Fantasy ＩＭＰＥＲＩＵＭ

[Semblance]

REMY VARICK

Time of Day: Night -- Location: Auster safehouse -- Interactions: Cleo, Liv, Adrian, Vita, Cass, Celia, Gabinus

As Cleo, Celia, and Gabinus were providing their observations, Remy noticed Liv staring off into the distance, which was out of character given her usual alertness. He thought he saw a look of recognition pass across her face, but he couldn't be certain in the dim shadows of the safehouse.

When the Ignis Prodigium suggested they secure the perimeter, he nodded in agreement. "Liv and I will take the eastern side. Adrian and Vita, how bout you guys take west? Cass and Gabinus, you guys got north? And Celia, can you stand guard outside? Door's facing south anyway." He was visualizing the surrounding areas in his head and picking out hiding spots for a potential ambush.

Remy made sure he was the last one out of the safehouse and he turned to his fellow Circle member. "You got the twins?"

Cleo nodded. "When they wake up, I'll keep the kidnapping explanation simple and give them the newbie rundown on Gryphus. We'll bring them to base at dawn." She looked at the scrawny Metal Prods still slumped in their chairs. "They're a smart pair. Good find," she said, giving him a small smile.

"Good thing you guys were there when you were. Who knows where they'd be right now if you guys hadn't jumped in," Remy replied.

She gave him a small nod and opened her lips to speak before closing them again, clearly choosing her words carefully. "You suspect the Spectare too, don't you?" The pervasive ghosts have only been whispered about, with a multitude of rumors spanning from government assassins to a web of informants, but no one knows exactly who they are. Certainly no on has ever seen one. The fact that Cleo and her crew came this close to one of the spies tonight was almost unheard of.

"Everything adds up." He met her gaze and he knew that they were both thinking about Rhea and the suspected role Spectare had played in her capture. "I can't believe you fought them tonight."

"They're good," Cleo drew out the last word. "And there's still so much we don't know about them. They're like an invisible enemy."

"But you guys stopped them tonight, which means they're not indestructible," Remy noted, the gears in his brain starting to spin.

"No, they chose to leave tonight," the Dream Prodigium emphasized. "I have no doubt that they could have killed all three of us if they wanted to. But for some reason, our presence spooked them and they disappeared."

"Interesting," the Gryphus leader listened intently. "Let's talk about this at the next Circle meeting and see what the others think," Remy suggested. "I should get going now."

Cleo nodded. "See you in a couple hours."

As the Aqua Prodigium closed the door behind him, he spotted Liv waiting for him and headed towards her. Remy noticed Adrian wink at him from across the alley and he furrowed his eyebrows, giving him a questioning look. Next to Adri stood Vita with a similar grin on her face. The Ventus Prodigium looked at Liv before shifting his gaze back to Remy with a knowing smile. The Gryphus leader rolled his eyes at him and turned his back to his best friend. From the corner of his eye, he saw Cass staring at him with her head turned as she walked off with Gabinus. Remy instantly felt a flash of self-consciousness and averted his eyes from the Terra Prodigium. It isn't what you think, he wanted to tell her, but a feeling of betrayal appeared in his stomach, light as butterflies.

"Let's head down that side street," Remy suggested to Liv, pointing at a dark narrow road on the eastern side of the safehouse. He was eager to leave the group and have some privacy with her, but not for the reasons his friends might suggest. He was on high alert, listening for every little sound and watching for any flashes of movement. When the Aqua Prodigium was sure they weren't being followed or eavesdropped on, he turned to face Liv. "You seemed kinda distracted back there. Anything on your mind?" he asked, making eye contact with her for a brief moment before turning his attention back onto their surroundings.

 

[stormcaller]

liv eione

time of day: night --- location: auster safehouse --- interactions: remy

She followed the rest of the crew out of the safehouse, her eyes sweeping across the surrounding buildings once again. While a cursory look would hardly be able to single out a Specter who was intent on hiding, she did have an advantage over a random Griffin. While Specters were often as diverse as the population they were dispersed into, they were all forged through the same curriculum, taught the same tactics and background knowledge. It didn’t take too much guessing to know which choice spots would be best for an ambush, sniper’s nest, or surveillance. As far as she could tell, they were alone–for the time being.

It was only when Remy joined her that realized that he had stayed behind, presumably talking to Cleo. About what–she could make a few educated guesses. “Let’s head down that side street,” he told her, and she nodded, dismissing the sneaky exchange between Remy, Adrian, and Vita entirely. She knew what they were implying, and if this was at any other time, she may have felt a streak of triumph at knowing that not only had he gone out of his way to partner himself with her, but that he wanted some premise of privacy. It meant that her strategy was working, all rushing towards that glorious end of another mission accomplished perfectly. But even that felt far away as they quietly made their way down the cramped alleyway, cautious and alert.

She looked up at the young man when he came to a stop, but instead of scouting about, he turned to her and spoke in hushed tones. "You seemed kinda distracted back there. Anything on your mind?” he asked, and Liv felt her brows arch up. She didn’t need to fake her surprise this time. Had she been so obvious?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liv deflected easily, a cajoling hint of a joke in her voice. It was meant to see how amenable he’d be to accepting that he’d perhaps been mistaken. But when he met her gaze again, she knew by his expression that he was quite convinced of what he’d seen.

In that case, it’d be more suspicious to keep denying it. She looked around them grimly, double checking that no one would overhear them, then beckoned him closer–close enough that they were on the verge of touching. “Okay, fine, I was going to bring it up when we got back, but…” she murmured, hesitating. “Remember what we talked about on the day we met the twins?” the young woman prompted, taking the roundabout way of speaking that so many citizens of Lutum knew to do. “When we were hanging out outside the warehouse.” She waited for the spark of recognition to light up his eyes.

“My dad had a friend who used to work in the military–saw front lines a few times,” she continued whispering, speaking quickly. “He used to tell these stories–outlandish ones. My dad would always laugh them off, but…he would swear on Lux it was all true. He said, there was this special force that would be brought in for certain things. They were always dressed in black, and moved like nothing he’d ever seen, silent as a shadow. And he said–” A pause, a moment of hesitation. This was a dangerous gamble and she knew it, but the dice were thrown. “–That they were Specters. Not the kind policing the general population, but the elites, reserved for the most unsavory things. It just…fits, perfectly. I didn’t think they were real, but…something about the way the recruitment team was talking, it just brought it back.” Liv met his gaze again, her dark eyes glimmering in the dim moonlight. “Do you believe me?”

 

[Semblance]

REMY VARICK

Time of Day: Night -- Location: East of Auster safehouse -- Interactions: Liv

Remy listened intently to Liv speak about her dad's military friend and his convictions about Spectare's elite fighters. When she was done, he met her sparkling eyes in the darkness and nodded. "Yes," he responded immediately when she asked if he believed her. Keeping his voice low, he continued. "I think those elite fighters in black captured my sister as well."

He shifted his attention back onto the alleyway, but it was really an excuse for him to take a moment and think about what this meant. It was the first piece of concrete information he had received on the Spectare. He had suspected that the intelligence agency had divisions within itself, as with any well run organization. So it would make sense to have a web of informants living as everyday civilians and a separate branch for the assassins who did their dirty work. The Gryphus leader thought back to Mr. Flynn's trap and how the Spectare have been targeting street Prods lately. His conversation with Cleo in the safehouse had sparked an idea in his head, but now that he suspected the same type of agents who captured his sister were behind the recent kidnappings, his plan became more clear.

Remy took a deep breath in and looked back at Liv. "Cleo said they were the most formidable fighters she had ever seen. But they can't be invincible. We just have to find their weakness," he stated with fortitude in his voice. "Hey thanks for letting me know. That was really helpful," he added on, a small smile on his face. He noticed the way the dim streetlight at the end of the block accentuated her cheekbones and a small flutter broke through his stomach.

The Aqua Prodigium spent the rest of the night focusing on his nearby surroundings for any suspicious noises or movement, but every time it got too quiet, he found himself distracted. He mulled over the events of the night and the new information he had learned, synthesizing together a way to get one step closer to his sister.

 

[Semblance]

REMY VARICK

Time of Day: Afternoon -- Location: Gryphus base, Remy and Adrian's bunker -- Interactions: Adrian

The next afternoon, Remy bade farewell to his fellow Circle members and exited the meeting room. He and Cleo had reported in detail the events of the night prior and their suspicions of the Spectare. The moment he brought up the agency's name, the room felt heavier. Everyone knew what this implied. The kidnappings were much more sinister in nature than they had originally suspected. He relayed what Liv told him about her dad's military friend, which Timotheus corroborated with his own experiences. In the end, they decided it would be best for Cleo, Celia, and Gabinus to limit their time in Lutum as much as possible in the foreseeable future. If the Spectare were truly behind the incident with June and Jo, then the Griffins involved certainly did not want to show their faces again. Next time, they may not get away with their heads intact.

The Gryphus leader headed towards his bunker and found his best friend getting dressed after a shower. "Good, I was hoping you'd be here," Remy said and shut the door with a click. He sat down at the edge of his bed and leaned towards Adrian, keeping his voice low. "I need your help with something."

The Ventus Prodigium sensed the seriousness in his friend's voice and sat down on his own bed across from him. "What's up?"

"So you know how we're suspecting that the Spectare are behind the recent kidnappings? Like what happened with June and Jo?" Remy questioned, to which Adrian nodded. "I think the same type of Spectare agents were also responsible for what happened to Rhea."

Adrian's wet curly hair brushed against his neck as he nodded slowly. "I guess I can see why you might think that."

"Liv also confirmed it for me when she said that her dad's military friend always talked about Spectare's "elite fighters,"" Remy said. "And I have a plan for how we can get more information on Rhea's whereabouts. Hear me out, okay?" He was already suspecting that his friend may not be as excited about his idea.

Adrian sighed. Although he had been a consistent support for Remy after his sister's capture, he had always kept his doubts to himself. The Ventus Prodigium knew that Remy still held out hope that she was still alive somewhere. "Are you thinking of doing something stupid?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Listen. The Spectare are trying to kidnap homeless and orphaned Prods off the streets, right? Well what could be juicier than the Gryphus leader himself?" Remy asked rhetorically.

"Do not tell me you are thinking what I think you're thinking," Adri groaned and rested his face in his hands.

"It could work though! They must know what I look like if they have Rhea. So I'm thinking we go into Lutum at night and I'll wander in the same streets in Vulturnus where they found June and Jo. Sooner or later, one of them is going to see me and they won't be able to resist trying to capture the leader of the resistance. This is where you come in. You'll be tailing me secretly the entire time and when they jump down to try and capture me, the two of us can turn and kidnap one of them. Then we can interrogate them for information on Rhea," Remy explained.

"If I'm telling you that something is dangerous, then that's how you know it's dangerous," the adrenaline junkie said. "So many things could go wrong with this plan. You could get captured, you could get killed, I could get captured or killed.... shall I keep going?"

"C'mon, let's just try it. Give me one week, okay? If nothing happens after one week, I'll drop it," the Aqua Prodigium suggested, looking at his friend with insistent eyes. "Look, if I could do this alone, I would. The last thing I want is to risk your safety too."

The Ventus Prodigium sighed. "You're going to do this with or without me, aren't you?"

Rhea's brother nodded. "I have to do something."

"Okay fine. But I'm only coming to watch your back," Adri finally agreed.

"Thanks, man. I really appreciate it," Remy smiled and extended his fist, to which his friend bumped with his own. "Let's start tomorrow night once everyone goes to sleep."

 

[stormcaller]

-- 3 DAYS LATER --​

liv eione

time of day: early afternoon--- location: auster streets--- interactions: vita, vinnie, virgil

The sun was high in the sky as the small group of four traipsed down the streets of Auster, jostling each other along. Vinnie was raving about the latest match of dodgeball, and for once, Virgil didn’t look annoyed by his little brother’s antics–in fact, he was keeping pace, intent on the breakdown of the game. It was one of the few things that wove the three Amara siblings together other than blood–their interest in sports and keeping active. It was why they were all heading to a sporting goods store. It wasn’t as big as the one downtown, but according to Virgil, it was one of the oldest, and they had grown up visiting the shop. ‘An oldie but a goodie,’ as he’d put it. Liv, for her part, figured there might be sporting equipment that could serve her needs equally well.

“This is a shortcut, c’mon,” Vinnie remarked to her as he waved them towards an alley that led to the residential area. As soon as she entered it, she recognized the area. This was where she’d first met Remy–his old neighborhood. At the same time, she noticed some commotion going on down the street…near, no, precisely where she’d encountered him, in front of his old neighbor’s house.

“Something’s up,” she told the siblings, her feet already pointing in the direction. “Let’s check it out, just in case.”

A group of neighbors huddled around the gates, murmuring and whispering. A vehicle was parked in the street, a beat-up, black van. “Someone must have died,” she heard Vita said quietly, nodding to the car. Just then, the crowd’s muttering grew louder. Two men carried out a body on a stretcher, not even in a proper cadaver bag. A sheet was haphazardly draped over the still form, which did nothing to hide the stench of decay.

“We shouldn’t be here,” Virgil cautioned. “It’s none of our business.”

“Just give me a sec,” Liv replied, ignoring his warning and rushing towards the house. She needed to get a closer look. “Mr–Mr. Flynn?!” she cried as she reached the crowd, pushing her way through the throng of people to get to the front. “By Lux, what happened?”

“You know him?” a middle aged woman asked. Her face was pale and drawn.

“Yes, my grandma’s an old friend,” she explained, her words rushing out of her. “What’s going on?”

“I found him dead,” the woman babbled, clearly still distressed by the memory. “The door was unlocked, and the smell–”

“Dead?” Liv echoed, disbelief etched over her expression. “Who would want to hurt an old man?” As she lurched towards the stretcher, a morgue worker held up a hand.

“Stay back, miss,” he muttered. “You don’t want to see him like this. He’s been in the heat for at least a few days.”

“Who did this to him?” the young woman demanded angrily, her jaw set tight.

“No one. Well...I suppose he did. Poor man took his own life.”

“No. That can’t be right.”

“He slit his wrists. There was even a note,” he insisted gruffly, but not unkindly. “Now, I know this is hard for you, miss, but we need to take him away.”

Reluctantly, she stepped back. As the neighbor turned to her with sympathetic eyes, Liv shook her head, hard. “I need to go,” she mumbled, then pushed past the crowd again, sprinting back to the Amara siblings and leading them away.

“Did you–did you know him?” Vita asked, her eyes wide with concern. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she assured her friend. “I didn’t really know him personally, actually–an old acquaintance of a friend.”

“Wait, what?” Vinnie spluttered. “The way you were acting over there didn’t feel like that.”

“I might have been exaggerating,” she admitted sheepishly. “I know that’s kinda messed up, but I needed to double check on what happened.”

“You’re crazy,” the young Ignis prod laughed, shaking his head. “Maybe you should be part of the hazing ritual next time.”

“Yeah, maybe,” the specter agreed wryly. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s keep going, sorry about that.”

The four of them continued on their shopping journey, the mood lifting soon enough. Even as Liv chattered along, the truth lingered in the back of her mind: Mr. Flynn hadn’t committed suicide at all–he’d been erased.

 

[stormcaller]

liv eione

time of day: night --- location: gryphus base--- interactions: remy, adrian

It was well past dinner time when Liv headed towards the room Remy shared with Adrian. She’d debated on whether she should tell him about his old neighbor’s death, but in the end, seeing that the Amara siblings had been with her, she had considered it safer to tell him. It wouldn’t be a good look if one of them–likely Vinnie–mentioned it in passing. Of course, she had no intent at all of telling him it was an assassination. From the moment she’d been aware of the role his neighbor had played in the capture of Rhea Varick, Liv had known that the old man’s days were numbered. Once he was no longer useful, he’d be taken care of. The Spectare was not in the habit of keeping around useless things, especially when they were a liability.

But as she paused before his door, thinking about how she should word it all, she realized that she could hear traces of a conversation from the other side. It was Remy–talking to Adrian? “Later tonight,” he was saying. “We’ll walk…” She instinctively stilled, holding her breath as she strained to hear better. “...stay…” And then the voice grew even quieter. She thought she could make out the word taint, or maybe mate? But with the next word she could catch–trap--her blood ran cold. It was bait. Her thoughts spinning, she quickly slipped away, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. Telling him about Mr. Flynn could wait. Immediately, a suspicion had seized her whole, a feeling deep in her gut.

His curiosity about the Spectare–his words to her while they were standing guard–they can’t be invincible. We just have to find their weakness. He was planning something extremely foolish. She could see that her gamble hadn’t paid off–and now she’d have to fix it before things went seriously awry.

And so it was that when night fell over the desert and the rooms grew dark one by one, Liv stayed awake, even as she lay tucked under her sheets–waiting, listening. Late into the wee hours, she heard a door swing open, and then the pattering of footsteps. One, two people. She counted to ten once they passed her door, then silently made her way after them, shadowing them in a way befitting her true profession.

She caught them as they were approaching their mopeds, stepping out from seemingly nowhere. “Hey, you two,” the young woman greeted casually, as if nothing was wrong. “You sneaking off to have fun without everyone? Mind if I join?” she asked as she walked up to her own moped, leaning against the handle bars. She heard them out for a moment before she stared them down with a knowing look. “Okay, let’s hear what you’re really up to,” Liv insisted, her voice serious this time. “I know something’s up.”

 

[Semblance]

REMY VARICK

Time of Day: Night -- Location: Gryphus base -- Interactions: Liv, Adrian

Remy and Adrian spent the last two nights wandering the streets of Vulturnus, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any shadowy figures. They started back at June and Jo's tent, which now had a gaping hole in the middle of it after the slashing. The Aqua Prodigium walked slowly through the darkly lit streets. As neither him nor Adrian were from Vulturnus, he stayed in the same general neighborhoods to ensure they could quickly find their way back to their mopeds if needed. At first, the Ventus Prodigium only kept a half block's distance between them, but Remy found that he could still sense Adrian's footsteps behind him, so they extended the gap to at least a block apart at all times. He didn't want the Spectare to know that he had back up and Adr could give himself a blast of wind to get himself close to Remy at a moment's notice.

On the second night, Remy was walking past a dumpster when he felt a tight grip around his forearm. He instantly pulled out the knife from his pocket with his other hand and directed it at the assailant. A homeless man taking shelter behind the dumpster had pulled on his arm and looked into his eyes. "Can you spare some change?" His clothes were ragged and covered with holes, the skin underneath muddled with dirt.

Remy pulled out ten mentas, a pink piece of paper with a phoenix symbol on it, and handled it to the man. It should be enough for a few days' worth of groceries. "Stay safe out here," he cautioned him.

"Thank you so much, young man," the homeless man tucked the mentas into his pocket. "Bless the Lux Libertas," he whispered to himself.

After countless dark alleys and narrow streets, they were still alone and returned back to base emptyhanded each time. By the third night, Adrian was starting to regret helping his friend. He let out a loud yawn in their bunker. "Can we take the night off? Going the past two nights without much sleep has been draining," he suggested.

Remy shook his head. "What if they appear tonight? Then we'd miss them. C'mon, you said you'd give me one week. You can take a long nap tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay okay, fine. You so owe me," Adri retorted.

The Gryphus leader clapped his hand against his friend's shoulder. "I know. I gotchu next time."

He slowly opened their bunker door and slipped quietly into the dark hallway, Adrian close behind him. Remy headed towards the mopeds at the tunnel entrance when Liv suddenly revealed herself from the shadows. The Aqua Prodigium jumped back with surprise and instantly felt like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Shit. How did she find them?

“Hey, you two. You sneaking off to have fun without everyone? Mind if I join?” Liv asked, leaning against her own moped.

"We were just going for a joyride," Remy was the one who responded first and he made sure to keep his voice steady.

"Yeah, just looking for some bro time. Sorry Liv," Adrian added on, trying to keep her from coming.

The Ignis Prodigium gave them a knowing look, clearly not believing anything they were saying. "Okay, let’s hear what you’re really up to. I know something’s up.”

There was a long silence. Remy was trying to decide if he should continue denying it. He couldn't figure out how Liv would've found out about their plan, as the only person he told was Adrian. "Did you tell her?" He shot his friend a sharp look.

"No, dude! I don't know how she knows," Adri instantly replied, a look of hurt on his face that he had been accused of breaking their secret.

Remy felt an internal relief. He had known his friend for long enough to know when he was lying, and he could tell he was telling the truth this time. The Gryphus leader glanced back at Liv's insistent look, still boring into him. "How did you find out what we were doing? Did you tell anyone else?" he asked her, worried that the Circle would catch on to his plan. He could already see Timotheus' disappointing look, Dominic's lecture on setting a better example for Gryphus, and Caliban's attempt to comfort him.

Liv reassured him that she hadn't breathed a word to anyone. She had dropped by their bunker earlier when she overheard them. "Was it his loud ass voice?" Remy asked, giving Adrian another accusatory look. He continued to give her vague answers and dodge her questions for a while, but time was ticking and the night was passing on.

As the Ignis Prodigium's questions came relentlessly, he knew that he had to give her something, or else she wasn't going to leave. "We're trying to set a trap for the Spectare," Remy finally admitted, keeping his voice low, in case anyone else was nearby. "We've been walking through the streets of Vulturnus the past couple nights, starting at June and Jo's tent. I'm hoping they'll recognize me as the Gryphus leader and try to capture me, but Adrian has been secretly tailing me, so we'll both turn on them and kidnap one of them. Then I'm going to interrogate them for information on Rhea's whereabouts," he explained, meeting her gaze. "And before you try to stop us, it won't work. This is the first opportunity I've gotten to get some real information on my sister, so I have to take it," Remy added on. He had a feeling what her reaction was going to be.

 

[stormcaller]

liv eione

time of day: night --- location: gryphus base--- interactions: remy, adrian

She watched the two young men’s expressions change as it dawned on them that there wasn’t much use in denying it. After all, she’d overheard enough. “Was it his loud ass voice?” Remy remarked pointedly, glaring at the Ventus Prod.

“Mmmmnope, it was yours,” Liv shrugged. “So yeah, let’s hear it.”

Despite everything, Remy put up a valiant struggle–but Liv could be patient. When he finally broke, he spoke quietly, laying down his grand design, and she kept her expression fairly neutral as he explained. It was exactly as she’d feared–he’d gotten it in that head of his that he’d be able to lay a trap for the Spectare–with himself as the bait–and not only that, be able to overpower one of them to interrogate and spill all their secrets. Of course, the specter knew better than any one of them just how ridiculous this plan really was.

Any Hand worth their salt would be able to see Adrian tailing Remy, especially with how extensive their recon was before they took action. And taking not one but two Hands in a fight–and a fight to subdue, not kill? She knew that the specters would certainly not give the duo that handicap, being trained for the express purpose of fighting to kill. The Spectare never did things halfway. Even if they managed to kidnap a Hand by the greatest stroke of luck–Hands only became Hands after going through extensive training for torture. They would die before breaking, she thought, picking at her nail with another.

Nevertheless, she didn’t let any of it show on her face. No doubt he was expecting a tirade on how dangerous and dumb it was–and truthfully, that was precisely how she felt, but in her experience so far, people rarely reacted well to that kind of thing.

“And before you try to stop us, it won't work,” Remy cautioned as he drew to the end of his explanation. “This is the first opportunity I've gotten to get some real information on my sister, so I have to take it.” He looked absolutely resolute–no doubt the same thing that spurred him on even at his lowest. She met his gaze without flinching, cool and calm in the face of his burning determination.

“Oh, I’m not going to try and stop you guys,” she replied nonchalantly, looking from Remy to Adrian. “I want in.” That was the only way she could see this working out. He couldn’t be talked out of this, that was clear. In that case, she’d have to come along so she could prevent this from spiraling out of control. If he got himself killed, her long term strategy would be ruined. She couldn’t let that happen–no way. “Don’t look so surprised. I’ve always said I’d help, didn’t I? Besides,” she continued, tucking her hair behind one ear. “As far as we know, they operate in pairs. You really think you can take them on even odds, two versus two? You’d have a better chance with three on your team.”

 

[Semblance]

REMY VARICK

Time of Day: Night -- Location: Gryphus base- tunnel entrance -- Interactions: Liv, Adrian

Remy watched her face carefully as he explained their plan, searching for some sort of emotion that she might react with, but she kept her expression neutral. He was expecting her to say on how dangerous or stupid it was, perhaps even threatening to alert Dominic, but nothing prepared him for what she suggested next. "Oh, I’m not going to try and stop you guys. I want in."

"What?" Remy and Adrian responded in unison with matching shocked faces.

“Don’t look so surprised. I’ve always said I’d help, didn’t I? Besides, as far as we know, they operate in pairs. You really think you can take them in even odds, two versus two? You’d have a better chance with three on your team.”

"No," the Gryphus leader immediately replied, shaking his head. There was nothing to think about. He would not risk her safety too, not with him already risking Adrian's. "Absolutely not. I'm not going to put you in danger too"

Liv let out a small laugh. "What, and it isn't dangerous for Adrian? Your best friend?"

Remy looked over at the Ventus Prodigium and sighed, glancing back at Liv. "Of course it's dangerous for Adrian. Do you think I like putting him in harm's way? But I needed one more person to help me with this mission, and the less people involved, the better. I'm already risking Adri's safety, so I'm not going to risk yours too."

He started to back his moped out of its parking spot. "C'mon, Adri. Let's go."

"..uhh... okay," Adrian responded slowly and reached for his moped, his eyes shifting quickly between Remy and Liv.

 

[stormcaller]

liv eione

time of day: night --- location: gryphus base; tunnel entrance--- interactions: remy, adrian

In truth, she hadn’t expected him to turn her down–especially not immediately. Her suggestion had been a win-win for them all, a strategically sound plan that was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, she’d failed to calculate just how much the young Gryphus leader could go with what his heart said when it came to dangerous things. He told her he was only involving Adrian because his plan needed another person, but that he wouldn’t endanger another life. With that, the young man turned to his best friend. “C’mon Adri. Let’s go,” he prompted firmly, starting to back his moped out.

“Uh…okay…” Adri responded, looking and sounding extremely hesitant. It seemed that he had second thoughts–something that could be used to her advantage.

Thinking quickly, Liv jumped over to stand behind Remy’s moped. Placing her hand down on the seat of the vehicle, she forced Remy to meet her gaze. “You can’t be serious,” she insisted, and though her voice was still rather coaxing, her lips tweaked into a wry smile–her eyes were dark and pointed. “You know I’m good in a fight. I’m pretty stealthy too–clearly,” she gestured, alluding to the fact that the two young men hadn’t noticed that they were being followed by her until she spoke up. “We’ve been in a high stakes situation before, and we were a solid team. There’s literally no tactical disadvantage to me joining you guys,” she listed off her points relentlessly, as if they were the most obvious things in the world. “You know I’m right." She let the bold sentiment hang in the air for a moment before she turned to the Ventus Prod, who looked like he was caught in a very uncomfortable situation. “Tell him, Adrian.”

However, it seemed that Adrian’s loyalties were keeping him uncharacteristically mute. She’d have to do this alone, then, but at least Adrian wasn’t arguing for or against. It wasn’t bad odds, she thought–but it meant that if logic wasn’t going to work, she was going to have to be underhanded, playing off of that bleeding heart of his.

She leant in closer to the Aqua Prod, squaring her shoulders into a more confrontational stance. “Or what, are you saying you don’t trust me?” Liv demanded, her own gaze becoming accusatory–but also with an edge of hurt mixed in. “You don’t think I have your back? Or is it that you think I can’t?” Though it was supposed to be for show, the last remark tasted bitter in her mouth all the same. “You don’t think I’m good enough, is that it?”

 

[Semblance]

REMY VARICK

Time of Day: Night -- Location: Gryphus base- tunnel entrance -- Interactions: Liv, Adrian

Liv's hand smacked down onto the black leather seat of Remy's moped, stopping the tires from rolling back. "You know I’m good in a fight. I’m pretty stealthy too–clearly,” she gestured at the two of them, reminding him of the fact that he had failed to notice her presence. “We’ve been in a high stakes situation before, and we were a solid team. There’s literally no tactical disadvantage to me joining you guys. You know I’m right." Liv turned to the Ventus Prod, who was standing awkwardly next to them. “Tell him, Adrian.”

Adri threw up both his hands into the air and shrugged his shoulders, symbolizing that he was not getting involved in whatever this was.

"It's not about that," Remy responded, meeting the Ignis Prod's fiery gaze. "I know you can handle yourself in a fight. That was never the question. This was my plan, and I'm not going to put you in danger too. Simple as that."

But little did he know that this confrontation was anything but simple. Liv took a step closer to him and squared back her shoulders, looking like she was getting into a fighting stance. Remy maintained his posture, refusing to take a step back as she invaded his space. Their faces were inches apart. “Or what, are you saying you don’t trust me? You don’t think I have your back? Or is it that you think I can’t? You don’t think I’m good enough, is that it?”

The Aqua Prodigium took a deep breath in through his nostrils, the stale tunnel air filling his lungs before letting it back out. The flurry of questions were making his heart pound. "Liv." He said her name slowly, keeping his voice steady. Remy could practically cut the emotional tension in the air with his pocket knife. "Of course I trust you. You'd have my back in any situation. How can you even ask that? But that's exactly why you can't come. I won't let you get hurt because of me. I won't let them hurt you the same way they hurt Rhea."

An image of his sister's angry face appeared in his head. Her tight lips, furrowed eyebrows, and intense stare was enough to burn anyone. He and Rhea had had countless arguments where angry words were shouted, names were called, and their elemental magic was thrown out, even over the smallest things. Remy remembered reaching for the last melon popsicle, only to feel a sharp electric shock running through his fingers and dropping it to the ground. Rhea had seized the opportunity and grabbed the popsicle, but her hands had frozen to the ground along with the prize.

But he knew that the only reason they fought so much was because nothing could ever break their bond, no matter what the disagreement was. Standing here in this dark tunnel with Liv reminded Remy of all those heated moments he had with Rhea, two stubborn Varick siblings going head to head. A familiar stab flew through his stomach at the memory of his sister.

 

[stormcaller]

liv eione

time of day: night --- location: gryphus base; tunnel entrance--- interactions: remy

He seemed shaken up by her line of questioning–but still, she could tell that he was trying to keep calm, refusing to shrink back from her verbal assault. “Liv,” he said slowly, as if he was attempting to make things right before she grew more upset. “Of course I trust you. You'd have my back in any situation. How can you even ask that?” he asked–this time, their roles had reversed, and he was the one trying to coax her into understanding. “But that's exactly why you can't come. I won't let you get hurt because of me. I won't let them hurt you the same way they hurt Rhea.”

His soft-hearted philosophy was starting to get tiresome.

“Let’s get a few things straight,” she began curtly, her eyes flashing like a warning. “You might be seeing a bit of your sister in me, but I am not Rhea.” It was an ironic thing to say–caught in the purgatory between the truth and a lie. It was, after all, Rhea’s blood that had given her the powers that now coursed through her own veins–and for a moment, she almost wondered if it had also bequeathed the former Gryphus leader’s defiant rebellion onto her as well. She was pretending to be upset, to be angry–or was she pretending? She couldn’t tell anymore. It felt like the spark that had been lurking under her ribs for days now had finally leapt into a flame, threatening to become a wildfire. It was searing hot, bitter and dark.

“And second, I don’t need to be protected.” She spat the word like it left a bad taste in her mouth, as if it was an insult to everything she was. “Not by you, not by anyone. But more importantly, you’re insane if you think I would be okay letting you go off and take on the Spectare with just Adrian. It’s a suicide mission and you know it,” she continued, her words falling fast and scathing. “What do you think is going to happen if you get captured, or killed? What is the Gryphus supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?”

The young woman shook her head as if she couldn’t begin to fully fathom the consequences, her jaw set as she raised her chin in defiance. “No. No way,” she repeated, her tone steely and firm. “I’m coming with you, Remy. You can’t stop me.”

 

[Semblance]

REMY VARICK

Time of Day: Night -- Location: Gryphus base- tunnel entrance -- Interactions: Liv, Adrian, Helvius

Remy's comparison to his sister seemed to have sparked Liv's fire even more. "Let’s get a few things straight. You might be seeing a bit of your sister in me, but I am not Rhea."

"You're certainly just as stubborn as her," the Aqua Prodigium retorted.

"And second, I don’t need to be protected. Not by you, not by anyone. But more importantly, you’re insane if you think I would be okay letting you go off and take on the Spectare with just Adrian. It’s a suicide mission and you know it. What do you think is going to happen if you get captured, or killed? What is the Gryphus supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?”

"I don't need protection either," Remy responded, his voice rising. "I'm the leader of Gryphus. I'm supposed to be protecting my people, including you. That's my job." His dark brown eyes pooled with emotion, boring into the Ignis Prodigium in front of him. "As for the mission, that's none of your concern. I can't sit by and do nothing when I know that those fuckers have Rhea. But I'm certainly not going to drag you into it with me." His heart was set on what he needed to do and nothing was going to stop him. His only mistake had been speaking too loudly about their plan to Adrian in the bunker.

"No. No way,” she repeated with resolve. “I’m coming with you, Remy. You can’t stop me.”

Adrian, who had been sitting on the sidelines of this argument, chimed in for the first time. "Um Remy, maybe she has a point..." he said quietly.

"Shut up, Adri," Remy quipped, turning quickly to meet his friend's eyes. "If you don't want to help me anymore, you can leave." He was giving Adrian the opportunity to back out, but he was seething on the inside. Did no one see what he was trying to do?

"Hey you know I'm always here for you," the Ventus Prodigium responded, an injured look on his face.

"Good, because you're the only person coming with me," the Gryphus leader said, shooting Liv a determined glare.

He saw Liv part her lips to shoot back her own defense when they were interrupted by a speeding moped down the tunnel. They heard the roar of the engine before the bright headlight came into view around the bend. As the moped slowed to a stop in front of them, Remy recognized the rider as Helvius who opened the visor of his helmet to look at them. "One of the old factories at the edge of Favonius caught on fire. We need all Aqua and Ignis Prods over there now!" The words rolled urgently off his tongue.

"Shit. We'll go right now. Alert the Ignis and Aqua Prods at base," Remy responded, but Helvius was already opening the metal door and heading inside.

"I'll come with you." Adrian followed Helvius into the base and glanced back at Remy and Liv. "Stay safe out there. See you guys later."

The Gryphus leader locked eyes with Liv, giving her a nod of truce. "Let's go. We can finish our conversation later." He swung one leg over the leather seat of his moped and stuck the key into the ignition, the engine drumming to life.

 

[stormcaller]

liv eione

time of day: night --- location: favonius division -- interactions: fabius, remy

The pair raced through the tunnels leading to Favonius, thoughts of their heated argument pushed aside for the moment. Even if such thoughts had lingered, they would have been forgotten the moment the world above had come into view. They would have found their way to the fire without any trouble even if Helvius hadn’t explained where–even in the darkness of the night, a terrible glow could be seen in the distance, paired with thick, caustic smoke. She couldn’t help but squint as they came upon it, rushing to jump off their mopeds. Before the roaring fire, she could make out a few figures–one of them being Fabius, doing what he could to dampen the flames with his Aqua magic. The scale of the fire, however, wasn’t to be so easily outdone.

In her time since she’d joined the Gryphus, she’d been out on a few runs to put out fires. In fact, she’d gone out on nearly every incident, seeing how eager she was to take on shifts and prove herself to be a helpful and trustworthy Griffin. All those fires combined would still pale in comparison to what they were faced with now.

The multi floor factory was aglow, lit up from the inside in brilliant orange and red. Flames burst from the windows, licking sideways in the wind, and in the strangest way, it reminded her of the fireplace in her childhood home. She remembered how from behind the elaborate metal grate, the fire would start up and glow through the woven box of tinder, caged for a moment before it grew to swallow it whole.

She yanked off her jacket and tied it about her waist as she ran, leaving just the t-shirt underneath, exposing her bare arms to the night air, scarred and mottled. Though she normally kept her scarred forearms hidden from sight, it was foolish to go into a fire fighting mission with them covered, lest her clothes also burst into flames. “We’re here,” she called as they reached Fabius, and the Aqua Prod turned to look at the two of them, his eyes darting from them to the darkness beyond.

“Please tell me there’s more help coming,” he blurted out, a nervous hint of a panicky laugh in his words. Soot and ash covered his face, leaving the whites of his eyes and teeth in eerie contrast.

“They’ll be here any minute now,” she shouted over the crackling, popping, roaring sounds of the building. She then wasted no time in raising both of her arms into the air, palms outstretched. Immediately, she could feel the heat in her hands, radiating into her. Controlling and subduing fire was a different sort of game than simply generating fire–though both were dangerous skills that required control. This required a deft touch and maintaining careful balance, rather than brute force.

“Okay, but no matter what we do, we’ve got to hold the line here,” Fabius shouted back. “There’s a whole neighborhood that way!”

She quickly turned to look at houses over her shoulder, still keeping her focus steady on the fire. “Have they been evacuated?”

“I don’t–I don’t know,” he stammered back.

“Go! We’ll hold it here!”

Nodding, Fabius turned and rushed off towards the houses, raising the alarm for the people who still seemed unaware of the danger at hand.

Though it couldn’t have been more than just a few minutes, it felt like an eternity before the rest of the Ignis Prods arrived, flanked by a number of Aqua Prods. Immediately, the experienced veterans took charge, dividing the Griffins according to priority–as expected, the majority of them were stationed towards the side that faced the residential area, including her and Remy. With a total of ten Ignis Prods and five Aqua Prods, they had more support in fighting a fire than ever before, but it was obviously not going to be a simple mission. The wind was not in their favor. As it swept over the flames, breathing life into the inferno and threatening to spread it, she couldn’t help but wish Adrian or a few other Ventus Prods were there with them.

At another gust of wind, the flames flailed like glowing streamers–and just like that, the roof of the closest building caught on, sparked to life. “It’s on the move!” she alerted loudly, twisting to follow it. “I’m going after it!”