Futuristic Ｂｅｌｏｗ ｔｈｅ Ｓｕｒｆａｃｅ （ＩＣ）

[Caffeinated Joy]

LOCK SOLARI

A lot happened in Lock’s head within the span of a few seconds. First, he fought the urge to follow the 4 men Phil had sent on a hunting mission so he could get the fight he desperately wanted. Payback fights were the best. Well, almost the best. Second, his ears perked up when he heard Yuriye Ivanov, a woman they had done a job for a while back, mention getting out of Lockewood, something, incidentally, he and his sister desperately needed to do. Third, a familiar looking, dark haired man came in with them, dressed for slumming with the middle classes, but moving with the self assurance of the Elite. A diamond covered in shit was still a diamond. Lock clenched a fist, wanting to drive it straight into the man’s face hard enough to feel the satisfying crunch of cartilage and bone. He fought that urge too. Barely. Having rules about who he could hurt really sucked ass, sometimes. Most of the time.

Next, he noticed a small, brunette woman lean over to whisper in the ear of none other than the one, the only, Yukiye Hayashi. Payback fights, former bosses, the potential of getting out of here, and nose breaking all got shoved behind an urge he didn’t bother to resist.

“Yuki! I knew you couldn’t be far behind your brother!” He laughed and leaped forward, reaching out to grab her in a glad hug and swing her around. "I'll vouch for her!"

REAPER

 

[Ayama]

Yukiye Hayashi

Title

The Straight Shooter

Gender

Cis Female

Age

22

Currently... at the Burrow, with everyone.

The trip to the Burrow was silent and uneventful, each of the group's members apparently too lost in their own thoughts to make conversation.

Yukiye could sense the tension between the mob boss and her associate, and she could tell there was bad blood between them, which did not bode well for her as she was fairly certain they would take their frustrations out on the MP the second anything went sideways.

She was distracted from her thoughts by their arrival at the Burrow, her eyes going wide as a hole opened up directly into the wall at the mob boss' password.

The sarge would give his two front teeth to be here right now, she thought.

Their merry little band quickly disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel, her assigned gorilla bodyguard prodding her in the back none too gently as he exhorted her to climb in after them.

Pretty soon, they had emerged into a larger, more brightly-lit space that, under normal circumstances, was probably a bustling center of black-market trade, but today was as dead and deserted as a street after a riot.

I wonder what's going on up there, Yukiye thought, worrying about the rest of her platoon facing off against the angry mob.

The mob boss walked up to a tall, blond man sitting with a small group of the only people remaining at the place, all clutching beers and looking like they were miming being at a party.

As she started to negotiate with him over the price of his help, Yukiye's glance fell on the rest of the group, and her jaw dropped open. She hardly needed Endor's whisper to recognize her brother's characteristic mane of dark hair and piercing amber eyes but, more than this, it was the presence of Callei and none other than the infamous Solari twins that had her brain rushing to catch up with her own.

Though well-known as troublemakers in her and Asahina's school days, they were now well-known to law enforcement as killers and political agitators and, though it was above her paygrade, she'd seen their names and pictures on more than one of her CO's watchlists.

It was weird to think of her childhood friends as these dangerous people that her colleagues would all try to lock up without hesitation, even though she'd seen their rap sheet- she'd learned what they were capable of. Still, when Lock grinned wide at her just like he did when they were kids, it was hard not to feel exactly the way she did back then- she'd always been quite taken with him; with both of them, really.

At that point the black marketeer distracted her from her reminiscing by sharply reminding her that she wasn't welcome here, and she reflected on the irony that, up there, most of these people were considered the unwanted element, but down here it was her.

She listened as the two criminals haggled over price and came to an arrangement, but was quickly distracted from this as Lock bounded over to her in two short strides and swung her up into the air. Yukiye burst out giggling before she could stop herself, though the sight of a notorious criminal swinging around a blue-haired MP in full riot gear had to be one of the craziest things any of them had seen that day.

"Lock!" she squealed, "Put me down!"

The worth of the fight is in doing what's right. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Impius]

Darwin Lex Pike

Alias

Markus Conway

Gender

Male

Age

32

We all have our reasons.

Pike was quiet the entire trip to the Burrow. Yuri repeated an all too familiar phrase to enter Phil's lair. That's what it seemed like to Pike anyway. Yuri held herself with the familiar confidence he had once admired so long ago, but now irked him to the core. He preferred the less confident women- easier to manipulate even if it wasn't his conscious intent. In this instance, he was surrounded by confidence.


Once he saw how cleared out the bar was, the entire place in general, Pike grew curious. There had been few and far in-between times he had seen this place so empty. Never had it been for a good reason. Yuri was leading to conversation with Phil to his own satisfaction. He scoffed quietly to himself as they settled upon a price of 1.5 million credits. Of course she could easily afford that right now. Thanks to his investment. He decided then that he would look at it as an investment toward freedom from this wretched group. He would make it up with taking extra work later.

Everyone seemed to know another that remained within the Burrow. There was a set a twins whose style reminded Pike of children who didn't get disciplined hard enough, they seemed to know most of the faces available. Enough so that the man picked up the MP, who squealed and called the man by name, Lock. His face pulled together tightly in disapproval. At last one person didn't seem pissed that the girl was present, but he wasn't too fond of the rebellious vibe the twins gave Pike. He didn't like how the name Lock seemed to be trying to pull some distant memory from the depths of a swamp. There was a lot of things the man didn't like about his current situation.

Pike really just needed a few recharge cells for his plasma rifle from Phil. The man usually had some higher end charges that would last Pike well over several thousand shots. The standard issue barely sported two thousand shots. He had heard rumors stating it was due to the concern of over use by civilians or military police. No one wanted an "undertrained" person mag dumping in the heat of the moment.

Pike helped himself to a stool at the bar and ordered himself a drink. Since the last time he was drinking, the bartender kicked him out since the city went under lockdown. He audibly scoffed. He saw some irony in how they chose Lockewood to lockdown. The first drink was gone in a matter of seconds and refilled just as quickly, when Pike finally turned his attention back to the group.

Was every single one of these people going to be leaving the city together? Once they caught on, which was inevitable... He could already feel the headache approaching. Might as well bite the horse on the ass now.

"So what's the plan then? We get weapons, gear up, then..." His hand rolled in the air. "We magically have a way out of the city and are free from being trapped rats. Do you care to share what you know, Yuri? Or do you plan on surprising us?"He casually sipped from the glass, eyes peaking over the rim at her with a raised brow.
​

 

[Caffeinated Joy]

NYX SOLARI

Nyx perched on the edge of a bar stool, watching the group as they entered the bar. She saw, Yuriye Ivanov enter, and nodded once in acknowledgement as the mob boss looked their way. Behind her was dark haired, scowling man she found familiar in a very unpleasant way, but his name was just outside of her mental grasp. What was it? Pick? Pica? Pack? Prick? Ah! Pike! The bastard. Pike/Prick, there was little difference. Her eyes narrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly, and she saw Lock studying him with naked animosity on his face and a fist clenched at his side. If she were to be honest, she wouldn’t be upset at all if Lock picked this moment to lose control of his violent urge. He didn’t though, and that told Nyx all she needed to know. Lock found him familiar, but didn’t know who he was.

Behind Pike were a few uniformed slabs of walking meat – Yuriye’s bodyguards, no doubt, a petite looking brunette woman, studying everyone with clinical interest, and Asahina’s sister, Yukiye. She smiled as Lock leaped forward to give her a hug and swing her around, loudly proclaiming he would vouch for her in response to Phil’s loud complaint about an MP being in his bar. She couldn’t blame him, really. A part of her was a bit suspicious, too. She was an MP, after all, and Nyx and her twin were very much wanted for murder and political subertufuge. Still, she was Yuki, and if she was looking to get out of Lockewood, it had to be for good reason.

Nyx slid over to stand next to Yuriye and nodded at Phil. “I’ll vouch for her too. She’s an old friend.” She looked at Yuriye. “Apologies for interrupting, Ms. Ivanov, but is there room for two more on your expedition? My brother and I need out of Lockewood, and we could be of good use to you.”

BLACK WIDOW

 

[Ayama]

Asahina Hayashi

Title

The Bloodhound

Gender

Cis Male

Age

26

Currently... at the Burrow, with everyone.

Asahina raised his eyebrows in surprise when Phil sent out the Burrow's equivalent of a war party and then ordered everyone out- it was an unexpected move. He gave a quick nod when he was allowed to stay- not that he had intended to leave immediately, but still.

He turned his head quickly at the sound of the new arrivals, his eyes widening. There was Yuriye Ivanov, the most influential mob boss in the city and frequent customer of Phil's. She was accompanied by someone he had to assume was a mercenary by the looks of him, Endor, odd as ever and, scrambler from Ivanov's enforcer pointed directly at her head, Yuki!

He heaved a sigh of relief that was short-lived when, halfway through haggling with the Iron Vice about payment to get out of Lockewood, Phil got up and turned on Yukiye instead, threats at the ready. Yuri raised an eyebrow at him, clearly aware of the bond between them and expecting him to step in. Though he doubted the word of a cop would've made a difference in this particular case either way, Hayashi was already way past that as big brother instincts kicked in at the threat and he was already seeing red.

In a bizarre twist of events, Lock now constituted the reliable vote as he bounded over to his sister and, predictably, lifted her off her feet. Asahina automatically relaxed upon hearing his sister laugh, though he couldn't help but roll his eyes at the all-too-familier antics of the pair, who looked rather absurd at that moment as Yuki was still in full riot gear.

When Nyx vouched for Yuki as well, Asahina knew she would be safe. He walked over just as Lock was finally putting her down and asked, wearing his best Stern Big Brother face

"Yuki, what the heck are you doing down here, and with them?"

How pitiful. How predictable. How pointless. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Ayama]

Yuriye Ivanov

Title

The Iron Vice

Gender

Cis Female

Age

26

Currently... at the Burrow, with everyone.

In a surprising turn of events, it wasn't the MP's brother but the assassins who ended up vouching for her, making it clear they had history together.

All these damn HC rich kids know each other, she thought with a rare flashback to her time in the capital. She had fared fine there, but it had never really felt like home- she was always more comfortable in places like Lockewood, mingling with the people who made up the world's real, seedy underbelly.

She watched the two pairs of siblings reunite with detached interest, nodding at the green-haired one as she stepped over to stand beside her. Then she had to hold back a wince as the most irritating voice of the bunch piped up, fresh with new frustration.

She resisted the urge to punch him in his extremely punchable face, instead turning back to Phil.

"E-13 is still good, right?" she asked, referring to the secret tunnel that went from the Burrow straight into the Lockewood-Crystal's Deep Highway; she had stashed a personal stealth Beetle about halfway up the wall there, in case she needed to get the hell out of dodge someday.

"Good. Then that's our target. Move fast, be quiet, do as I say, and we might just get out of here alive," she said pointedly in Pike's direction.

The green-haired one then asked to come along, and Yuriye took a moment to consider as she looked the assassin up and down. Though the brother was a loose cannon, his sister had him on a decent leash, and from the brief time they'd worked together Yuriye knew she was a woman after her own heart- dedicated, cunning, ruthless, and intelligent.

"All right," she said, making up her mind, "as I know firsthand of you and your brother's skills, I won't be charging you to come along, but I will expect you to return the favor when the time comes." She looked at the woman for a moment as understanding passed between them- in their world, favors were just about the most sacred bond you could make with someone. Satisfied, Yuriye turned back to the rest of the group.

"Okay, everyone go with Phil and suit up with whatever weapons, clothes and gear my 1.5mil will buy, and make sure you get something discrete and something combat ready- I want to get out of here before whatever they're planning next happens. You, spook," she said, gesturing to the brown-haired girl. "How long will it take you to get the scrambler hack done on the MP?"

The higher the cost, the greater the gain. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Ayama]

-Five years ago-​

I hope these mercenaries live up to the hype... Yuriye thought, giving her office a contemplative look- it had been barely a year since she'd managed to establish herself here in Lockewood. It had taken a lot of grit and hard work but, finally, she was at the top. And now, some prick was trying to take that away from her- some idiot who knew enough to cause her trouble she now had to deal with, but somehow not enough to know better.

Well, we'll see how he feels about trying to pull this crap on my turf when this is over, she thought vindictively. At that moment, the intercom on her desk buzzed.

"The mercenaries you sent for are here", the gruff voice crackled. "Shall I send them in?" Yuriye smiled.

"Yeah, send them up."

When the two stepped into her office, she eyed them with critical detachment. They seemed young, for what they did but, then again, so did she. The woman was tall, composed, and somehow menacing even just neutrally standing there. The man (clearly her brother based on the obvious family resemblance) looked more like a mad dog on a thin leash than anything else but, after all, it was that sort of violent energy that she would, in part, need for this job.

"Please, sit down," she invited them as she gestured to the two chairs in front of her desk. "And let's get to business."

Lock looked around as they were led in, quickly assessing the room for areas and items they could use to their advantage should things go south with this meeting. They had only been assassins for a few years, but they'd already made a name for themselves among the I.U. as "dangerous individuals of interest". He had to admit, he was enjoying the notoriety. Barely contained adrenaline surged through him, making him edgy, and craving something a little more physical than their usual 'use stealth and kill silently' jobs.

His gaze moved to the potential employer in front of them. Yuriye Ivanov was a beautiful woman- tall and lithe and well-dressed; she commanded attention just by being in the room. His eyes then fell on the artificial left arm, strong enough to crush a skull, that had in part earned her the nickname 'The Iron Vice'. Interesting. He smiled and sat down, leaning back in the chair as if he belonged there. "Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Ivanov," he said smoothly.

Nyx remained standing at first, and let her gaze sweep around the room slowly before seeming satisfied and sitting down next to her brother. Lock had convinced her to accept this invitation, complaining that he needed something different to keep him sharp. She had reluctantly agreed, though she worried that it was a bad idea, set to tarnish the reputation they had carefully acquired, equating them to common thugs for hire by any random mob boss with a grudge. She studied Yuriye with an equally critically detached expression, neither woman's face giving away more than she wanted it to- a small game of psychological cat and mouse. Finally, Nyx gave a small nod. "Yes, what can we do for you, Ms. Ivanov?"

Yuriye leaned back in her chair, pale fingers touching metal ones, and addressed the question.

"Well, as I informed you in our previous communications, Ms. Solari, though I realize the two of you typically specialize in a different kind of result, my needs are very specific." She paused for a moment, then continued. "I need to send a very clear message, without killing the man in question."

Nyx smiled wryly. "A different kind of result, indeed." She leaned forward. "We are assassins, Ms. Ivanov, not killers for hire. Since you seem to understand this, what I'd like to know is... what do you think we can do, that no one currently in your employ can't do just as well?"

Lock laughed. "Nyx, darling, really? Clearly, we have a unique skillset not currently possessed by any of her people. If they did, Ms. Ivanov here wouldn't have called us in the first place." He spread his hands wide, inviting her to continue. "Tell us about this unfortunate man."

"This unfortunate man," she responded after a pause, "had the audacity to try and seize control of some of the businesses in my territory. Now as of last year, this entire city has become my territory, and anyone who wants to do business here understands that they need to pay their respects to me first, but this little shit thinks he can do dirt under my nose and get away with it. He's been undermining my authority, openly provoking me, and that is something I cannot tolerate." The look in her eyes darkened, carefully controlled rage simmering just below the surface.

"So, Ms. Solari, to answer your previous question, the reason I am choosing to hire you for this job, and not just sending in the usual thugs to beat him black and blue, is because I need to send a message- not just to him, but to anyone coming after him who might be entertaining the thought of doing something similar: that if you try to fuck with me or my business, I will make absolutely certain you regret it."

She paused for effect, looking both mercenaries in the eyes and making certain her intentions were abundantly clear.

"From what I've seen and heard of your work, the two of you are particularly good at sending this type of message. The reason I want him left alive, however, is because I want him to be a reminder, for as long as he lives and to anyone who crosses his path, that this is what happens if you're foolish enough to cross me."

She paused to look at them again, the expression challenging.

"So, do you think this is something the two of you can do?"

Lock laughed, the sound sharp in the silent room. "Of course we can do it, but one thing to address first is the matter of payment. After all, killing, maiming, and dismembering are expensive, and we don't come cheap."

Yuriye pulled a scanner from her desk drawer and placed it atop the table between them with a resounding thunk.

"500k," she said, not batting an eye. "Half now, half when the job is done. Are there any other questions?"

Nyx spoke up then. "We understand what he's done to you, and why you want him to be made an example of. What has he done to make us want the same thing?"

Yuriye tilted her head, intrigued by the assassin's words. She hadn't failed to notice the distinction Nyx had made earlier- as if being associated with other mercenaries was somehow an insult to them-, but she had to wonder how these two had managed to convince themselves they were vengeful angels of righteousness rather than simply particularly gifted killers.

"Indeed," Lock chimed in with a nod, "we can't get a reputation for just indiscriminately attacking people- no one will hire assassins like that." He glanced at Nyx as he said this, knowing what she was thinking. He couldn't get into the habit of indiscriminately attacking people.

Yuriye had to admit that last bit made sense- there were enough unpredictable loose cannons in this business, after all, and the fact that they were clearly professionals was why she'd reached out to them in the first place. Still, being hired to send a message was not remotely the same thing as going on an indiscriminate rampage.

Nyx met her brother's eyes, before returning her gaze to the mob boss. "As my brother said, it is something we can do, of course, but my question is- why should we?"

Yuriye gave a dry chuckle.

"I don't know about 'should' but, aside from your obvious skills, there is another reason I chose to hire you for this job," she responded. "I think you'll find that, in this particular case, our interests happen to coincide. You see, when this man first started causing trouble in my territory, I sent some people to find out what they could, and they brought back some... disturbing news."

She let the pronouncement hang in the air for a moment, playing on the assassins' anticipation, before elaborating.

"What would you say, if I were to tell you that the man in question is also currently receiving payment from the I.U. for what he's doing?" She paused again, noticing the twins' piqued interest as both sat up a little straighter in their chairs, like predators having caught the scent of prey.

"It's well known that they are just about your favorite target," she continued. "Truth be told, I'm not their biggest fan either, which is why I chose to set up my business down here rather than back in High City, but I was particularly offended when I found out that this guy was taking money from them in order to undermine me, just for an extra payday and some bullshit protection." Her expression had turned dark again.

"You see, the I.U. doesn't want me to be in charge down here- it makes them nervous. They like their slums chaotic and corrupt and, strange as it may sound, I bring a level of order and prosperity to the whole business that they find threatening, so they're trying to shut me down. Now, I'm not one to balk at some healthy competition, but this is something different, and not something I am willing to let slide."

Nyx nodded appreciatively. "Now that you mention it, I did notice that things around here seem less shitty than they used to be as we were making our way here." She looked Yuriye in the eyes, understanding passing between the two. "It's more than just about anyone has ever done for this Division."

Lock leaned forward, his eyes dancing with an almost feverish light. "So, this fucker is a pawn of the I.U., huh? I'll happily make sure he's on soft foods for the rest of his life for that alone."

Yuriye chuckled again.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Mr. Solari. Are there any further questions?"

Lock laughed, that manic light still in his eyes. "Just one," he responded, holding up a finger, "how alive do you need him to be? Very? Barely clinging? Somewhere in between?"

Yuriye smiled- a chilling expression. "I have every faith that you can get creative without doing that kind of damage, Mr. Solari. After all, I want this fellow to live a long, unhealthy life." A look of dark understanding passed between her and the assassin. She turned back to Nyx.

"So," she resumed, steepling her hands and once more eyeing her expectantly, "now that you have the full picture, I will repeat my earlier question- do you think this is something the two of you can do?"

The two Solaris looked at each other, identically menacing grins animating their faces with a dark intent.

As Lock reached out and placed his hand on the scanner, Nyx smiled at Yuriye- the expression more terrifying than cheerful.

"What's this fellow's name, then, and where can we find him?"

♡design by neon reverie, coded by uxie♡

 

[Megilagor]

Phil Yang

Alias

Golden Jackal

Gender

Male

Age

40

Current location- Burrow -> Burrow secret warehouse


Phil simply nodded when he realized that the twin assassins and the Hound vouched for the MP, hell he even nearly spit out his drink when he heard that the MP is his sister.
After confirming the payment went through Phil stood up, dusted himself off and berated around Yuri's question.
"E-13 you say, it is passable if that is what you want, the rest of the tunnels though had a little problem halfway through so we don't know their state but I would rather not go down them. Someone or something caused issues in most tunnels, E-13 we can pass through but we need to wear gas masks since the halfway point and dress a bit since it will be cold as hell there since a pocket of Nitrogen Dioxide burst open and flooded a big part of the tunnel with it."
Knowing what Yuri's gonna say next Phil took out a keyfob from his pocket and fiddled with it for a bit before throwing it to the brainiac aka. the girl in the lab coat.
"Ok first things first, you brainiac! Catch."

After confirming she had the fob with her he began explaining the necessary stuff to her."Use it to enter the doc's room, the scrambler you need is in the third locker from the right. Get ready for whatever you're gonna do with the MP, and when the both of you are done come behind that painting." He then pointed at a macabre painting of a long bloody corridor of an asylum.
"You just push the painting in a little and it will open, behind it is the place I keep the good stuff."
Said Phil while moving towards said painting, and when he stood there he asked a simple question.
"And now a question to all of ya, do you prefer to go over clothes first, or rather the gear and weapons?" Phil then glanced quickly over everyone before replying to himself.
"Ok, so weapons first. Then move on, and don't touch anything until we get to the store room. Capiche?"
After saying so Phil opened the hidden passage and walked in making sure that those who needed to follow him did follow him.

The corridor was creepy, the lights were buzzing and blinking as they walked, and it kept getting chillier, finally after a short while they arrived at a bigger room divided into three by partition walls. There Phil flipped a switch on the wall and more lights came on illuminating the room fully it looked like one of those old military bunkers but being this deep underground could only mean it was one of Phil's passion projects.
"Ok big and small semi-adult kids, on my left we have weapons in the lockers, they are color coded by the way, white ones are for melee weapons, black is for guns, red is for explosives, and blue is for energy weapons. And yes Pike we do have the ammo you want." As lights were flicking on Phil began his talk and then he turned towards the people who came with him and pointed in the direction of the weapons, before continuing.

"Behind me, we have the gear area. Climbing gear, gas masks, plate carriers. You name it we probably have it and if we don't have it then it sucks to be you! And then on my right, we have the clothing area, its also color-coded, Blue is for guys, Pink is for girls, Grey is unisex, then we have Green which contains military clothing, Black which contains various body fitting but durable clothes, and our final one is something I don't know why we have, within the Red one we have costumes.... Yeah like those cosplay stuff and those naughty ones too. I still don't know why we have those but we have them."
Explained Phil with a bit of a puzzled look on his face clearly showing even he did not know why the red one is there.

Then he added his final words before scurrying off himself to get some gear and weapons.
"Now everyone scatter and pick what you want from where you want, although don't pick too much or I will have to charge you extra."
In the weapon section, he simply picked up a belt of smoke and tear gas grenades and a trench gun with some ammo before moving to the gear section, where he simply picked up his favourite plate carrier and a gas mask. Then he carefully put it all on himself and strapped the things where they needed to be, and waited for everyone else, whatever they were ready or needed help with something.

A life without living was simply a death without dying. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Impius]

Darwin Lex Pike

Alias

Markus Conway

Gender

Male

Age

32

We all have our reasons.

It wasn't until Phil gave everyone the grand tour of merchandise up for the taking, that Pike felt at ease of his financial investment, even if indirectly. The variety and options were all one could hope for. It was true that there was something here for everyone. Even for old Picky Prick Pike. He saw the selection of energy cells lined along with the blue section of Phil's beautifully organized merchandise. As instructed, he kept his hands to himself and moved with the group. He was quick to assume that nothing else here would grab his interest but he had been proven very, very wrong in that regard.

Phil showed them the outfits and gear section, explaining the color scheme much like the weapons section. He raised a brown brow to the mention of the Red Zone. His curiosity peaked. On a normal day, Pike would have liked to check out the Red Zone to satisfy that curiosity. Today was not that day, and as things were, he did not foresee it in the near future. Phil gave the okay to disperse, sending Pike straight to the blue wall of energy weapons.

The energy cells were actually beyond what he had hoped for. The best charges he could reliably get his hands on were for children in comparison to Phil's best charged cells. If Pike were a dog, they would be meat dangling in front of his nose. He held a single silver rectangle case that had a vertical orange line of neon glow on the edge. Military issued, containing a charge that held... He pushed a button on the top and read a small LED screen displaying the number 9,999. He audibly whistled and immediately added the energy cell to his inventory. Actually, he added two. He took a glance at the weaponry, just to gander at the options that were being offered. There was plenty to choose from and defiantly something for everyone in the party.

Pike found himself fitting himself with a lightweight blast proof vest that comfortably fit over his shirt. Next he found himself a new pair of boots. Wonderful sleek black combat books with reinforced toes, thick soles that gripped the ground and the most comfortable insoles he had experienced in a while. Completing his ensemble with a grenade belt, with each slot filled. He was among one of the first to be done, leaning against the wall chewing on a piece of gum that seemed to have materialized itself. As he waited for the others to visit, a peculiar instance disrupted his mind.

First, he thought his tinnitus was beginning to act up. The ringing was mild but grew rapidly and overtook every sound that was around Pike. If someone said something straight into his ear, he wasn't sure if he could hear them. Panic hit his chest and he pushed himself off the wall and glanced around the room. No one looked like they were doing anything suspicious. His heart pounded and the ringing began to subside. In its place a quiet grey static buzzed in his head. He put a hand to his head and clenched his eyes shut. Was there words trying to come through the static? His brow pushed as close together as his face possibly allowed, trying to pick out the distorted noise.

"...... -ike? .... others...... reach... -p-.... plea-...... -arw-? ..... Ca- .... -ear me?..... Shi-......."​

The buzzing static vanished. Darwin's face relaxed and he drew in a deep breathe, realizing that he had been holding it this entire time. What the hell was that? As far as everyone was concerned, there was nothing going in or out of Lockewood. Pike passed it off as interference. A distress call to someone else that some how crossed paths with his receiver. He let his deep breath out into a heavy sigh and leaned against the wall again, blinking wearily at the others as they soon began joining him to wait for departure. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something much more was happening. "Shit..." he mumbled to himself.
​

 

[Ayama]

Yuriye Ivanov

Title

The Iron Vice

Gender

Cis Female

Age

26

Currently... at the tunnel entrance, with everyone.

In a surprisingly short amount of time, their ragtag band was assembled and ready to go. Everyone who could handle a weapon was outfitted to suit it, and all wore/carried an assortment of clothes and gear designed to get them through blending in with a crowd, getting past any military checkpoints, or even fitting in at a high-class party, should the need arise.

At the moment though, they mostly wore an assortment of combat-ready gear, in the likely event that they would need to fight their way out of Lockewood, covered with the heavy jackets and gas masks required to get them through the tunnels first.

Similarly outfitted, Yuriye gave their odd little group a once-over, with a small, approving nod to the pair of assassins, and an additional one to her henchman who, while no longer required to pin the MP with the jammer, was nevertheless nearby, standing none too discreetly behind her and Pike with specific instructions to watch them both and do what was necessary should either of them get out of line (she could tell Pike was none too pleased with the arrangement).

Turning back to Phil, at the head of the group and facing the claustrophobic little hole into which they were about to crawl, she gave a third and final nod.

"Lead the way."

The higher the cost, the greater the gain. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Megilagor]

Phil Yang

Alias

Golden Jackal

Gender

Male

Age

40

Current location- Tunnel entrance > Tunnel proper

“I would have said ladies first, but I don’t fancy any of you, so I should just go first.”
As to ease up the tension Phil tried to tell a joke but it was probably ineffective seeing barely any reaction from anyone except from the three kittens.
Truthfully the access hole to the tunnel was a bit small in some aspects but one could still go through it with a bit of bend knees or a hunched back. The tunnel albeit small did begin to widen as they went further and further, at some point they even saw light strips being turned on as they walked. Eventually, they stumbled upon an intersection, Phil waited for everyone to gather before speaking.

“Now listen up chuckefucks, after this point no straying away from me, no touching of anything unless told to or anything. Capiche, some of those tunnels are booby-trapped or just made as a waste of time. And for important stuff, we only have a long time of walking left before we get to the proper part of the tunnel you will recognize it by the purple paint on the walls, after that point the gas masks stay on since I don’t know how much the gas spread out. Now does anyone need a break, since once we get into the gas I would rather keep on moving.”
After saying what needed to be told and staring a hole through the cat trio and Pike, Phil awaited everyone's answer and if they agreed to keep moving he simply tightened his gasmask and lead them through the tunnels.

A life without living was simply a death without dying. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Ayama]

Asahina Hayashi

Title

The Bloodhound

Gender

Cis Male

Age

26

Currently... in the tunnels, with everyone.

Asahina was struck by the sheer efficiency with which these criminals operated. He dealt with Yuriye and Phil on a semi-regular basis, so he knew firsthand how organized and business-like their operations were, but it never ceased to amaze him.

In less than an hour, Yukiye's Neurolink had been modified, and their entire ragtag band had been outfitted with weapons, gear, and clothes, and was ready to go.

He was silent through the first portion of the tunnels as he thought about the situation. He was a Lockewood police officer, and his job was to stay here and protect the people of Lockewood. But his little sister was here, and now apparently a fugitive from the law (for Endor, of all people), and no matter what he couldn't leave her behind, plain and simple.

Beyond that, however, his detective instincts were pushing him to see this through. There had been too many strange rumors floating around even before the lockdown began to ignore, and he knew the only way to get to the bottom of it was to somehow make it to High City and uncover the truth.

The thought of High City sent his mind back to the early days, as he glanced around to the people walking beside him. Endor, the mad scientist who had transferred here for some shady, as-yet-unexplained reason. Callei, the vidstar rebel who had vanished and then resurfaced. And, of course, the Solari twins.

The two of them had seemed genuinely happy to see both him and Yuki again even though they were, strictly speaking, on opposite sides. But now he supposed sides didn't much matter, as Yuki had effectively abandoned her post and he had effectively left behind his badge.

He heaved a small, unusually sad sigh. Being in law enforcement had brought him a sense of honor and satisfaction he'd never felt before in his life. He thought it genuinely ironic that the reason he'd chosen this path in the first place was the green-haired criminal now walking beside him as they both escaped Lockewood through an underground tunnel with a bunch of other criminals.

Funny, the way things turn out, Asahina thought to himself, rare smile concealed behind his bulky gas mask.

How pitiful. How predictable. How pointless. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Caffeinated Joy]

NYX SOLARI

Nyx walked beside Hina, listening to Lock’s near endless stream of chatter with Yuki behind them. It was as if nothing had changed, in spite of the years they hadn’t seen one another, and the two of them seemed to pick up right where they left of so many years ago. The last time they were all in the same room tother was about a year after graduation, promising to keep in touch, but, of course, they didn’t.

It didn’t surprise her at all to see Asahina had become a detective. He hadn’t made it a secret it was what he wanted to do. In fact, after the first and only time the Hayashi siblings had helped them deface public property, he had doubled down on his desire to get involved with law enforcement in some way. Yuki though, she hadn’t imagined would be an MP, of all things. There was just enough of a rebel lurking beneath the surface for Nyx to imagine Yuki would ever do well in the military following orders and submitting to strict authority. She glanced at Hina and couldn’t help but wonder if, when push came to shove, would their old friendship mean more to him than his sense of duty? It would be quite the feather in his cap to be the detective responsible for apprehending The Black Widow & The Reaper. For that matter, whatever brought Yuki out here trying to escape Lockewood couldn’t be something the military would look on kindly. If she brought them in it would probably work in her favour.

Speaking of backstabbing pricks...

Her gaze found the back of Pike’s head, and she silently drew her firearm under the guise of testing the Smartlink adapter link. She pointed the gun at the back of his head, smirking almost imperceptibly as the aiming crosshairs blinked into existence, then smiling openly when she moved the gun and the crosshairs steadily remained in place. If she were to fire, Pike would be hit, regardless of where she, or he, moved. Smartlink. Best. Job Bonus. Ever. She holstered her weapon, and glanced over at Lock before returning her gaze to Pike.

Pike had been an antagonizing presence in their lives for much of their teenage years. He made it plain to them, right from the start, he stood against everything they fought for, and supported everything they fought against. Their first meeting had been about a year before Dot approached them about joining the resistance, during their petitions and protests days as 15-year-olds. Lock spotted him almost right away, he had an unerring eye for the extremely obstreperously jerkish wealthy types who might give them a hard time and, true to form, Lock often looked forward to the inevitable confrontation. It was different with Pike, right from the get-go. A definite moment of instant mutual loathing.

---

Pike had positioned himself at the edge of the small crowd surrounding them, listening to the twins shout and plead for people to take action with a smug sneer on his face. He looked to be about 18 or 19, a few years older than them, and he held himself with the self-centered ego most people of High Town did. As if theirs was the only existence that mattered while they went from one hedonistic event to the next.

“Fucker.” Lock hissed under his breath. “Oh, please come over here so I can knock that sad excuse for a mustache off your face.”

Nyx followed her brother’s gaze and only the merest narrowing of her eyes betrayed she felt anything but serenity. It was weird how so many boys seemed to wear the first sign of facial hair as a badge of manhood, no matter how awful it looked. She shook her head and looked away after meeting his gaze for second. “Ignore him, Lock. He’s not worth the bloodshed.”

As if summoned, Pike strode arrogantly toward them, weaving effortlessly through the milling people and stopped a few meters away, feet firmly planted shoulder width apart, as if ready to defend himself. “Pathetic.”

“Your peach fuzz? Yeah, it is.” Nyx shot back cooly, turning slightly to face him completely and not leave her side exposed.

Lock tossed his hair out of his face and stared at the boy challengingly, "If you’re not here to sign our petition, piss off.”

“Pfft. Your petitions? Worthless.” His gaze swept over them. “What do you think a couple of slum kids can do?”

“We live here, chucklefuck!” Lock snarled. “And those slum kids out number us at least 4 to 1. What do you think would happen if they all decided to take a stand now?”

Pike shook his head, spun on his heel and strode away. “Our firearms against the masses? It would be a bloodbath. A welcome one.” He shot this over his shoulder before disappearing, and Nyx found herself physically restraining her brother from going after him in a blind rage, quietly cautioning him against a rash decision.

Over the next few months, they had a few similar encounters, and a number of them led to inevitable fights in which Pike held his own, but not the upper hand. Not against the two of them. They didn’t see him for a while after joining the resistance. They were too busy with the combination of school, dance classes, gymnastics classes, martial arts classes, and resistance work.

Just shy of their 20th birthday, Pike approached them. They had only been promoted to assassins for the resistance for a little under a year but had already started literally carving out a name for themselves as The Black Widow & The Reaper. They were on their way to get instructions for their next job when Nyx spotted him trying to shadow them. She didn’t recognize him right away, but when she did, she swore silently under her breath.

“Lock, stay calm.” She whispered. “I mean it.” Her brother had come a long way in curbing his violent bursts, but it was far from controlled yet. She turned around, “I know you’re there. What do you want, Pike?”

“What?” Lock stepped, “Where? I’m going to – “

“Nothing.” Nyx grabbed Lock’s arm. “We don’t need attention right now.”

Pike stepped out, hands up in – surrender wasn’t the right word. He was trying hard to appear harmless. She knew he was the furthest thing from it. “I’m not here to hurt you. I want to talk.” His gaze flickered to Lock and Nyx’s hand firmly around his arm. “No fighting. I swear.”

“You lost your peach fuzz.” Nyx quipped. “Congratulations.”

Lock released a single bark of laughter. “Hurt us? Did you forget how fighting the two of us went for you in the past? You held your own, but we still kicked your ass.”

Pike’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond to the obvious dig. Instead, he kept his distance and told them he’d had a change of heart and wanted to help them. At first, they scoffed and told him bluntly to fuck off, but he kept insisting. Enough for Nyx to stop and consider. Something about this stank to high heaven, but she couldn’t help but wonder at the advantages someone in his position would give them. Lock was unhappy about it, and loudly let his feelings known, which ended up in them having their first fight serious enough to almost come to blows. It had honestly scared her a little to have the full brunt of Lock’s anger turned on her, though she’d never told him. The barely contained violence in every line of his body sent a cold chill down her spine. She only managed to calm him down enough to continue on with their job by promising him, if Pike betrayed them, she’d make sure he regretted it.

Finally, after a few weeks of this, she told Pike they’d consider it if they did something for them. His father had access to important IU documents through the nature of his work, right? If he broke into his father’s files and brought them something important, something they could use, it would go a long way in gaining their trust.

Pike met Nyx’s gaze. “Done. I’ll see you in a few days.”

A few days later, Pike approached them with a file. “Here. The IU is going to raid one of the slum sectors under the guise of looking for contraband. They’re really going there to collect workers for repair work on the Interstates. Dangerous work.”

“Useful, if it checks out.” Nyx gave him an appraising look, while Lock scowled at him resentfully. “We’ll be in touch.”

Nyx almost believed he was sincere, but she didn’t have any real reason other than the fact she didn’t like him to think he was lying. He still might be, but she had to give him credit for what appeared to be good work until Dot and Ogre vetted both Pike and his information.

A few days later, Pike contacted them, claiming he had a large package of essential supplies he needed help with delivering to a contact who would make sure they would get to the people who were about to be attacked. Delivery was the next morning, before first light. They let Ogre know about it, who told them to go with him. They were still checking his information, but so far, it seemed legit. He really did appear to want to help. If “essential supplies” meant food, weapons and energy cells for the people about to be allegedly raided, they would do what they could.

They agreed to meet him a couple hours before the drop off and made arrangements with Dot and Ogre to have an unseen escort trail them. They woke early the next morning, well before light, and made their way toward the meeting site. Halfway there, they were surprised to hear Ogre’s voice calling to them softly from an alleyway. They followed his voice to see the giant man looking at them angrily.

“Your friend is a fucking liar. There is no raid. We would have sent more than half of our forces there for nothing.” He growled. “This is a trap. We intercepted an ‘anonymous’ tip to the MPs of your meeting. You’d get there to find yourself alone with illegal goods and surrounded by officers.”

---

Nyx blinked and holstered her weapon, tilting her head slightly to one side. “Hey!” She called out to Pike. “Pike the Prick. I can't possibly imagine what would have you, of all people, slumming in Lockewood. What happened? Parents disown you? Run out of younger teens to torment? Are you leading us to another trap with MPs lying in wait? I’m curious. How much did it cost for your father to have your record expunged after being arrested for attempted smuggling of contraband goods?”

BLACK WIDOW

 

[Caffeinated Joy]

LOCK SOLARI

“So, there we were, trapped in the basement of Councilwoman Tetra Park’s house on a night she was hosting a party we didn’t think was going to end." Lock grinned at Yuki, honestly over the moon at seeing his oldest and dearest friends again. "If there’s one thing High Town knows how to do well, it’s host a great all-nighter. Our intel was wrong. We were told she was having this shindig the following night, and the place was almost empty when we got there, because of course no one shows up on time, not even the hostess. Add to it extra security on top of her regular rotation – a bunch of no-neck trolls who were all eager to make a good impression, because, you never know…you might get hired on permanently.” Lock waved a hand, “You know, it was that night you had to cover for us in case our parents called you. I know, darling, you covered for us a lot, but this time you really covered for us. O – one of my bosses had to create a scene just off site to get us out of there, and it was 4 am before he could. In the meantime, the two of us had crammed ourselves into a dark, narrow corner, behind an prehistoric, old, giant cabinet of some kind from a million years before we came underground. Every time someone came in to open said cabinet to get a bottle of something I desperately wished we were drinking, we both held our breath. So finally…there was an explosion, and everyone ran out to see what it was. Yes, that explosion. Even the security who stayed behind in the house were hovering by the window staring at the burning guest house. You didn’t have to tell us twice; we got the hell out of – “

He stopped suddenly, as if someone had flicked a switch directly connected to his vocal cords, and stared at the frustratingly familiar High Town man trying to pass himself of as a common man when Nyx greeted him. “Pike the Prick. I can't possibly imagine what would have you, of all people, slumming in Lockewood. What happened? Parents disown you? Run out of younger teens to torment? Are you leading us to another trap with MPs lying in wait? I’m curious. What happened when you were left holding the ball?”

Pike? Darius Pike? How the hell did he not recognize him?

Lock’s heart thudded in his chest. That fucker. That lying, greasy, back-stabbing fucker. He remembered the times he stood on the sidelines harassing them. The fights they got into – at least half were started by Lock, but he had been incited into throwing the first punch. The arrogant, sneering expression on Pike’s face. He was 4 years older than them and felt no guilt in trying to smear 15-year-old Lock’s face into the pavement.

Then suddenly, years later, that prick expected them to believe he’d had a change of heart and was suddenly one their side? Lock had fully anticipated Nyx would tell Pike go play a rousing game of fuck off, which she started out doing, until she didn’t. She actually listened to him. At first, Lock was so surprised, all he could do was stare at them, agape. How could she even swallow a single word he said?

Like most siblings, the two of them bickered and pushed each other’s buttons from time to time, but this led to their first and only serious argument, bad enough for it to have nearly led to blows.

---

“What are you doing?” Lock had demanded afterwards, as they strode down the street.

Nyx didn’t miss a step, “Walking. More specifically, walking with you to get our next job.”

Lock clenched his teeth and took a breath, “You know what I mean. Darius fucking Pike. There’s no way he’s had a change of heart.” He rubbed at a small scar cutting through the left corner of his lower lip, courtesy of Pike’s fist. “He’s lying.”

Nyx rolled her eyes, “He could be, yes, but we owe it to him to at least hear him out. He might actually have something we can use.”

“Something we can u – shit.” Lock shook his head, his eyes narrowing, “We don’t owe him anything. He might actually hope we lead him to our friends. Why, you ask?” He stepped closer to Nyx and lowered his voice, “So he can call his IU supporting buddies and come in with guns and bombs blazing. I don’t doubt our friends’ abilities, but Pike would have the backing of the entire fucking IU and their tech.”

Nyx scoffed and folded her arm, “How stupid do you think I am?”

Lock took a step back, looking down his nose with an angry sneer, “You’re not stupid, Nyx. You’re so desperate for an inside connection to the IU you’re willing to look past the fact someone like Pike does not change. He does not suddenly find himself compassionate for the most desperate. He does not suddenly find himself with a conscience. He has neither. He represents the worst in High Town. Everything is fine with the world as long as everything is fine with him. No problems matter outside his bubble. Kids in the slums can’t eat? Not his problem. Their parents can’t afford good healthcare? Oh well. Surely you remember what he said. ‘Our firearms against the masses? It would be a bloodbath. A welcome one’.”

Nyx held up a hand, “No, Lock, that’s not fair. I’m trying to make the best of this situation. What if, on the remotest of remote chances, he has had a change of heart? It wouldn’t be fair to -”

“Fair??” Lock exploded suddenly, stepping close to her again so he was invading her space. “Fair?? He made it his personal mission to harass two kids 4 years younger than him! He’s tried to smash my head into the rocks more than once, Nyx!” He pointed to the scar on his lip, “Remember???”

“You’re being unreasonable.” Nyx took a step back, but Lock followed her, feeling his blood rushing in his ears. “Take a breath.”

“You don’t get to tell me I’m being unreasonable when you’re practically giving him an invitation to blow everyone’s cover, and I will not take a breath! I’m angry, dammit!” He clenched his fists at sides and ground out through clenched teeth, “I will end him.”

Nyx placed both hands on his chest and pushed him away, “Step back, Lock!”

Lock staggered back and glared at her, then bit back the angry words he’d been about to spit out at her when he saw her looking at him with fear. Him. As if he was going to hurt her. He could never. Could he? He glanced down at his clenched fists and then back at her. “Nyx. We can’t do this. You can’t do this. Please. I’m not stupid, but of the two of us, you’ve always been smarter. You think two steps ahead of everyone, while I’m this mad dog looking for my next fight. You have to know this is a mistake.”

Nyx took a breath and let it out slowly. “Listen, Lock. Until he gives us reason to believe otherwise, we have to give him the benefit of the doubt. I’m not about to just blindly lead him to our friends, but I want to know what he thinks he has to offer us. I promise, if he ever betrays us –.”

Lock interrupted. “When. When he betrays us.”

“If he betrays us, I will make sure he regrets it. I promise you.”

When Pike did betray them, Lock was ready to hunt him down and bury him, but Ogre’s strong arm wrapped around him and held him fast.

“Take it easy, kiddo.” The large man drawled. “You run off half-cocked and you’ll end up in trouble right along side him. The MPs are going to get there and find Pike alone, with his parcel. It’s genuine contraband goods. His plan was to give it to you, and then ditch you.”

Nyx laughed, “They’ll arrest him. Lock, seriously, he’s not worth your life. I told you I’d make him regret it if he betrayed us, and it looks like we’re doing just that by simply not showing up.”

Ogre nodded, “Yep. He won’t stay arrested long. His family connections will make sure of that. It’ll be long enough for you two to disappear for a while. We have a job that’ll take you out of High Town for at least the next six months.”

---

Lock wrapped his hand around the pommel of his katana, then let it go, only to grab it and let it go again. His heart pounded in his chest as he glared at the back of Pike’s backstabbing head, his breath harsh and ragged with explosive rage. With a low, incoherent growl, he closed the distance between them in three long strides, then grabbed Pike’s shoulder, spun him around, and pulled him close, “You!” He snarled, baring his teeth. His hand clenched the fabric of Pike's collar. “You have no idea how close you just came to losing your head. You lying, underhanded prick. I could kill you and sleep much better for it.”

Pike stared at Lock and his lips twisted into an all too familiar smirk as he shrugged his shoulders sarcastically, his eyes twinkling with sardonic humour. “Yet I still stand here. I wonder why that is?”

Lock drew back a hand, his fingers curling into a fist as he simultaneously took a step back and drove his fist forward into Pike’s jaw, relishing the feeling of his knuckles driving squarely into the asshole’s smug face. Swearing loudly, Lock’s katana slipped free from its sheath with a quiet hiss of metal. He held it in a practiced grip at his side, at the ready, but not lifted to strike. “We were fifteen. All we were doing was trying to make a positive change in the world. You could have walked by and ignored us like everyone else, but you decided to poke the fucking hornet’s nest. Tell me. How did you like prison you elitist fuck?”

REAPER

 

[Impius]

Darwin Lex Pike

Alias

Markus Conway

Gender

Male

Age

32

We all have our reasons.

To say that Pike was happy about his arrangement in line was a severe overstatement. He hated the feeling of not being the one in control. He had worked his ass off for years so that he could be the one calling the shots, not someone else. His blood pressure meter flashed in the corner of his vision, 129.4 flashing in its mild red color. Despite calming himself enough for the numbers to fall, the hair on the back of his neck still stood on end with Yuri’s henchman taking up the rear. He’d much rather be in front of the pack, even if he didn’t get much of a say to how things were going, not that any of it was exactly bad yet. He rubbed his head, a dull throb still resided from the earlier transmission interception. As his mind was wondering on the strange broken words, the green haired twin reminded Pike of who they were.
​

---

Pike hated street beggars, protesters, homeless, anyone who in his eyes complained about the quality of their life. He would spit at them, taunt them, and sometimes even start fights that would leave the weaker and hungry opponent on their last breath. There was a particular tune he really liked to whistle when he left his scene of crime. He had heard it once on an old vinyl record his grandmother had somehow obtained. Such a rare artifact that was intact enough to play music as clear as the day it was manufactured was truly a wonder to behold. Especially for a curious young boy. The album had been from the 20th century featuring a group of black men in white suits with The Ink Spots stretched across the cover. The first song that had played gave young Pike a deep love for the ancient classics.

Nyx and Lock had been what Pike thought would be prime victims of his adrenaline rush. He tried different tactics on approaching the twins, but it would always end in him turning tail once the other twin jumped in to help. No matter what he tried or did, he couldn’t take the protesters out. He called them a vicious list names that no man or woman would care to ever utter themselves. Pike hated them with a passions and dedicated much of his time to training himself to be able to take on more than one opponent, but that was not in his list of skills. Sure, he could hit a shot on a beer can a mile out, but hand to hand with two opponents was quite different.

Pike had formulated a marvelous plan to take out the twins. He was at the point of seeing red, and wanted nothing more than to whistle his favorite tune as he walked away from future corpses. That day would never come as his father pulled his most favorite move, literally. When Pike returned home from school one day, everything was packed and already on the way to the new house while his parents tied up the loose ends and they would be gone within the hour.

The hatred he had felt faded with the memory of Nyx and Lock. His father began to truly drill Pike around that time, and all of his energy was spent training and running whatever errands his father had in store. They moved several more times, and Pike finally became old enough to leave the nest, and leave the nest he did. Through random jobs, he had found himself in a familiar city. Memories of fighting with the homeless and protesters, of Nyx and Lock and the resistance. He made sure to put aside extra time to track the twins down.

It took him nearly no time at all to figure out the areas that the two could be found. They stuck out with the locals, and were rather highly upheld for their continuous efforts for equality. Pike’s false friendliness of trying to find old friends paid off when he spotted them. This had led to him intensely earning their trust as he pulled together a newer and more mature plan than he had when they were all younger. This time, could saw opportunity to take out a good portion of their little fight club, or maybe the whole thing. The thought was exhilarating and playing pretend was fun for him

As Pike waited with the contraband, weapons and arsenal of all kinds, he whistled his favorite tune, ‘I don’t want to set the world on Fire,’ by the Ink Spots. He occasionally checked the time, relaxing and mentally patting himself on the back for being so clever and smart. An early celebration that was met with bright red and blue lights, blinding him. Then came the thick white smoke, suffocating Pike and bringing tears to his eyes. “W-what the hell?” Men larger than Pike had ever seen in his life came rushing at him, yelling with command.

“Drop to the ground! I said drop to the ground! Hands behind your back!”

Pike was so stunned he could only do what they had told him to do. Cold steel cuffs clicked around his wrists, the metal digging into his skin.
“Wait! You have the wrong guy! This was a set up!” No matter what he said, Pike pleaded to plugged ears.

He was roughly handled, even beaten a little, and then tossed into a cell that hadn’t been cleaned since the last person was there. A puddle of piss still clung in a sticky mess in the corner. He wasn’t sure how long he sat on the steel bench, watching officers pass as they patrol the halls through the tiny window. Eventually, he gave up and curled up to sleep.

His trail was short and quick, the Judge immediately finding him guilty. He pleaded that he had set it up in order to bring down the group that had been terrorizing the city with their protesting. This was something the Judge, who was a local, found hilarious and laughed at. All the evidence pointed at Pike. It didn’t help his case that the Judge was a local, and happened to believe that changes needed to be made in Lockewood. His bail was listed, ridiculously high, and he was tugged off to be transported.

The only reason Pike never served his sentence was due to his father needing his assistance with work. His bail was paid, and Pike went home with his father. He was forced to be on strict probation, checking in every week and couldn’t leave the District. The cherry on top was paying his father back for the bail, which he had never asked for in the first place. It was a topic that was ferociously fought about to the point when Pike’s probation was done, he packed his things and left. He dissolved into the shadows until he stopped hearing word of his father on the hunt for his AWOL son.​

---

He narrowed his eyes at the sister, Nyx as she spoke. Her and her lovely brother had gotten him into one hell of a sticky situation when they were all younger. Anyone could argue that he had greatly deserved being caught by the Military Police trying to set up the protesters.

“You filthy wh-“ He never got to finish his sentence, her guard dog brother had closed the distance before he could process a single thought and grabbed Pike. Their short exchange ended with Pike getting his shit rocked by the angry twin. He stumbled back, holding his mouth with murder in his eyes as he stared back at the brother, his muscles tensed and ready to spring to action as he pulled the bottom of his mask up and spit a thick glob of blood onto the dusty tunnel ground.

In truth, Pike was absolutely ready to go fist to fist with the twins again. This time, he would have been much more prepared for a one on two fight. The thing that stopped him was remembering Yuri, and her henchman, where bearing their eyes into the fibers of his soul. He knew if he even twitched in the direction of the twins, the henchmen would do exactly as Yuri had instructed, and Pike liked life despite the situation he currently found himself in. He relaxed and straightened himself, his eyes resonated hatred. “I honestly couldn’t tell you what it was like Lock, I never went.” His mask moved again as he spit more blood onto the ground. “How about we get out of this shithole alive first, then we can rip another apart, sound good?” His eyes flicked over to Yuri, then past her to the henchman who was more than ready to take out the group’s worst link. Once he was out from underneath her command, he was a free man again.

Pike was silent for the rest of the walk through the tunnels, emptying his thoughts and behaving himself so that his head would remain on his shoulders. He knew what Yuri’s organization could do. They had a fantastic reputation that clearly demanded to not be fucked with. How had he found himself in such a rag tag group, at the bottom tier? No need to put thought into it, his bright red flashing sign for blood pressure had just dropped back into mild red flashing, signaling it was falling back to a normal range.
​