Welcome back to City of Angels and Demons. Last time, things started with... well, we're not sure yet. People in cages being moved around by people in suits, that's all we know. But on the other side, Hondo's unit of LAPD SWAT is in the midst of an officer exchange program with Avalar, meaning Spyro and Cynder are joining his team for two weeks. And their reasons for choosing this team specifically are vague at best. What is going on? Well, today, we start finding out. So read on to discover what's going on here...
(Our story resumes in SWAT's training facility about three days after the last chapter, where Spyro is practicing some strange form of martial arts in the sparring ring, with Street, Chris, and Tan observing out of curiosity as Hondo and Luca walk in, before getting caught up in the display themselves)
Luca: What's he doing?
Street: I've been trying to figure that out since he started doing it.
Hondo: Looks like Dragon Kata.
Luca: Dragon what now?
Spyro: Dragon Kata. It's an ancient martial art from Avalar. My ancestors have been practitioners of it for centuries.
Chris: Is it usually this... flowy?
Spyro: Only the warm-ups. And even then, that's just my personal style, or Kata if we're using the technical term. Every practitioner's Kata is different, suited to their style of combat.
Hondo: It's the hardest martial art to counter for that exact reason.
Tan: Which would make it invaluable for a SWAT team to use.
Spyro: I can show you some of the basics if you'd like.
Luca: Personally, give me a solid Haymaker any day.
Spyro: Well, this wouldn't be much of an exchange if we didn't exchange some techniques.
Luca: So?
Spyro: So let's have a go. Your style against mine. We'll probably both learn something.
Luca: You know what? You're on.
Tan: (As Luca climbs into the sparring ring) Now this should be fun.
Spyro: Tap out if it gets to be too much.
Luca: Just show me what you've got.
Spyro: Alright, you asked for it.
(And with that, the sparring match begins. Luca throws a solid punch at Spyro, but owing to his training, Spyro just slides under it before circling back for a counterattack, using his tail to bind Luca's legs while Spyro pushes himself up with his wings to deliver a headbutt straight to Luca's face and a solid punch on the way back down. But Luca's not giving up without a fight. He tries to sweep kick Spyro, but he maneuvers over it and in a few seconds has Luca pinned to the mad, arm in a chokehold around Luca's neck. Realizing he's beaten, Luca taps out, and true to his word, Spyro lets him go, garnering some applause from the other four SWAT officers)
Chris: Bravo!
Tan: Excellent!
Luca: (Getting back up and shaking Spyro's paw) Now that was impressive.
Spyro: That's the Silver River Kata.
Luca: And you were right, I learned something alright. What to expect when I brawl with Cynder.
Spyro: Sad to say, the Silver River Form won't do you too much good. Cynder's Kata is completely different from mine. She just goes straight in. (Thinks about it) Hey, where is Cynder anyways? I thought we had the same shift.
Hondo: Sent her out to check on Deac. Said his car broke down.
(And with that, we transition straight to somewhere outside the station, where Cynder and Deacon are walking up to the door)
Deacon: Hey, thanks again for coming to get me.
Cynder: No worries. Though, I got to wonder why you didn't just call an Uber.
Deacon: That service always rubbed me the wrong way. Then again, maybe I've just been on SWAT for too long.
Cynder: Probably.
(Just as Deacon and Cynder are about to enter the police station, a familiar woman comes running around the corner, glancing constantly over her shoulder. It's the same woman that the suited men dragged out in a cage. She managed to escape somehow, and has made it this far, only stopping on the corner to rest, but then she sees Cynder and Deacon, and then looks back over her shoulder to see something is following her. Wasting no time, she starts running again, straight at Deacon and Cynder, barreling into them actually)
Cynder: Hey, watch where you're going!
Deacon: (Seeing the woman is panicked) Are you okay?
Mysterious Woman: You've got to help me. They're after me!
Cynder: Wait, what are you talking about?
Mysterious Woman: I finally managed to escape, I need you to hide me so they don't find me again!
Deacon: Who's they?
Mysterious Woman: The men in suits. If they find me, they'll put me back in The Pit, I don't want to go back into The Pit! Please you've got to help me!
Cynder: (Seeing her panic is only getting worse) Hey, hey, hey, don't worry, you're safe with us.
Mysterious Woman: How do I know? How do I know they haven't bought you?!
Cynder: The whole thing about being "bought" notwithstanding, my partner and I have only been here for about three days. If someone could have bought us, they would have tried by now.
Mysterious Woman: You two have only been here three days?
Deacon: I'm not the partner in question. He's inside.
Mysterious Woman: (To Cynder directly) Please, ma'am, you've got to help me.
Deacon: We'll do what we can, if you'll just tell us what's going on.
Mysterious Woman: (To Deacon) Not you, you might have been bought. (Points to Cynder) Only her and her partner.
Cynder: Okay, we'll do everything we can. (Placing a caring hand on her shoulder) Tell you what, let's go inside and get you calmed down so we can try to figure this out.
Mysterious Woman: (Now a little less panicked) Okay.
(As Cynder and Deacon shoot questioning glances at each other about what the heck just happened, they escort the panicked woman inside. But just as they do, the people she was outrunning come around the corner, and they're wearing LAPD gear. Whoever she's running from apparently has cops on their payroll)
Corrupt Cop: (Into a black radio) She got away. Looks like SWAT has her now.
?: This shouldn't be an issue.
Corrupt Cop: It just might. The exchange officers from Avalar are with her. She'll spill everything to them if she has the chance.
?: Very well then. Silence her.
(And with that ominous order, our tale end for today)
I'd say that looks like a good place to stop for now. So, right now, not much to go off of. And before anyone brushes this off as psychotic ramblings, since I made it clear this was the woman who we saw being dragged around in a cage last chapter, we know she's not crazy. Looks like it'll be an uphill battle to convince the police that she's not. And Spyro and Cynder may be just the ones to do that. So, what does she have to say? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!