Chapter 4: Month Two
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Chapter Author's Notes:
This chapter covers Aug 2013.
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DEMON'S SPINE: NEW ZEALAND, CHRISTCHURCH - THE CHURCH: 12 AUG 2013
YAD ALQADAR (THOMAS)
Thomas waited in the usual small meeting room waiting for his mentor. He was starting to get his head around the volume of information being thrown at him. He also had a decent grasp of Māori. He was far from fluent, but he could get his meaning across.
Al Fayr opened the door and escorted in a second Shadow Warrior. He had the markings of a Journeyman Majahid. Fayr gestured to the floor and then took her place near a stack of papers and some notebooks.
"Yad Alqadar, this is Khadash. Khadash, this is Yad Alqadar," Fayr introduced them. They nodded at each other in greeting. "Now, Yad Alqadar, you have watched me lead two hunts. I want you to lead this hunt." She handed the stack of papers over to him. "Al Qirsh has been notified of a death cult operating here in New Zealand. Tuhinga o moa is a Māori based death cult. Khadash will be joining us on this hunt."
Thomas reviewed the printouts and handwritten notes on the death cult. The data was detailed. The cult were under observation for some time. They had fourteen known members, but the number was not solid. The cult captured victims and took them to Te One Island outside of Hanson Bay and the Te Whanga Lagoon. The observers did not notice any special enhancements. No magic was used.
"Al Fayr, since I am leading this hunt, will you be acting as another Shadow Warrior? Or my advisor?" Thomas asked.
Al Fayr gave him a nod of approval. "I will be acting as your advisor. I will not change your commands, but I will notify you if you have over looked anything in the process," she told him sagely.
Thomas took a relieved breath before he started. "The death cult is made up of disillusioned Māori. Their leader is one Hemi Āwhina. Cult membership various between ten and fourteen people. Victims are usually transients visiting New Zealand through tourism from either Auckland or Christchurch," he summarized for them. "Khadash, how skilled are you with your preferred ranged weapon?" he asked.
"I have mastered the bow, but I excelled at darts and throwing stars," Khadash replied.
"Al Fayr? I don't think I have seen you with your ranged weapon," Thomas asked.
"Crossbow. Swords and knives are my preferred form of combat," Fayr replied.
Thomas sighed. "Crossbow for me as well," he said tiredly. "I also prefer swords." He flipped through the pages to pull out a satellite image of Te One island. "No roads. Five fishing villages. Everything must be done by boat. This," he said as he placed a printed image before the other two, "…is Hemi Āwhina. The cult operates out of the Owenga fishing village. The observers noted their victims were not housed in the village. Pack your gear. Darts to have a paralytic. Khadash, bring your close quarters weapon as well. I will coordinate transportation to Te One."
"You must ensure bare camp supplies and food are procured as well," Fayr added.
"Thank you, al Fayr," Thomas replied. "Uniform and clothes for transport. Meet back here in two hours. I will have information on our departure at that time."
"It will be done," Khadash and Fayr replied.
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DEMON'S VENOM: PERU, LIMA - THE FORT: 13 AUG 2013
SAH-HIM (OLIVER)
Today, when Oliver entered the small meeting room for his Ruya training, he was confronted by changes. Al Namla brought in a table and several chairs. There was a large stack of paperwork, newspapers, and books set on one side of the table.
Al Namla smiled at him. "Come, al Sah-him," he said as he gestured to one of the chairs.
Oliver sat at one of the chairs with a blank expression. What are we learning now? I thought I was doing well. My Ruya lessons are progressing well. We went out to Lima when my Spanish was adequate to speak to the spirits.
Al Namla smiled. "Relax. You have progressed well," he said. "It is now time to begin training you on how to hunt with the Ruya." Namla sat down in the other chair and pulled up a blank pad of paper and handed it over to Oliver. "As Wahy, we are often called to evaluate a mark. The mark is your hunt."
"Will I kill this mark?" Oliver asked. For all that he was ready to rid the world of evil, he was still hesitant to kill. It helped he could see a person's aura to tell if they were influenced by evil before he made the kill, but still… It was a final choice.
"No," Namla said, easily reading his anxiety. "You are to take a closer look at this mark. Determine if the mark has the potential to be a threat or an ally."
"An ally?" Oliver asked. "No one can know about the League. How can they be an ally?" he asked.
"They do not have to know about the League to fight evil," Namla replied. "Many Alfaar assist the Ravens without knowing of the League. They only have their desire to assist. Many in the outside world wish to fight evil. Many attempt to fight evil on their own. We assist them where we can. A small help. We do not reveal ourselves to them… though some do know of the League. Few know of our true purpose."
"Okay," Oliver replied. He gestured to the newspapers. "Who is the mark?" he asked.
Al Namla pulled out the first newspaper. It showed a man in a costume flying away from a group of downed men at a bank. "The headline is about how Extraño stopped bank robbers," Namla replied. He knew that it would take longer for Oliver to translate the headline. "This is not the first crime Extraño stopped criminals in Lima. He usually arrives while the crime is in progress and stops the crime before the criminals can leave. He stops them with force, but never used lethal force. He disables the criminals and leaves them for the police to collect," Namla told him.
"All of these," Namla said with a soft pat on top of the stack of newspapers, "are stories about the crimes he stopped in Lima. I will assist you while you are here in the Fort, but any intelligence gathering in the city will be your responsibility. I am only your advisor. This is your hunt."
"I don't think I am ready," Oliver told him.
"You are," Namla reassured him. "The research and investigation aspects of this hunt will mostly be here in the Fort. I will be available to assist you. You are more than ready to use the Ruya in the city. We have already conducted that aspect of the training. You will be fine."
"Alright," Oliver said, bracing himself. I can do this.
Oliver examined the newspaper and wrote down the date and then found the location of the bank, translated it, and wrote that down. He spent the next hour examining the newspapers and making a list of dates and places that this Extraño was seen. His second list contained witnesses accounts; what they had noted about the hero. Namla helped him with translations to speed up his information gathering.
"It sounds like Extraño can fly. He is male. Young. He speaks like a local. He is aware of the crime at the time it is happening," Oliver commented. He pulled up a map of Lima and examined the marked locations where the crimes were prevented. "He is operating in this area of Lima," Oliver remarked where most crimes were located.
"What is your next step?" Namla asked him.
"I should… go to the area and… ask the spirits?" Oliver said with some hesitation.
"Yes," Namla confirmed. "The next part of your investigation is to go to the area and to open your Inner Eye. To see what is there. Use your intuition. Let it guide you. Talk to the spirits. They may not notice a flying man. Ask about a large odd bird," he said. "That may direct you to the proper location where Extraño starts his flight."
"That's right," Oliver replied. "I almost forgot about only seeing what they want to see. Spirits and living beings."
"Exactly," Namla remarked with a smile. "Learning how to ask the question is almost as important as finding the answer." He rose from his seat and began to put the newspapers away. "These will remain in this room until this hunt is complete. Go change for your investigation in the city," Namla directed him.
"It will be done," Oliver replied automatically and rose to leave the room. He needed to return to his quarters to change into his civilian wear with his hidden knives.
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DEMON'S VENOM: PERU, LIMA - DOWNTOWN: 14 AUG 2013
SAH-HIM (OLIVER)
Oliver narrowed down the general area where Extraño operated. He found a quiet corner and then opened his Inner Eye. The streets were suddenly crowded with spirits. Oliver traveled to the city several times to get used to the feel of the press of spirits. It was familiar. There was no hostility in their movements. Some curiosity. Most spirits seemed to gravitate towards him. Namla said that spirits had a natural affinity with the Ruya. The spirits were drawn to the Ruya.
Excuse me= Oliver started in Spanish. =Has anyone seen a large odd bird flying?= he asked the spirits in a quiet voice. He was surprised to learn that living beings could easily hear his conversations with the spirits. If he was obvious about it, they would dismiss him as talking to himself. To avoid notice, he would speak to the spirits without attracting attention from the living.
Several of the nearby ghosts turned to him and stopped even as the humans they were anchored to continue to travel through the city. =Pardon?= an older gentleman asked in Spanish.
I have heard stories of a large odd bird flying around here= Oliver said in Spanish. =It was flying to the bank. Did you see it?= he asked.
I did= the man said. =It came from the other side of the hill.= He pointed toward the hill in the East.
Thank you= Oliver replied in Spanish. Then he made a quick note about the location and the hill. He checked the map. He closed his Inner Eye. He moved several blocks towards the hill and repeated the procedure. Not all the spirits saw a large odd bird, but those that had, directed him towards the hill. Narrowing his search.
Several hours later, Oliver returned to the Fort with his notes. He transferred his notes to his tablet and updated his map. The area Extraño was using as a base of operations was getting smaller. Oliver narrowed it down to a neighborhood. He would start again tomorrow.
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DEMON'S VENOM: PERU, LIMA - THE FORT: 17 AUG 2013
SAH-HIM (OLIVER)
Al Namla's advice to follow his intuition was not helping him find this Extraño. It was now his third day in this neighborhood. Oliver walked around with his Inner Eye open for two hours today. He just passed a public shopping center.
Oliver noticed a young man walking quickly toward the residential area of the neighborhood. He felt compelled to follow the young man. The young man had an elderly female spirit following him. He allowed his intuition to guide him again. He didn't think it would hurt.
About halfway down the street, the young man met another young man. They kissed and started to walk together. Oliver was surprised to see the overt display of public affection. He wasn't offended by it. He felt a longing for Thomas. They were not allowed to be that open in Starling… before... In a way, he was jealous. Then he missed Laurel as well. Oliver sighed. I miss my partners.
My dearest grandson= the elderly woman spirit said sadly in Spanish, =He is no good for you.=
Why do I feel compelled to follow this young man? Oliver asked himself. The outside world disapproves of homosexuality. Even this man's grandmother disapproves of his relationship. He sighed. He didn't think he could bear listening to his father complain about his relationship with Thomas. Even if he was also in a relationship with Laurel.
Oliver examined the auras of the two men. The first young man had a light pink or bright red aura shot with orange. But the second young man was a brown color.
"Hum," Oliver hummed to himself. The second man is not evil, but he let evil into his life. An orange-based evil. Creative or sexual? Does he have magic? Oliver followed them a bit more. What should I do next? Where would Extraño be? Oliver continued to walk down the street behind the men as he contemplated where to look next.
The first young man disappeared into a residential home. The second young man crossed the street in another direction. I can return to the shopping center. There are more people there. More spirits to ask. Oliver sighed in resignation. He stopped next to the residence. He was turning around when he noticed Extraño suddenly fly away from the back of the house. He casually continued to walk. His mind was racing.
The first young man was Extraño! The bright red aura! Action based! What about his orange? Magic? Or was it sexual because he was with the other man?
Oliver found a way to the back of the residential home without being seen. The back door was unlocked. He carefully entered the home and scanned the area for information about the resident.
A pile of mail informed him that the home belonged to one Georgio De La Vega. The young man lived alone. He kept a neat bachelor home. He had a boyfriend. The second set of toiletries in the bathroom testified to a routine overnight guest. This was likely the second young man Oliver saw earlier.
A short search gave Oliver access to a hidden floor panel in the linen closet. It contained a variety of books. That Extraño kept these books hidden meant he didn't want others to know he had them or an interest in their topics. All these books covered a variety of subjects. Most of the books were centered around the occult or magic. The books seemed to focus on a specific type of magic; divination and illusion. He has no books on black magic or blood magic. That matches his light aura. Orange must be for creative energies. Magic.
Something made Oliver look more closely at the top of the linen closet. He followed his intuition and found a second hidden panel. This panel was empty, but the space looked like it would be the perfect place to store Extraño's costume.
How does he fly? He uses force and violence to subdue his criminals. I can see how he could use illusions to avoid being hit. I can even see how he could use divination to know about a crime… But how does he fly?
Oliver carefully restored the panels to the hiding places and left the residence. I need to talk to the Qas and al Namla. I am pretty sure that mages don't fly, but this one does. What would give a mage flight?
When Oliver returned to the Fort, he found al Namla. "Have found Extraño, I think," he told Namla. "We need to talk to the Qas to get more information before I finish this investigation."
"I will arrange to have them meet with us in our room in the morning," Namla replied.
"I will update the notes and see you in the morning," Oliver told him.
"Good night, Sah-him," Namla said.
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DEMON'S VENOM: PERU, LIMA - THE FORT: 18 AUG 2013
SAH-HIM (OLIVER)
The next morning, Oliver reviewed his notes when al Namla arrived with Qas Amin. Oliver stood. The Qas waved back to his seat.
"You had a question, al Sah-him," Qas Amin said softly.
"Yes," Oliver replied. "Extraño is a mage. Can mages fly and then fight?" he asked.
"A mage?" Amin asked in surprise. "That is quite surprising. I would have to check the records, but from what I know, the spell for flight is quite an exhausting spell. It is only used by the most powerful mages. The dark ones use it to escape. The mage could fly, but not fight afterward."
"How do you know that Extraño is a mage?" Namla asked Oliver.
"I found where Extraño makes his home," Oliver told them. "I watched him depart as Extraño. I used his departure to explore his dwelling. I found where he kept his spell books and stores his costume."
"Interesting," Amin replied. "What kind of spell books did you find?" he asked.
"Some books on the occult. Most of the spell books were on divination and illusion," Oliver replied. "I did not see any on flight or dark magic."
"Then his flight is not likely a spell," Amin stated as he considered the lore in the archives.
"It's not?" Oliver asked.
Amin chuckled. "No," he replied. "There are a few magical objects anyone can use for a single purpose. This magical item would ensure the mage would not waste magical energy on a flight spell. It would be very useful in this instance."
"Then I will need to research what types of magical items could hold a flight spell," Oliver told Amin.
"Then it is a good thing I brought the archives," Amin said as he sat next to Oliver with his tablet connected to the League Archives. He immediately began to search through the archives using the parameters of flight and object.
"Here is one," Amin said as he pulled up one report from the archives. "Animus Talisman or Artifact. This talisman can turn the user into any animal including a bird that would allow the user flight."
"Extraño can fly," Oliver replied. "But he flies as a man walks, not as a bird. He does not appear to change from the form of a man."
Amin sorted through records for a few more minutes. "Here is another. Winged shoes, boots, or sandals. The footwear allows the wearer to walk or run through the sky as quickly as they would on the ground. Some modifications can be made to the mode of travel. Most of the modifications involve speed."
"That is a possibility," Oliver replied. "Extraño stays in the form of a man."
After another hour of going through the archives, Amin couldn't find any other objects that would allow magical flight. The winged shoes were their best possibility.
"Thank you, Qas Amin," Oliver said. "I will have to talk to the spirits to get more information now."
"You are very welcome, Sah-him. Good luck on your hunt," Amin said with a smile. [7]
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DEMON'S VENOM: PERU, LIMA - DE LA VEGA HOME: 18 AUG 2013
SAH-HIM (OLIVER)
That evening, Oliver made his way back to the residence of Georgio De La Vega. He was able to stay hidden from Georgio. When he opened his Inner Eye, he found the spirit of the grandmother on the front porch.
Oliver called her over to the side of the house. =Grandmother= Oliver called in Spanish. =Can I speak with you?= he asked.
The elderly spirit walked over to the quiet corner where he was hiding from sight. =Do you mean to harm my grandson?= she asked in Spanish.
I do not= Oliver replied.
Then I will speak with you= the grandmother spirit replied. She drifted down to where he was hiding.
Grandmother= Oliver asked her, =Why do you disapprove of the man with your grandson?= he asked. He was haunted by the thought his father would disapprove of his relationship with Thomas.
Valente does not love my grandson= the grandmother spirit replied. =He only wants to steal from him.=
Do you disapprove of him? Of loving another man?= Oliver asked her.
No= the grandmother spirit said with a sad smile. =I knew my grandson would only love boys when he was small. I still love him.=
But this Valente does not love him?= Oliver asked.
He does not= the grandmother spirit replied in an angry tone. =His paramour wants to steal his boots.=
His boots?= Oliver asked. =Boots are an odd thing to want to steal.=
Not odd if you know my grandson= the grandmother's spirit replied with humor. =My dear grandson found the Boots of Delphi. Valente wants to take them from him. That boy is no good for him.=
I see= Oliver replied. =Let me investigate Valente. I will see if I can help your grandson.=
I appreciate it= the grandmother spirit replied.
Thank you, Grandmother= Oliver said before he departed silently.
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DEMON'S VENOM: PERU, LIMA - THE FORT: 19 AUG 2013
SAH-HIM (OLIVER)
Oliver returned to the Fort. He found al Namla. "I am ready to complete my investigation," he told Namla.
"Good," Namla said. "Come we will make our report to the Fasir and the Qas. You will be expected to write a report. The Qas will help you write a complete report. They like to use key words to search the archives, like we did yesterday."
"It will be done," Oliver replied as he took his notes with him. He followed Namla to the office of the Fasir. Al Hamsa was sitting behind his desk. He looked up and seemed pleased to be interrupted.
"Fasir, my hunt is complete," Oliver reported.
Al Hamsa smiled at him. "This is your first hunt report. I will try to walk you through the basics. First, what was the subject of your hunt?" Hamsa asked.
"I was tasked to investigate the local Lima hero known as Extraño," Oliver replied. "I found the target and used my Ruya to evaluate him. He is not touched by evil. He uses magic. He primarily uses divination to determine when and where a crime is happening and illusion to avoid personal harm. He subdues his subjects with violence, but does not kill. He can fly due to the use of a magical item known as the Boots of Delphi in his possession."
"What is your recommendation?" Hamsa prompted.
"I… I think Extraño is worth some support. His civilian identity is Georgio De La Vega. He is currently being targeted by a man named Valente. The man wants the Boots of Delphi," Oliver replied. "Valente is touched by evil, but is not a source of evil."
"Interesting," Hamsa replied. "I support your decision. Good work. Make your report to the Qas," Hamsa said in dismissal.
Oliver and al Namla left the Fasir. Namla smacked Oliver on the back. "Good job, al Sah-him," he said. "I told you that you could do this."
"Thanks," Oliver replied.
"Let's go write that report," Namla said. "The Qas will want it right away."
"Then I want to take care of Valente," Oliver replied. "I promised the grandmother I would get rid of him."
"The grandmother?" Namla asked.
"The spirit of the grandmother," Oliver clarified.
"Ah," Namla replied.
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DEMON'S VENOM: PERU, LIMA - DE LA VEGA HOME: 19 AUG 2013
SAH-HIM (OLIVER)
Once the report was filed, Oliver did some research on Valente. The man was a petty thief. Valente had a record with the police. He was not a major criminal, but he was a minor one. It would be enough to warn Georgio.
Oliver took a deep breath and walked up to the residence of one Georgio De La Vega. The house was cozy during the day. It had a nice walkway and a pleasant garden. He knocked loudly.
Georgio opened the door and looked at him carefully. =Hello?= he greeted Oliver in Spanish.
Good day= Oliver greeted him. =I have a message from your grandmother.=
What?= Georgio asked in surprise. =Who are you?= he asked suddenly.
It doesn't matter= Oliver replied. =Your grandmother is worried about you.=
My grandmother?= Georgio replied skeptically. =She died ten years ago.=
Yes= Oliver replied. =I can see her ghost. Her spirit. She loves you very much. She is worried about you.=
Look= Georgio started, =I don't need some kook telling me ghost stories. I'm not buying what you are selling.=
Oliver sighed. =I'm not selling anything= he replied. =Honest.=
Right= Georgio said. =Then how do I know you are talking to her?= he asked with a smirk on his face.
He doesn't believe me?= he told the grandmother's spirit standing on the porch next to him. He knew Georgio could hear him. It was more believable to have this conversation in front of Georgio.
Tell him I would always make his favorite dish from the frogs he brought me= the grandmother's spirit said with a tender smile.
Seriously?= Oliver asked the ghost. He turned a skeptical look at Georgio. =Did you really take frogs to your grandmother just to have her cook your favorite dish?= he asked. His shock at the personal detail was easily seen.
Georgio's eyes widened in surprise. No one knew that. It was a secret that his abuela and he kept. This man is shocked… which was why we kept it a secret. =What… What does she want to tell me?= he asked slowly. He was started to believe that the stranger could see something. Perhaps it was his abuela.
Now you believe me?= Oliver asked with a grin. =Your grandmother is pretty certain that your boyfriend is using you to get your shoes= he said. He looked over at the ghost. =Right?= he asked the ghost. The spirit nodded in agreement.
My shoes?= Georgio asked in confusion.
Yes= Oliver replied. =She says you have special shoes. He knows about them and wants to steal them.= Oliver put on an exasperated face. =Seriously, I thought only women showed this much drama over shoes.=
Did she specify which ones?= Georgio asked with a sense of dread.
Oliver looked over at the ghost.
The boots= the grandmother's spirit replied.
The boots= Oliver relayed. =Those must be some nice boots.=
Georgio nodded as if that made sense. =Tell her… Thank you= he said.
Tell her yourself= Oliver replied. =She is bound to you. She will follow your life until she decides to move on.=
Move on?= Georgio asked.
Oliver smiled. =When your grandmother is no longer worried about you. Then she will move on= he replied. =I have enough issues with my own ghosts.=
You have them too?= Georgio asked.
Yes= Oliver replied with a smile. =My dad, but I can also see the ghosts bonded to others.=
It sounds useful= Georgio replied.
"Eh!" Oliver replied in a display of exasperation. He didn't want to give the mage too much information on his kind of gift. =Anyway, warning sent. Have a good day.=
You as well= Georgio replied as he closed the door.
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USA, WA, STARLING CITY - STARLING CITY UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, SARA'S APARTMENT: 20 AUG 2013
Sara was resting on the couch in the living room of her new apartment near the University of Starling City. She watched her guest fondly. Thea was always fun to watch. Today, Thea helped her move the last of her things into her new home. Sara chose a modest apartment close to the University of Starling City campus.
Sara used the Trust Fund from Tommy to help her pay for her tuition and her apartment, even if she still had no idea what she wanted to study. She felt cared for by her close friend. Even if he was gone now.
Thea was staring at the photos they placed on her mantlepiece. The pictures of Sara's father and mother were ignored, but the ones with Oliver, Laurel, and Tommy drew the young girl.
"I miss them," Thea said softly as she picked up the joint photo of all five of them together.
"I do too," Sara replied sadly.
Thea joined her on the couch and cuddled into her side as she continued to stare at the photo. "It is almost 15 months," Thea said.
"Yeah," Sara agreed. "It seems longer… like a lifetime."
"They… they would be starting their last year of college," Thea said with a sniff of sadness.
"Laurel would already have her last two years of her legal degree planned out," Sara said with a smile. "I bet she would be aiming for the top in her class."
"Definitely," Thea replied with a sad smile. "Tommy would be complaining about his classes with Ollie."
"Business Degrees to make their fathers proud," Sara said.
"Yeah," Thea said. "Dad wanted to get them both motivated more into the businesses. Mom said he wanted to use the trip to get Ollie thinking that way… When Tommy decided to come, I bet Dad just jumped at the chance to add him to the plan."
"Your dad would definitely be that sneaky," Sara said with a smile. "Just like my sister was sneaky to use this trip to get Ollie to test drive moving in together."
Thea's eyes teared up. "This way they can always be together," she said with a broken voice. Then she wrapped her small arms around Sara and buried her face in her chest and cried hard.
Sara wrapped her arms around the young girl and joined her in her grief. They both cried until they were both dry again. Then they just held each other. It was only the soft knock at Sara's door that interrupted the gentle embrace.
Sara got up and looked out the peephole. It was the driver for Thea. Sara opened the door.
"Good evening," the formal man greeted. "I was sent by Mrs. Queen to pick up Thea Queen."
"Of course," Sara replied. "Let me get her." She turned to Thea. "Thea, your ride's here."
"Thanks for letting me help, Sara," Thea said as she put on her coat.
"Anytime, Speedy," Sara said while giving the 12-year-old a long hug. "Let me know when your Archery meets are. I want to attend… And don't forget to visit," Sara admonished the girl.
"I won't," Thea replied. "It was good seeing you."
"It was good seeing you too," Sara replied. She watched the girl leave with the driver and then closed and locked the door behind them. The apartment seemed lonely without the girl in it.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S HORN: USA, MO, CENTRAL CITY - SIMON STAGG INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX: 28 AUG 2013
ALDIRE (LAUREL)
Laurel and al Mai walked into the darkness of the Safe House in Central City. They were conducting surveillance on Simon Stagg. CEO of Stagg Industries. This was one of many surveillance hunts the Horn conducted on various companies. Specifically, those companies who were led by questionable leaders. Leaders who potentially could become an evil source. Tracking them helped the League to focus on just the evil sources. It also let them know if the outside world was tracking them as well.
Al Mai told Laurel that many companies were under the surveillance of the Horn. The companies' actions were questionable, but not totally evil. However, after an initial evaluation, the Shadow Warriors decided those businesses were led by men with questionable intent. That their leaders were possible sources of evil. That they were leaning towards evil.
After Laurel created the Fath and Silea Viruses, the Horn first deployed them on the companies they were monitoring. The companies controlled by men who were considered borderline evil. Lex Luthor, Simon Stagg, Ted Kord, Malcolm Merlyn, Harrison Wells, Meana Dhawn, Simon Morrison, Thomas Elliot; to name a few. They were not evil sources yet. At least that the League could prove. Laurel's viruses made their constant surveillance easier. It also made it easier for the League to find the proof they needed to act.
For this last month, al Mai led several monitoring hunts in Central City. The hunts were used to keep track of these men. They deployed the Fath and Silea viruses to both their companies, their private home systems, cell phones, and other digitally networked devices. Other teams were deploying the Silea Virus in Los Angeles, Metropolis, Starling, New York, and Gotham. This particular hunt was led by Laurel. Mai allowed Laurel to direct every aspect of this hunt. Laurel was proud of how far she had come in the last thirty days. Her confidence had grown. She was glad her viruses were an asset to the League.
"I think I have concluded this hunt," Laurel told her mentor. She returned from her last surveillance at a local café. Her last observations were of a meeting between Simon Stagg and his daughter, Sapphire. To say that Sapphire was unhappy with her father, was an understatement.
"Good," Mai replied with a smile. "Then it is time for us to return to The Temple and report on all our hunts to the Fasir. This was our last hunt in Central City. We will use our notes to complete our reports on Harrison Wells, Meana Dhawn, Osgood Rathaway, and Simon Stagg." She gave Laurel an appraising look. "Would you like to give a test run on your report for the Fasir before we travel?" she asked Laurel.
"I... Yes, I would," Laurel replied after a slight hesitation.
"Very well," Mai replied. She indicated that Laurel take a seat. "You only have to practice this last hunt. Use your notes. I will report on the others."
"Okay," Laurel replied as she took the seat opposite of Mai. She took a deep breath. "The subject of this hunt was Simon Stagg, CEO of Stagg Industries. Simon Stagg was previously evaluated and placed on the monitoring schedule. Our hunt was to update his next monitoring evaluation and to deploy the Fath and Silea Viruses."
"What did you find?" Mai prompted her.
"After deploying the viruses at Stagg Industries and in the private home of Simon Stagg, I reviewed the data and found no current issues exist for this target. He did have several past issues, but he seems to have backed away from evil. He continues to be a brilliant scientist and businessman, but his morality is still borderline," Laurel summarized her findings.
"His business acumen kept the regulators of the outside world from discovering his actions, even as they are illegal in that nation. His most questionable actions involve his genetics division. His engineering division is relatively clean. His chemical division consists of questionable safety practices, but nothing that qualifies as evil."
Laurel took a breath. "However, in his genetics division, his past actions were evil, but they evolved slightly away from evil in recent years. He turned closer to balance."
Laurel took another deep breath. "I further observed the target while he was interacting with others to determine his current moral state," she continued with her personal observations. "He behaves commanding and authoritative. He is domineering to his employees. He presents a more placid front to regulators and peers. He is obsessed with the life and interactions of his daughter, Sapphire Stagg." She paused.
"He adopted one of his early genetic experiments, Java, but failed to show the being any respect or loyalty. He is easily swayed by others in the business field and grooms the image of a successful businessman," Laurel summarized what she had seen and the data he had evaluated.
"What are your recommendations for this target?" Mai asked with an encouraging smile.
"My... My recommendation is for continued monitoring. While this target is not currently an evil source, he does lean towards evil and can easily become an evil source or swayed to become a branch of evil," Laurel replied. She slowly gained more confidence as she made her recommendations. "The Fath and Silea Viruses will assist in monitoring, which will be done remotely. Personal observation should recur every year." [8]
Mai smiled. "Very well presented, Aldire," she said. "Now it is time to pack. We must return to the Temple for our next assignment."
Laurel let out a deep breath in relief. "Do we know what we are going to be assigned to next?" she asked as she rose to start packing.
"Our assignment will be determined by the Fasir. But..." Mai said as she rose and followed Laurel next to their sparse belongings. "If we are not needed on a hunt, I would like to have you intern for more advanced robotics."
"Robotics?" Laurel asked. "But... I thought I was going to focus on computers and programming?" she added.
"That will be your main focus," Mai replied gently. "However, you have some raw experience with robotics. You also have an interest in learning more of this field. This is not a field the family usually gains experienced Eadi in. Anything you learn would benefit the family." She gently rested her hand on Laurel's arm to still her packing. "Your programming will help you with robotics. Your viruses will easily incorporate into any robotic technology. It is my hope you can enhance your basic experience with more grounded training."
"Okay," Laurel replied. She hadn't thought about learning more in robotics or technology. The ghost of Ivo still haunted her when she thought of what she learned. Raw experience. That is a better way of thinking about how I was forced to learn. "Perhaps, I can learn more about nanorobotics. I was steered away from that on the ship. Ivo would program his little robots and inject them into his patients." She took a deep cleansing breath. "This... This will help me to clean that learning. To make it free of his taint."
"He was an evil source," Mai replied. "He will be forgotten."
"He will be forgotten," Laurel repeated. She had repeated it often to banish the ghost of Ivo.
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Chapter Endnotes:
[7] League Archives: I wanted to highlight his hunt's search of the League Archives. I believe the Arrowverse was unrealistic to keep the League as technology idiots. Ra's was a brilliant strategist. Intelligence is the MAJORITY of developing an effective strategy. IMO The original League Archives are vast book libraries that are larger than the Vatican sealed archives. However, by incorporating technology at the beginning, the League was able to digitize their archives and make them available to each of their branches. Key word searches are VITAL to large databases. Just Google 'gun' to see how overwhelming too much information can become. This is also why the Qas assist with filing reports. They make sure all the correct key words are included to ensure the report is available later.
[8] Simon Stagg: This is a fairly comic accurate Simon Stagg before the Rex Mason fiasco. It predates the creation of Metamorpho. I did touch on some of his Arrowverse characteristics as well. See part X for a more detailed description.
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