Realistic or Modern CITRON: Cryptid Intervention and Response Unit

[Corrosion]

Greenvale, Gunnison County, Colorado
United States of America
October 31st, 2021
9:38 PM

"But what if someone catches us out here, doing... you know?"

"Oh, come on, Liam. We're all alone out here. Our only company's probably the animals that live here. Can't you hear them?"

"I don't know, Claire. I mean, what about all the stories of some crazed killer just watching a young couple like us just doing it and then deciding to kill us both while we're in it?"

Claire snorted and threw her head back in frustration. "You watch too many horror movies. Come on, don't you like what you see?" The girl stood up and twirled around, displaying her vampire Halloween costume in full. Perhaps 'costume' was putting it lightly, for her apparel largely consisted of a tight red and black corset, an incredibly short ruffled skirt, a pair of gloves, knee-high boots, and of course, fishnets. Her whole outfit showed off an excessive amount of skin, and the dim moonlight only served to further accentuate her bright blue eyes and flowing blonde hair.

Liam, in comparison, looked much more conservative. He'd taken the liberty of dressing up like a Jedi, although most of his costume was mismatched pieces of apparel taken from his parents' wardrobe. Overall, it could still pass as a decent costume, even if his tunic was made from an old burlap sack and his lightsaber from a flashlight and coloured plastic. Even then, he sat on a fallen log, awkwardly and looking rather uncomfortable. "Uh, yeah, I guess."

Claire huffed. "You guess? I wore this just for you!"

"I mean I do! I do like it!" Her boyfriend cried. "You look great in that."

Giggling softly, Claire sat down next to Liam and let her blue eyes meet his dark brown ones. "Liam, you know I love you. From the way you looked at me in class on the first day of school, I knew you were the one."

"Well, the clock is next to you." Liam muttered.

"I know that." Claire grasped Liam's hands in hers. "But let's face it. You know that's not why you look at me."

His grip tightened, and he gave a small, soft smile, the kind that Claire loved. "Claire, I... uh, really, really like you."

"Like me?" Claire grinned. "It's three words. Just replace the 'like' with 'love'."

"Uh, okay." Liam cleared his throat. "I li— er, I love you."

They gazed at each other a while longer, and then they closed their eyes and leaned forwards.

Only an inch apart did Claire's iPhone start to ring, blasting some new Justin Bieber song at full volume. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out, answering the call. "Hello?"

"Where are you guys?" Came the voice of one of Claire's friends, some popular girl in school. "You and your boyfriend are cute and all that, but the party's just getting started! Come on, you're gonna miss out on the drinks."

"Be there shortly, Gina." Claire hung up and got to her feet, turning back the way they came, back to town. "Well, if you're not gonna kiss me out her, then I want to get back to the party."

"W-wait!" Liam cried, shooting to his feet. He grabbed Claire's shoulder and spun her around. He paused for a bit, and then took a breath and went in for the kiss. Surprised at the suddenness of it all, Claire hesitated, but eventually gave in and closed her eyes. For the next few moments, the only sounds throughout the clearing were their soft, low moans.

A twig suddenly snapped opposite, breaking them out of their embrace. Liam scrambled for his lightsaber and pulled off the blue plastic and aimed the light towards the underbrush. "Who's there?"

Several more snaps followed, and the two inched closer together in nervous anticipation.

Then a small, harmless jackrabbit hopped out and stared at them for a few seconds. Then it hopped back the way it came.

The couple was wordless, still frozen in fear. Then they glanced at each other, then to the bushes, and then back at each other. Then they laughed.

"See? Told you you watch too many horror movies." Claire laughed.

Liam shrugged. "Yeah. Guess I do. Come on, let's get back... to..." He paused and squinted his eyes.

His girlfriend clearly took notice. "What is it?" She followed her gaze, and saw what he was looking at.

In the darkness and in the pines, a pair of glowing red eyes stared back at them.

And them they started to come towards them.

The couple's screams emanated throughout the forest.

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​

For the police department of the sleepy mountain town where practically nothing happens, this case was probably the most exciting thing in years. A group of drunk kids stumbling across a young couple mutilated by a potential crazed killer or animal? Why, that was sure to be the talk of the town for a long time.

The area had been cordoned off by police tape and emergency vehicles. CSI and forensics crews were milling about and doing their thing, while news crews interviewed various town residents. The traumatised kids who had the misfortune of coming across the grisly scene in the first place were getting treated by the side.

"Poor kids," Muttered Sheriff Carlson. "Still had so much left for them."

"Yeah," Nodded Officer Hill. "They were a couple, too. From what I've heard, they really did love each other.

An unmarked black Dodge Charger with flashing emergency lights pulled up behind them, and a man dressed in a black overcoat and tie exited and made his way towards the officers.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his ID flip-wallet and showed it to the men. "Agent Franklin Bennett, FBI." He introduced, returning it to its place. "So, what've we got?"

"Victims are Liam Jackson and Claire Wright," Said Hill, leading him to the scene. "Most of the signs seem to say that they've been mauled by a wolf or something, but there seems to be more to that."

"Meaning?"

"The bodies were found next to each other, holding hands." Carlson said simply.

Bennett frowned. "That's new."

"Right now our best theory is that they were murdered. The killer let the wolves do the rest. Then he placed them together and left them to be found."

They reached the scene. In the middle of a square cordoned by police tape and lit by electric lights were the bodies.

They'd been mauled, all right. Lying together, holding hands in the remnants of their Halloween costumes. Oddly romantic, had there not been blood everywhere and several chunks of flesh ripped off and hung up on the trees. Liam was missing the lower half of his body, while Claire had a massive hole, going from her chest to her abdomen. There also appeared to be several teeth and claw marks. Eaten by wolves or bears, so it seemed.

"Grisly." Bennett muttered.

"Yep." Carlson walked up to him. "Definitely the most violent scene I've seen in a while. That and the wood chipper incident."

Bennett nodded slowly. "Excuse me, sheriff, but I have to make a call." He made his way to the edge where no one was watching, and then pulled out his secure encrypted phone.

"This is Agent Bennett. Definitely lupus, from what I can tell. Could be a rogue werewolf. Thing is, it could also be a motivated incident. Female victim was wearing a vampire costume, so it's likely our werewolf mistook her for one and probably killed the boyfriend to leave no witness. Don't understand why he left both bodies holding hands and in the open. Maybe he felt bad after the kill. Either way, scans show that the werewolf is still in the area. Team, you're up. Kill-capture. Keep your eyes on the scanners. Bennett out."

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Elsewhere, away from the scene and in an isolated part of the forest where nobody could see and in the inside of an armoured Ford F-550, the members of CITRON Hunter Team One received their signal.

"Mission is a go," Came the baritone Russian-accented voice of Captain Viktor Degtyarev as he cocked his AK-15. "Let's move."

He activated his night vision goggles, opened the back door of the truck, and stepped into the darkness.

 

[StarryKnights]

Greenvale, Gunnison County, Colorado
United States of America
October 31st, 2021


Wren Davies sat hunched over in her seat, waiting for the signal to move. One foot down on the floor, the other pulled up and resting on the seat, one arm draped up and over her leg.

It was only a matter of time, she had little doubt that this was a lupen incident. At least, she prayed that it was only a matter of time, as Wren disliked being cooped up in enclosed spaces. She wasn't exactly claustrophobic, but as a literal corpse she had a certain musk about her, something no amount of showers could fully take away.
Being stuck in enclosed spaces made it all the more noticeable, so for the sake of her team mates, she hoped they'd be deployed soon.

In the meantime, she pondered their current objective, should they actually received the go ahead.
It seemed strange that there might be a rogue wolf so close to CITRON's headquarters, though it was possible the proposed beast was in a frenzy, and therefore out of their mind.

It was also possible this was a deliberate killing, meant to send a message. It wasn't Wren's job to think about possible motives, it was her job to support her squad in their mission. Find and neutralize cryptid threats, wherever they may be, and b whatever means necessary.
Never mind the fact she was a cryptid herself, that didn't change her dedication to her work. Far too often innocent people were caught up in the affairs of creatures they didn't understand, and far too often did those encounters end with blood shed.

She perked up as her captain spoke, the mission was a go.

It was time to leave. Thank God.

She tilted her head to the side, cracking her neck loudly before rising to her feet. She stood at a some what impressive 5'8, the woman who's body she currently was housed in was gifted with a tall, limber frame. Her white hair draped around her masked face, she glanced to Captain Degtyarev and followed him out into the cold, dead night. Her rifle was strapped across her back, in her hands she held her secondary weapon, her SIG Saur P226. Her primary weapon wasn't particularity useful in a close ranged fight.

She slipped her own goggles over her eyes as she stepped out of the truck and examined their surroundings thoroughly.
One could never be too careful when there was a rogue werewolf on the loose.

 

[Nyq]

Daba Mountains, Wuxi County, Chongqing
People's Republic of China
November 1st 2021
10:03 A.M.

A blonde woman took yet another step up the grassy slope, taking a look as her surroundings as she did so. Her quarry is still no where to be found, just like the last few days when she attempted to find him. She took a look at her compass, and she's still heading northeast. Taking yet another look of her surroundings, the woman lamented. "How am I supposed to find the guy within these large ass hills? I regret taking this job."

Mitte, Berlin
Federal Republic of Germany
8th September 2021
9:15 A.M.

"So, another job for me?" The blonde woman placed her hand onto the brown envelope in front of her, looking at the man sitting across the table. The man simply nodded in affirmation as Anna opened the envelope and took out it's contents. "Let's see what it is this time.......Name unknown, ooooh, looks like we have a mystery guy over here, nickname Crimson King......."

"You don't have to read everything out, you know." remarked the man.

"I mean, it's only the two of us in here." Anna shrugged.

"The protocols recommend against reading confidential documents out loud, even in secure spaces, to avoid information leaking out. You should've known that already, Theeman."

"You're no fun, Sunglasses." Anna pouted.

"For the three hundredth and fifty third time, Theeman, neither my actual name, nor my callsign, involves the words 'Sunglasses'. Please refer to me by my proper name next time."

"Wow, you really do care about that, Sunglasses?"

"Three hundred and fifty four." said the man as he crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Oh, come one. Agent Davidson sounds like the dullest name ever." said Anna, with an emphasis on 'ever'.

"It's still an objectively better way to refer to me than 'Sunglasses'."

"You know that I don't care, Sunglasses."

"Three hundred and fifty five."

"You're really no fun." said Anna before she continued to read the documents. "So, he's a Perpetual like me, but way older.....Totally not going to have problems defeating him....."

"I assure you that one of our operatives with provide you with the needed assistance to neutralize the target, Theeman."

Anna rolled her eyes at Davidson's statement. "Hey, last time you guys had an operative 'providing assistance'," she made an air quotation. "not only was he not really helpful, he also ended up as meat paste!" The Perpetual made squishy noises with her mouth after the end of the sentence.

"Agent Olsen was a fine operative that has faithfully served the organisation with his life and I would prefer if you do not make such remarks about him, Theeman. Considering the circumstances at the time, he has done a fine job providing assistance to you. It is very unfortunate..." Davidson was about to continue when Anna held up a hand to interrupt him. "Yes, yes, I know. Every one of you guys is a very fine operative and all that bullshit." Davidson visibly frowned upon her remark. "But let's get this over with so that you can do your thing and I can do my thing. Okay?"

"It would be appreciated if you would cooperate in getting this over with, Theeman. Your target, if you haven't read through the file already, is a Perpetual. Extra care is advised when confronting him, as our reports point to him as being having Class C psychic capabilities. He was last sighted active around the vicinity of Chongqing, within the People's Republic of China. You are to be as discreet as possible during the undertaking of the mission. In order to further your chances of success, you would be provided with a map of the Chongqing area, three months worth of rations, as well as the appropriate weapon, tools, ammunition and clothing for your mission. Once you had reached your destination, you are to meet up with our designated operative at the location marked on the map provided to you. By accepting this mission, you acknowledge the chance of death or injury and agree to not take legal action against the organisation if any harm comes to you. Once you accept the mission, you would be transported to your target location via organisation transport. Do you understand?" recited the CITRON agent.

"Yes, yes, just get over it already."

 

[KOKO]

Omaha, Nebraska
United States
A few days earlier...

The sound the raindrops made as they hit the window of a patient's room in a local hospital wouldn't allow rest for a young girl who was lying in a bed beside it, making her focus on the droplets as they slid down the window that shielded the room from the dark rainy night that clashed with the living lights of the city. Suffering from a severe disease for the past few months, she was the main bedridden inhabitant of the room.

Lacking the strength to move her head to check on them, the girl presumed that her parents who were on the sofa opposite her bed were already asleep. They had seemed more tired than ever, probably working even harder to pay the expensive bill for her treatment that was doing too little, too late. She began wondering if her time was coming to an end as a tear came down one of her cheeks. She was afraid of losing her friends, her parents, of losing everything, at just 14.

At the same time, a dark figure emerged from the street below, walking through the main entrance of the hospital. It was a man wearing motorcycle equipment that was wet from the rain, having spent around half an hour outside, looking at the window to the girl's room as he sat on his pitch black steed of steel.

Walking deeper into the institution, the motorcyclist, without breaking his stride, looked around as he walked past the many patients and late-shift nurses, interns and doctors while surrounded by the sounds of medical equipment and the occasional P.A. broadcast messages. Although this was his first time in here, at least this hospital, he already knew where he had to go. "Take the elevator to the third floor and then take a right." His own inner voice guided him.

As he walked through a well lit corridor that contrasted the man, opposite him, the motorcyclist was stared at by an older man in a wheelchair pushed by a nurse. Judging by his expression, the old man was clearly terrified by the very presence of the dark stranger. Although he gave the old man a glance behind his tinted visor, the motorcyclist ignored him as he passed them. It is worth mentioning that if this were the past, such an action could have cost the old man his eyes.

Arriving at his destination, the man was faced by a door that led into a patient’s room. Next to the door, closed curtains wouldn't allow the man to take a peek into the room through a small window. He hesitated as he put his hand on the doorknob, but carried on regardless. Silently opening the door, the man entered room. In front of him were two adults sleeping on a couch and to his left he saw the young girl sleeping in the bed, illuminated by the light coming from the window she was facing.

Removing his gloves, the man made his way towards the girl. In the reflection of the window, he noticed that the girl was awake, looking at him in fear as he towered above her. Leaning in closer to her ear, he tried to calm the girl: "Don't worry, lass, I won't hurt you..."

"Who... Who are you?" The girl, trying to look into the eyes of the stranger’s reflection that were hidden by his visor, tensely asked him. He wasn't planning on her being awake, having been waiting until the girl would have probably fallen asleep, so he decided to be honest to the teenager: "My name is Aiden. And... as unbelievable as this sounds." He chuckled at how crazy his choice of words was. "I'm a kind of fairy."

Although feeling a bit of truth in the dark stranger's words, with a bit of mocking and a bit of actual curiosity the girl asked while tilting her head as much as she could towards the man. "Like a tooth one?" Aiden kept a laugh to himself and just shook his head. "Not exactly, I’m a different kind of fairy." The girl let her head rest on the pillow and looked back towards the dark stranger's reflection in the window. She pondered about his appearance in her room, before asking him: "Aiden, I’m dying, right?"

"You are, Eve. Unfortunately, you are." Aiden, who was himself making eye contact with the girl's reflection in the window suddenly looked down, avoiding it as he answered. Tears started flowing down the girl's cheeks "But why? That's not fair." Walking around to the opposite side of the bed, Aiden sat down a chair that sat adjacent to it and grasped one of Eve's hands with his own two. "I know and I'm sorry, but that’s not up to me. If it were, you would have lived a long, great life."

"So what will happen to me? Will I go to heaven?" She asked, still unable to see Aiden's eyes past the visor of his helmet. "You will." Aiden nodded. "And what will happen to my parents?" Her facial expression showed that this were her most important question. "I don't know, but I believe that they'll be fine." His answer triggered a brief pause. Having looked down for a second, Eve asked her final question: "Will it hurt?" Her teary eyes would finally show hope as Aiden shook his head again. "It won't. I wouldn't allow that." The girl looked away, trusting the man. "Do what you have to do..."

"Eve, may a safe passage to the eternal afterlife be given to you." As he said these words in the ancient Gaelic language, the girl slowly closed her eyes and fell into an eternal slumber. Putting his motorcycle gloves back on, Aiden rose up and went on his way out. As he closed the door to the room a flat line sound could be heard behind it, alarming the parents who jumped up and raced towards the bed of the now deceased girl.

Aiden passed the nurse who came rushing towards the room from where shouts of the parents begging for help could be heard with the same pace that he had when he initially walked towards Eve's room. And then just like that he walked out of the hospital, his presence neither recorded in any of surveillance footage, nor remembered by most of the people who were in the building at the time. Walking away, he felt dead inside and, in reality, he literary kind of was.

As he mentioned himself, Aiden Dugald was not a human, he was an Irish dark faerie known as a Dullahan, often told of in ancient stories. They were headless knights who carried their rotten heads under their arms and rode black horses in the Irish and Scottish countrysides on the darkest of nights, appearing at the doors of humans on their deathbeds.

Aiden was one of the rare angels of death cursed with his former humanity, which allowed him to regain his cognitive abilities. All because of a villager that reminded him of Áedán's, his former self’s, older lover a long time ago back in his home country of Ireland, that was his own love and a phantom that has haunted him ever since.

Back on the street, his black horse, a British Triumph Bonneville bike was waiting for Aiden. The color of the bike was that of supernatural urban legends, when in light it appeared to have a normal metallic finish, but when it was in darkness the bike appeared to consume it becoming darker than darkness itself, add to that the fact that Aiden's helmet also appeared to have the same black finish and you had the tale of a supernatural motorcyclist who haunts the highways of US waiting to happen.

Getting on the bike and turning the key in the ignition engaged the fuel pump with a satisfying whirring noise as the needles of the Speed and RPM gauges went up and down. And then by pressing the start button, Aiden unleashed the powerful 1200cc engine in all its fury, causing two fireballs to exit through the exhausts of the bike as he continued his journey into the night.

 

[Corrosion]

A while of wandering later, Anna's mobile phone began to ring. As soon as she answered it, a familiar voice greeted her.

"Anna, Agent Jiang here. CITRON's sent another operative to assist you in your mission. I'm sending you our location. Come meet us here as soon as possible. We're in a noodle shop, by the way. I'll discuss more details when you arrive."

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Andrew Willis
Wai Fong Noodle Shop
Chongqing, People's Republic of China

Agent Jiang was one of the many agents posted in China on the lookout for cryptid activity. Notably, he was also Anna's supervisor in the country, made sure she didn't do anything too stupid that would inadvertently force CITRON to bail her out of whatever mess she got herself into in the first place.

Right now, he was sitting in a noodle shop in one of the more run-down areas of Chongqing. Place was kind of shabby and not exactly up to standard, but it was a good place to meet without attracting unwanted attention. Besides, the food was good.

That and the fact that it was one of the many fronts used by CITRON.

Jiang took a sip from his cup of hot tea. "You know, I don't think she has a problem dating older men."

The man sitting across him groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I told you, I'm not looking for a relationship."

"Come on, you need a date. I mean you, Andrew Willis, war veteran and Medal of Honor recipient would attract quite a few."

Andrew sighed. "Yeah? Well, maybe it's because I don't like telling anyone that. I mean, come on, do you think people will actually believe that I've received that award and fought in Vietnam when I look like this? I've already gotten yelled at enough just for wearing this." He gestured to his M65 field jacket with the patch of his former unit on it. He'd been wearing it since Vietnam, and it was obviously worn and had been repaired dozens of times.

Most of the time he'd claimed that it belonged to his dad. One thing that sucked about being ageless was constantly being accused of fraud despite actually having served in Vietnam. And both World Wars. And Korea. Still, he couldn't blame them. Andrew was over a century old and yet still looked like he was no older than twenty. "Why don't you go bother the other guys instead? Like Prescott, for example. He's been alive for what, three hundred years?"

"Wilbur Prescott had a wife, you know." Jiang stated, catching Andrew by surprise. "'Till she died of tuberculosis, that is."

"Exactly." Andrew snapped his fingers. "I don't want to get to attached too someone I'll eventually outlive."

"You are aware that Anna's a Perpetual, right?"

"I read the briefing, but that changes nothing."

Andrew rubbed his temples in annoyance. "Look, let's just drop this. You stop playing matchmaker, and go back to the agent you're supposed to be." He cleared his throat. "Any updates from Anna?"

"Still no luck," Jiang informed, going back to business mode. "He's been dodging CCTVs, and psychic readings just don't seem to be showing up. Either our guy is very discreet or he isn't using them at all. It's possible he knew he was being hunted, or someone or something tipped him off."

"Another Perpetual?"

The agent shook his head. "No. We haven't identified any other Perpetuals in the area as of yet." He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a tablet and placed it on the table. It displayed a map with a blinking red dot outside city limits. "This is our guy's last known location. That was three days ago. Anna went looking, but like I said, still no luck. However, we may have a lead."

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you when Anna arrives. No use repeating myself."

"Right."

Nyq

 

[StarryKnights]

Castle Park, Winter Park Florida
United States of America
October 1st, 2021
11:30pm

Avanie and Cameron​

"Weeeee!"
Excited giggles permeated the air, along with the soft groan of metal as the swing moved back and forth. One excited child was seated on a swing, pumping her legs up and down as she was pushed.

"Higher Cammy Higher!", she giggled loudly as she rose high into the sky, and swayed back toward the ground. Standing behind the swing set, and off to the side was a rather detached looking teenager, who pushed a bit harder this time around, sending the girl even higher.

"Yay!", Avanie cheered, she felt as if she could kick the sky.
Cameron rolled his eyes, he never did understand the fixation on swing sets this girl had. She could literally fly if she wanted to yet swinging back and forth brought her the utmost joy.
Well that and the horrid, twisted screams of their victims, but Cameron tried not to dwell too much on that.

Of course, it was hard not to, when the mangled corpse of a young vampire lay not far away, hidden in some bushes. Not hidden well, Cameron knew full well it would be discovered sometime the next day, probably by some poor, curious child.

The girl had been easy prey, vampires tended to walk the night as if they owned them, things an average human woman might worry about were of no consequence to a blood sucker.

But a lone werewolf, even a young one, was a potent threat, especially when they ambushed an unsuspecting vampire, traveling alone down a dark ally. It was a simple set up really.

Avanie played the role of the lost, frightened child, an act she had perfected over the years. Wide, teary eyes, an uncontrollable case of the sniffles and a quivering voice were enough to entice most adults into coming closer.

This concerned adult happened to be a vampire, a young one more than likely. She had short, dark hair and bright red eyes with pale skin, the usual moniker of a vampire. She likely heard Avanie’s cries from the street and went to investigate. Of course, that was all apart of the plan, Avanie had chosen this location specifically due to its proximity to the vampire’s place of work. Some local bar, Cameron wished he could head in and drink after this was said and done.

The ally was dimly lit and fair secluded, perfect place for an ambush. The large dumpsters located against one wall worked to mask Cameron’s scent as well, even a young vampire would likely be able to detect a werewolf. But not if the stench of rotting garbage was there to hide it.

Per the usual arrangement, Cameron had been situated on a nearby rooftop, golden eyes peering through the darkness he watched as the young vampire approached the sobbing child, who was pressed against a brick wall, small hands balled into fists and pressed firmly over her eyes.

With a concerned light in her eyes, the young woman knelt and offered the child a smile.

“What’s wrong sweetie are you lost?”, she looked around the area, but couldn’t see any other people.
“Where are your parents, did you become separated?”.

Avanie sniffled, lowering her hands her gaze remained firmly on the ground.

“I-I can’t find my Mama…and I’m cold…a-and hungry”, she sniffled, wiping at her eyes with her forearm.

Cameron rolled his eyes, she was milking this hardcore. It was a scene straight out of a movie, a lost and frightened little girl, rescued by a caring bystander.

He should’ve felt more anxious about the situation, he was going to maul this woman within an inch of her life after all. Cameron had been doing this for two years now, to say he was somewhat numb to the horror of the situation wouldn’t have been wrong. If he let every horrid thing he’d done weigh on him, then he wouldn’t have been able to muster the resolve to push forward. And so, he stared down his prey with muted emotions, he inched closer to the edge of the roof as he felt his neck burning.

It was like there was an invisible collar tugging him forward, Avanie must’ve been wrapping up her performance.

The little girl took a deep breath and smiled at the woman as they took her hand.

“Come with me sweetie, I’ll help you find your parents, or at least something to eat”.

Avanie giggled. “I already found that”, she beamed up at the woman, an unnatural glint shining in her dark red eyes. Cameron could sense the target’s unease, she tried to pull her hand away, but Avanie held fast.

“The nicest people taste the best, doncha know?”, her gaze darted upward, and that was Cameron’s cue.

He lunged at the woman, claws extended, teeth bared. The poor vampire barely had a moment to process what was happening before he was on top of her.

Her screams were cut off with a violent bite straight to her neck.

That had been hours ago, Cameron could still taste the blood in his mouth as he pushed Avanie higher on her swing. The girl had grown quiet, a sign she was cooking up some new scheme. It probably involved hunting more vampires, Avanie had a taste for the undead bloodsuckers.

"We're going somewhere new!", Avanie announced with a chipper tone as her swing came to a stop, she looked back at her "big brother", beaming.
"Soon too, something fun is brewing in places far off".

A new place, so soon? They hadn't been in Florida very long, the state was full of sun and sand, perhaps she'd grown bored with the beaches? Cameron frowned.
"And where will we be going?".

"To a new place silly, a place where excitement is coming! At least, there will be once we get there!”, she pointed upwards toward the clouds and laughed.
"Things are always exciting where we go, right Cammy?", she looked to the teen expectantly, her dark eyes sparkled with a dangerous, mischievous light.

Cameron nodded, Avanie cleared her throat, so he started pushing her once again.

Someplace exciting, like it would be tomorrow when some kid discovered the mangled corpse hidden in the bushes.

 

[Nyq]

Daba Mountains, Wuxi County, Chongqing
People's Republic of China
November 1st 2021
10:15 A.M.

"Damn it, old man." Anna stuffed her phone back into her pocket and groaned. Taking one last look at her surroundings, she started to descend the mountain.

Wai Fong Noodle Shop, Chongqing
People's Republic of China
November 1st 2021
14:31 P.M.

Anna stood in front of the noodle shop and took a look at the map displayed on her phone. "This is probably it." she said to no one in particular, before pushing the door wide open. Once she got in, she took a good look at the interior of the run down noodle shop, and found Agent Jiang sitting at a table with a new face. Out of habit, she took a psychic scan of the area to make sure that no hostiles were around. Hey, safety first. The shop is mostly filled with those dull, mortal cousins of hers, except for a presence coming from Agent Jiang's direction. Slightly alarmed by the psychic presence, she hesitated to step forward, but then, if they're hostile, CITRON wouldn't even allow them to be here. Deciding to ignore the presence for now, she walked towards Agent Jiang and greeted him.

"Miss me, old man?"

 

[The Gunrunner]

Greenvale, Gunnison County, Colorado
United States of America
October 31st, 2021
Fable

Fable sits farthest from the double-doors. He'd been called in from his version of 'personal leave,' in reality a breathing period between deployments. He didn't mind though, in fact he'd been quite thankful for it; psychological reevaluations had only just finished, his last deployment having been quite... dramatic, and he was getting sick of being in that small room for so long. He twirls a bullet between his fingers - The round heavily customized; Soft point, mixed with a variety of substances meant to deal with Lycans. It was like a hollow-point filled with poison, and they were relatively easy to make. He snorts, shifting the balaclava over his face, and taking a look around the truck. He recognized the others he is being deployed with, and it was a pretty good team as far as he knows:
Kartograf, a former spetsnaz and the leader of Hunter Team One - Good, Fable liked the man, or at least what he'd heard of him; disciplined, experienced, loyal, with a 'find a way' attitude to field work and a focus on teamwork and coordination. The elder man had respect for an operative like that.
Da- er, Dah- Hell with it, the one from Malta. The first time Fable saw him, he couldn't hold back a sigh; the man was known for being a sarcastic pessimist, one of the more annoying personalities to work with. Still, the man had been with Citron for a long time, and there haven't been any insubordination issues that he'd heard of.
Lifeline... oh god, that smell. He's had to keep his stomach tight for at least an hour, and the queezy feeling has only been getting worse. Fable didn't have any ill-will towards the revenant, she keeps to herself, but was an effective sniper.
He nods to himself, it was a decent team. He looks down to his weapon: A M249 light machine gun, the paratrooper version to be precise. It was lightweight (for an LMG at least,) and compact enough for him to use on the move. Lycans were not something to be taken lightly, and a LMG is a good way to show he's not playing around.

Finally, his earpiece crackles to life: "Team, you're up. Kill-capture. Keep your eyes on the scanners. Bennett out." The Russian affirms the go-order, and Fable snorts as he thumbs the full-auto for his weapon. "Yes, sir" comes his gruff, gravely voice, before rushing out of the armoured truck - Thank god, that corpse was really starting to turn his stomach. He pulls the NVGs down, pressing the button to activate them. It was go time - His brain falls into muscle memory and military-drilled instincts, his body's energy spikes with a small dosage of preparatory adrenaline, his eyes focus more intently on the dark surroundings.