(The next chapter. It's been so long since the story was updated and it's barely just begun. Hope it's good.)
Death Fury: Thanks. (I hope so too.)
Noble Six: I should've tried to update sooner. It's been a few years since I've updated…that doesn't feel right.
Chapter 28: Aid from Adversity
(Current Resistance Base, unknown location, a few days later)
Connell stood with Over Watch, Fatale, Convict, Jacob, and Eren around the designated coordination room in their temporary base. Some of the group had reports. Connell looked to Eren first and nodded to him.
"My brothers and sisters are getting more nervous. There are more police harassing everyone now. Those who know about us or are just being helpful to those trying to stay out of the pigs' way are being targeted. The ones who know of us are trying to keep watch in the community, a neighborhood watch, but the police are seeing them as potential vigilantes."
Convict's usual happy smile frowned at this. Connell saw this out of the corner of his eye, but returned to the immediate conversation.
"Are they wanting to end their watch? Perhaps do things more secretively or on their own?"
Eren grunted as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"There's a few who want to do each of those things. Some think it's too dangerous to challenge the NYPD, some believe that they need to keep things on the down low…others, they don't know what to do."
Connell nodded. He feared how the police would react. Though the community was mostly human, those who weren't were in hiding…though with those hunting them, there were few places to hide. Fatale's eyes narrowed slightly at him and Connell noticed this. Despite the ethereal costume hiding his face, something felt like she could see through it or sense what was going on behind the mask.
'Hmmm, she is empowered by powerful medicine…some kind of spiritual strength allows her to sense more of you than nearly anyone else here can,' She-Wolf detected.
'Yes, there's a great darkness about her…not perhaps, in the one may think…but nevertheless, she is more than she appears to be,' Mari added.
'I saw that when we helped the Morlocks. Whoever she is and whatever kind of being she is, I'm glad to have her with us,' Connell replied.
He looked at Fatale.
"What are your thoughts?"
Those gathered turned to the dark haired, young woman. She grinned slightly.
"You sent some of Lona and Richard's friends out to look for other bases."
Connell nodded.
"They said they found a few spots that maybe were worth considering, but none as large as this place. Though they said they'd only started their search."
Fatale turned to the door.
"Call them in here."
Connell nodded and walked out. He returned with Lona, Richard, and the three he had tasked with the search. He turned to Fatale, who turned to the three.
"It's Harley, Khalil, and Ben, yes?"
The trio nodded.
"What did you find on your search?"
Harley fiddled with her red hair for a moment.
"A closed restaurant the city neglected to demolish. Given our activities, the city council obviously has bigger problems. About 10 blocks from here."
Ben popped his thick neck for a moment before straightening to his full height.
"An abandoned apartment near a subway station, but it's twice the distance from here."
Fatale looked to Khalil, who nodded.
"There was a small nightclub that was quarantined a few months back. It had become a meeting place for runaways before the NYPD found them. But no one's been there, note even the police, for a few weeks."
Convict looked at him.
"How do you know this?"
Lona's face twitched slightly, frowning. Richard's eyes narrowed, seemingly into nowhere.
"We were there a week before it was raided."
Convict's posture slightly drooped, but her fists clenched.
"Those assholes."
It was under her breath, but Connell just managed to hear it as he turned back to the group.
"I'm so sorry."
The friends looked at one another, a few on the edge of tears. Lona's face twitched and her fists clenched, eye burning.
"If we'd stayed, no one there would've been taken."
Richard put a hand on her shoulder, a sad frown on his face.
"We can never know what would've happened."
Connell took a step forward.
"But what will happen is another matter entirely."
Richard nodded.
"Right."
Harley turned to Fatale.
"But why call us in here? What are your plans for them?"
Fatales grinned.
"Sly as a fox are we?"
Harley's eyes widened for a moment but then she smiled.
"I have my moments from time to time."
Fatale looked to Eren.
"Those can be temporary hiding places."
Eren rubbed his chin, eyes going into space.
"Yeah, yeah that could work maybe. But I don't know where these people are. No one does, they just meet some in the community in secret when the police aren't in the area."
"Then have those they meet let them know they have a temporary sanctuary."
Eren nodded.
"I'll have some of our brothers and sisters be escorts while they move."
Over Watch had remained silent, listening.
"But this should be veiled with a disguise. Each one should be different for every trip."
Fatale smiled and nodded.
"I imagine you have some ideas?"
"The NYPD has requested cloaking technology as one of the most important pieces of tech to give to them if we can make it. S.H.I.E.L.D. still has schematics and blueprints from inventions by Tony Stark that he had for inventions and armor he was making."
"Good. The pyromancers who vied for leadership said they know a few other sorcerers that may be willing to join. Perhaps they know an invisibility or camouflage spell?"
Gigi nodded.
Jacob looked at her with surprise.
"Huh, never heard a tech wiz not argue that magic isn't real."
Over Watch laughed.
"The literal God of thunder became an Avenger. I'm a scientist and a genius, but to deny something that was revealed to be real would just be stupid."
Fatale smiled.
"Glad you have more common sense than a lot of geniuses I've met.."
Connell nodded to them.
Eren looked to the trio who'd found the hiding spots.
"Harley, Khalili, Ben, thank you for your help. It will mean a great deal."
The trio smiled and nodded then left with Eren.
Connell turned to Lona and Richard.
"I'm so sorry for what you've all been through. I still want to thank you all for joining and offering to lead. Seeing the people you've got with you, I think you two would've done just fine leading us."
The couple chuckled at this. Richard shook his head, smiling.
"Appreciated."
Lona smirked.
"It's good you have some powerful women by your side, not just me."
Connell laughed.
"Well, you can take over for me if you feel like I'm not up to the task."
Lona grinned, patting him on the covered part of his cheek.
"We just might."
Connell froze, blushing. Lona just grinned at this while Richard snorted, grinning, before they walked out.
Fatale approached him, smirking.
"Be careful, we prefer to be in charge."
"I don't mind. I'm just here to help."
Fatale grinned and walked away.
'*Chuckles* It's good yer bonding with your crew, lad. Fair play to you.' Anne Bonny chuckled.
'Thanks, hope I'm doing good here.'
'Lad, yer jammy with having these women to guide you. And the men too.' Anne Bonny teased.
Connell chuckled.
To be continued…
(Hope this was a good update.)