[Deleted]

Jules assumed that this was the ‘real car’ Aaron had referred to after the roof of his junker had caved in during their Hero efforts. It felt like forever ago, but it had really only been a number of hours. Although she still wasn’t about to pretend to know anything about cars, she could tell by the pride in his voice and the fact that he explicitly stated the year that it was a Nice Car.

She liked the colour. She also liked that he’d worked to buy it himself. It was further evidence for her theory that despite coming from an affluent background, Aaron was still the type to work for everything (or mostly everything) that he had. Jules wasn’t sure how much the car was worth but, if it was indeed a Nice Car, then it was probably a modest amount at least.

Pulling Emily onto her lap and holding her tightly in the absence of any child seats, Jules settled into the car and listened as attentively as she could manage while Aaron spoke. She raised her eyebrow in amusement at the pause he gave before ‘conservative’, nodding silently in understanding but making no promises. She would try not to say anything that would get her kicked out of the refuge of his house, but that was all.

“Concussion? Yeah, makes sense,” she said, putting the back of her head gingerly through the beanie. “I don’t feel so sick any more but this headache is killing me – hopefully your old man has some Tylenol in his first aid kit,” she added with a faint smile. “And hopefully we don’t make the family reunion any more awkward than you’re expecting. Best behaviour, baby girl,” Jules said firmly to Em, planting a kiss on her forehead. Em looked confused. She probably liked to think that she was always on her best behaviour.

When they finally reached the house, Jules felt her mouth drop open a little. It was a really nice house – huge and surrounded by greenery. She looked at Aaron with wide eyes. “And this is just one of his places?” she asked, astonished. Well, they could definitely have picked a worse place to run away to.

Em insisted on walking by herself, and so the three of them slowly made their way up the path to Aaron’s father’s home. Jules felt self-conscious – pulling off the beanie and smoothing out her hair in an attempt to look presentable. At least her outfit wasn’t a tasteful shade of vomit, although she couldn’t rule out traces of actual vomit being on some part of her person. Man, way to make a first impression.

“Strange woman?” she protested as they reached the door. “How rude. I’m totally ordinary – you’ve just caught me on an off-day.”

She met his eyes with a sparkling glint in her own, feeling a lot more like herself now that she’d had a chance to rest in the car ride.

Emily giggled and, before Jules could stop her, pounded both tiny fists against the door. “’EYYO!! ’Eyyo, ’eyyo, ’eyyo, ’eyyo!”

Well… that sure was one way to announce their arrival.

@aaron | 523 words

LAIKA OF GS!

[Deleted]

 

- TANK -

"I'll see you on the other side, drink in hand, smile on my lips."

He'd bring a hand over to comb her hair back away from her face, resting it on the back of her head as he'd take a look at her eyes, the wounds, her position. He'd let out a low hum and let his hand fall back to the stick shift. He began to feel more than a little worried. Thankfully, his father had some use here. As a private practice physician, he'd have the knowledge needed to care for her properly. After they stepped out and she'd exclaimed what she did, he sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah....it's just this one and a vacation home."

This made him uncomfortable. Because, thinking back, he'd dropped money like it was nothing and it might have painted the image of a spoiled trust fund baby. He was decidedly not one of those. He lived in a modest, even somewhat run down apartment so that he could spend as little as possible of his military funds. He'd had sign on bonuses, and living overseas for free for fifteen years made it easy to save. A self made man, Aaron did not like what things like this represented. But he had little choice- this house was in his stepmothers name, had nothing to do with his family other than his father lived there. It would be off the map, outside the city, and easily defended. As she spoke, Aaron's eyes looked over the door and windows. They looked almost entirely the same as they did all those years ago. As Emily pounded on the door, Aaron gave the smallest of smiles. It really was the perfect way to announce his homecoming.

"Yes-?"

The door opened, and a man wearing cream colored slacks and a deep blue V-neck sweater answered. His gray hair was combed up and back, and he held a pipe between his teeth. Ignoring the child and woman, the mans eyes were fixed on Aaron from the instant he saw him. Aaron stared back, and the silence hung for maybe half a second or two before the man removed the pipe slowly and-

"Aaron...?"

The man stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his boy's broad shoulders. The hug was deep, Aaron's hands out a little shocked. He couldn't remember the last time his father had hugged him. How old was he? Eleven? Twelve? His hands slowly came up to rest on his back, giving an awkward pat or two before clearing his throat. "Hey pop." The older man pulled away, his eyes misty before his face broke into a large grin. He gripped his sons shoulders and stepped back, opening the door wide enough for the three of them to enter.

"Please. Come in."

JUNIER of GS + Adox

[Deleted]

She hadn’t really known what to expect when the door opened. Aaron didn’t exactly seem… comfortable about this situation, but maybe he was just tense from the home invasion and attempted murder. That, and the fact that he hadn’t seen his conservative-minded dad in what sounded like a very long time and he was now showing up on the doorstep unannounced with a potentially-concussed single mother and her small but loud child in tow.

The man who answered the door was grey-haired and dressed in slacks and, perfectly, enjoyed smoking from a pipe. Simply, he seemed like a well-dressed older gentleman enjoying a comfortable life in a more-than-comfortable home. His expression was hard to read – he didn’t even look at Jules or Em – and then suddenly he stepped towards his son and pulled him into a tight, tight embrace.

Jules felt embarrassed, like she was witnessing something very intimate and personal that she hadn’t been granted access to. She distracted herself by hauling Emily up into her arms before she could go running into the unguarded doorway, wincing at the unusual effort it took.

The two men pulled apart, the older man looking significantly emotional at this point. Jules was beginning to seriously worry that there might be tears, and not just from Em who seemed like she might be in need of a change. Damn, that was awkward timing. Aaron’s father moved back to open the door wide and invite them all in, his large grin charming Jules instantly.

“Thank you so much, I… My name’s Jules.” She rebalanced Em for a moment to offer an awkward, but insistent, handshake. “This is my daughter, Emily. We’ve had kinda a rough morning but your son-” She paused to smile with shy, gentle gratitude at Aaron. “Aaron here has helped us out, made everything okay.”

She took a moment to look around the front hallway, glancing around to admire the place. “Your home is…” Fancy, sophisticated words failed her. Jules blamed the head injury. “Awesome, dude.” Way to make a first impression, right?

@aaron | 342 words

LAIKA OF GS!

[Deleted]

 

- TANK -

"I'll see you on the other side, drink in hand, smile on my lips."

The older Hunt gave a little chuckle and a nod, closing the door behind them as they stepped inside. So far, Aaron hadn't responded to his fathers words or actions, instead looking around the home. Not a damn thing had changed, save for the occassional picture of his mother. She wasn't in any picture frame when he'd left so seeing her up again was surprising. Noticing that Aaron was preoccupied with photos of his mother, the older male would rub his hands on the back of his slacks. This was a day he'd been looking forward to for a very, very long time.

"Yes well, that sounds like him. He's a very...duty bound man."

Aaron sniffed, ignoring the comment. It was just like him to make another snide comment about his desire to join the military. But he wasn't the type to argue in front of a guest, especially one whom had already had to deal with so much in so short a time. Ben would give a light-hearted chuckle and a "thank you" at her awesome house comment, before Aaron would step over, finally brought back into reality. He brought a hand up and gently rested it on Jules' spine between her shoulder blades, looking to his father expectantly.

"Jules hit her head earlier. I was hoping you could take a look at it?"

Bringing up both brows, he nodded and moved over to set his pipe on the tray. Aaron gently took Em from her and would step back, the little girl turning around to watch as well. Taking a small flashlight from his pocket, the elder Hunt would gesture at a seat, for Jules to sit down. Once/if she did, he'd crouch and hold a finger up. "Follow my finger, please." If she did, he'd move it slowly from side to side, watching her eyes as he did so. "My name is Benjamin, by the way. Or Ben, whichever you prefer." He dropped his finger and brought up the light, flashing it into each one for a moment to test her pupil dilation. Then standing, he'd bring his hands up to gently test the area of the blow.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

Aaron interjected.

"We were at her apartment and were attacked." Ben would let out a low hum, then stepped back.

"You have a slight concussion. You need some tylenol and rest. Try not to sleep, but don't do anything too strenuous." He looked back to Aaron. "What did you do to cause such an attack?"

Aaron shrugged.

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

His father sighed.

"That could be....any number of things for you, Aaron."

JUNIER of GS + Adox

[Deleted]

A duty-bound man. Jules looked at Aaron, searching for a reaction to the comment. She was struggling to understand the dynamic between the two which suggested that a lot had gone on behind the scenes that she was unaware of. Ben, as he would later introduce himself, seemed perfectly pleasant for the most part. Even better, he was almost as easy on the eyes as Aaron. If Jules had followed that train of thought any further, she probably would have turned a delicate shade of pink under his examination. Fortunately, she was rather preoccupied with the situation at hand.

Despite the affection with which Ben had greeted his son, there was a tension in the room. Jules was relieved when nothing came of it, Aaron instead moving to her side and placing a comforting hand at her back. She smiled softly, gratefully, as he queried his father about Jules’ sore head. His reassurance was such that she didn’t even flinch as he took Em from her arms so that Ben could conduct his quick tests with Jules.

She was amused that he took this opportunity to introduce himself. “I can call you Dr. Ben, right?” she grinned. Benjamin Hunt might as well start getting used to her inability to take things seriously if she was going to be spending any significant amount of time in his home.

Aaron’s explanation was succinct and probably not what Benjamin had been hoping to hear. Still, he remained expertly calm and composed. She nodded intently as he confirmed that she had a concussion, but was pleased to notice that he didn’t seem concerned beyond giving her some Tylenol and bedrest. Jules sighed, letting out the breath she hadn’t even realised she’d been holding in.

Continuing to be a man of few words, Aaron offered little in the way of further explanation, and Jules’ lip curled in amusement as Ben sighed.

“They came for Emily, I think,” she offered, glancing across at Aaron for agreement. “They tried to take her – I’m pretty sure they just wanted us out the way, at least to begin with. But… I don’t know why they were trying to take her, or how she knew where we were.” She frowned in thought. “I didn’t think I’d made any enemies…”

Part of her wondered if it was some kind of revenge attack after Tank had been more than a little ruthless the previous night. She didn’t suggest it, however. Partly because she didn’t want to make Aaron feel any shred of responsibility for it, and partly because it didn’t make much sense that they would go for her daughter.

Em was looking a little tired, leaning back against Aaron with gently drooping eyelids. She was probably on the verge of passing out in his lap which, in her defence, looked a pretty comfy spot to do so, and Jules could feel herself relaxing a little just by watching the tot slowly succumb to sleep. It had been quite the morning compared to Emily’s usual schedule – it was no surprise that she needed a well-deserved nap.

@aaron | 514 words

LAIKA OF GS!

[Deleted]

 

- TANK -

"I'll see you on the other side, drink in hand, smile on my lips."

He'd not say anything as Jules told the story, his father moving over to reclaim his pip and light it back up as she spoke. He'd take a seat in the leather recliner, watching them before looking back to the little girl. Was that his grandchild? Perhaps Aaron had met the woman, they'd slept together and now she needed his son's protection. Or maybe Aaron's heart was bigger than his father remembered, and he was caring for this one without any of those preconcieved notions. He'd gesture with the pipe for them to sit.

"Any friend of Aaron's is welcome here. You may both stay as long as you'd like."

Aaron would let out a little breath and look to Jules, easing the three of them over to the couch to take a seat. He'd lean back a little with Em, letting her shift to lay her head on his chest and fall asleep. Ben would stand, speaking gently to them so as not to startle the child. "Can I get you guys anything?" Aaron asked for water, and Ben would wait for Jules to say something before retreating to the kitchen. Aaron would turn to look Jules over, slightly worried for her head and the damage she was suffering because of him. He shouldn't have let down his guard, and he paid the price for it.

"I have some ideas on next steps."

He looked down at Em, but continued.

"I met someone who works with unsavory people, and may have an ear to the ground about the ones who attacked us. I can give her a call and see what she knows, if anything. Worst case scenario, we're back where we started, so we really have nothing to lose. And if she can't help us, I'll probably have to reach out to a friend on the west coast, who's ability is...very useful in situations like this."

Aaron didn't want to just go out and start piling up a body count. Okay, that was a lie. He definitely did. But he knew it wouldn't be conducive to their predicament. It would only lead to more direct actions from their enemies. He'd look to Jules and search her eyes, trying to get a feel for her resolve. She wasn't a soldier, this isn't what she signed up for. Stopping robberies, helping to combat others with powers...that's what she was after. Not getting killed, or losing her daughter.

"I'm sorry, Jules. I failed to protect you and your home. I won't let that happen again."

JUNIER of GS + Adox

[Deleted]

Huh – it was weird to think it, considering they’d known each other for such a short amount of time, but Jules supposed that she was indeed a friend of Aaron’s. Either that, or a wildly inconvenient blue-haired burden that he just hadn’t managed to shake off yet. Maybe he was secretly planning his escape route – leaving Ben to clean up the mess. Somehow, she doubted it. As Ben had pointed out, Aaron was a duty-bound man. Even if he didn’t want to be friends, he’d still make sure that both she and Emily were okay.

“That’s super kind of you, Dr. Ben,” she said, her grin borderline mischievous. “Hopefully we can get out of your hair before too long.”

She wasn’t so sure about that. They had no idea who was after them, or why. Jules doubted they could just head back to her apartment and continue where they left off. For starters, the place was totally trashed. (Whelp, there went Jules’ security deposit.)

As Aaron made himself a more comfortable napping station, Jules watched in a mixture of awe and amusement as the tot burrowed her face into his bright pink t-shirt and fell asleep. She caught Aaron’s eye, her expression full of gratitude. Ben quietly got to his feet and asked for any requests – Jules joined Aaron in asking for a glass of water along with some Tylenol. As he left the room, Jules felt Aaron’s gaze on her and turned back to face him.

She was glad to hear that he had ideas for next steps – Jules had absolutely nada. She listened patiently as he explained himself.

“Your unsavoury friend sounds… sweet,” she responded, grimacing a little at her own joke. That was a bad one, even for her. “But yeah, seriously, it sounds a good idea to get in touch with them. I’m sure your dad will let us use his phone, and even if it gives us just a little info that’s a good start.” Em stirred a little, so Jules lowered her voice even more. “Your west coast friend sounds interesting too. Would we have to head out there? I have a friend out in California who would die to look after Em, she could probably keep her safe.”

Aaron was looking at her with a very serious expression on his face, his next words breaking her heart.

“You didn’t fail us, you saved us,” she insisted, grabbing his hand firmly. “Okay? You heard the good doctor, all I need is bedrest and Tylenol. All Em needs is a nap and a diaper change.” She frowned. “What about you? Are you hurt?” She felt a little sick just thinking about how the attacks that had come his way during the home invasion. Jules knew he was tough, but she felt guilty for just assuming he’d fully recovered already. She’d been focused on her own situation, comfy to be whisked along by Aaron’s plans. She could do better.

“It’s alright. We got this.”

She was looking forward to getting in touch with Aaron’s friends. Hopefully somebody would have some answers.

@aaron | 515 words

LAIKA OF GS!

[Deleted]

 

- TANK -

"I'll see you on the other side, drink in hand, smile on my lips."

He gave a gentle smile.

He appreciated her saying so, but it didn't relieve the burden he felt over it. He was trained to live in enviroments like these, he should have been ready. Instead, he'd been manhandled and nearly blown up. She was almost killed. He got lazy. That would never happen again. Even now, he felt the coiled snake inside his chest. If someone tried to enter now, he already had an exit strategy. His hand rested gently on Em's back, feeling the little tyke breath. He brought it down to the couch, where she had taken it, causing a slight escalation in his heart rate. He found he quite liked this one, and despite her thoughts to the countrary, he had no intention of letting either of them out of his sight. As a matter of fact-

"What you said to my father, about being out of our hair....you're no burden to me. Protecting people is something I'm used to. It's one I bear gladly. But having you and her around is actually somewhat....calming. I find I like it."

He gave her a kind smile, then would glance toward the kitchen where is father was washing some dishes for them. Probably making up some food too. Aaron would reach into his pocket and pull out his phone quickly but gently, so as to avoid disturbing the young one. It was a flip phone, a burner, which he would use to fire off a text to Sonnet Matsuda (who's phone number he had indeed memorized before burning the card it was written on) about their predicament.

'Hey. Attacked again. Meet?'

He sent it before closing the phone and stuffing it away. He would look back to Jules and reach over to gently brush back a little of her hair. "You have some blood matted in here. There is a shower through there." He pointed with his chin at his old bedroom door, which was surprisingly still a bedroom. In fact, peering inside through the dark, it looked like everything was just as he left it before deployment. The floor was clean, the area was dusted. Interesting. Perhaps the maid just went through there automatically? His father came back as he was pondering, offering Jules the meds and water.

"I'll have some food ready when you get out."

JUNIER of GS + Adox

[Deleted]

Jules blushed a little, the tiniest hint of ice beginning to form. Aaron was being incredibly nice to her and she wasn’t quite sure how to handle it – she tended to assume she was a little burdensome to everybody by nature. Not overwhelmingly so, but Jules was definitely aware that she had her flaws and she’d just thought that was one of them. Apparently she had managed to make a good impression on the guy after all.

She wrinkled her face slightly, a teasing glint in her eyes. “You softie. I like having you around too. You’re clearly great with my baby,” she added, gesturing to Emily. “And you keep me safe, what more could a girl ask for?”

Aaron sent off a swift message – presumably to his unsavoury pal. She raised her eyebrows, quietly impressed by the fact that he seemed to know the number off by heart. “Fingers crossed they can help us out, right?”

She’d decided against asking how he knew somebody with those kinds of connections. It likely didn’t matter, and she would be grateful for any kind of help at this point anyway. From the little she had seen of Tank he was a rather …unconventional Hero, but one with a good heart nonetheless. Just because Glacia didn’t have friends in more shadowy places didn’t mean it was wrong of him. Certainly it was coming in handy right now – Jules had close to nothing to offer that could help their situation.

The ice-flush returned, more visibly this time, as Aaron reached across to brush some of her hair. She looked down in embarrassment, hoping the makeshift freckles would disappear quickly. Jules just managed to catch the nod of his chin in the direction of a room which promised the sanctuary of hot running water. Suddenly, she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more.

Dr. Ben returned, equipped with pain relief and hydration which Jules accepted gratefully. She then shyly put forward the suggestion of a quick shower to help make her look slightly less like a freshly risen zombie, to which he quickly provided her with a nice big fluffy towel, some wash stuff and the promise of some food ready for when she returned.

Men like the Hunts were a rare breed, and Jules was definitely enjoying their never-ending flow of care and generosity. She was feeling rather spoilt.

@aaron | 395 words

LAIKA OF GS!

[Deleted]

 

- TANK -

"I'll see you on the other side, drink in hand, smile on my lips."

Aaron didn't blush, but he did offer a kind smile. That was one area he excelled- with children. Ever since he was young he'd been great with the little ones, a mainstay for the fact that he wanted to have children himself, now. Long ago, his good friend Becs had encouraged him to have some but at the time he never thought he'd even so much as live through the war let alone have time to think about little ones. Now that he was stateside, he feared similar things. That his time spent saving others and fighting villains would end up with him dead. But he could feel that urge to have kiddo's growing, and holding Em in such a way was like heaven to him.

"Yeah, I'm pretty great." He'd wink. "SUPER humble too."

He'd nod at her next bit. Sonnet was....a much different breed than Jules. He doubted they'd get along. She was hard, like stone, and just as easy to befriend. But whether the small Japanese woman knew it or not, Aaron liked her. He liked how direct she was, he liked her frankness and ease of ability to talk to. It reminded him of his friends overseas. She fought on the opposite side of the war but that didn't mean he didn't respect her or her convictions...if one could call them that. He felt she had more inside than just a simple soldier trying to prove their worth. The same might be said of him but if truth be told, he had no greater ambition. He had nothing else to offer the world than his fists and moral compass.

As Jules got up to go shower, Aaron watched her go, hips swaying. His eyes would return to Em, however, as his father took a seat in the chair next to him. The old man had done plenty in the first five minutes he'd been there to show he was not the same man. Not holding a beer in a clenched fist was a start. He'd turn to look at Ben, who was giving him an eye back. Taking a deep breath, he would begin-

"Thank you for letting us stay here."

"You're my son."

"I know. I just wish you'd acted like it before today."

"I have...made mistakes. I am human. But I can and will make it up to you, given the opportunity."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Ben let out a little grunt and a nod, glad they got that tidbit out of the way. The first step for anyone looking to heal is to admit they had done wrong. It was a hard thing, for a man. To say they were not who they wished to be. But he'd been through AA, he'd worked with others to develop himself into the man he always dreamed he'd be. And if he could, he'd try to help Aaron grow more as well. He'd puff on his pipe for a while before gesturing with it toward the bedroom.

"You like her?"

"I do."

"Is there something I should know?"

"Like what? We're not dating. I met her yesterday. But she's kind hearted, and has strength of character that I find appealing."

"Ah. A crush then."

"Don't call it that."

"As you wish."

But Ben sat back with a smirk, having earned an embarrassed glance away from his son. This was just going...swimmingly.

JUNIER of GS + Adox

[Sonnet Matsuda]

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[Deleted]

 

- TANK -

"I'll see you on the other side, drink in hand, smile on my lips."

Looking down at his phone, he slapped back two quick texts with his left hand, ignoring his father who was deep in thought and deciding not to respond to the first part about it being her turn.

'Can meet at 4405 West Wayward Avenue. I'll be bringing a friend of mine, so don't get all trigger happy.'

'No info on the group yet. But they're coordinated, have hired ability users and are going after children.'

Sent.

JUNIER of GS + Adox

[Deleted]

Jules spent the couple of hours they had to wait before meeting with Aaron’s contact very wisely. Freshly washed, fed and watered, Jules promptly joined Em in taking a quick nap. By the time she woke up and it was just about time to leave, Em was happily demanding the attention of both Ben and Aaron, delighted in having such a great selection of grown-ups to wind around her little finger.

They were leaving Emily in the care of Dr. Ben, who insisted repeatedly that it was no trouble. He seemed pretty happy in his role as host – taking their sudden arrival in his stride. Jules was feeling endlessly guilty about it but hoped to figure out a way to repay his kindness soon. Hopefully Em would be on her best, most charming behaviour.

The meeting location was nondescript – a plain-looking, inconspicuous old warehouse. It was the kind of place Jules could see shady business deals going down in. Equally, it was the kind of place she could see being turned into quirky, hipster apartments sold for ten times their worth. It didn’t seem like the warehouse saw much footfall, however, so it seemed an ideal place to meet with Aaron’s friend. It was definitely not the kind of place you’d expect to find two Heroes in.

To say that Jules was feeling a little paranoid would be an understatement. She was struggling to remember the immediate aftermath of the explosion at her front door but could remember the ensuing battle to escape with her life; her heart pounded lightly just thinking about it. It had been horrible leaving Emily behind with Ben but Aaron had reassured her. At least she knew she was safe with Aaron. She flashed a grateful smile at him just thinking about it.

“Okay, your friend should be- holy fuck!”

A faint, indescribable popping-sound was the only warning Jules had for the woman’s sudden appearance out of thin air – and that was just no warning at all.

She shifted ever so slightly closer to Aaron, but there was a grin on her face as a lame joke tore out of her mouth before she could even stop herself.

“Well… ’sup, David Copperfield.”

Sonnet Matsuda | @aaron | 367 words

LAIKA OF GS!

[Sonnet Matsuda]

In the end everything collides

290

@jules @aaron

The joke received a baleful glare in response. Sonnet had been hanging back, watching the area to see if anyone else would show up other than Aaron. She halfway trusted him, but not enough to show up to such a hastily arranged meeting. As a result she'd sent a time and then made sure to arrive at the location some time earlier, allowing her to watch the comings and goings of everyone around it. Nothing had seemed suspicious, and so eventually she had popped into existence inside the warehouse, which had led to the poor attempt at humour from the blue haired woman,

Sonnet didn't recognise her, but then she only just knew Aaron, the fact that he trusted her enough for something like this was strange. Although she supposed she did owe him her life, maybe he understood how seriously she would take that debt. That and the men in that video store had tried to kill her too. So she had a more immediate score to settle with them.

She examined the woman a little more closely. She had vaguely Asian features, only a very faint angle here and there, and the larger eyes betraying what seemed to be Japanese roots. Was she part of this deal? An old war friend of Aaron's? No she was too young. What then? His girlfriend? No. A victim of the group then?

She wondered why he had wanted to meet, especially if he had no real information on the group. Unless now was the time he had chosen to call in what she owed him. She narrowed her eyes at this thought, turning her gaze from the woman to the bulky Hero beside her.

"Who's your friend? And why the meet?"

My childhood spat back out the monster that you see

► kaigra ◄

[Deleted]

 

- TANK -

"I'll see you on the other side, drink in hand, smile on my lips."

She was far more suspicious than he was.

Aaron was not the trusting sort. In fact, he was downright paranoid. But he trusted himself and his own instincts. It's what got him this far. And when it came to Sonnet, he didn't feel he had to worry about an ambush, or a knife between his ribs. No, if she was going to try and betray him, she'd do it herself, to his face. Maybe drop him off a skyscraper or out in the middle of shark infested waters. But put a sniper up? Pop in behind and stick him where it hurt? Nah, her honor wouldn't allow it, for the same reason his wouldn't allow similar actions. As she appeared, he didn't seem surprised, and would gesture to the beautiful lady standing at his right.

"Sonnet, this is Jules. Jules, Sonnet."

He'd crack his neck and look around, speaking as he stared around the rafters, ideas formulating in his head. He wasn't sure, initially, how much he intended to share with this woman. She was with the Yakuza, after all, and it wouldn't do if she looked into the darkness and liked what she found, used it to her advantage. At the same time, he really had no choice but to give her all the information he was able to piece together in his head, lest she be unwilling to go out on what she might think was a hunch.

"When I first met her, we were responding to an attack on another store front. They were burning the place down like they did when they attacked us, and when i went inside i was easily able to save the man who owned the place. He was shot in the leg and left to die in the blaze. The men had moved for the back, to find his young daughter. When they saw me coming they open fired, obviously. Come to find out, that little girl is a meta. Her abilities showed when they found burn marks on her clothes but not her skin. She's fireproof."

He turned back.

"Second, the store front that you and I interrupted the attack on. Inside was a family of two married young ladies and their son. The two women women were killed and the son has been missing ever since. I reckon a team came in early and took the boy, while we interrupted the clean up crew." He chewed his lip. "Lastly, the attack on Jules' place. Initially, I thought they were there for me, to put down someone who saw them in action. I must've missed something and they followed me back from the store or...I'm not sure, but when I came to, they were trying to kill Jules but were running with Em clutched in their arms. Clearly, they were intending to take her too. Likely, Jules' cover was blown somehow. Maybe at the bar, or maybe when we were fighting, I don't know. But they knew she had a kid, and they knew that she had powers. Maybe not manifested fully but...Em is a Meta, I'd stake my life on it."

He glanced at Jules and then back to Sonnet.

"This group is extremely well coordinated. Disciplined and very wealthy. They're knew, or you'd know about them. They're not shy and they are making a hard play for the enhanced youth of this city. Probably for tests of some kind, or maybe as slave labor or indoctrination. Either way, you're the only one I know with the contacts to reach out. That's why we're here."

He shrugged, folding his arms, finally giving someone else the chance the talk if they'd take it.

JUNIER of GS + Adox