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Realistic or Modern EPISODE 4.5.5: Parking Lot Mission Pt II! (Closed)

Bag o Fruit

Tour fog abbé
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Necessity4Fun Necessity4Fun Gus Gus @Malikai @too much idea @The Suspicious Eye @JustNicole @Teh Frixz

The (abbreviated) Story So Far:

"Ahh, Ahhh, Attention facility 108 teachers, staff and students. This is Kendrick Haywood and, though I would like if it was, this is NOT a drill, I repeat NOT a drill. This morning, Rupert and Evangeline Haywood have sent a message that indicates they have been kidnapped or taken hostage somewhere. The message was received between 9 and 10 AM, and in the light of the current situation, the jailbreak, I most likely need your assistance in rescuing them… I-I-If… I-If you'd like to volunteer, p-please come down to the parking lot… I am asking, no, I AM BEGGING OF YOU, please… Help me rescue my parents!!"

Abandoning a lesson officiated now only by Bismark, Manami bounded down the road for the cause. "KENDI-KUN!!! MANAMI HELP YOU! PROMISU!"

"Do not shoot her. She's a friend." Kendrick ordered his bodyguards. "Hey Manami! Careful to not trip while you're running like that! I'm sure we wouldn't want that to happen!" Manami giggled.

Jeremiah ran out the front door of the facility, leaving behind a blue-furred student who simply muttered "Try-hard..." Uncomfortable, and uncertain how to speak to someone so far above the poverty line, he began: "Hey... I heard your message. I'm here to help out."

"Greetings. I'm Kendrick Haywood, pleasure to meet you." He gave a quick bow, something Jeremiah had never really been given before. "Thank you so much for coming, I really appreciate it. We're probably going to need all the help we can get. Just waiting a little longer to give people more time to join, you may stand by for now… This might take a while though. Why don't you talk a bit about yourself? I do not recall seeing you, not even in the corridor so, I'm guessing you're a new student here."

"Yeah... alright then. Uh, my name is Jeremiah. You can call me J.J. if you want to or not. I am actually a new student here, I just joined recently and I either wasn't informed or didn't understand that there was no school today. To be honest, I'm not sure if I actually-"

"Mister Haywood! … Kendrick." Anneliese began, coming out the front door of the facility behind Jeremiah. Addressing the gathering, in general, she added, "Sorry, but formal introductions will have to wait, under the circumstances." Turning back to Kendrick, she raised an eyebrow in moderate disapproval. "No matter the stakes, you're absolutely not leading the students of this facility on a cockamamie expedition into unknown dangers. Not without adult supervision." She eyed the bodyguards. "No offense. Now, who have you already convinced to come with you? Likely young Miss Hamasaki, given her trajectory. And this young man? Terribly sorry to ask before I know your name, but time is of the essence. What can you do and to what degree?"

"Uh... what? I'm not sure what you mean... OH! You mean my power don'cha? Yeah uh, I don't know and I don't know. All the same though, I think I can still help no matter what. Plus you can try and stop me from helping, but... you might actually succeed, BUT I will try my damnedest to help no matter what. Plus this is the jail we're going to. I know some close friends in there." Jeremiah leaned back against a wall that wasn't there, and stumbled. Anneliese assessed him blankly.

Kendrick narrowed his eyes. "Miss. I sincerely hope that with that last statement you're actually volunteering yourself because, otherwise, I would hate to disrespect your authority and taint this still newborn relationship between us so soon… IF you try to stop me, however, I won't have any other choice and will not hesitate in doing so. There's simply too much at stake, and this is not just about me OR my parents. It is by far a much more complex and heavier burden than that..."

"Nee-san, i want to help him." Tomoko implored, tugging on her caretaker's sleeve. "His parents... Onegai, Tomoko... Tomoko wa... Kendrik-niisan o tasuketai!"

"Dame!!" Erika snapped, temporarily discouraging her ward, but received a phone call that drew her attention away. As JJ and Kendrick spoke, Manami, having noticed Tomoko, wandered over and plunked down next to her, excitedly introducing herself.

"Manami-desu! Hajimemashite! Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu! Imoto-san wa? Nan-sai desu ka? Hyaku hachi wa, doshite kiteimashita? Imoto-san mo suupa desu ka?"

"Hamasaki-san!" Anneliese interrupted, speaking with rapid-fire fluency "Ima wa motto shizuka ni hanashite kudasai! Kendi-san to watashi wa hanashite iru, watashi wa kiku hitsuyō ga arimasu." Manami shriveled in shame.

As she spoke, a scream gradually became louder and louder until a blue-haired girl fell from the sky next to Kendrick's limousine, cracking the pavement and sending the cab a few inches in the air. She stood, soaking wet and panting. "Haa… haa… I heard you needed help finding your parents? If you're looking for help, I'm happy to offer my services."

"Yes I think you'll do relatively nicely, if you'll just give us a moment please." she held up an index finger to the girl. "Kendrick, as it seems you prefer to be called..." she smiled conspiratorially. "I would have words with you. Perhaps inside the limousine would be a better location for a private chat?"

The teenager eyed the woman suspiciously. "Actually miss, there's more security inside the car, including the driver. And what information would a stranger even have about me or my life, that could require such a level of secrecy? I find that to be very unlikely."

Speaking as quickly as she could while still enunciating, she replied. "Well, I know your name is Kendrick Haywood, I know you're a sixteen-year-old C-rank with the ability to animate and direct toys to which you have an emotional attachment, I know you've been here at AEGIS for three years, I know you're very frequently trodden upon by an overly-strict teacher… besides me. I know that you were present for the attack on Commonwealth Headquarters perpetrated by the Knights of Raguel, I know that you'd really prefer that no other student hear what I have to say to you, and I know if we're to rescue your parents it has to be said damn fast. S'il vous plait?" she gestured to the limousine's door.

"How…?" Kendrick breathed, dumbfounded. After a moment of thought he clicked his tongue and assented. "Fine. Let me just get security out of there… Ma'am." He did so, and the two of them sat in the backseat. Anneliese closed the door behind them.

"Ne-ne, oneechan!" Tomoko reached for the hand of the fish-faced Japanese girl, and tugged in to gain her attention. "Oniichan tasukete naranai no? Watashitachi wa mada iku koto ga dekiru!"

Manami timidly peeked at Tomoko. "Imoto wa, 'neechan' to ita? Watakushi wa, kowakunain desu ka?"

Jeremiah made his way over next to Bianca. "Hey, I'm guessing that you're here for this mission as well? My name's Jeremiah, and you would be...?" He held out his hand.

Although irritated with her apparent dismissal, she accepted his handshake. "Bianca, Bianca Attilio. It's nice to meet you. I'm not here for the mission, but I thought I'd lend my help. I'm actually a new student here. I heard the school was closed temporarily, so I thought I'd check it out before it was too crowded. I didn't expect it to be so busy." Giving a soft laugh she let go of his hand and looked around. "If this is how it is when the school is closed, I can't imagine how busy it must be with everyone all around."

Jeremiah smiled. "I'm pretty glad to hear that I'm not the only new student here. Makes me feel a little less alone I guess. Shame I wasn't informed about the school being closed, but at least I've found something to entertain myself." He chuckled, and sat down on the ground.

"Yeah, let's just hope this 'mission' doesn't get too crazy..."

"I don't know about that" he replied "I wouldn't mind a crazy mission to take me off of my crazy life."

After a few minutes, the back door opened and Kendrick stepped out, confident and proud.

"Well," he addressed the four others, "We've reached an agreement... She hasn't prohibited me from following through with the operation, in fact, that lady is backing us up by making it an official training mission, which means, Jeremiah, that despite my admiration of your boldness and determination, no one is going to jail today. Sorry about that, you'll have to visit your friends on a different occasion. On another note, we should be leaving soon, so prepare yourselves. I'm just waiting for Ms. Van Can to join us again for us to share important information with this team, together since that's how we crafted this plan. Oh, I forgot to mention, she's also coming along… I think that's all for now, you may all return to doing whatever you were doing before..." He surveyed his new followers, pausing on Bianca. A realization overcame him, and he began. "This is certainly unexpected. So, what is the daughter of Giovanni Attilio doing here in Baltimore, when there's a jailbreak? Are you bored and came to see us struggle? Or claiming territory, perhaps? I believe you'd have to ask the Knights of Raguel about that; They arrived first."

Bianca crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow and smiled. "It shouldn't be so surprising, I'm a new student here. I'm here to use my powers for good and help save the world, or whatever the motto for this place is. I'm not here to claim territory or watch you struggle. I left that part of my past with my father when I put him behind bars. Besides, shouldn't you be wondering where your parents are rather than wasting time questioning a girl you just met? If I were you I'd be focused on getting them back, and take whatever help I could get. Especially since I know a thing or two about kidnappings. When someone's taken it's usually either for a ransom, a statement or to kill them quietly. I doubt it was for a ransom otherwise you'd have been taken and not your parents, besides someone would have made contact by now. That leaves a statement or to kill them quietly, both of which don't bode well for their health. I say you got a good day or two before you find what's left of them in a vat of acid at the bottom of the ocean. So we should get a move on sooner rather than later, kid." She tossed her hair and added, "As for the jailbreak, purely coincidence."

Internally fuming, Kendrick clicked his tongue. "The fact that you're so familiar with this procedure only makes it worse… I would have loved to be 'en route' at this time! Just, grab everyone, throw them in the car and leave, easy as pie! But no. See, we have something called 'law' that dictates the proper way of handling situations. Not that you would know anything about it, since you've crossed the very line that dictates decency WAY TOO MANY TIMES already. And really, CHANGE? After all the damage you've done, I'm supposed to believe you put the 'big boss' behind bars for the common good?! It's easier to believe you plotted to overthrow him and rule in his place, a very common turn of events throughout history. Yeah, sorry to break this to you, but I'm not going to fall for this Hollywood sob story at all. I am not letting my guard down until I deem you worthy of trust. Words don't prove anything, you'll have to convince me through actions instead." He gave her a sly smile. "You know what? Here, let's make this more entertaining, shall we? You said you came to help. FINE, you can come. This is going to be a trial for you. We'll all observe your every move and if you pass, then I'll apologize in front of everyone here AND do anything you want me to. You get one request, no exceptions. I swear it upon my Haywood crest. BUT, if you fail, you're automatically deemed a threat and I get to make your delightful Baltimore life experience hell, with everything I have at my disposal. This is MY CITY and I'll not allow the mafia hounds to sharpen their claws and come play circus as well. I think we have enough ridiculous organizations out for blood, there is no need for more." He took a moment to simmer down. "So, what do you say, Attilio? You can still turn back, but then I cannot guarantee that we'll leave you in peace...Or that we won't at least dig through your past."

Becoming aware of Kendrick's voice, Manami perked up, stood, and bowed to her new friend. "Sho-sho omatchi kudasai, nee, imoto?" She turned to Kendrick.

Bianca waited until he finished his rant, and sighed. "Pathetic… With all your so-called intelligence and information you don't know a single thing about me. Let's get one thing clear: I don't need your approval. I don't need anything from anyone. I know who I am, what I am capable of and why I do what I do. All these trials and tests mean nothing to me, and I have no real reason to care about passing them. I can understand if you're afraid I'll kill you all on a whim, and you should be. I don't need to be deemed a threat. I already am one. Then again, how is that any different from any other powered person on this planet? Isn't that why these facilities exist in the first place? As for this being your city. Don't mistake wealth for power, kid. How can you even think this is your city? If it was your city, your parents wouldn't have been taken in the first place, now would they?" She smiled and poked Kendrick's chest. "I didn't think so. Don't think you can build a fence to keep the wolves out, when their already on your streets, in your home, and in your company. Still, I'm intrigued. Instead of a trial, let's make it a bet. That way there's an even trade. If I fail you deem me a threat, for what little that will do. However, I'll also answer any question you have honestly for one hour. Seeing as this is something even the Boston and Baltimore PD want more than anything I think it's a fair trade. You can pump me full of truth serum or hook me up to a polygraph if you'd like. I already volunteered to help, so if I must play your childish games to do so then I will."

Manami stepped in between the two, glaring, and barked. "Warui naa, Ryokuhatusko! 'Awarena,' to ita. 'Tasukeru yo' to ita. Demo, tango dake no koto! Tomodatchi jya nai no yo! Kujira no shippo bakari da!"

Bianca gave Kendrick a smug look. "Having others fight your battles now?"

Manami turned to Kendrick. "Jya! Kendi-kun! Let's go, ne? We hafu tsu help parentzu!" She took his hand and tugged towards the car, but he yanked it back.

"Cut it out! I… We can't go until Anneliese says so, or we would be in a lot of trouble… and also dishonoring an agreement we made. It's fine, really. Nothing I can't handle. You should go have fun with your new friend in the meantime, this is not something you should be hearing anyway… Someone still needs a piece of my mind." He stepped in front of Manami. "Don't you dare twist my words and pretend you're the same as everyone else! YOU'RE NOT. I said it and I'll repeat it, maybe this time it might get through that thick head of yours... Though it is true powers are dangerous, the user of said powers may not be. Some of them want nothing but a normal and happy life. They never asked for this, or perhaps they enjoy what they've got, but still they would never dare to hurt or kill anyone on purpose. But you, Attilio, you've crossed that line, again and again and again. Oh, I bet the sensation of empowerment made it easier each time. You criminals get addicted to the rush, the thrill, and if you never get arrested, it becomes a sick game of cat and mouse. It's disgusting." he spat.

"Don't ever use that argument again, we're nothing alike! The power doesn't make the person, the person makes the power. How you use it, the intentions behind its use, it all comes from the Meisters themselves! And you chose poorly. Individuals like you are exactly why the media is against supers and pushing us farther away from peaceful coexistence. Your actions have given you a slice of this cake, in one way or another this mess is primarily your fault and that's unforgivable!" He took a pause to breathe. "And of course, a mafia would take it as a territory claim, wouldn't it, BUT I was referring to this city as my home and the fact it's been suffering enough. What good would it do owning it, and then acting as if everyone owes me a favour? That's boring and dull. So artificial that at some point, you're simply playing an agonizing and suffocating part, every. Single. Day of your life without rest. Keeping the wolves out??" He laughed "How presumptuous. I'm not any saint. I'm fully aware of that, if this conversation is any sign. We all have transgressions, we're all potential wolves. Believing in the 'inherent good' is naive, childish and will only bring disappointment. The line is simply drawn at how our transgressions affect other's lives."

He sighed and straightened his vest. "Fine, let's do it your way! IT. IS. ON. Don't go regretting your decision when we bring every single recording device in the household, and then use those against you at a later date! We're definitely gathering a dossier, IF there isn't one already! Prepare yourself! Also, it is not kid, stop calling me that. I'm being surprisingly respectful for not straight out titling you 'mafia dog', so you should at least reciprocate the courtesy. It's Haywood, or don't call me anything at all. Unless you want us to stoop lower towards the name calling. Two can play at that game."

"You think I chose to be this way? That I didn't want a normal happy life? That I asked to be able to do what I do? That I wanted to kill people? I hate people like you. All you do is hear my last name or heard some rumor about me and make your stupid speculations as to who I am. Accusing me of things you have no earthly clue about. You say you don't believe in inherent good, but you automatically judge me as evil. A bloodthirsty criminal who wants nothing more than to become Donna of the Attilio mafia and seize control of the East Coast. That's what you're calling me isn't it? What a closed minded, speculative, hypocritical and foolish way of thinking. I'm not what's wrong with this world people like you are. You pour more poison into this world than I could ever spill in blood. A peaceful existence won't happen, but not because of me. It's because of people like you. If you haven't learned that by now then you really are a stupid kid."

She shrugged "Then again, I can't say I was any different. You may say we're not alike kid, but I said that exact same little speech to my father a long time ago. You're just a child; you don't know what true hardship is. What true agony is. What it feels to be broken down to nothing and have to build yourself back up. You don't know what life is like anywhere other than your little privileged bubble, where people took care of you, supported you, and even loved you. You'll never understand me… and that's fine. You're young, you didn't have to grow up as quickly as I did. You'll understand when you grow up, right now it's your time to learn. So take this as your first lesson, kid. Don't criticize what you can't understand. I'll stop calling you kid when you grow up."

"Everyone has a choice! You-" Kendrick began, but Jeremiah spoke up.

"I think we all get it by now. One of you has had problems and the other has strong opinions and we sympathize with both of you, but you both have to realize that everyone has their own problems. Right now, two people have a problem that we can solve and their names are…" realizing he didn't know their first names, he awkwardly continued "Mr. and Ms. Haywood. Now I suggest we either settle this now or save it for later because otherwise we're going to find it very difficult to be around each other." Bianca relented.

"Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry about all that, Jeremiah."

Dismayed with their childish and nasty behavior, Manami added "Kendoriku. Please. Haywudo mama and papa are trouble. We wanto to help yu, ok? Manami no papa say 'Hokori wa, hokori bakari desu' Pride is nothing but dust. It get in eyes. Blind you. Make cry. Don't make pride. Save Haywood mama. Papa too. We help."

Drained, Kendrick nodded as he listened, and sighed. "I'm sorry. I admit, it was out of place, and... I truly regret you had to see that."

When Kendrick seemed to deflate, Manami dropped her hand from his shoulder. Anneliese, who had until now been simply listening, tapped her on the shoulder and drew her aside. "Manami." She said, in a hushed tone so as not to interrupt Kendrick. "You did very well just now. Very, very good. You may have just saved the day, in fact. I'm sorry if I was mean earlier. It's very hard for me to listen when a lot of people are talking. Hurts my head, even. But I should not have been so mean. You just showed that you can bring a great strength and harmony to this group..." She made a circular gesture to accompany 'harmony' "... and so I hope you will not allow me to silence you again."

Manami, choked up, nodded vigorously to show she understood, and then impetuously threw her arms around Anneliese. Almost in a whisper, she said, "Arigato, Sensei. Honto ni, domo arigato gozaimasita. Sensei is kind. Sorry for hurt head."

Bianca looked Kendrick in the eye. "We can keep the bet, if that's what you want. This is your mission after all. We don't have to be friends or even like each other, but I am willing to work with you to save your parents."

Kendrick was surprised by Bianca's apology, but found himself affording her a bit of respect. He thought about his reply for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Not really, unless it's important to you. I mean, we certainly called enough attention to make everyone here well aware of our true colors. I trust that they'll be working to keep us both in check from now on. Also, it's not like the bet was going to serve any purpose. You think I didn't notice how you weren't taking me seriously at all, Attilio? If I'm not being deemed as a worthy opponent in this battle, then what is the fun in battling in the first place? Nah. I'll be watching you, you'll be watching me, and everyone else can keep an eye on us. We self-stabilize this team, and I don't have to put security constantly on your tail, which would have put them in a completely useless position for me. It's a win-win situation."

"Oh, you figured it out, huh?" She joked. "You're a bit more astute than I gave you cr-"

Kendrick had only a few seconds to wonder why a shadow was growing around him before a winged woman fell on him, followed closely by a small bird, that collided with her before flapping off, squawking in frustration. She stood up quickly and shouted after the bird "Hah! Take that!" She flipped it off before helping Kendrick to his feet. "Sorry about that, but you would not believe the day I’ve been having."

"I believe that goes for the both of us…" he said, blushing. "I-it's fine. I can get up by myself… do I even want to know what the heck you were doing in the sky, mysterious lady?"

"So falling from the sky is pretty common here, huh?" Bianca asked, brow raised.

"Are you two alright?" Jeremiah asked, concerned. "That was a pretty big collision you just had, especially for you Kendrick."

"I'm fine."

Manami released Anneliese and turned around. "Kendoriku! Why you lie down? We go now, yes?"

"I did not…! Ah, nevermind..."

"I agree with her." Bianca urged. "We can hear the mystery girl's story on the way. We don't have any more time to waste."

"Hey, am I late?" Chris came to the end of his walk down the road. "Kendrick, right?"

"Yes. It is Kendrick, Kendrick Haywood. And yes, you are late, but also arrived just in time to hear the full panorama of the current situation, welcome aboard. I'd offer you a seat, but as you can see we don't have those. Just make sure to stand somewhere you can still see and hear me and you should be settled, or you can sit on the ground if you want. Now, if I may start this 'meeting' without any more interruptions… My message earlier was rushed and lacked detail, it needed to, for impact. So now, I'm going to paint the full picture, and anyone uncomfortable with the operation by the end will be free to leave if they so desire. I'm not forcing anyone to risk their lives."

The young Haywood took a deep breath and put his hat back on his head, "I'll repeat myself for the sake of those who weren't present. This Morning, around ten o'clock, I received an SMS from Rupert Haywood's cellphone with a coded message that indicated they had, both of them, been kidnapped. We don't know who, we don't know why, but at light of today's jailbreak it is very unlikely to be a coincidence. Meaning, both of these occurrences could actually be related, which makes me think we're dealing with supers or someone with equal fire power here."

He took a pause to breathe and to let the rest of the group process the information. "It's most certainly going to be dangerous, I dare say that if things go south, I may be putting your lives at risk. We are however treading the negotiation aspect first. Anneliese and I have come up with a team pattern to be on stand-by and jump into action as soon as Plan A fails. I'm going to let her talk about those in a minute." He nodded to the woman, giving her permission to continue after he was done. "I might, emphasis on might because of cellphone signals, be able to use a GPS tracker app to track their phones' locations. But, it's their cellphones' locations, and they might not have them anymore, which makes this a blind hunt. With all of that in mind, anyone uncomfortable with any of that, especially the 'life at risk' part, may now speak up and go home. Thank you for your cooperation thus far." He produced his cellphone from his pocket and opened the tracker app.

"Finally an action plan." Bianca said, cracking her knuckles.

"What are the plans for the negotiation?" Jeremiah asked. "Not that I'll be involved in them, but I'm curious."

Excited about the mission, Manami approached Tomoko. "Imoto-san wa, jyozu desu ne?! Tabun, Manami no kenkyu o tetsudatte kuremasu ka? Shikashi...ato de, ne? We study English together... but later!"

"Un~ Eigo wa muzukashikunai yo! Nee-san, onamae nanidesuka? Watashi, Tomoko!"

"Hajimemashite Tomoko! Manami Hamasaki desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu! Eigo wa, anmari jyozu jyanai, watakushi." She suddenly remembered that nobody else but little sister spoke Japanese. She covered her nervous smile with one hand, and then bowed to the others. "Sumimasen.... Sorri. We study English laytah. Now we go to fight for Kendoriku! I am Manami. Let'so see... You are Kravitzu-san, Green hair is what name? You are... new boy... JayJay? Ando... New girl, spotsu bra, is what name? We are all TEAM 108! We fight!"

"Ne, ne, onii-chan! Tomoko want to help! Tomoko is good with technology!"

Tapping away on his phone, Kendrick barely gave the approaching ten year old attention, merely glancing at her with doubt that she could be useful. Opening up the tracker application, the screen was filled with the map. Tapping the 'power' button in the app a green icon started flashing over Sparrow's Point clearly representing this device's current location. As if that wasn't obvious enough, it was labelled 'Kendrick'.

He tapped the icon in the bottom left corner, letting a menu of options come to life, then going over to 'Settings', searched for a line that said 'Devices'. Right below that was the list of all devices connected, and the only element in black, his device, was currently on the output option, being tracked by the other two devices on the list. A simple ping box beside the title, called reverse mode, would quickly swap the tracked and tracking devices. Kendrick tapped that and returned to the main screen with the map, where a pop-up with a buffering circle tried re-connecting to the GPS upon the changed circumstances.

Of course, this wouldn't be real life if there wasn't a twist. The pop-up had gone and the map was no longer over Sparrows Point. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, when the entire square for the map went black. At first, he thought it was a problem with his phone, but as he noticed that the frame of the app's layout was still visible around the now black block, he figured out it could be the app acting up. Quickly closing it, and opening up again, going through the process of changing the settings again extremely quickly, the teenager impatiently waited for the GPS to connect once more, at this point despite listening to the conversation and words around him, the boy was too focused to acknowledge them in any way.

This time, after the GPS had re-connected, the screen had been 'painted' black right after and with a plus, the black was now a background for a shining golden cross. Two things could be inferred from this: It was the work of a GPS signal jammer, AND there was a huge probability that the 'Who' of the situation were the Knights of Raguel.

The grip over his cellphone intensified, and Kendrick clicked his tongue in both frustration and anger. What did those bastards want with his family? Why would they strike the Haywoods now, weeks later after the mall incident, when it was such a known name already? And then it hit him…

...It was his fault.

Rupert Haywood's statements, despite being often authoritarian, had been right this time. Showing up to 108 amidst the cloud of reporters and making such a scene in front of the camera on Wednesday, had been the worst thing possible he could have done. It's not like Kendrick being a super was any kind of secret, no it was certainly not, but, exposing his attendance to AEGIS on television like that? Bringing his image as a Haywood to the surface and allowing it to be washed by the current hatred of supers? That had been a bad decision...BAD? More like Foolish, Egoistical, Childish, Reckless...

"Kendoriku! Give you phone to Tomoko... then: we find parentsu!”

Manami's voice brought the boy back to the current time. For how long had he been staring at the blackened screen? The sense of time seemed lost, taking him a while to remember what he had been doing before. He jerked his head towards the girl almost instantly, staring at her confused as the memories of the past events flooded back into him. GPS, right. Looking back to the ten year old that had spoken about knowing technology before, Kendrick pondered the pros and cons of letting her deal with his black screen, well... It wasn't as if he had any other option…

"Huh, I guess this answers the 'Who dun-nit' question… I'm betting this is the work of a signal jammer." He glanced at Tomoko. "You did say you're good with technology, right? ... I don't really have any other option, so here. See if you can impress me. And don't break my phone, I need it."

"Un! Wakatta!" Tomoko tapped the screen twice, and nothing happened. She tries to lock the screen, nothing happened again. From there she deduces that this is not a signal jammer, especially as Erika-neesan could still contact her supervisors via phone.

"Kendrick-nii, i think someone hacked into your phone and locked it." Tomoko said, as she sat down on the concrete. She took off her backpack and opened it, taking out a small pink laptop with cute stickers like Hello Kitty and Minnie Mouse plastered on the cover. "Daijoubu! Tomoko can fix it!"

As soon as the laptop turned on, Tomoko pulled out a cable and connected Kendrick's phone to her laptop. If this had been a normal situation, Tomoko would probably give up before she even tried. It had been a while since she last taught herself how to protect her data so she forgot important steps and details that she knew she needed to know but the current situation was so urgent that she forced herself to remember. It made her feel sick, but she her hand starts moving.

After making sure that she herself was secure, and that her own data was already backed up in case of the worst possible scenario, Tomoko connected her phone to the public wifi. For the next few minutes, as the older students were discussing the next course of action, Tomoko made herself busy typing down numbers and letters.

Leaving her to do her thing, Kendrick decided to move on. "If no one else has anything to say, I believe we can move on and let Anneliese talk about the team placements. Her speech should answer your earlier inquiry about the negotiation, Jeremiah."

"Alright." Anneliese began. "Kendrick and I have agreed. Manami, you will find somewhere near water, to ambush the Knights in case negotiation fails. Chris, Bianca, Julie, find somewhere tactically optimal. Same purpose. Jeremiah, Tomoko, stay in the car. Watch. Learn. Be safe." To Kendrick, she said "As you know, you will be with me at the forefront of the negotiation with me."

Coughing loudly, sports-bra girl spoke. "Hey, the name’s Julie. Nice to meet you all. Now, I know I’ve only been listening in to this conversation for just a few minutes, and I’m still a total stranger to you, but I think you all need to take a step back and think about this. I mean REALLY think about this. Kendrick, right? Look, I get the desire to go all gung-ho and rescue your parents, believe you me. If I was in a similar situation, I’d be itching to do the same thing. But unless I’m mistaken, none of you have a blue card nor are a member of the police? This is a matter of someone with that level of training, not for some trainees like us. Not to mention the fact that what y'all are so willy-nilly talking about is illegal. I don’t just mean illegal like a slap on the risk, I mean you get your limiter permanently attached and locked away in a deep dark hole where you’ll never see the light of day illegal. I don’t know about y’all, but that’s not something I plan on going through. If y'all really value Kendrick's parents’ life, y'all will let the professionals who are trained for this exact scenario and have done this before, not this group, handle it. Especially if it is the Knights of Raguel like you say it is kidnapped your parents. Although I don’t think this is them because it’s not their MO, but still. Y'all need to seriously think about what you’re committing yourself to, and better be damn sure y'all are prepared to face the consequences of those commitments."

Although she hadn't completely understood what Julie had said, Manami gently touched her shoulder and said "Sensei say 'ok.' Kendoriku need help. We help. Welcome to Wun Oh Eighto, spotsu bra girl!"

"Listen, Julie was it? I get where you're going with this, but these guys haven't made any demands to him or their company." Bianca explained. "The chances are high that his parents are going to lose their lives pretty quickly if they aren't rescued. Believe me when I say if we involve the police, he won't get them back breathing. As for the blue card thing I think as long as we have a teacher here looking over us we'll be fine. However, if you're feeling uncertain about this you don't have to come. We don't need someone who is hesitant to act." She sighed and smiled. "Look, I'm not trying to be mean or pick on you. I'm just being honest. If you don't think this is for you then stay back. No one is forcing you to go through with this."

"I understand where you're coming from," Kendrick added "and I appreciate it, but I can guarantee you, half of those questions have already been carefully thought about, planned and dealt with. First, I have discussed matters with Anneliese prior to your arrival, and she has agreed on making this an official AEGIS training mission. I'm sure she could go on about the details and bureaucracy, hopefully on our way out, if you need her to confirm it rather than me. Second," he crossed his arms with a serious expression, "I can't help but notice your argument comes from the mall incident. It's true, the Knights of Raguel surely do seem to like bringing attention to their 'feats', rather than going incognito, but you can't assume a MO from just what happened at the mall. On that same day there were two more incidents, both have been overshadowed. There was a break in at Facility 108, I heard bits here and there about a spy, but I wasn't there, so I don't know much. HOWEVER, I was in the other incident, me and emo hoodie over there. Long story cut short, Commonwealth got attacked and we dealt with those guys by ourselves."

'Emo hoodie' crossed his arms and muttered "Right, 'we'. Totally."

Kendrick smiled, a bit cocky. "Oh yeah, of course it was kept from the public. We were what? A bunch of C Ranks saving their Director? Must have hurt a lot of their prides... Anyway, the point is, comparing performances, I doubt the Knights are as unified as a group as they're hinting upon. I wouldn't be surprised if they're looking for patronage, even."

Two of his security men approached Kendrick, each holding a bulletproof vest. He unbuttoned the navy blue vest he was already wearing and put the second one on underneath, sending the other bodyguard to give one to Anneliese.

Manami headed to Anneliese's car, passing by Chris. "Hello. I am Manami. We go in Sensei Car together? You have hurt foot?"

"Hello, Manami. Uh, yeah, sure... My leg is fine, thanks. Shotgun, I guess." he grabbed a bulletproof vest from Kendrick's bodyguard on his way to Anneliese's car. "Thanks, man!"

"I do agree with Attilio though, you're already allowed to leave if you're not in accordance with the operation. Hey, does anyone else need a bulletproof vest from security? Maybe, hoodie there? If I recall right, you got so beat up that day I had to carry you inside the van. Heh. You're welcome, by the way..."

Chris exhaled. "H-hah, right. Th-thanks…"

"I'll take a vest." Bianca pulled one on and tested her mobility in it, then went to see what Tomoko was doing. "That's impressive kid."

"Okay," Julie nodded affirmatively, "I'm in. Whatever we end up facing, I will help you get your parents back Kendrick, safe and sound." She stuck out her hand "I promise… So, since I can tell some of you have been eyeing me for my peculiar dress choice, it's because of this..." Julie shrank down, flying circles in the space where most of her used to be, and without warning, fired a minor stinger blast at everyone present.

Anneliese took a preemptive step between her and Tomoko. Her body blocked the stinger blast meant for the busy ten-year-old, as well as the one meant for her.

"Dekita! I did it, Nii-san!" Tomoko triumphantly announced as she disconnected the cable, and lifted Kendrick's phone for everyone to see. "Tomoko finds that they censored the map data as well. That black block in the map. Tomoko removed it already for Kendrick-niisan! We can go now!"

"That's impressive kid, you did gr- OUCH!!" Kendrick suddenly pulled his arm away.

Manami opened the front passenger side door of Anneliese’s car and held it for Chris. As he was climbing in, two stinger blasts hit her. She swung around, eyes narrowed, but didn't see anyone behind her. She shook it off as a minor annoyance and closed Chris's door. As she got in the back, she asked, "Sorry, buto what izu 'shotgun'?”

Chris fastened his seat belt, because, y'know, safety first. "Oh, shotgun? Well, when you're going somewhere in a car, and you're not driving, you can call shotgun and, uh, you get to sit in the passenger seat." He reflected. "But only if you call it first. It's like a contest, I guess."

As soon as Julie fired her stingers, she regained her normal human self again. "Like a writer, I thought it was better to show, not tell. Those are my powers, only my stinger can hurt a lot more. I can go wherever you all need me, but I think I'd be best tagging along with Kendrick and Ms. Anneliese in my smaller form so I can scout out for Kendrick's parents or defend you both if it's a trap."

"Okay, that does explain a lot and I completely agree that 'an image relays more than a few words can' but please. Do give us a head's up next time, that would be really appreciated..."

"Kendrick." Anneliese said, distantly. "... We need to go. Now." She retrieved her own kevlar vest from the trunk of her Volkswagon and put it on under her sweater on the way to the driver’s seat.

"I'll just meet you guys there.” Bianca waved. "I wanna collect some water for… uh... Manami, just in case." With that she shot up into the sky and was lost in the clouds.

Anneliese pulled herself into the car and shut the door. "Now we just need to follow the Haywood limousine"

"Shahtogoon. Showtogunu? Shyot-gan! Shyotgan shyotgan shyotgan!" Manami yawned, and fell asleep.

"Jeremiah, Tomoko and Julie, you come with me." Kendrick ordered. He gave his bodyguards a glance, designating Tomoko and Jeremiah as their new highest priorities. He stared at the tracker app and the two flashing signals on it while making his way to the car. Everything seemed fine until he noticed that the icons weren't stable. The two dots representing his parents' devices' location were moving! This changed absolutely everything. "Everyone get in the car now!"

"So then, I guess now is when we're moving huh?" Jeremiah asked, casually.

Kendrick asked his driver to pull up next to Anneliese’s car, and shouted "Ms. Van Can! I suggest preparing for a pursuit, the GPS is telling me they are in movement, it's possible the enemy is in a vehicle as well! We might have to force them to stop! Julie, I'm giving you a special mission, please don't argue with me on this one, we might need teamwork more than anything right now. Follow after Bianca, see if you can get to her in time. I'm afraid she's not aware of the change in the situation and we have no way to contact her. Let her know we're in pursuit of a car and see if there's anyway I can contact her from ground, even if it's just her cellphone number." He took a breath, and slowly, added. "Please, I'm counting on you. This is very very important."

Erika hung up the phone and looked around. "Shit."

After a few minutes, Manami awoke. She recognized the roads they were on from the map of Baltimore over which she had poured.

Chris noticed his leg shaking. He stopped. Instead he started chewing his lip. He attributed it to anxiety. That would also have explained the knotted stomach, dry mouth, irritability... Son of a fuck. He sat on his hands and squirmed a little. "Uh..."

Anneliese noticed Chris’s body language, and yanked hard on the steering wheel. Her car swerved violently into the breakdown lane and went from 50 to 0 in far too short a span of time. Loose change rattled in the cup holder and a suitcase narrowly avoided clubbing Manami in the head. "Chris." she said. "You will not have to. You can wait in the car. Everyone will understand." He gave her a confused look but nodded shakily. She pulled back onto the road, catching up to the limousine and then passing them, despite having no access to the tracker.
 
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"... Hey Eric."

"Eric."

Tyrell gave his brother in arms a few distracted smacks on the shoulder, a few of which slipped up to his face. "Eric. Eric!"

Eric cringed up and warded away Ty's hands. "Agh! What? What!?"

"The car back there..." Ty pointed out the back window. "The Volkswagon. I think they're following us!"

"We're on the beltway, genius. Half the city is probably following us, and I would appreciate it if I could pay attention to the other half that's in front of us so we don't die?" As he spoke he came close to the end of his lung capacity, making him sound crazed with frustration.

"Yeah, yeah, just..." Ty ran a hand over his mouth, his chin gripped between his thumb and forefinger for a lingering moment. "I got a feeling, y'know? Cause it looks like the limousine back there is following them too..."

Evangeline Haywood, gagged in the back, inhaled sharply. Eric glanced at Ty, and glanced back at her.

"Well why would you not mention the limousine first!?" he shouted.

Ty grabbed some of Evangeline's bindings. "Did you send out a message? DID YOU SEND OUT A MESSAGE? HUH?" she shut her eyes and shook her head vigorously. "How 'bout you, dad?" Ty gave Rupert's cheek a few rough puppy slaps, at which he flinched, but then remained staring stoically at the ceiling of the car. "You send a distress call? Didja!? Crying out for junior to come be a real man for you, isnthatright!?" Rupert's eyes didn't waver, but the hatred in them burned stronger. Ty fell back in the passenger seat. "That looks like a yes. See if you can't lose 'em."

"On it." Eric swerved into the right lane without signalling, barely filling the gap between two cars. The car behind them instinctively hit the brakes, subsequently getting rear-ended by the next car back. Amidst much honking and confusion, the car with the Knights pulled onto the exit ramp to I-95 south into Baltimore.
 
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Anneliese gripped her steering wheel tight as they drove up 695, keeping an eye on every car ahead of them. One of them, it had to be one of them…

She noticed, backlit by the glare from another car’s rear window, a head pop up from the passenger seat of a car, once. Twice. Maybe… Suddenly, the car veered right into the next lane over, and the two cars behind it collided. “Got ‘em.” the cars ahead of her slowed suddenly, avoiding the wreck ahead with nowhere safe to swerve. Up ahead, the Knights’ car pulled into the rightmost lane, heading onto 95 north towards New York. If they made it out that way, there wouldn’t be a good place to corner them for hours. They needed to be kept in the city. She turned to her right. There wasn’t enough space between the cars to her right to merge, but just enough to fit…

She pulled the wheel to the right. The tires screeched on the pavement underneath them as the Volkswagon drifted forwards while zipping between the two cars to their right. She then turned back over to her left and drove down the breakdown lane. She pulled up alongside the Knights, who were stuck behind an SUV in the exit lane. One of them looked out at her with an expression of terror as she collided with their car, pushing back into the right lane, and pushing the Knights into the median. Eric tried pushing back, but Anneliese matched his force exactly each time he turned. Finally, with barely a second before colliding with the guardrail, they pulled off to their left and careened down 95 South into Baltimore.

The Volkswagon, however, was stuck on 95 North.

She tapped a button on her dashboard, said “Text Kendrick Haywood. Knights headed south on I-95. Will likely make for 895. Continue pursuit. We will catch up. Send.”

Chris, one hand on the handle above the door and all three other limbs pressed into the car for stability, realized he had forgotten to inhale, and did so. When he had caught his breath, he sputtered “Who the fuck taught you to drive!?”

“Vasya Solomakhin,” she answered “may the mad bastard rest in peace."
 
They began making their way up 95. There were a few moments of silence before Anneliese sensed the best time to begin.

"Chris. 如果我們談論您的感受會有所幫助嗎?"
"Chris. If we talked about how you feel, would it help?"

Chris was shocked. It took him a second to switch languages in his head, and he only caught the latter half of the sentence. "H-huh? 它會幫助什麼嗎?"
"H-huh? Will it help what?"

"Ah... Sorry, sensei, Manami... not understand?"

Anneliese glanced at Manami in the rearview mirror and explained very gently. "Daijōbu, Manami. Kurisu to watashi wa nanika ni tsuite hanasu hitsuyō ga arimasuga, naimitsu ni."
"It's alright, Manami. Chris and I need to talk about something, but privately."

Chris finished refiguring his brain for Chinese, and it dawned on him what Anneliese had said. He crossed his arms. "這一定是我的強制療法嗎?"
"This must be my mandatory therapy session, then?"

"完全不是強制性的。"
"It's not mandatory at all."

"啊,我只要開門把自己扔進溝裡就可以辭職,對嗎?"
"Ah, I can opt out if I just pop the door open and tuck and roll, right?"

"不對,我只會停止說話。那就是你想要的嗎?"
"No, I would just stop talking. Is that what you would like?"

He wanted to say yes, but the word caught in his throat. He tried again. It felt as if he was holding himself back. He sighed, and stopped trying.

"我知道你不想與治療師交談。目前,我還不是您的治療師。我正驅使您去與恐怖分子作鬥爭。這種互動完全沒有專業知識。我只是想確保你沒事。"
"I know you don't want to talk to a therapist. But right now, I'm not your therapist. I'm driving you to a fight with terrorists; there is nothing remotely professional about this interaction. I just want to make sure you're okay."

"我沒事。" He answered, automatically.
"I'm fine."

She sighed. "那真的是您的想法嗎?"
"Do you really think so?"

"你怎麼知道我說中文?" He snapped, with a fair idea of the answer.
"How did you know I speak Chinese?"

"當您學習一種語言時,它會以非常微妙的方式改變您的母語口音" She explained in an even tone. "除了我,幾乎沒有人可以檢測到它。"
"When you learn a language, it subtly changes your accent in your native tongue. Aside from me, almost no one is able to detect it."

That was not the answer Chris had been expecting. And it didn't even sound like bullshit. "...... 哦。好吧,這很整潔。"
"... Oh. Alright, that's neat."

Anneliese took the first exit off 95, and got in the left lane at a red light to make a U-turn.
 
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Manami Hamasaki
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Manami watched the people in the cars they passed as Sensei's car zipped down the road. Some of them looked angry, some sad. Almost nobody looked happy. Some of them caught sight of her looking at them and swerved away, looking scared, which made her a little sad in her turn. It was hard to stay sad though. Being in a car was so much more exciting than on a boat! Everything was moving so fast. And there were just... so... many people! It was quite dizzying. She wondered what mama and papa would think of this world. Did they know that there were this many people in Baltimore? They seemed to prefer life on the water, away from the city. They only came in as far as the fish markets to sell their catch. This part of the city was utterly new to her. The pace of it. The pulse. It was alien and a little frightening, but the trickle of adrenaline had more to do with excitement than fear.

Thinking about her parents brought her mind back to why they were in the car in the first place. Poor Kendrick! She might not know exactly what was happening, but she knew his parents were in danger. The thought of it horrified her. She couldn't understand how he was so cool and collected. Her friend was so brave! It defied her imagination. Mama and Papa were her whole world, and she could not imagine what she would do if they were threatened. She craned her neck around to see if she could see him in the following limousine, but the windows were tinted and she couldn't. Just in case he were watching, she waved and smiled, hoping it would help him to stay brave. She turned back around and slouched down in the seat, worried that he would see through her act if she tried to keep it up.

Suddenly, things began moving faster even than before. Cars were crashing into each other. Sensei was guiding the car through the chaos like a minnow through a school of sharks. Manami's eyes spread wider and wider, trying to take it all in, but it was just too much.

Now there was just one other car and Sensei pressed up against it like a tugboat on a tanker, nudging it to the left where it wanted to go right. Through the windows she could see four people, two of them curled up and bound. Her eyes narrowed, thinking. Just as the barrier separated them, it came to her! Those must be the bad men who had taken Kendrick's parents. And they were tied up and helpless. Anger kindled in her and she wished she had understood a moment earlier; she could have stung the nearer bad guy if she had been quicker on the draw. Now he was out of her reach. She craned her neck back and watched as the Limousine smashed its way through the snarl of cars behind them and plunged on after the car with the bad men in it. She waved again, hoping Kendrick could see her. And then they were out of sight.

Chris said something then that sounded like a good word to remember and ask about later, and Sensei replied with more words she didn't understand either. Under her breath, she repeated the words, rolling them around in her mind, weighing them and getting their measure.

"Facku. Mado Basutarrudo.... Fack... Mad Basutard. Fuck. Mad Bastard. Who za fuck tauto yu to doraivu? Mado Basutard!"

Now they were speaking... gibberish? She thought at first that maybe she was nearing her limit for being out of water. It was a little like when a lesson had gone on just a little too long and her brain started to run dry. But no, Sensei explained. It was another language. Something Chris spoke but she didn't. For privacy! Sensei was so clever! Manami could barely speak two languages and Sensei could speak three! She knew there was such a thing as Spanish and Portuguese, from when they had sailed around South America, but she had never managed to pick up more than 'Yes' and 'No' and 'Sorry' in either language, as she had mostly stayed hidden below decks in those days. Manami was pretty sure that whatever they were speaking wasn't either of those. It had more... notes? And the rhythm was different somehow. She wondered idly how many languages there were. At least five, she supposed. She would have to remember to ask later. Now did not seem like the appropriate time, somehow.

As they pulled off the highway to head back, her thoughts circled back to Kendrick. He could be facing the bad men by now, for all she knew, which made her afraid again. Quietly, so as not to disturb Sensei's conversation, she mumbled to herself,
"Be brave, Kendi-kun. We aru comingu foru yu."
 

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