Chapter Twenty Three: Terra Nova

A pair of knocks ring off the door, opening to reveal Carmine and Neo. The boy gives a passive wave. "Yo!" Blair exits her room, her huntress outfit on with an extra black tight jacket open at the chest. She secures a clip on the inside of the jacket. "What's that?"

Securing the clip, the blonde simply walks by the two "Insurance. Let's get going." Leading the two away, she double checks her scroll. "Roman sent me the address and gave fifteen minutes to get there."

Carmine cocks his head. "Still wondering how he captured someone, found a location to hide them, AND transported them across the city." His eyes flick to Neo. "Any ideas?" The girl shakes her head before conjuring a sign.

The sign depicts a stick figure with an orange head smothering another stick figure. The picture shatters to a new one showing the same orange headed figure dragging the unconscious figure, while pointing away. A crowd of other figures look away in the direction the orange head points.

Carmine purses his lips. "I'd kill myself if he succeeded THAT easily."

. . .

"Oh, I wouldn't worry yourself with the 'how'. Only the 'why'." Roman sounds off in a dark room. A storehouse room. A couple chains hang from the ceiling, along with one bright light in the large space. The light illuminates a suited man, brown hair messy, with a trimmed beard and black eye. Chains bind the man's arms behind his back and legs to the chair legs.

From the shadows, Roman leans down. He continues. "So, 'Johnson'... sorry, I mean-" His right hand reveals a wallet. "-Andrew." He smirks at the man's defiant glare. "Question." He backs away, beginning to pace the room. "What's the best restaurant here?"

"What?" The man, Andrew, sounds confused, voice hoarse and tired.

"I'm gonna need a good meal later. Thought you would know." He clicks his tongue, still pacing. "A good place to take the dames. Talking high class! Really impress the girls... or boys. I don't know your preference." Roman pauses to shrug and smile at him.

Andrew simply glares, remaining silent.

"Oh, there's a nail. Sorry, there's someone who GETS nailed." Roman snickers as Andrew's eyes widen.

"I'm straight!"

Roman holds his hands up in mock defense. "Whoa there. It's okay whatever your preference. Just answer where you take dates."

"Piss off, you lunatic."

The man's tough look wipes away as Roman walks up, stopping just in front of him. Roman looms over, casting a shadow over him and looking into his eyes. All pleasure was gone, but his smirk remained. Roman's finger taps the man's chin up to maintain eye contact. "Answer the question. Where's your favorite place to eat."

Andrew's eye twitches before he answers. "Reno's... w-why?"

Roman huffs a laugh before patting the man's cheek. "What's your favorite dish, Andy?" He moves away, disappearing into the shadows.

The business man darts his look about, answering nervously. "Sauteed Mushrooms over rice. Happy?" He bites back regaining irritation. "Maybe you can go get me some."

Roman's hands grip his shoulders from behind. Andrew goes stiff, eyes wide. "I'm happy only if we're open and honest." Roman lets go, walking around to tap his cane along the ground and place a chair opposite from Andrew. "I take a drink of the day with my dinners. You got a favorite hard drink to pair?"

"Hmph. Chardonnay." Andrew responds. "There a point to this?" He watches Roman sit in the chair and smile back.

"So." Roman starts, placing a cigar in his mouth and withdrawing his lighter. "If I were to go to Reno's." He lights the cigar, maintaining eye contact. "Match up payments and receipts with your name and that order... And check footage. Would I find you with any lovely lasses?"

The shift was instant. Andrew's brown eyes harden, muscles tense and ready to rip Roman apart were it not for the chains. Roman's grin widens as he huffs from the cigar, then blows smoke into the man's face. "Oh, you connect dots fast, Andy."

"You have no idea who you're threatening..." Andrew's gravely voice dips down.

"Well, duh. That's the point of this conversation." Roman chuckles as he flicks ash off the tip of the cigar. "And I won't need to find out if you just answer me honestly... How long have you worked for AZRL?"

"..." The fierce glare back refused to back down.

"Oh, you've made that choice. Alright, then." His grin remained.

. . .

The door to the storage building opens as Carmine walks in. "Alright, Roman. I want some answ- OH MY GOD!" Immediately, the boy's eyes were wide with horror, Blair similarly wrinkling her nose in disgust. However, Neo's hands clap up, fingers wriggling with a slight glee.

Andrew now hung from the ceiling, upside down. His arms were bound behind his back, clothes in tatters and face bloodied and beaten. Skin blackened and purple, the crimson color trickled from hos lip, nose, and small cuts into his hair.

Roman stands by his work, turning about to the group and grinning. "Ah! The swing shift arrives." He wipes his hand with a cloth before snatching his hat from atop his empty chair. "Watch him for me, will ya? I need to go on down to Reno's." Andrew's barely conscious form stirs at the mentioning of the restaurant.

"Watch him-" Carmine sputters, double taking between Roman and the hanging man. His mouth works unhinged for a moment before he loudly exclaims. "Explain!"

Roman grips Andrew's shirt and pulls it up, revealing a lightly reflective gray-blue brand for the number '16272'. "He works for AZRL. He's a Johnson. The moment he introduced himself as a Johnson by phone, I organized our meet up and captured him." He lightly pats the side of Andrew's face. "He's quite stubborn, so I'm bout to scrounge up something to entice him into opening up a bit, yeah?"

Looking ready to tear his hair out, Carmine is cut off by Blair. "What has he told you, and how secure is this location?" She makes sure to speak low enough to not be heard.

The man grimaces. "He's given me some personal stuff I can use to interrogate further, but nothing on AZRL." He then smirks. "And I found this place earlier this week. This specific storage room isn't rented out and is away from any unwanted eyes and ears."

This calms the still sputtering boy's blathering. Blair nods. "I see. Hold off on leaving yet. Neo, get my tools." The girl's eyes light up, curious and excited! She nods and scampers out from the room, both the males sending a cautious look Blair's way.

"Blair... what's are you gonna..?"

"My methods are more subtle than Roman's, clearly." She states coolly. Neo re-enters the room with the blonde's medical bag. She hands it off to the older woman.

Blair sets the bag down, opening it and removing a pair of gloves. Andrew glares at her. "What's this? The good cop to his bad cop?" She doesn't respond, pulling the plastic glove tight. "What? We playing doctor now?" Andrew swings his mouth and spits out a blood drop at her!

Her plastic glove stops the blood before it hits her face. Her eyes hollow, yet focused, she pulls her hand away and looks it over. Her right hand reaches to Florescent Finish, pulling the yellow blade out.

Holding the blade up, Blair takes the blood on the off hand and wipes it directly onto the golden yellow. Running the red along the blade, the liquid absorbs into the metal. Slowly, the blade shifts to a crimson shade...

"What the hell?" Andrew comments. "What are you-"

Blair swings the blade, triggering her weapon to activate the blood, to activate the semblance within... The tip halts at the tip of Andrew's nose, his wide eyes spooked at the swing. The sword shimmers in color before returning to a golden hue.

"How disappointing." Blair comments, disheartened. "You haven't unlocked your semblance yet." She withdraws the blade and sheaths it.

The captive man struggles. "What kind of psycho bitch do you think-"

Blair's off hand reaches out, patting onto his upside down torso. An unsaturated shroud of aura coats the man, losing color over his form. Just a second later, his muscles tense in a jolt, mouth sharply opening as he screams out in pain.

The scream chokes out as Blair ceases her semblance, Andrew gasping for air. "Being unable to control one's aura leaves them quite vulnerable to an attack that targets said aura." Her cold amber eyes remain unfazed as her right hand retrieves a scalpel from her bag. "When one has full control over your aura, there is no end to the pain they can cause, with no drawbacks... save for trauma to the mind."

"Let me go, you witch! I'll die before- AARGH!" He coils in pain, lightly swaying back and forth as Blair maintains eye contact with him.

Her hand steadies him, his wincing matched by wide terrified eyes. Blair's gaze remains impassive. "A final warning. Roman can break you, but myself?" She rips fabric from his shirt, revealing his skin as she readies her scalpel. "I can put you back together no matter how many times I take you apart."

Neo and Roman both watch with wide eyes, blinking in simple surprise as Blair proceeds to operate on the screaming man. Numbly, Neo conjures a sign and aims it at Roman. 'You're the good cop...' Roman simply shrugs. "I'll argue that when I think of how..."

Meanwhile, Carmine's hands tightly clench into fists. His breath cones out choppy as he stares at the scene... Seeing the red dripping sending an unwanted chill. His eyes find a specific trail of red from the man to Blair's gloved hand.

"I used this hand."

He flinches back, turning away from the scene with a shuddering breath. "Damn it..." Eager for a distraction, he immediately looks to Roman. "Did you set those up yet?"

The conman peels his eyes from the mad doctor cut em up. "Hm? Oh, those were set up days ago."

"Good of you to let us know."

Roman narrows a glare at him. "I followed your juvenile restrictions to the letter. No harming the feeble innocent bystanders, yada yada." He flippantly waves the child off.

"Hmm... I'll wait outside." Carmine announces as he leaves.

Roman rolls his eyes, then looks to Neo. "Nothing but complaints with him."

Neo contains a chuckle before the two simply observe Blair's workings.

. . .

Thirty minutes in, Blair continues. No less blood. No less screaming. Several incisions now stitched and bandaged. Four large stitched lacerations spread over the abdomen of the still upside down man. His wheezing breaths coming out haggard. Long had his defiant insults gone silent.

The man's eyes widen as Blair once more places her gloved hand on his sternum. Finally, the begging came. "No no. wai- GAAAAH!" Blair raises a brow as Andrew screams out. "OKAY! I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT! PLEASE!"

Her semblance cuts out, the man's gasping breaths. In a flash, she cuts the chain with Florescent, and she catches it before the man's head hits the ground to fall. Listening to his breathing calm, she lays the poor man on his side. "Deep breath in. Then out."

Roman, Neo, and Carmine all look over. The boy having come back in after fresh air. Quickly gathering, they let Blair keep control.

She waits just a second as a raspy sound escapes the man. "Now, how long have you worked for AZRL, and who are you?"

Andrew caves in heaved breathes. "I-I've been with them since... I was 12. Wait... No, 13 I think." He shudders with a staggered breath. His eyes close in thought, struggling to calm down. "I... I've been an administrative worker for them ever since. Twenty one years."

He continues. "My job is to scout talent and make contact. Myself and others like me will give jobs to test individuals."

"We know that part." Blair answers impatiently. "You've been with them for over two decades? I have three questions from there. One, how far does AZRL'S influence extend beyond this city?"

Andrew shuffles on the floor to a sitting position, knees in front of him. "I... can't answer that."

Roman steps up. "For the love of-"

"-because I don't know!" Andrew declares hastily. Johnsons are unique to their designated areas! I've only worked in three cities my entire life. Vaterra is the third, and the second was Merraine along the Mistrali/Valean borders. My first city was Babda in Vacuo!"

The four share a look before focusing back on the man. Carmine speaks up. "What can you tell us about Aline Zandril?"

Andrew's reaction was instant. More pale than before. His eyes seemed frantic. "Y-Y-You know his name?" Neo holds up a sign. It reads, 'Zan Man the Fat Man'. He swallows the growing lump in his throat. "I've only worked on one of his personal accounts, and it was years ago. An Atlas line, but I can't recall."

"Typical low level thug info." Roman remarks offhand. "Then straight to the point. Tell us everything about the operation in this town."

Apprehension came over the man's brown eyes. "I... this is a trap..." Blair opens her mouth, but he adds further. "For you! T-they had a description of only two of you, uh, you and you." He nods to Blair and Roman. "They placed a tracker inside me for this exact situation!"

. . .

An electronic map of Vaterra shows highlighted on a large board screen. The room was fairly modest in size, but its walls teemed with wires and equipment. A surveillance room. Monitors sectioned off in square sets of four in front of three individual work stations.

Behind three men in basic white jackets stands the teacher. Her large brown eyes light on a specific portion of the map. In the storage warehouses upon one of the smaller floating islands. A blinking orange dot.

She grins in a slight twirl. Her yellow and black skirt flows out in he short of energy. Her head held high with authority, she looks down upon one of the three men. "Have you sent the order?"

"Ma'am. Two local police units have been tipped. They're making their approach within ten minutes." A dark haired man responds.

A satisfied grin comes, but the teacher sighs. "My. I'm almost disappointed. Master Zandril swore that at least one of them was a substantial threat." Her eyes open, a sharp glint in her eye. "Pity..."

. . .

"The heck, Roman?" Carmine shouts at the man The orange haired conman twitches and glares back.

"Oh yeah, like I'M supposed to just know that ahead of time!"

"Don't bother." Blair interrupts as she pulls up a plastic baggie, containing a dime sized chip blinking orange. It was stained red from their captive's blood. "I found it while operating twenty minutes ago." She places it on an empty chair at the shock of them all.

"And... you didn't bring it up why?" Carmine gives a dumbfounded look, twitching his eye while placing the woman under scrutiny.

"It wasn't necessary." Blair gives a ghost of a smirk. "Besides, I have one last trick with my semblance that would help us if anyone were coming."

"Someone's feeling awful superior." Roman snarks out. His green eyes come to rest on the tracker. "But NOW I have an idea." His smirk grows. He looks to the children. "Get the guy to the truck. I wanna get some things set."

. . .

Lines of tan storage houses create aisles with large concrete pathways down the middle. Each storage unit has two doors, a garage style hanging door and a regular door beside it.

Immediately, five police cruisers, one an armored swat transport, burn rubber down the concrete path. They skid to a halt outside the eighth storage unit on the left. Sirens off, lights off, the officers pour out of all five vehicles.

Stacking up on the two doors, fifteen men fully armored and carrying rifles get ready for a breach. A swat officer with red stripes glances back to an officer. The man pulls out a tracking monitor from his pocket... a three eyed skull pendant shows on the back of the device.

The screen highlights a tracking signal coming from just inside. He looks to the captain and nods. The captain signals to those next to the garage door. "Crack it open. I want it silent. Eyes first."

One officer moves with a fold tool, working on picking the door lock. Another pulls a hand held controller with a wire camera. He slips the wire camera under the door, controlling the device to glance around the dark room. Dark. Parts blocked, but mostly open.

"No contacts in sight. Parts blocked."

Flash bang won't get full effect if they're behind cover... The captain nods. "Gas and secure." The group stacks up. One man opens the door just a crack... and fails to notice a wire tied to the inner doorknob snap.

Another throws a gas grenade into the room, followed by the entire force of gunmen. "Go! Go! Go!" They force in, moving into a gas filled room with only empty boxes. "Police! Come out with your hands up!"

They move through the room, the one carrying the tracker pulling the device back out... One meter to his right. Atop one of the empty boxes sits the plastic baggie with the tracking chip. "No contacts."

The captain approaches the baggie, picking it up and inspecting it. His eye then catches a paper left next to it...

It's a drawing of a smiley face, tongue out, giving a hand up presenting its middle finger. The smiley face had mismatched pink and brown eyes colored in.

"Sir! The ceiling!"

All eyes move up... finding small ball like objects hanging from the ceiling... connected to a count down timer. A timer connected by wire near the now opened door. 3. 2. 1...

BOOM!

A concussive blast shakes out, blowing both the doors out from the storage unit and shrouding the officers in an orange red mist... of dust. "AHHH!" All the men cry out in pain, pawing at their bodies as burning sensation sears at their skin.

The cries echo out as the mist blows out into the air and into the sky.

. . .

The dirty blonde teacher blinks once... twice... The point on the electronic map highlighted red with critical condition officers... Another monitor showed live footage of the officers body cams, the men crying out and screeching.

"Ma'am... they aren't there, and the officers-" The white jacketed man is swatted upside the head as the teacher crosses her arms and sneers.

"I noticed!" She shouts before breathing out a sigh. "I underestimated them, it seems."

"Ma'am, Miss Mary Anne! Do my eyes deceive me?" Spyyra's voice cuts in as he walks into the surveillance room. He smirks at the scene lax in his stance. "Have YOU of all people been caught... gasp... off guard?!"

Her brown eyes twitch before she breaths in and out. "A first time for everything, it seems." She then sets a small glare his way. "Also, when you gasp, you're not supposed to SAY gasp."

"Ah, Mary, you always critique me." He sarcastically drawls. He turns away to leave the room. "Let me know if you require my assistance!"

The woman, Mary, watches him leave with a critical eye. Slowly, her gaze drifts to the electronic map. "Damn it. Next strategy. It's their play to attack... so, time for a defense."

. . .

Roman smirks, standing proudly beside a newly stolen storage truck. The small stream of orange blows into the sky. "And bingo. We've made contact with the enemy." He chuckles watching from his spot from another of the islands. "Ah, perfect." He gets back into the van, immediate set with a glare by Carmine.

"None lethal?" He questions in a demanding tone.

The conman rolls his eyes. "Lethal only if they stand in it and breath it in for three full minutes. Get your little boy panties out of their twist."

"I'll complain less once we return this STOLEN vehicle." Carmine groans before looking at a chipper Neo. His side eye earns an innocent smile. "I think the drawing was a bit too much."

Her smile morphs to a cocky smirk as she too sticks her tongue out and flips the boy off. Simmering down, the group all turn to look into the back of the storage space linked to the vehicle's cab. Andrew, eyes wide and gagged, stares back. The four share another glance.

"So... where now?"

It didn't take long before Roman drove the van into a parking complex. Immediately upon settling into a corner between other vehicles, Blair moves from the front passenger side, crawling into the back seat between Carmine and Neo, pulling the gag out from the man.

"Ack! Ha! Ah!" He gasps out in throaty breaths. He flinches as Carmine offers a bottled water. He gives the child a stink eye before slowly taking a sip, the boy tipping the open bottle up for him. He gulps down and exhales before speaking. "Why are you-"

"Stop." Carmine holds a hand up to halt the conversation. The boy's conflicting feelings are clear, but he settles for a glare. "Yes. I'm the good cop, so you have one chance before I give you back to our doctor here."

The man clenches his jaw, eyes flicking back to Blair. "R-right..."

"So... AZRL. This town. Where are they keeping children here, and how can we shut down their operation?"

He gulps before going into it. "...Many if the businesses in this city are unknowingly connected. The children learn organization and job skills by handling the finances, accounting, and operations through proxies... like me."

He continues. "The center of operations is tied to the city itself. The center of the city holds a firm, an office building only four stories tall. It's connected to caverns below the sewer system, which goes even lower into the island with a whole network connecting the entire city and the wiring to the surrounding islands."

"The local cops know about this?!" Carmine exclaims, Neo and Blair sharing a wary glance.

"They're aware of network, but not the finer details or function. Only key lieutenants are tied to us. The children are there, though I've never seen them more than a handful of times a year. Security is tight. Auto sensors and weapon placements."

Carmine glances back to Roman. "Would you be able to make some more EMP's?"

"Wouldn't work too well in underground tunnels like that. Assuming that we're talking long hallways surrounded by rock and dirt on all sides?" Roman asks of Andrew. The most hesitates before nodding. "Right. It's quite easier to use them through walls of a building or through floors like at Silver Auditorium. Underground with solid mass all ways, we wouldn't get much range." Roman taps his chin in thought. "Perhaps cutting power to the lower levels altogether would work best."

Blair cuts in. "Surely they have backup generators, but if all the islands' power goes through that hub, no amount of backups would power everything. It wouldn't negate all their protections, but it would help." she cuts an eye back to Andrew, earning a wince from the man. "What is the city's primary means of power?"

"Actually, it's the CCT tower. It's converted to fully solar energy on the upper island, soaking up light above the clouds." Andrew answers. He then adds quickly. "The sides of the tower are also lined with rods to absorb and charge natural lightning for passing storms."

Neo blinks in thought, then conjures a sign. A picture of the floating islands connected by cables shows. The upper island connects to the main directly below it with the surfaces lit yellow. The picture shatters and changes. The cable for the upper island is disconnected, and all the islands but the upper are darkened.

Roman grins at the picture. "I agree with Tricolor. Completely cripple the enemy for plenty long enough, and it's not lethal to anyone. A win for all parties." He sarcastically drawls the part of lethal harm as his flicks his eyes at the redheaded boy.

Seeing excited looks on both the man's and girl's faces, Carmine grimaces and glances to Blair. She nods. "The lines are incredibly reinforced. I'm the only one who can damage them. So, if that's the plan, I will be the one to accomplish that while you all head into the underground."

"I don't like splitting the party."

"Oh, don't give us that, Silver Streak. You brats left me back in Mibu." Roman scowls at the teen, who pouts back.

"Fine." Carmine answers, looking to Neo. "You're with Blair. You two cut the power while Roman and I head underground through that firm." The girl nods with a smirk, then he receives a curt tilt of the head from Blair. Looking to Roman, the man sneers at the boy.

"So everything's on me. Hmph. Children."

The boy scowls at him, but doesn't take the rise. "Then it's decided." A thought occurs as he looks to Andrew. He holds one finger up in thought. "Uh..."

Roman smirks and leans in to whisper into Blair's ear. Alert, she's tense as he speaks, but then listens. The children each lean in to listen as well. She nods. "Yes we can do that."

Andrew looks between them all. "Do what?! What are you gonna do to-"

WHACK! He drops, out cold. Neo wringing Hush in her hands as she smiles at delivering the hit.

Carmine's wide eyes stare at the KO'd man, jaw dropped. His mouth works and fails to speak for five full seconds before face palming. "Why would-... Blair has drugs, Neo!"

Neo simply chuckles and holds up a sign. 'That was more fun'.

Blair looks at Carmine in a narrowed gaze. "How would you know if I could just drug him to sleep?"

"Can you?"

"..." Blair breaks the look, turning forward. "Let's move on."

. . .

Mary Anne stares at the lit screen in thought. Parts of the city map light blue on the green surface. Another of the small islands lights from gray to blue. "No signs at the bulkhead platforms." "Searches are still active in the storage and warehouses on island D. Searches have come back negative on islands B and E." "Section A1 on the main city has been cleared. No one matching 16272's description."

The teacher taps at her chin in thought. "Continue searching through camera coverage." She mumbles lowly as she scowls. "We should operate under the assumption that 16272 cracked. In which case..."

Seconds tick by, forming thoughts processing over the course of milliseconds and playing out scenarios within her mind. "First, they may be attempting to out our operation to the Mistrali government. We must shut down all further bulkhead transports. Notify the 4th lieutenant that the platforms are under threat. He can convince the chief to place a unit to lock down the transports."

"Next, contact 13662. He works for the CCT tower as a technician. Shut down the ability for long range communication." Her slender hand comes back to under her chin. "Once Flight is made impossible, the remaining response will be Fight. I want all security to maximum alert for subterranean defense."

"Ma'am, should we request assistance from Master Barnall?"

"No!" Mary snaps, setting a chilling glare at the questioning surveillance worker. "I do not require the assistance of that green toad." She shifts the glare back to the map. "Now, to wait for the coming attack."

. . .

A four story office building downtown. The pure concrete buildings with etched patterns showed an... out of place mural of a money making mustachio man. Carmine's pursed lips and dull look was unimpressed. His twitching gaze zoned on the cartoon mustache and the mural man's top hat. He withdraws back into the alley a block away from said building.

"I'm assuming that's it." He settles next to the parked u haul van as Roman steps out. His bowler hat adorns his head as he taps Velvet Valentine twice. Carmine raises a brow. "Unless the pompous monopoly man doesn't represent the greedy overlords."

"Oh it does." Roman quips back, a grin promising chaos. "And it will be me someday, too. But here, in the present, sure. Let's take down the money grubber." The straightens the hat and gives a disgusted look to the boy. "Try not to cost me 50 million this time."

Sputtering answers him before Carmine defensively shouts. "It wasn't your money!"

THAT brings a smirk to the man. "You ARE learning! Come on, Silver Streak."

The none dynamic duo move through the alleys. Crossing the street into the building's adjacent alley, the two stack up on the offices back door. They eye a card scanner. Roman gives the boy a look, flicking his gaze to the door and back.

What?.. Oh! Carmine nods and looks to the nearby dumpster. "Hide."

After the conman moves away, Carmine places both hands on the door. Infuse aura into the matter... Keep the feeling. Opening his eyes and grinning, he moves away and to hide with Roman.

The two wait. And they wait. And more waiting. Five minutes. Ten. Twenty. The two were ready to reconsider tactics until-

Creeeaaak.

The back door opens as an office worker marches out with a garbage bag. He tosses the black package into the dumpster, Carmine and Roman crouched on the other side of said dumpster. The man returns into the doorway and shuts it.

"Perfect." The boy calls as he rushes to the door. Calling upon his aura within the door, he activates his semblance. "Recall..." He mutters.

Flash! Much like recalling his weapon modes, the door flashes, recalls, to its previous state... open. The door is wide open as Roman and Carmine enter. The conman tips his hat. "Good go." The two duck away immediately into the first open storage room they can.

"Alright. In. Now what?"

Roman ponders. "Well. Firstly, we need to find a way down underground. And even when we find it, it'll likely have a similar lock system and scanner."

"Easy. We'll just do this again for each door-"

Roman's finger jabs into Carmine's nose. "Wrong. Wrong." The boy flinches back from the touch as Roman flicks his hand about. "How often do you think people use these super secret villain doors, huh Super Hero?"

He slaps Roman's hand away, the two scowling back and forth as he growls. "Fine! Well, what do YOU think we should do, captain hindsight? Any cheap exploits?"

"Fire safety procedures."

Carmine's face cocks in confusion. "...Uh, Scoozy?"

Roman chuckles. "Fire safety rules prohibit key doors from hard locking for the event of a fire. If the doors are locked, you won't be able to escape a fire, so many systems require a setting to unlock for said doors."

The boy scrunches his expression as he takes that in. "Wait so... door is locked... just start a fire and poof?" He skeptically glares back. "That doesn't... sound right."

"Depends on the doors, the positioning, and the traffic." Roman fires back. "And being the sole entrance into said underground basement of evil certainly screams important traffic." He shrugs at the boy's skeptic gaze. "I've robbed the Vale casino twice using the method, trust me."

"Whatever." Carmine pouts. "Still, we need to find the way down first." The two quiet down as voices sound from the hallways. Footsteps come, and go, the two holding their breath in anticipation. The footsteps fade away... Carmine sends a glare to the conman. "You said it isn't a question of being caught, but controlling how we get found out, right? Would this seem like a good time?"

. . .

At the center of the city, built directly into the floating island, is a tether. Metal wiring charged and transferring electrical power, connects to the floating island high above. And beside it is another... and another. A total of six tethers. Two on opposite sides charge brightly with contained blue, pulsating down from the mass above. Power connectors.

The remaining four are a mere dark gray... as containers rise up and fall down the tethers, to and from the islands between one another. Elevators. Non rigid elevators, at that... disorienting transports.

Inside one of the moving containers, Blair and Neo nearly stumble. Neo remains perfectly in place as Blair grips a railing for support. "It's amazing these are anywhere near as safe as they are." Looking to Neo, she finds the tricolor girl grinning. "You seem content."

The girl, back in his blue haired illusion, giggles and nods- Crk! Her breath grains in her throat as she coughs up. Blair unsteadily grabs Neo's shoulders as they sway back and forth in the transport. Centering themselves, Neo wipes a tint of red from her lip before conjuring a sign. 'Never mind. Not content'

"I am sorry. I know the higher altitude and even thinner air will hamper you more, but after we finish up there, you're our only way down." Unsure, she stiffly pats the girl's back. "Just... hang in there a little longer, okay?"

The little girl gives a sullen look. Her semblance conjures a shatter message on Blair's hand. 'Hate heights now.'

Blair smirks. "As long as you can be snarky, then you're fine." The elevator shakes violently and settles to a stop. Both females flinch to wide eyes until the doors open. "It's a wonder people don't die on these things."

The two step off. In the bright of day, they find the upper island paved with stone roads. The pathways raise to a variety of terraces, lines with statues and floral arranged grand gardens. The elevating terraces each more grand than the next.

Many people walk about, appreciating the grand sculpted figures. Many were animals, interacting with full human figures in harmony. Some were Grimm, cowering or viciously beaten away by symbolic gestures. It was like three dimensional cave paintings come to life. All showed their age, thousands of years old, even.

A perfect tourist trap.

Blair leads the way out, Neo taking a keener interest in the decorum. It was obviously once a place of worship, but long since lost any meaning to those caring for it. She does notice a few of the repeating figures. Symbols of twin gods, brothers.

All drowned out by her focus at the very top of the floating island. A large, LARGE tower peaking ever higher into the clouds. The CCT structure with dual power functions. Complete use of natural power. Anchored into the smaller, higher island.

Far too large for one of Roman's bombs... so better to sever the problem at the source. Blair grips Florescent Finish, finding comfort in it. She just needs to find the right spot, that won't permanently cripple the city, but won't be easy to repair.

"Come on. Let's go."

The two begin marching through the terraces. The pathways alternate between uphill and flats, the road moving through ornate columns upholding grand arches. Much like the city below, each creation of scenery was adorned with chiseled works. Where the city was nothing but concrete, these were all truly stone works. Truly, the city's decor was directly related to this island's.

Blair was never one to pass up an opportunity to study such things. True, the great majority was allegory and nonsense, but many discoveries through such works have led to the greater understanding of the world. A pursuit she highly doubts Neo shares.

And yet, it was Neo who stopped to stare wide blinking eyes at one of the works.

"Hmm?" Blair turns and raises a brow once Neo truly stopped to view a large stone tablet wall. "What is it?" Neo raises a finger to the tablet, cocking her head at it. So, she follows the gaze.

The way up, she'd seen several of the common fairy tales depicted, a testament to how long and wide spread they've always been. A whole mural depiction of one of the greatly renowned maidens on the last terrace. The Spring maiden specifically. Another depiction of a grand warrior burning Grimm with their eyes alone, the silver eyed maiden. Among others were the brothers, as well as the Night Wolf, the Dance of Dragons, and more.

This one in particular did not directly outline a figure per say. A loose circle contained with four symbols inside in the shape of a square. An elongated oval shows over top, containing two more symbols at top ends, one on top, one on bottom. Creating six points with different overlap, lines showcasing aura come from all six symbols, pulling to the middle where... nothing shows.

Blank.

It takes a moment for Blair to recall, but she nods. "Ah, the Seven Chaos. Less a one of the great tales and more of an immaculate collection interconnected." She gives the image a last appraisal before settling a look on the little girl. "If you're curious, I will tell it to you after we've finished our work here. Come."

The two continue on, coming to the top of the island and finding a chain link fence and gate with two guards. The stone path changes to smooth concrete, leading to the massive tower.

Neo sighs and holds up a conjured sticky note to Blair. 'Sneaking or smashing?'

Blair sighs, looking at the two likely innocent guards. "We're, unfortunately, here to 'smash', so..." Her hand comes to Florescent's hilt.

. . .

"Hey!" "Get back here!" "You're not supposed to be in here, brat!"

Carmine sprints around a hall corner. No Buster Armor. No Heulin Noon. He rushes about and ducks around a suited man that attempts to cut him off. Power sliding under, he continues, finding the main lobby to the business. The front desk receptionist yelps out as Carmine leaps over the front counter. Papers spray out as a swarm of men rush after the boy.

"Come on, where is it? Where is it?" Carmine mutters, eyes darting about as he passes each area.

Locked doors all about. Nearly all having plaques with office workers' names. Two stair wells open, but neither went down. He moves through a larger room with office cubicles. Leaping high, he begins sprinting atop the cubicle wall, spooking several workers on their phones.

Shouts all about, Carmine frantically yelps out. "Excuse me! Sorry! Coming though! Move it, Ma'am!"

He comes up to a new hallway. Entering it, he sees it connects to the direction he'd originally come from. So the entire floor is a circle design. So, if that way goes where he originally came from... He sprints left, dodging a lunge from another worker.

Finally, he finds a dead end with a final sealed door. The message 'Authorized Personnel Only' gave him somewhat a hint. This was the first floor of four. Any executives and higher level employees would be on the upper floor.

He thinks he's found his door... and three large adults tackle the kid! "OW! MY ARM!" Carmine yells.

Not a minute later, the boy is wrenched onto a bench inside an office with half a dozen men flanking him. One wheezing man seethes at the child. "What the hell are you doing in here, kid?!"

The boy initially shies away, but gulps down the nerves. Right, he needs to lie... Lying...

Maybe a half lie?

"There was this creepy guy with orange hair that kept harassing me in the alley, so I snuck in behind one of you into this place from the back... and I got lost... sorry."

The multitude of adults give him the stink eye. "Brat, you caused us hell in here. Why wouldn't you just stop and talk to us-"

"Stranger danger! I want out of here!" He yells out, nervous and darting his eyes back and forth. Hopefully, channeling actual nerves would sell his 'innocence'.

This garners exasperated sighs from the group. One man turns to the others. "One of you call the cops. Kid will stay in here until they get here. Rest of you, back to work!" The group begins to disperse, leaving the boy alone with the single man in the room. The door shuts, clicking locked... He glares at Carmine. "Alright, kid. Who are you? Got a name?"

He blinks back. "Oh, uh... I'm no one." He says plainly, not really trying anymore.

"Very funny. Quit messing around."

"No really." Carmine feels a rush of excitement as he smirks. "Maybe I was never here." RECALL! He disappears. The man's jaw drops.

Throughout the entire first floor of the building, barely visible, moving at flickering speeds, a rewinding blur of aura moves through almost without any notice. Back and back and back and back...

Inside the original storage closet, Roman sits, leaned against the wall. Carmine's Buster Armor sits on the ground, and the man inspects Heulin Noon out of curiosity. That is, until both weapons flicker as Carmine recalls back into the room, armor and gun locked back into their places on his body.

"Bout time, Silver Streak. You find it?" Roman smirks.

Carmine blinks wide, then shakes his head. "Ah..." His hand holds his head, a fading headache hitting him. "Ow. Yeah I found it." He sways before straightening. "Yeah. Down the hall, turn right, then the next right." He grimaces and twitches. "I'd have found it sooner if I didn't start my search looking left."

"Good job." Roman mocks sarcastically. "Problems?"

"No... Longer recalls are more disorienting." Carmine looks like he's deep in thought for a moment. "I don't think whiplash is the right term for it, but..."

"Right." Roman kicks up and walks to the door. "Move aside, boy scout. It's time for a professional." Cracking the door open, he peeks into an office on the opposite side of the room. Just barely open enough to see the corner of a desk.

Roman smirks as he concentrates his aura... his semblance. He feels his power extend. Then, he focuses purely on the singular visible spot not twenty feet away. Fwwwik! A burn appears as an open flame forms on the wooden desk corner.

He closes the door, turning to Carmine with a smirk. "And now we play the waiting game." He holds up five fingers. Four. Three. Two. One. He directs a finger up to the fire alarm over their heads.

BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP!

Roman smirks as the light on the side flashes, the two hearing the opposite room's worker yelping and shouting out 'FIRE!'.

Carmine looks to Roman with a pout. "I don't like this."

"Don't care." Roman keeps dramatically checking his nails, confident.

"And what stops them from just putting it out with an extinguisher?" Roman smiles before he opens the door into the hall. "Wha- Roman!" The conman finds the office worker exiting his room as well. He immediately punches out the worker, knocking him out cold.

Roman drags the now unconscious man to the back door, opening it, and chucking the man out of the building. Shutting the door, he turns to Carmine, now the only two in the flashing hallway. "There. Now only WE know where the fire is. So everyone else will only be able to vacate the building. Now, what's that?" He holds his ear up dramatically, hearing office workers panic in the distance. "I believe that's the sound of me being right. Come on."

Carmine sighs before they rush down the hall. The flames had already begun to engulf the single room behind them. He shakes his head as they turn right on the hall, sprinting down, they find the door. Stacking up, they wait.

Roman holds up a finger. "Now, if I'm correct, the emergency controls will release on all the doors. And..." The light on the card scanner changes from red to yellow. The door clicks. "Bingo!"

"Hate you. Hate you so much." Carmine says, annoyed at how correct the conman was.

"Stick with me, kid, and I'll learn you something." Roman snarks back as the two sprint down the revealed stair way going down...

. . .

"Ack-!" A man chokes out before hitting the ground. Out cold, Blair stands in the open lot surrounded by unconscious, helmeted guards. The woman pats her sleeve as she sheathes her blade. Neo claps from the side with a smirk. Behind them in the distance is the broken down gate. Before them is the quadrupedal tower with a central pillar containing the entirety of the connecting power lines, CCT lines, and an anchored elevator.

Neo steps up beside Blair to the ten meter diameter pillar. Smirking, she walks around from the side with the small elevator to find the blue pulsing line. All the power to the city transferred through here from batteries stored in the tower processing the natural energy. She points to the line.

Blair inspects it. "This would do, but it's a good deal thicker than I expected." Appraising the pillar, she looks up. "There's likely workers up within the tower... We can't risk them, or risk bringing the tower permanently down." She draws the golden blade, flourishing it.

Opening the pommel, she inserts a case of lightning dust. The violet dust inserted, charged sparks light along the gold as it shines a bright white violet. Aiming the tip to the pillar, Blair's offhand supports the pommel.

She lunges in, activating the dust and piercing into the hard metal pillar. Splitting into the surface, she forces through and sinks the blade down to the hilt!

The power pulsing within the line flickers before shining brighter, a loud thrumming hum warping sound within the air. Sparks begin flying out of the piercing, arcing into the ground around Blair. "Neo, get back!"

The girl leaps back, watching the bright light show in aw.

Blair ejects the now empty dust case, then slams an orange dust case into the hilt. Fire dust. From the piercing, her previously violet blade, now golden again, warps to burning red and orange with flames. She activates the dust as the shine intensifies. The metal of the pillar before her super heats to an orange then white hot material...

A burst of flame from the piercing erupts, a shuddering blast roars as a four meter wide hole blows through the pillar, completely severing the power line into the ground! Blair leaps back as the sparks blow before calming down. Her blade dulls to gold once more as all the sparks and sounds is left to a dull hum from the line.

Line severed, power ceases being carried through the island, through the line tethers connecting to the city below. Lights, tools, sounds from the city immediately cut...

. . .

"Ma'am. There's been a break in at the firm! Some brat disappeared on them, and now there's a fire." The white jacketed man calls out as Mary Anne pulls her attention to him.

"I see. They're making their way into the underground compound." She points to the other two. "Activate all automated defense systems now. Call off the police and have them only contain the issues at the firm. Begin a lock down-"

UUUUuuuu... Click.

The lights dim and fade into pitch black. All the monitors and devices within the room cease showing any sign of life and power as the surge sounds and goes away.

It was only two seconds before secondary red lights turn on, dimly lighting the room like a dark photo development shading. Emergency power... which means-

"Ma'am-"

"I know!" Mary snaps with a curt response.

"But without primary power, the automated defenses and checkpoints won't-"

"I KNOW!" Mary asserts again. Damn it. She didn't expect they'd have the audacity to silence the entire city! Without the automated defenses... Her defenses are crippled. Limited to more simple means. "Here's the plan."

She points to the first man. "Find and organize Squads A and F to begin transfer of the children. Take them to section C." She sends a glare to the second man. "Go with him. I want you to find number 20323. Bring them to Squad B." Finally, to the last man. "And you. Find and organize Squads B through E to section D. We will organize the confrontation there!"

"Ma'am. Yes, Ma'am!" The three disperse, but the last stops and asks meekly. "Ma'am, what will you be doing?"

She sets a glare to the man, but takes a deep breath. "I'm going to get my weapon... Suppose I may ACTUALLY need that pathetic man's help."

"Actually Ma'am... Master Barnall sent word that he was leaving the underground compound twenty minutes ago."

Mary tenses before sighing. "Fine. Let him do as he wants. Let's go."

. . .

The jet black halls light with red. The dull emergency lighting powered by a backup generator. Carmine and Roman blink sight back into their gaze, focusing on the tight six foot wide hallway before them. Suddenly, Carmine pales at the sight. "Whoa... automated defenses?"

They look upon a closed armored door, locks disabled, with three automated gun placements. Two on the walls, one in the upper left corner. In the upper right is a security camera. Roman huffs a laugh as he taps one, causing it to dip and hang down. "Ah, the overcompensation for nothing. Come."

As the man approaches the door, he locks Velvet Valentine's drum magazine in for its gun mode. He then forces the door open, the electric locks inactive. Carmine watches Roman go down the hall as he draws Heulin Noon. "You don't think they have any other traps?"

"Oh absolutely!" Roman states in a matter of fact way.

"Great..."

. . .

Blair and Neo walk along the concrete, backs turned from the CCT tower. "We'll go to the lower terraces before we make our way back to the city proper." She looks Neo in the eye. "Think you can handle the drop?"

Neo finally lets her illusion shatter, back to pink and brown hair and eyes. She nods, though she noticeably massages her throat with her off hand.

The blonde nods. "Good. We need to catch up to those two fools as quickly as possible."

"Aw, and here I thought I was the only fool for you." The familiar, chilling voice washes over the two, echoing over the CCT compound. Blair whips around, locking eyes on the source of the voice with a glare. Neo, however, remains frozen, eyes wide. "Come, kiddo. It's been too long, 2814."

Her breath catches, throat burning with the sudden irritation. Ever so slowly, she masks her face in neutrality and turns to face him. Her captor. She finds him hanging in the air. His black suit jacket now sleeveless, the metal dust makeup currently making two metal discs under his two feet as he floats in the air. (Base beat begins. Instrumental for Live in Fear starts)

Spyyra looks down upon the two, orange eyes gleeful, reflecting the image of the two women. His grin widens. "There's that lovely face. Oh, you've worried me so much... And my, Miss Gale." His gaze turns to Blair as he lowers to the ground. The metal discs dissolve into metal dist in the air, reforming into Spyyra's black suit sleeves. "You broke my heart, Miss Gale." (Piano joins the beat as finger snaps sound every other measure.)

"But don't worry. I'll forgive you." His toothy grin accompanies his eyes widening unnaturally, unhinged. "We'll simply catch up now." (Bass continues to play out and fade...)

So, the trap has been sprung. Bad times ahead. Next time, we have our team's first real battles with members of AZRL!

References:

Mary Anne, like Zandril, Spyyra, and Dr Near, is based loosely on a character from the same source material. Mostly in design and how she will fight.

Join next time in chapter twenty four: Run In. Check In.