advantage of the opening they provided, joining in from another angle to take advantage of her physical limitations as a solo fighter on the battlefield.

Swinging into her using his future sight to guide him, as he avoided the worst outcomes by swinging towards her core instead of towards her head or legs, his divine steel had met with the material of her karambits, its holy nature resisting her shadows as each element had attempted to one up the other. As he did so, Null charged his blast weaponry, preparing to blow holes into the assassin herself. Though as he threw punches while her arms were kept busy, her heels had dodged his heaviest hooks, striking back with kicks whenever he prepared a jab. She was a lot faster than she looked, and if this was the quality of agent that Vigil had chosen as well when it came to the other people on her team, then the two understood: They were doomed to fail.

Meanwhile, while the girls prepared to intervene, Tide began to spill bottles of blood from his jacket to create a resource pool he could utilize for his spells. With staff in hand, he raised it to the sky. "Spirits of Huītzilō. Hear my call. FUCK THEM UP!" The magician was far from the most eloquent of casters. His past existence had robbed him of any desire to wield his abilities with grace like his captors did. However, that didn't stop him from being capable of the same. From the puddle of red came something that adopted his form, wielding mana to construct its surface similar to its master. With crimson shards acting as ice spells being aimed towards the assassin, he launched projectiles towards her direction, aiming to spill more blood to use as power on the battlefield.

"Forty five percent." The hacker announced to the girls beside him, giving them a countdown timer of how long they needed in order for him to secure an advantage. Invading the SSU mainframe took time, even with his backdoors. "Oh, how interesting." Adriana's robot companion noted, finding an intrusion detected in their network. Though, before he had a chance to intervene, the feeling of his vampire co-commander's hand had stopped him from engaging their digital defenses. "Was this what you had in mind, Adriana? Is this your way of showing your husband that they're worth keeping around?"

Unfortunately for the sentenced, Adriana's halt of the constructs acts did not stop the two women beside Zero from responding to him and him specifically. Trained to be aware of opponents that didn't move while others guarded them, it was clear as day to them that one of the most dangerous people in regards to their match was Forgery himself. "Astrea! Odessa! To me!" He requested, unable to move fast enough to potentially dodge their reaction.



Finding Zero engaged in combat, the last member of their team that had yet to act snickered. "Keep her tied up!" Unveiling his jacket to use it as a threat to everyone around, he made it obvious to all that he had enough explosive capability to not only wipe out everyone around him but also enough to overwhelm the Simulacrum system. This particular simulacrum was battle tested against skirmishes, constructed to withstand the force of rookies, not full on higher ranked agents. Charging towards Zero himself, the moment that the other two were made aware, they held her in place, sacrificing their own health and wellbeing in exchange for his edge in combat. "Sorry but we can't afford to lose. If that asshole watching us has guaranteed we won't win..." With one detonator in hand and the other hidden somewhere else on him, he charged onto her blades with a smile, grabbing her arm to embed it into his gut. "Then we'll draw."

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"So this is the place. Hmm. A lot less guarded than I thought." In the outskirts of their headquarters, the vampire made his presence known, destroying every robotic guardian within. Using the chip embedded within the drones and slotting it inside of his body, he was able to tell where they were destined to return: A quiet, walled asylum in the woods known by the locals in the city to hold peacekeepers. "Peacekeepers. What a load of shit."

Lifting his pistol to the remaining camera on its exterior, he blasted the lens into pieces with a magical silencer to keep it discrete. "If they wanted peace, they would've never come after me at all." With the systems in disarray thanks to Forgery's hacking attempt, the others within the simulacrum, save for the few that held foresight that extended long enough, were able to determine that something wrong was going on, but by then, Seung was already on the move. These people had chased him after a breakup had painted a target on his back. These people were at fault for what was to come next. After all, it's only right to give an eye for an eye.

Noticing a sentry stationed immediately on the inside, he placed a gun to her back, unaware of the capabilities she wielded. "Tell me where your boss is. I'd like to have a word with her." The look of the sentry had caught him off guard at first. Unlike the robot constructs outside, this one seemed to be dressed more casually than the uniformed security drones he had grown used to reducing to scrap metal. Finding her legs not moving, he pressed the barrel further into the woman's back adding onto the pressure of them being his hostage. "Now. I don't have a lot of time to fuck around with." Forcing her forward, he began to walk her to the tallest building within the compound itself. Assumably, it would make sense that their leader would be stationed there.