Mexico City (CVnU Location)

@tessa_callahan:

With brazen reflexive speed and unapologetic force, the Ultra-Sapien shot his arm out grabbing Tessa by the arm. His large hand curling around her exercised muscle. "Wait." Skeptically side-eyeing the poverty stricken child. His situational awareness hyper-actively formulating the probability of deception. "I'm sorry" releasing his intrusive grip "But this child lives in the mouth of the beast alongside a killer who does not discriminate between age or gender. Friend or foe." Suspiciously looking off, and up, through the overarching interior structure. Or what was left of it. "I think its safe to assume these people are here willingly, and under the protection of your metahuman 'friend.' This is window dressing."

Lucian hadnt bought the heartbreaking scene for even a moment. No one who lived in the proximity of the Alpha Dog would flinch at a helping hand. Would willingly stay when they had two legs to carry them anywhere but here. Anywhere that the Dog wasnt. Unless they knew something, held a special sorta carte-blanche that nobody else in the World had.

Then in what many would consider to be a gross over-extension of authority, Lucian grabbed the little girl by the scruff of her shirt, hoisting her off her feet and bringing her face to face.

"Is he here?"slightly cocking his head. "IS HE HERE!"

I love Lucy.

@lucian_lebeau: Okay, I love the part of you that jacks up little girls for information. Not the part that wants to cut into my funds. >_>

@lucian_lebeau: Tessa’s not gonna like that -__-

@rosso: I was gonna give her a little jab for good measure

You've got too much heart for this work kid :P

@noah_noble:

@tessa_callahan:

"Yeah." He replied. "Call The Champion."

A shrug. "I have a utility belt I made myself and a t-shirt with my symbol spray painted on it. I'm aware of the issues surrounding Metro City but the reality is I don't have the tech to do anything but get myself killed."

"You need more firepower than I have."

@hawkshade:

For a moment he honestly tried to understand the almost personal animosity and its influence over the Hawkshade's passive aggression. But it quickly faded. He was done trying to achieve a common ground, trying to establish some amicable measure of the vigilante who seemed purely motivated by emotion. Lucian scuffed and shook his head halfway through the vigilante's dismissive response, almost turning completely away as his internal thoughts, his instincts, told him this was horseshit.

"You went into a city...allegedly, filled with some of the World's most dangerous metahumans all in the pursuit of your brand of justice. To save lives as you like to say. With just your t-shirt" he lackadaisical gestured towards the secret Strigidae. "Just your utility belt. But now, when I extend a hand in a moment of need, to save a life of an actual hero, a bonafide savior of the people, all you can offer me is attitude and resentment." he sighed with disappointment. In his mind he had gone above and beyond for the shadowhunting shinobi. At least put in an effort to see things from his perspective. Yet he was young, perhaps younger then even Lucian himself had initially recognized.

You're right about one thing though. I do need more. But it isnt firepower, its heroes. I need heroes and you son, arent one." With an unapologetic and antagonist backhand motion which visually conveyed the i'm done with this shit. Done with you disposition of the Last Republican, he shortly there after returned both hands to the front of his belt. Before ultimately offering a parting shot. "Get ready son. Cause I'm coming for you. And anyone near you at the time is going down, hard."

@lucian_lebeau: I love to hate you.

Ugggh, he's soooo good.

I simultaneously want to protect him and destroy the very essence of him.

@hawkshade: This is why we cant have nice things

@tessa_callahan:

@lucian_lebeau: I KNOW I KNOW. Work has been sapping me D: I

NO MERCY!

@lucian_lebeau: Daaaamn, G. That was awesome!

@lucian_lebeau: Why thank you.

In the words of uh... well this is awkward actually. In the words of you, "you can't rush greatness."

@lucian_lebeau said:

@tessa_callahan:

With brazen reflexive speed and unapologetic force, the Ultra-Sapien shot his arm out grabbing Tessa by the arm. His large hand curling around her exercised muscle. "Wait." Skeptically side-eyeing the poverty stricken child. His situational awareness hyper-actively formulating the probability of deception. "I'm sorry" releasing his intrusive grip "But this child lives in the mouth of the beast alongside a killer who does not discriminate between age or gender. Friend or foe." Suspiciously looking off, and up, through the overarching interior structure. Or what was left of it. "I think its safe to assume these people are here willingly, and under the protection of your metahuman 'friend.' This is window dressing."

Lucian hadnt bought the heartbreaking scene for even a moment. No one who lived in the proximity of the Alpha Dog would flinch at a helping hand. Would willingly stay when they had two legs to carry them anywhere but here. Anywhere that the Dog wasnt. Unless they knew something, held a special sorta carte-blanche that nobody else in the World had.

Then in what many would consider to be a gross over-extension of authority, Lucian grabbed the little girl by the scruff of her shirt, hoisting her off her feet and bringing her face to face.

"Is he here?"slightly cocking his head. "IS HE HERE!"

His deep voice rumbled in his chest, and sent a shot of irritation straight to the core of her being. Tessa may be a killer, but she was no bully. Is this what the US government was up to these days? Before she could think, instinct kicked in and her hand shot out in a slicing motion, the edge of it connected with the inside of Lucian's extended elbow. She used more force than she would have for any other non-enhanced person, and the nerve strike hit with perfect efficiency. His hand re-actively opened and she grabbed the young girl from his grip, turning and shielding her body with her own. "Go now," she urged. "Take the money and don't look back."

As she scampered off, Tessa whirled on Lucian, wide eyes that were currently brown narrowing with irritation and alight with fury. "She's a child. Starving and most likely orphaned. If he were going to use her as fodder, it would have been as a walking bomb, which she clearly wasn't. He's not subtle, he's about brute force. If you had more experience with him you would know," she said as she lifted the hem of her shirt and showed the still-pink scar fresh from her torture at the Dog's hands.

"He doesn't play mind games in this manner and he hasn't been here long enough to accrue a following. And when he does, it's usually the worst of the worst anyways. Not helpless children," Tessa spat, her voice quiet and furious. "This is information gathering. I don't hate your goddamn department enough to let you walk into his place when he's actually there. And I have no intention of coming face to face with that beast without substantial backup. Now stop terrorizing civilians and come," she ordered as she spun on her heel and began walking into the building.

Bleeding hearts...

@tessa_callahan:

He took a reactionary step towards Tessa. 60 different points of possible grappling angles flashed through his militarized mind as a means of instant retaliation. But instead he halted himself and cast a look of disappointment. Once again the vigilante class had shown him a weakness through their misguided code and lack of realistic situational awareness.

While he may not have known Dog directly, he knew metas. Knew mutants. And knew the current World. She was a little girl, why? Cause she looked like one? Magic users could look like anyone. Perhaps Tessa was secretly armed with a device that protected her against illusions...? Mutants could shape shift into anything, anyone. Maybe Tessa had a secret sense which allowed her to cut through the genetic veils of shapeshifters...?

But more then likely, Lucian believed she had simply witnessed something visually helpless and reacted in accordance with all misguided tourists, in a world war in which nothing was at it appeared. The rules of reality had been torn down, but not everyone had adapted to the new reality.

Yet he remained silent, focused, as the rebellious renegade of the Shadow Knights verbally undressed his actions. Her words betraying a deeper emotional agitation then warranted by an isolated incident. Seemingly sharing the same premeditated bias as the Gothic bird of prey, Hawkshade.

He didnt care though, his mission was bigger then vendettas. At least in his opinion. Which was why before his arm had gone numb from the dexterous nerve strike, he had secretly planted a tracking device on the 'orphan's collar.' Who'd soon be apprehended by a small covert team of DSA agents the LeBeau captain had deceptively called in. If Dog was here, he was going down. And Tessa along with him.

Its time we start putting houses in order

@lucian_lebeau: Why can’t we be friends -___-

@dwronin

The air was cold and the wind whispered over the runway and the moon was high and bright.

Hawkshade stood upon the asphalt roof of a hanger in Mexico City's international airport. Below him men hurried and scurried like ants and red tail lights wove to and fro hauling luggage and passengers and repairmen and spare parts and drugs. Always drugs.

Security was tight. Army checkpoints dotted the surrounding roads. Searchlights swept the midnight sky, drowning out the stars.

His black cape wrapped around his body, vantablack coating drinking in all light and arms thick with cords of muscle were cross over a broad chest. The white slits of his cowl swept the airport as he flipped from one vision mode to the next, always alert for danger.

He had left a message for Ronin at the Children of the Damned's base, telling him the time and place of their meeting. All there was to do now was wait.