@maverick_6

Tyrus stormed out of the command center after her conversation with @lichter and made her way to the training room. She paused at her office to change into something more suitable for working out and then made her way to the training room. Once there she assaulted the first punching bag she saw, beating the bag with relentless determination born of unbridled rage. She had kept back considerably during their conversation and now unleashed her full wrath on an innocent bag. Her fists slammed into the reinforced material again and again and her eyes burned like fire.

She lost track of time somewhere in the process and anger became focused, her mind began to work again and took the razor sharp edge of fury and honed it down to a fine point and from that point a new stratagem began to develop. I won't be threatened again, I won't place my trust in the hands of governments and organizations again. How many times must I be betrayed? No, I won't stand for this anymore. They put my people in danger by threatening my plans, they put the world in danger by questioning my choices. Openness and cooperation were clearly a mistake, they took that opportunity to try and manipulate STRIKE and coral it into their government agenda...just like I was warned they would. I should have listened. I wanted an open and cooperative STRIKE to counter the fears of so many people...but those fears don't go away, they just get worse.

Her last strike sent the bag breaking from its chain and across the room where it slammed into the wall. He intentionally manipulated me, he played me. Who the hell does he think he is? Who the hell is he?

A few hours and a shower later and Tyrus was back in her usual clothing and back in her office. She paced quietly as her mind went into a thousand different directions. Agents began to receive assignments, information would be dug up on Lichter, on the CIA itself and on the United States Government. She had intentionally refrained from such actions before because she believed in trust and cooperation. One man had ruined that and it was going to have consequences. The ancient tyrant that lie inside of her wanted more than she was willing to do, but it also honed her instincts, sharpened her focus and told her how to avoid repeating her mistake.

"Very well." She said aloud, abruptly bringing her pacing to a halt. "Computer, begin recording the following message. At the conclusion of this recording release it on the internet and send it to every major world news organization." She turned to face the holographic recorder and began speaking. "Citizens of Earth, my name is Tyrus and I am the Director of STRIKE. I have endeavored since I was given this position to improve ties with world governments and to create a sense of openness and trust with the world community. Unfortunately trust is a two way street and despite my best efforts, others have seen fit to not return the favor. Since it has been made clear to me that neither I nor STRIKE is trusted to do our job, I can no longer continue my attempts to be open and fair. As a result of not one but two abject betrayals by the United States Government that specifically told me it wished to operate in a sense of trust and respect I am forced to end my program. After today, the STRIKE offices scattered across the world created specifically to deal with the media will close until further notice. Our ties with the United States Government will be broken and all operations will be returned to their former state of internal information only. I regret to inform you of these changes but if you wish to know what made them necessary, I suggest you ask your elected leaders."

Tyrus paused for a moment before she continued.

"When STRIKE was founded under the previous Director it was a private organization established to protect Earth from cataclysmic threats. As a result of its private nature and secretive operations many people rightly felt concern over an organization that acted on its own accord. When I took over the position I sought connections with the world, I sought to ease fears. Unfortunately governments have proven to be paranoid entities concerned more with their own agendas than the safety and security of the world as a whole. From this point forward STRIKE is once again returning to private status. That said, I will be making structural changes in the coming months that will have obvious effects. We will begin by opening embassies across the planet where governments can communicate with us, but we will not be beholden to any single government. Our second point of reorganization will be to establish a private network of support that will allow us to operate untouched by corporate or national interests. The third step in this plan is a simple one...to defend the Earth. Whatever happens between states is left to them, STRIKE will, from this point forward, operate only in the interests of global security against major threats."

She shook her head. "I regret that these steps have been made necessary but I can no longer expose this organization to repeated breaches of trust and the blatant attempts of governments to bend us to their will and desire to use STRIKE as a weapon against their foes. We are a weapon but we are a weapon against those who would threaten the safety of the entire planet, not specific factions within it. There is a threat coming and when I have all the appropriate information it will be released globally. I will also make an announcement to the general population. This information will not be released until we are fully prepared to deal with what is coming." Tyrus paused and shook her head. "I tried repeatedly to work with governments and organizations. I was told groups like The Equalizers would work along side STRIKE...only to have them used as a threat and potential weapon the moment the United States disagreed with one of our policies. To make matters worse, we were at no point given an opportunity to defend our policies, our support was pulled instantly and an operation with global security in mind was forcefully aborted to avoid a massive conflict. I have tried to be trusting, perhaps I was too trusting. Unfortunately cooperation and openness are a two say street and I am not willing to be the only one to walk down that path."

Tyrus ended the recording and it was immediately distributed as per her orders. Tyrus brought up a list of the influential and wealthy of the world and nodded to herself. Messages would soon be sent to them asking for them to join in the private funding of STRIKE. Of course she wasn't concerned about funding, there were sources she had never fully revealed because she had begun to distrust the very people she was trying to work with. It makes me wonder about all those attacks on our ship. Those coordinates had to come from somewhere. Still operating under water the STRIKE carrier made a slow course correction that took it away from the coastal United States and headed south and out into the deep ocean.