Year Two

They'll probably think I'm a giant bat again.

*Cameron flies in a way to make sure Jin can follow*

*Luna sticks to the shadows, watching what is being unloaded.*
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T"You mind checking Google Earth while I'm looking into this?"

A"Uhh...sure."

Grimm stopped and spoke without looking at them, figuring asking shouldn't hurt, "Spotted any costumes around here recently? Maybe a Mutant?"

Dalia went back to the scene of her murder again, intending to see if any Tyranno Boys were around that area again.

Okay, I guess, Jin continued following along.

She can somewhat see boxes and barrels being unloaded. Mostly white plastic ones, but a few of the barrels are also metal. The kinds of things chemicals are stored in

They look at him like he's a fucking loon, one of the three reaches behind his back for something.

One: "We ain't see anything strange until you came along."

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The pseudo-real time images are replaced with grainy satelitte images. Every now and again,the image flickers out, a new more recent one taking its place.

Thiera's search does yield some cold cases. The most recent taking place the winter of 1999 and the oldest going back to the seventies.

*She looks at them in reverse-chronological order.*
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*Luna just watches for now.*

*They head for the more crime heavy part of town*

"Very well, then," Grimm said, and continued walking on his way. While Grimm was still close by the strangers would have felt a small rise in temperature, but it passed with his distance.

Dalia stood around the original site of her killing, kind of staring at the spot the Tyranno Boy was slaughtered in. She started walking off, hands deep in pockets and looking around for other people who might be watching, or be Tyranno Boys.

Jin followed.

The lot of them are disappearances and deaths. The most recent cold case was fourteen year old Joshua Jones known as J.J by friends and family. An image of the boy is shown depicting him in jeans and a tank top. He has a fairly athletic build and his head is shaved and biced giving him a chrome dome.

A few months before his disappearance, he had begun acting out, getting into fights and overall not acting like himself. After he didn't come home from school or show up at home or school the next day the police were called.

No leads could be dug up right away as his friends from school began avoiding him when he began to change and he stopped attending any after school activities. Also he stopped going to his usual hang outs. Eventually the investigation was called off.

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There is no one around. She is alone fondly reminecing about a recent murder she commited and will one day be judged for.

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She continues seeing shit being unloaded until the truck is unloaded and the door closed. Something exits the building the goods were being moved into. From head to toe it's covered in black. There's a brief exchange between the person in black and the truck driver before they part.

The delivery truck and pick up that followed it both drive off.

At Grimm's location, the three men look at each other in confusion.

One: "Hell was that about?"

Three: "Fuck if I know. Anyone notice how hot it got for a moment?"

Two: "Probably that guy. Fuckin' Mutant."

The three part ways.

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The two touch down in an alley, a purple aura at the end and coming closer.

Mimiru: "What the hell is that?"

Azuma: "I don't know. Don't suddenly jump it."

Eventually it gets close enough that they can see it's a person.

Iron Duke: "A couple new faces on the scene. Got names?"

Mimiru: "Strong Arm."

Azuma looks in Mimiru's direction like she said something stupid.

Azuma: "Uh...Frost Hound?"

Mimiru snickers. Iron Duke looks at them both like they're idiots.

Iron Duke: "Well then, Frost Hound & Strong Arm. Any leads?"

Azuma: "Depends on what you're looking into. If it's the Tyranno Boys, we got nothing. Haven't seen a single stupid hairdo or visor all night."

Iron Duke: "Yeah, it's been quiet. Inquiry has some intel on a Russian meth lab in the area, if that's your beat."

Azuma: "'Fraid not. Too big for us."

Iron Duke: "Fair enough. Good see a...non-human in costume. Not many of them around. Two maybe three if that 'giant bat' is anything to go by."

Azuma: "Three or so. Strong Arm here's also a Mutant. Her powers are just a little more subtle. I take it you're also counting that plant one from the news a little while ago?"

Iron Duke: "Yeah. That one seems to want to start off big, make a name for themself. Anyway, I better skidaddle if I'm going to hit that lab. Take care, you two. By the way-"

Azuma: "You're Iron Duke? Heard about you on the news and the big ID was kind of obvious."

Iron Duke smirks.

Iron Duke: "Quite the detective."

*Luna knows when shit is big. She pulls out her phone & uses it to text an anonymous tip to 9-1-1.*
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A"I can't really tell if this is a crime or not. Looks like chemicals being unloaded."

*Thiera jumps up, her costume growing around her in an instant.*

T"I'll take the chance. Just guide me there."

*She opens the window, spreading her leaf wings as Aroma tells her where this shit is going down.*

Wait, I got an idea.

*Cameron heads to the building he saw the Japanese woman at a few days ago*

Dalia went back into Alternate Space and climbed up another building, then sat on the roof, tired. She dropped back into reality.

Grimm continued his wandering.

Jin followed.

She has a ways to go even by air. On the streets below, she can see a police cruiser heading the same way she is. It's sirens aren't on.

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A text comes back thanking her for the tip and an available squad car will be dispatched.

A pick up truck following a freight truck pass Grimm.

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The roof is devoid of life except for himself.

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Spring Amore walked down the street, a shopping bag in tow from a late night trip to the store. She hummed a gentle tune.

So predictible.

She passed an alleyway, a Tyranno Boy in a purple sleeveless shirt and spiked mohawk emerged while another in a red leather jacket whose hair appeared to be random spikes every which way rounded a corner in front of her.

Purple: "Real pretty."

Red: "Pretty as they come, slice and dice 'em."

Spring frowned. The compliments took on a less than complimentary meaning when accompanied by the flick of a switchblade and the overall inhuman nature of the speakers. It also meant she might be late getting home.

Spring: "Thank you, boys. Now why don't you run on home. It's a school night and I bet your parents miss you dearly."

Red: "Ha, we don't need no school."

Spring: "Obviously you do. You just used a double negative."

The one in red looked at her dumbfounded. Behind her the one in purple removed his visor.

Purple: "I don't know, man. I think she's right. What are we doing with our lives, anyways?"

The one in red removes his visor and rubs his eyes.

Red: "I never thought of that. I figured we were having fun, but some of these people are pretty serious. You hear about that woman who got a grenade dropped in her purse? That's messed up, man."

Spring tried to contain the horror she felt from hearing of that incident. If she slipped up, they might resume what they set out to accomplish.

Red: "Real sorry for the trouble we caused you, Miss. I swear you won't see us like this ever again."

Spring: "That's wonderful to hear, boys. Have a good night."

Purple: "You too, Miss."

The two run off down the street, the clanging of their discarded blades barely audible over their running.

With a relieved sigh, Spring continued on home.

*Luna slinks into the shadows. She will get away from the scene, & find an overlooking rooftop.*
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*Thiera keeps on flying.*

Eve:How can there be nothing going on in Manderlay?

*Cameron places Eve on a rooftop, then grabs Jin and flies her up*

A roof across the street is her best bet, but there are people still lingering outside who may notice her.

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It's a relatively long flight before entering the south side. The police cruiser is nowhere in sight, having gone elsewhere.

From above, the south side isn't very different than the east side.

*Thiera keeps going.*
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*Luna takes the obvious route, just goes around until she can cross the street out of sight of witnesses.*

"Wow, flying feels funny," Jin said as she reached the rooftop with Cameron. "But, uh... is this really a good place to look out from?"

Grimm continued his wanderings.

Dalia sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the city and in particular listening out for the sounds of a conflict.

Across the street, the person in black still stands outside long after everyone else had gone in. Despite the text message, no police vehicle is in sight.

Should Grimm be taking in the sights, he could see this end of the city is in worse condition than the east side. The only signs of anyone living in this end of town are makeshift shelters from boxes and anything else the homeless can find.

It's as if an entire section of the city was just abandoned by the local government.

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Atop a rooftop she sees someone or something that's doing a whole lot of nothing.

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The city is unusually quiet. At least this end of town is.

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The two teleport on to a rooftop at the center of the city. Mutant Buster units circle the construction site, a security measure that doesn't deter the two as Azuma teleports them into the site.

They male their way to a trailer at one end of the site. On the door are the words Foreman Jones written on poster board and slipped into a sleeve of sorts.

Azuma peers into the window of the empty trailer and telepprts them inside.

Mimiru: "What are we doing here?"

Azuma: "I'm curious as to what this is about. It can't be a regular high rise if the Mutant Busters are circling it night and day."

*Thiera veers over, swooping down & landing.*

T"What's going on here?"

L"We don't have much time. Get me over to that man. We'll strike him from behind."

*There's a short pause, but as they both realize that something is seriously wrong, she does so. As they're flying toward him, Thiera is also depositing dandelion seeds in her wake.*

*Eve shrugs*

<Of course we choose the night when there's nothing going on.>

Cameron:<I guess we keep heading in the same direction.>

"Pleasant..." Grimm said quietly to himself, looking around for signs of life in the streets and buildings.

"I guess?"

They take note of something flying above them and raise an arm. The black covering is vaporized as a burst of machine gun fire tears through it revealing an arm mounted machine gun.

The gun fire attracts the attention of people inside, three of which coming running out.

Mook One: "Boss, what's going on?"

???: "Oh, nothing. But have Herbicide on standby."

The mooks retreat back into the building.

The streets are vacant except for him. Some noise comes from inside the buildings, likely vagrants or vermin.

He hears gunfire coming from a short distance away.

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Mimiru: "What are we looking for?"

Azuma: " Anything that'll give us a hint as to what this is going to be. Think I found something."

Azuma pulls a sheet of paper off of a stack. At the top of the page are the words Lightning Bolts: Justice Like Lightning.

Azuma: "The hell does this mean?"

*Cameron flies Jin down to the ground, then picks up Eve and continues in the same direction*

*Thiera folds the wings around them, dropping to the ground as a thick ball of bark. Luna shortens her spear so that it will fit.*

L"Open a hole!"

T"Are you crazy?!"

L"Just do it!"

*After some argument, Thiera opens a small slit in the bark, through which Luna points her spear & blasts lightning at Barret.*

Grimm began to move towards the gunfire, sticking to the shadows as much as possible. His hope would be that anybody with a gun might not spot him in his totally black outfit.

Jin followed them.