Heroes Uprising Part 6

" At a drunken game of smash " Riku agreed " otherwise i'm winning at life, president of the united states, uber demon mage, bomb ass sex having with amazing friends, etc, think i'll survive " when it seemed that Cassandra didnt remember the events of two months ago, he just smiled " Thats, thats just neat, also it wasnt the SXM it was Massive Vagina an elder god, and a whole bunch of idiots who thought following him was a bright idea "

Iko walked over with everyones drinks " Here you go my friends and Eva " he handed the others there drinks and handed the female vampire " The Barista said he likes your look and to call him "

Eva looked over at the barista and gave him a friendly wave and pulled her bra down a little to give him a little flash, making the man blush deeply " Mhmm, I believe I will "

" See if you can get us free stuff " said Riku as he opened another void back to the party " Also what is with this new friendly act? " this question was posed to Iko who simply shrugged

" Just trying something out, i've been around you all for a long time now and i've never had friends before, never saw the point before, are I not a friend to you? "

Riku exchanged a look with the others then nodded " S'course bro, now back to the party, my highs coming down "

---------------------------

Aziza listened patiently as the girls explained their shared history " Oh no it's fine " she assured them " Hearing your story reminds me of my own in a way. I grew up in Cairo and lived much of my adult life going from one military operations to the next, I made many friends and enemies along the way and even had a daughter. There's been a lot of ups and downs and as a result I dont feel....quite like myself anymore or rather i'm still getting used to who I am now '

She took another sip from her drink " It's good that you have friends and family there to support, my own are...complicated, but my daughter is healthy and living a life she's proud of, thats all that matters "

"Indeed, don't take that for granted." Sandra said to Aziza.    Sandra did tend to feel like she rambled on some when she got emotional and having been drinking probably wasn't helping much, but none the less it was always nice to have someone willing to hear her out.    "Unfortunately my two youngest had recently passed, taken away by a asshole I once loved.     Abigail and Cassandra are like children to me, but they are both their own independent young adults.     If it can happen to me then it really can happen to anyone,  so don't take for granted motherhood because you never know when it can be ripped away."

-----

As Aziza and Sandra talked Katy took the chance to check her messages. Replying to Nick's text she texted "Waa Rwaly> Te Fiend soyns eic." The combination of having been drinking plus a incredible small keyboard on a smartphone lead to a lot of missed keys and misspellings. Usually auto-correct would help straighten much of this up, but somehow Katy had hers disabled.

-----

It was almost cute in a self absorbed kinda way how Riku felt he had to list off accomplishments just to defend himself from this.    He seemed like the type the just unwilling to a L no matter what.   Iko would hand everyone their drinks and Cassandra and Abigail would both politely thank him.    As Eva started hitting on the barista Riku opened a portal back to the party.    Eva was going to do one of two thing, or even both to this man, neither of which Cass or Abby felt like staying around to bare witness to.    So they said goodbye to her and followed the others though the portal.

Aziza nodded " You are right in that, i've thought about trying to reach out to her numerours times, but my courage isnt enough " she took a few more sips of her drink, it had been years since she'd gotten so drunk.


Eva followed the others back to the party " I can get him anytime, tonights about hanging with my girls " she slung her arms over Riku and Adrians shoulders. Another song started playing, Eva taking the lead this time.

After the song was something popped in Abby's mind. "wait a minute, I've heard something like this somewhere before. I think I was watching Dragon Ball with Katy, doesn't that white guy, Frieza make fun of this song?" She was actually referring to the TFS parody where Frieza sings to himself before impaling Krillin with his horns.

-----

Sounded like Aziza was in a bind, Sandra felt like she had to try to light a fire under the girl the girl though. "Aziza listen and look at me." Sandra made sure the two made eye contact. "If courage is the only problem, then I'm going to be frank with you, stop being a coward. Look, at least make a effort to reconnect with your daughter. Worst case she doesn't want you back in her life, and if that's to be then so be it. But at lease try. If god forbid anything would happen to her, you'd regret it the rest of your life if you didn't at least try to reach out to her. Promise me you'll at least go see her."

Yori was amused as Tie drunkenly tried to communicate with him in a mixture of a polite insults and backwards complements. It would've bothered him more if the Angel wasn't listing from the side to side as if she was standing on one leg. Earrings nodded in approval of the effectiveness of Riku's drugs. Not too often Angels willingly let even hyper potent drugs affect them. The moment the group came back from Starbucks Yori pushed Tie over to Riku.

"Can you deal with her for a bit. I think she has a question I can't answer." Yori immediately left leaving Tie there.

"Ah yes the spirit of the rising sun."

"I'm a God bitch!" Yori yelled.

"Oh sorry...the g-Ghost from the land of the rrrising sun! My apologies. It was unable to tell me about how the demonic invasion went. I'm honestly curious about the demons there. Were the creatures even more h-h-horrific than you?"

--------------------------------------------------

"This was a good team." Marcus thought to himself. To him there was a perfect mixture of traits that could easily lead to a very successful or tragic result. Most of them were experienced, independent, highly skilled and extremely confident. Without someone like Tame to act as a defacto leader their interactions would be interesting.

"Good, you will be receiving a dossier on your target and potential assets in the city that will assist you. That should give you enough information to plan accordingly. The rest will be on standby. Respond to any threats here in New York or elsewhere as you see fit. Also you're heroes, so being a little flashy wouldn't hurt either."

As everyone began to file out Avery was the only one still there. He got up from his feat and tried to walk, but his legs just wouldn't move. He closed his eyes thinking about a member of his family being in danger. There was a sense that he needed to help no matter what, but his instincts told him to stay this time. "Marcus"

Marcus was waiting for Avery to say something. He knew about his connection with Emmet and was aware that the conflict with Godric involved the deaths of many family members. Avery never knew them, but he was the type to let it effect him. "Yes?"

"Let me know immediately if they need any help." Avery's eyes locked on to Marcus who thought for a moment a flash of golden light briefly washed over his pupils.

"Of course, you will certainly be the first to know."

--------------------------------------------------------------

5 hours Later

The team were on a SU private jet on the way to Detroit. Their arrival would be at night at a private run way outside the city. Even then they were aware that it wouldn't take long before their presence would be known. The information they gleaned from the dossier on Denise told them what they already knew and then some.
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Denise Walters
Age: 26
Alias: Boss
Height: 5'9
Weight: 144lbs
Ethnicity: African American
Allies: Sin, City Council, members of the Detroit Police Department
Enemies: Rival Gangs, some police officers
Skills: Politically savvy and cunning business woman. Combat abilities unknown.
Powers: Unknown but proceed with extreme caution.
Base of Operations: Multiple properties in the City, but she often visits the Westin Book Cadillac hotel.

They were also given information on three safehouses available for SU heroes to use to keep their presence hidden. One was a hotel two miles away from the Westinbook. There is another hero in the city as well. His name is Anthony Barnes and he's a C rank hero. Former police officer and good relations with the police force there. He's been investigating Denise even before becoming a hero, but has had no luck in arresting her. The dossier on him warns that its possible he's on her payroll the chances are small. Regardless he may be useful for gathering useful information on her, and in the case Denise Walters is not an enemy she may be a valuable source as well.

The heroes had some time to discuss how to go about there mission while on their way.

There jet was a small one (small according to Marcus) with a simple older aerodynamic design like most planes. The interior was rather spacious even with a comfortable size lounging area with a table, few chairs, tv and mini fridge. There the group was able to come up with the plan. The only staff present were the pilots.

Yasuri offered to make coffee for anyone who wanted some. After a few minutes he came back with a cup for Sheriha. She jumped right in to the discussion. "We have a few options here, but I prefer a more direct approach. Set up in the safehouse near the Westinbook hotel and monitor it for a few days. If we spot our target, keep a close eye on her and wait til she slips."

"Hmm, I'm interested in the other hero. Even if he is working with her it would be to our advantage. Also it might be easier for us to split our duties when we arrive. All of us wouldn't need to monitor her."

" What!? "

Emmet was suddenly there " Have you never seen the sound of music? " he seemed shocked, not geniunely shocked but drunk shocked and immediately launched into a rendition of " My favorite thing "

Emmet:
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eye lashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad.

Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad



As Emmet captivated the room with his vocals and dance moves, Tie was suddenly shoved into Riku, nearly making him drop his starbucks " Watch it you low budget bitch! " he pointed at a table and it was instantly filled with cocain, Riku's favorite drug. He plopped down in a chair and started cutting lines, Tie sitting across from him. They did over a dozen lines each, Riku's nose was covered in it, his blackened eyes seeming turning white

" Well Mercy, in the context of them invading our planet and ruining the plans I had for yesterday, yes they are without a doubt more horrible then me. In a general sense, well were just " different " kinds of demons, ya know, just very " different ", more " different " in that they work together and cause massive chaos and death and yaddad yadda yadda, i'm different in the way I go about things, I could do all that and I do, but I also like inflicting pain and misery, savoring it in a " different " way. I am absolutely horrible, in my way, which is incredibly disturbing, " different " like how Kirito and Guts are both " different kinds of black swordsmen, have you ever thought about how the color orange is just uglt af and I will not be inviting it to the court hearing for my divorce! "

He started going off on a tangent about nonsense till he noticed the cocain on the table again and did more lines.

--------------------------------------------------

Aziza finished her drink then picked up another, it was probably the alcohol and drugs, but she felt like taking Sandra seriously and actually hearing her out " Hmmmm, your right, at this stage of my life I dont have much to lose, i'll endeavor to contact my daughter "

--------------------------------------------

Tabitha had asked for a cup of milk as opposed to coffee, she sipped it as the group began discussing possible tactics. Sheriha's idea wasnt bad " That does sound like a good opinion, we should also consider utilizing the other safe houses, like Yasuri said, keeping an eye on Denise shouldnt require all of us. We could split into teams, one team keeps an eye out for Denise and the other looks into Anthony Barnes "

" Do you think it's possible he's really working for this Denise Walters? " Eliza asked " He's a hero i'd rather not think of him that way, but... "

Tabitha shrugged " The file says the chances are small, but their not zero. If he is working for her, it's not necessarily for a nefarious reason. He could be trying to get close to her, it would make gathering evidence against her much easier, if he was smart about it. But we also cant rule out that he's a dirty agent, we will have too see "

Eliza nodded, accepting Tabithas explanation, but not liking the implications, hero's were supposed to protect the innocent and put criminals away, not work for them.

How was Emmet always aware of any mention of music? Regardless with performances like this they wasn't going to complain. After the song Cassandra spoke up "To answer your earlier question, I guess music from the 1960's just isn't hip anymore." Abby then spoke up "actually isn't it 1950's?"

-----

Sandra gave a smile "I'm happy to hear it, I hope things work out between you two, truthfully I really do. If you need any help, I could more then likely locate her for you or even if your nerves and want a wing man, I'd be more then willing to come along as a honorary friend. Though I fully understand if you also wish to do this along, most do keep family matters private. But just say the word, if I can do anything to help you then I will if you want it."

Aziza acknowledged but declined Sandra's offer " Thank you Sandra, but I think I should do this alone, I know where she is and how to contact her, I can do it, later when I'm not drunk/high " Aziza knocked back another drink and got up " care to join me on the dance floor girls? "

" 1965 dawling " Emmet clarified " that was a lovely year indeed, though the 60's as a whole was a good decade for music "

Suddenly Christian staggered over to the group, the alcohol and drugs fueling him with the courage he needed " Theres something i've been wanting to say for awhile and i'm gonna say it now, I wanna work with the hero league! " he closed his eyes, preparing for the backlash

" Ok cool "

" Whatever floats your boat "

" I dont care "

" Do what you want "

" I really dont care "

Christian opened his eyes, shocked but appreciating the support " Really? "

Emmet smiled at him " Really, a hallmark of the Code:Breakers is freedom, freedom to what and live as you wish, you would never be begrudged any decisions you make, this hero league would be incredibly fortunate to have such a courageous soul "

Christian blushed deeply " Thank you, I'm not abandoning the code:breakers or anything of course, i'll always be loyal to you "

Emmet kissed his cheek " Of that I do not doubt "

Tanesha patted Christians shoulder " Good for you, I think you'll fit right in, no shade your kinda the most harmless person on the team and thats coming from me "

" Gurl dont put yourself down, that coochie is plenty lethal! " Riku hollared from his cocaine table "

" Riku, you aint shit! " Tanesha hollered back then started laughing, truthfully she'd been feeling pretty confident lately, like she could finally say she belonged on the team and could fight side by side with her friends.

Upon hearing dancing Katy put away her phone and stumbled over "we'd love to dance, come on lets have some fun." Katy proceeded ahead of Sandra and Aziza. "Well she cut me off, but yea lets throw down." Sandra respected that Aziza wanted to visit her daughter along, hopefully things will go well. Sandra made her way to the dance floor with Aziza and Katy. Once on the dance floor Sandra spoke up "Well girls, any suggestions on what song us three fine babes should perform?"

-----

As they was talking about Christian would make his declaration that he was joining some kind of heroes league. Cassandra and Abby shared a curious look. They was here mainly for their mother in her time of need but it seemed Sandra was getting along pretty well. Both was honored to have Code:Breakers as allies but didn't feel like this would fit as a long term arrangement for them. They was going to return to SMX after a few more days but now it seemed like another team may of been on the upraise. Cass spoke up "Hey Christian just curious, what is this hero league you speak of?"

Cass didn't know if Yamairo, Stark, or Emmet was aware of any new teams making waves. She knew she wasn't, neither was Abby. However between Godric, the demons, the loss of their younger siblings and that whole Fusion thing, the sisters had been a little to preoccupied to pay any upstart teams any mind. Now that things was finally winding down, it may not be a bad idea to look into options for their future.

It took Christian a moment to get his thoughts together " Oh, the hero league or Supers unite, I think. It's a new super hero set up, started by Marcus Wayne(Riku:Mruce Wayne!) His team was in the news today, they saved a town from a terrorist group, its all very inspiring "

Garfield rolled his eyes as he pulled his mouth away from Adrians arm, he'd been drinking his blood as Adrian made out with Ashe, but he broke away as Christian rambled on " So basically another lameass hero team, arent there like a million of those already? " his disdain very much apparent " Whats the point? We can do whatever they can do and better "

" Yeah " Genesis yelled, drunkenly banging his fist on the table " Were awesome and stuff "

" I can certainly agree with you, but are you suggesting we do the work of heros for the sake of being hero's? " Iko asked " Seems like that would go against our creed "

Garfield blinked lazily, not super drunk but not sober "....Yeah mang, your right, im just saying theres an ass load of hero teams and a lot of them have just fucked the world with no lube, I mean America elected a demon to be it's president and he's actually getting shit done "

" What was that about the beautiful and talented president? " Riku asked, hopping over to Garfield and hugging him " I get the gist of what your saying, but I actually have a friend in this hero thing, so there not completely useless and that little incicent they took care of is helping me in the long run, so let them scream about justice and run about being good people, its not inconvincing us and actually lets us have our fun "

He moved closer to Garfield, his tongue snaking out of his mouth, longer then a normal tongue should be. Garfield responded with his own elongated tongue, wrapping around one another in some kind of snake dance, before Riku grabbed the vampire for a heated make out session.

Eva watched the exchange with clear interest, Riku had interjected because Garfield was getting into his feelings, heroes were a very touchy subject for him.

" The concept of the hero is old, my grandfather was called the king of heros and set the precedence for it, warriors who accomplish incredible deeds for the greater good, to protect the innocent and so forth " Emmet said idly, he was sitting in his throne, Jonathan resting his head in his lovers lap and wagging his tail happily as Emmet scratched his hears " The world needs heros, creates them, loves them, and yet hates them all the same. As long as there is life there will be heroes, in whatever capacity, as there will be villains, the wonderful ones who exist in between " he smiled fondly at his code:breakers

The music changed as Aziza, Katy, and Sandra began a song, the threw women harmonizing perfectly and getting people up on the dance flooor.

Katy:
Calling all party people in the place to be
We gonna celebrate tonight
And rock out with the family
Here we go


Aziza, Katy, and Sandra
Calling all hearts (to the dancefloor)
Tonight, let love start
On the dancefloor, tonight
Let's go


Sandra:
I got a feeling everybody need a reason to shout
Leave all your problems and your drama at the door and get down
This is where we all unite

Aziza and Katy
If we get it right, we gonna light up the sky
At this place, in this time
We gotta let go, 'cause it's alright


Aziza, Katy, and Sandra:
Calling all hearts (to the dancefloor)
Tonight, let love start
On the dancefloor, tonight


Aziza:
Go a little harder with your partner
Heat it up in this place
It's ok to make up
If you take up, put a smile on your face
This is where we all unite

Sandra and Katy:
We gonna groove
We gonna move into the night
Have this amazing time, yeah
You gotta let go cause it's alright


Aziza, Katy, and Sandra:
Calling all hearts (to the dancefloor)
Tonight, let love start
On the dancefloor, tonight


Katy:
If the feeling's tonight
Then I'm calling all hearts, you can call in all hearts, yeah
A celebration of love
Then I'm calling all hearts, you can call in all hearts, yeah

One, two, three, go
Shake it, shake it down tonight
That's right
Shake it down, shake it down, that's right
Shake it, shake it down tonight
That's right
Shake it down, shake it down, that's right


Aziza, Katy, and Sandra:
Oh, dance a little bit more (just dance a little bit more)
Come all night (come together, hey)
Move a little bit more
Come all night, oh yeah

Calling all hearts
To the dance floor
You gotta let it stop
(You gotta let it stop, you gotta let it sto!)
Back to the dance floor tonight
To the dance floor
Then I'm calling all hearts
(I'm calling everybody, I'm calling everyone
I'm calling everybody, get you)
Tonight is the night, tonight is the night
I'm calling all hearts, I'm calling all hearts
I'm calling all hearts, I'm calling all hearts

I rock tonight
Calling all hearts
Calling all hearts, hearts, hearts

It seemed everyone had their thoughts about heroes though it wasn't surprising, this team was pretty vocal with their thoughts. Abby spoke up this time "Christian when you go visit this Heroes Unite, do you mid putting in a good word for me and sis? While this has all been fun, I don't think Code:Breakers is necessarily for us long term. So maybe we'll come by and see what this upstart group is like."

"Haha that was great!" Sandra exclaimed after the song ended, giving Aziza a celebratory hug. "You sing pretty good." Katy gave a approving nod "Yes not a bad job from both of you."

Christian bobbed his head rapidly " Oh sure, I think you guys would be good for it too, you seem like good people, whic is exactly what the team is looking for, its kinda strange because I cant remember the last time I talked to a good person, societally good person, so i'm kinda worried about how I should act with these people " Christian drunkenly babbled over till Tanesha walked over and shoved a slice of bread in his mouth

" Gurl you most chatty drunk I know, eat that bread and soak up some of that alcohol, just be yourself, you hear me now? "

Christian happily nodded his head.

Aziza hugged Sandra back and Katy " I agree, that was very fun, cant remember the last time I sang, but I suppose i'll be doing a lot of that with this group "

" Pardon me, but I believe i'll take a turn at displaying my musical skills " Ulbert said, stepping forward, changing from his normal robes to a smart blue suit " I think I know a good song or rather the second soul residing in me knows one "

Ulbert:
When I'm going through you seem to know just what to say
To turn it all around and put a smile right on my face
To me you are a blessing and I so appreciate
How you change negative to positive and brighten up my day
And whenever I get weakened, lose my will to carry on
I just look at you cause you give me the reason to be strong
If it wasn't for you, I just don't know where I would be
So, tonight I'm gonna celebrate your love for me
Cause...

Ulbert and the Code:breakers:
It's people like you
That make the world go round (Oh, yes it is)
It's people like you (Oh, yeah)
That make the world go round (Make it go round and round and round)

Ulbert:
Whenever I was cold, you just had to keep me warm
And you were my shelter in the middle of my storm
And whenever the mountains came crumbling down on me
Then you out of nowhere lift me up and set me free
And whenever I thought that I could not go anymore
Girl, you came into my life and you opened up more doors
And now I don't have to look no for other women when it comes to love
Cause girl, you are gift sent down to me from up above

Ulbert and the Code:breakers:
It's people like you
That make the world go round (Hey! Ooh!)
It's people like you (It's people like you)
That make the world go round (Oh yes you do...)
(These days)

Ulbert:
It's so hard to find
Someone truly truly real
In a world so divided
Where love should not be based on color
Girl take my hand (Girl take my hand)
And tonight we gon' show the whole wide world just how to dance, oh!


A 1,2... a 1,2
Let it blow (Blooooow)
You feel good, I feel good
So hot!
Now we're gonna step around the world tonight and step into the light
It goes a 1,2,3... Here we go!
Step step step to the side
Step to the left and step to the right
Step step step to the side
Step all night and step to the light
Step step step to the side
Step to the left and step to the right
Step step step to the side
Step all night and step to the light
Step step, round and round
We gon' step all night to the funky sound
Step step, round and round
We gon' step all night till the roof come down
Step step, round and round
We gon' step all night to the funky sound
Step step step round and round
We gon' step all night till the roof come down

Ulbert and the Code:breakers:
It's people like you (That make..)
That make the world go round (Yeah, there's people like you...)
It's people like you (Oooh)
That make the world go round (Oh round, round and round we go)

Ulbert:
It's so hard to find
Someone truly truly real
In a world so divided
Where love should not be based on color
Girl take my hand (Oh girl just take my hand)
And tonight we gon' show the whole wide world just how to dance, oooooooh!

Ulbers and the Code:breakers:
Party people, if you wanna (Yes, we do!)
Keep the world going round and round say
Eeeh eh ehe (Sing it now...)
Eeeh eh ehe
Oooh oh oooh ooh (Say what?)
Oooh oh oooh ooh (I like that..)
Eeeh eh ehe (Me too)
Eeeh eh ehe
Oooh oh oooh ooh (One more time)
Oooh oh oooh ooh
Ah! DJ Cassidy (Whooa!)
Kellz (Oh!)
Na na na na na na
Come on!
Round and round, we go! (Come on)
Round and round, we go! (Come on y'all)
Round and round, we go! (Come on)
Round and round (Come on y'all)
Goodnight everybody and get home safe!



Ulberts incredibly catchy song got just about everyone out on the floor dancing. Jericho was sitting down, but tapping his foot under the table, annoyed at himself. Riku, Kaiser, Tanesha, and Katy joined Ulbert for some nice choreography. As the song ended, everyone applauded the lich.

Both Cassandra and Abby thanked Christian before getting a chuckle from Tanesha's antics.

-----

"Hey not to shabby Ulbert" Sandra said excitedly. With all the performing gong on Tesla came up on stage next. "Alright I think it's time I try my hand at this. Sandy, Cass and Abby, how about you three get up here and give me some backup vocals?" Sandra agreed quickly, Cass and Abby was surprised to be called up but did so after a few minutes.

Tesla (Sandra, Cassandra, Abby)

Woah yeah...

Since I was born, they couldn't hold me down
Another misfit kid, another burned-out town
I never played by the rules and I never really cared
My nasty reputation takes me everywhere.

Well I look and see it's not only me
So many others, have stood where I stand
We are the young (hey!) so raise your hands!

They call us problem child
We spend our lives on trial
We walk an endless mile
(We are the youth gone wild!)
We stand and we won't fall
We're one and one for all
The writing's on the wall
(We are the youth gone wild!)

My boss screamin' my ear 'bout who I'm s'posed to be
Get a three-piece Wall Street smile
and son you'll look just like me
I said "Hey man, there's somethin' you oughta know
well I'll tell ya Park Avenue leads to (Skid Row)!

Well I look and see it's not only me
We're standing tall, ain't never a doubt
We are the young (hey!) so shout it out!

They call us problem child
We spend our lives on trial
We walk an endless mile
(We are the youth gone wild!)
We stand and we won't fall
We're one and one for all
The writing's on the wall
(We are the youth gone wild!)

Well lemme hear ya get wild!

They call us problem child
We spend our lives on trial
We walk an endless mile
(We are the youth gone wild!)
We stand and we won't fall
We're one and one for all
The writing's on the wall
(We are the youth gone wild!)
Woah (Woah) Woah
(We are the youth gone wild!)
Woah (Woah) Woah
(We are the youth gone wild!)
Yeah (Yeah) Yeah
(We are the youth gone wild!)
Woah (Woah) Woah
(We are the youth gone wild!)



Afterwards Sandra was quite impressed. "Dang girl do you practice karaoke in your spare time? You seem pretty good." Tesla shrugged "No, just comes naturally I guess."

The team applauded Tesla and the girls for their performance " Excellent job, you certainly have some talent for music " Emmet complimented Tesla " Good work "

Riku suddenly hopped onto the stage " Alright time for the super president of the united states to perorm, uh perform, imma need the bootleg Barbies to exit the stage if you please "he shooed the girls off the stage

" Bitch! You aint shut up about being the president yet " Tanesha yelled " Give it and that bussy a rest "

" We dont even live in America, thank fuck for that " Eva put in " Your dollar star ass is the president of Thotland! "

" Yes I am bitch, yes I am, now imma need you bum, bitter bitches to fix your damn wigs, they crooked. Anyway what to perform? Something ratchet would be my go too or weeby, but i'll keep for the caucacity going, this one time " he snapped his fingers and a golden fiddle appeared in his hands.

Riku:
The devil went down to georgia,
He was looking for a soul to steal
He was in a bind, 'cause he was way behind,
So he was willing to make a deal
When he come across this young man
Sawing on a fiddle and playing it hot
And the devil jumps up on a hickory stump

And said,"boy let me tell you what:
I guess you didn't know it,
But I'm a fiddle player too
And if you'd care to take a dare,
I'll make a bet with you
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy,
But give the devil his due
I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul'
Cause I think I'm better than you"

The boy said:
"My name's johnny and it might be a sin,
But I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret
'Cause I'm the best that's ever been"
Johnny, rosin up your bow
And play your fiddle hard,
'Cause hell's broke loose in georgia
And the devil deals the cards
And if you win you'll get
This shiny fiddle made of gold,
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul!

The devil opened up his case and said,
"I'll start this show"
And fire flew from his fingertips
As he rosined up his bow
And he pulled the bow across
The strings and it made an evil hiss
Then a band of demons joined in and it
Sounded something like this

When the devil finished,
Johnny said: "Well you're pretty good old son
But sit down in that chair right there,
And let me show you how it's done"
(Fire on the mountain! Run, boys, run!
The devil's in the house of the rising sun
The chicken in the bread pan picking out dough
Granny does your dog bite? No, child, no)

Devil bowed his head because
He knew that he'd been beat
And he laid that golden fiddle
On the ground at johnny's feet

Johnny said:
"Devil, just c'mon back
If you ever wanna try again
'Cause I told you once, you son of a gun,
I'm the best that's ever been!"
(Fire on the mountain! Run, boys, run!
Devil's in the house of the rising sun
Chicken in the bread pan picking out dough,
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no)



Despite his extremely drunk/high state, Riku's fiddle playing was masterful, his hands were steady and his voice was strong, even his dancing went perfectly with the song, even going as far as to summon a band of demons to accompany him. He took a bow at the end of the song, smiling at the applause " I swear that song is the main reason I asked Em to teach me how to play the fiddle "

" Your use of the instrument was definetly superb dawling " Emmet told him, making the demon smile almost innoncently before knocking back another drink

" So how you liking the team so far? " Tanesha asked Tesla as she hugged Sandra.

"Thank you Emmet" Tesla commented as Riku hopped on stage and started shooing the girls off the stage. The girls exited the stage, awaiting Riku's performance. "Come on Mr. President, show us the skills worthy of shooing one of the guests of honor off stage." Riku was so eager, Tesla wanted to see what the demon boy was made of. Tesla grinned after the song, damn that was a good showing but just to play around a bit "Alright i concede, good showing Riku. Definitely a solid 6/10."

Tanesha would speak up, asking how Tesla was liking the team. Sandra met Tanesha hug with a quick kiss on the lips as Tesla collected her thoughts. "I'll say it's one of the most interesting bunch I've been aligned with in quite some years. It's good to be in a place where people aren't super moody and serious all the time."

Tanesha laughed " Yeah, the bitches in this group couldnt be serious about something if their lives depended on it, thats including the people who are serious too, ie Kaiser, Noah, Elspeth, Ashe? yeah I guess he counts too " Even in the most dire of situations, many of the group were likely to find some form of twisted humor in it and get a laugh.

" Well were a group of bad bitches who know how to get done and not take shit from anyone " Eva said from her spot on Earrings lap " Most of these bum bitches are a bunch of clowns anyway "

" Girl you aint said nothin but a word! " Riku proclaimed, he rolled his eyes at Tesla's rating " Thank you Patty Mayonaise, you certainly made my night, here you go " he gave her the golden fiddle he'd played " A present, be thankful cause I dont give those out that much, except for my wonderful voice "

" Yes the gift that we cant return because we lost the damn receipt! " Tanesha threw out

" And the store credit we'd get wouldnt be worth it " Eva put in "

" HA, why dont you bald headed bitches concern yourselves with getting to the clinic, something dont smell right between them legs, I keep telling you to soak ya coochies in some damn vinegar " Riku tossed at the two, reducing the three of them to laughter.

Hours of singing, dancing, sex, drinking, drugs, and conversation passed with the Code:Breakers and guest all enjoying themselves. Suddenly Kaiser took the stage, looking incredibly sober " Theres a song i've been listening to a lot lately, I want to perform it now, mother can you help me with the setting? "

Emmet's eyes sparkled as the music started playing " Of course dawling, absolutely! " he snapped his fingers, reality started warping till large and bustling city, everyones outfits immediately changing to fit the jazzy musical number.
Riku, Genesis, Garfield: Alright time for an anime opening!!

Kaiser's vocals were impressive, he belted out the lyrics in japanese flawlessly, but it was his dancing that really drew attention, his movements were so fluid, the music seemed to move his legs in time with the beat, not to mention the pure joy on his face, especially when you took into account he was normally very serious. The entire group joined him in his dance, space and physics seeming to join in as well for the group were not just in one part, from the beginning of the song, when they were dancing on top of cars speeding into the city, to the rest where their locations transitioned from cross walks, the top of buildings, up and down said building, restaurants, museums, as said, it was like they were starring in an anime opening and they were all having the time of their lives.



As the song came to an end, reality set back into place, the room shaking with thunderous applause and cheering for Kaiser, he seemed a little bashful for the all attention, but he took a bow and was quickly dog piled by the group.

Tesla shrugged holding the golden fiddle "Eh it's nice and all but come on, I can spawn pretty much a infinite supply of pure diamond from my being, any amount I want in any shape I want. I could be one of the richest people on the planet in I wanted but really, who has time for that boring ass life of luxury? Point is I don't need this fiddle, it holds no value to me." Tesla turned to Tanesha and Sandra "what about you Sandra, your always broke enough to be bumming off other peoples generosity be it Yamairo, Dave or Emmet. This thing can fetch you a pretty penny?" Sandra smirked realizing Tesla's game "Sorry but I have all I need right here" giving Tanesha a snug to indicate she didn't need wealth, love more then enough. Tesla turned back to Riku "Well I tried, but it seems like your gift is useless. So here you go Riku." Tesla handed him the fiddle back.

The party would soon kick back up getting quite wild over the next few hours including a amazing performance from Kaiser that ended up including the entire team. As things carried on Sandra took the stage "Hello Code:Breakers I have a song I've been keeping in my back pocket for a while now, I don't know if it's necessarily a party song but screw it, who knows when else I may be able to do this." With her drunker high introduction over, the music started.

Once upon a time
I swore I had a heart
Long before the world I know
Tore it all apart
Once upon a time
There was a part of me I shared
Years before they took away
The part of me that cared

Powerful emotion came Sandra's voice as this opening part especially seemed to hit connect to her, relating back to her dark times in the SXM when the innocent and hopeful girl she used to be got ripped apart.

I've been a thousand places
And shook a million hands
I don't know where I'm going
But I know just where I've been
I've flown a million miles
And I've rode so many more
Everyday a castaway
A vagabond battle born

I'm battle born

From traveling the globe to adventures in space and even visits to other dimensions and realities, these lyrics call back to all she've done and seen, and yet she's still so young and had so much more to see.

Once upon a time
I had an open point of view
But that was just so long ago
Before I had a clue
Was there such a time
Where I didn't stand alone
Was there ever a time
And how would I have known

Been a thousand places
And shook a million hands
I don't know where I'm going
But I know just where I've been
I've flown a million miles
And I've rode so many more
Everyday a castaway
A vagabond battle born

Katy hoped up on stage as if on instinct to lead backup vocals.

(Attention all passengers,
Flight 555 now departing from Las Vegas to London.
Please have your passports and boarding passes ready.)

I've been a thousand places
And shook a million hands
I don't know where I'm going
But I know just where I've been
I've flown a million miles
And I've rode so many more
Everyday a castaway
A vagabond battle born

Been a thousand places
And shook a million hands
I don't know where I'm going
But I know just where I've been
I've flown a million miles
And I've rode so many more
Everyday a castaway
A vagabond battle born

I'm battle born
I'm battle born

Everyday a castaway
A vagabond battle born

Battle born

The song ended leaving Sandra starring off into blissful thought, the good times, bad times, allies, friends, her many adventures, this song always brought up so many memories. It actually reminded her that she was so much stronger then sometimes thought she was. She was quite happy to finally have the opportunity to perform it and express herself to others.

Riku starred at the fiddle Tesla out to him for a moment then started laughing " HAHAHAHA, who the hell does this bad body bitch think she's talking too? " He gently took the fiddle back, Eva shook her head, grinning big as she knew exactly what was coming.

" Look patty mayonaise, I tried to give it too you as a means of being not exactly nice, but the fact that you jumped to monetary value is super telling, you know a broke bitch will alway make excuses for why they broke and you clearly dont have a pot to piss in " He laughed again when Tesla tried to pawn the fiddle off on Sandra " How exactly is your lopsided ass any better, been bouncing around all of these teams and you just didnt fit, thats code your ass got fired isnt it? I just know it is, so now you come to our fabulous team to ply your trade, its kinda pathetic if you think about it, but Emmet accepts you and he's one of the severely few people who's opinions matter, oh and "

He held up the fiddle and in a flash it went from gold to pure diamond " This is a regular fiddle that I turned gold for the perfomance, note this pure diamond and not cubic zirconia, you look like the kind of bitch that doesnt know the difference " he smiled pleasantly as he handed the fiddle off to Eva " Any I grow tired of you brokella, enjoy the party, you are a guest of honor " he laughed his self away.

---------------------------------------

Everyone applauded Sandra on her performance, Tanesha and Roberta giving her a group hug.

--------------------------------------

Some hours later, the party had wound down, most people passed out on the beds that Emmet had brought in for them. He was currently sitting on his thrown and surveying his kingdom. Things had been rather drab lately, but they'd soldiered through it all and come out on top, he was nothing but proud of them all.

He gaze fell on the bed holding Jonatha, Elspeth, and Kaiser. His husband, son and daughter, he was so thankful that the two of them survived, Glory, William and many of his other children had pulle threw Godric's culling, but many more hadnt. He was capable of compartmentalizing his thought and creating countless rooms for specific thoughts and emotions, several thousand rooms in his mind were straining to contain his grief and morning, he would be morning for centuries if not a millenia to come....that is if he failed in his plan.

He looked towards the ceiling where Grimm was floating freely through the air, the reaper met Emmets gaze for a moment and something seemed to pass between them, before continued on floating.

"Sounds like someones salty" Tesla said in a rather non caring tone, not letting anything Riku said bother her. She had a feeling he was the one in the group to keep things colorful, so to say.

-----

Sandra was so happy everyone enjoyed it, she honestly expected at least some level of shade knowing this group. However their seemed to be none. She knew anything said wasn't serious anyway as this crowd loved to jeer each other, however it was just nice, heartwarming to just hear applause. Exiting the stage she met Tanesha and Roberta in a group hug. Cassandra and Abigail made their way over as the three pulled apart. "Great job mom" Abby nodded in agreement with her sister "I can tell that song means a lot to you, thanks for sharing." Sandra gave her daughters a hug next "Thanks girls, that means a lot coming from family."

Hours later the party had ended with most people passed out. Cass and Abby where some of the better well off at the end of the night seeing they didn't partake in drugs and drank rather casually in comparison to most others, they where more so just sleeping peacefully though they would likely wake up with a hangover.

Nick chuckled as he got Katy's text back. The party seemed to be in full swing, and Katy was most likely drunk. He would talk to her again tomorrow when she had sobered up. Returning to Shadowgreen via a Fire Path, he set his phone on the dresser and laid down. Tomorrow he would resume his training to prepare for his rematch with Cybernator. Closing his eyes, Nick went to sleep.

---

Scott received his dossier and began heading to the plane with the others. As they were leaving, Valor caught enough of Avery's last exchange to discern a family connection to Glory and Emmett. Relaying this information to Scott, they mentally resolved to work doubly hard to get Glory back for the sake of their friends. On the jet ride over, he memorized every last detail provided by the dossier. This was a very dicey mission, so they couldn't afford to make mistakes. Whether this Denise was friend or foe and whether they would get Glory back alive all depended on the outcome of this mission.

On the plane ride over, the group began to discuss tactics. Sheriha was very direct in what she wanted, and Scott saw her logic. Tabitha also had a good idea, especially since Anthony was a bit of a mystery.
"I agree that we want to make sure we have all of the information before we take decisive action. We don't know Denise's motives nor do we know what Anthony wants. If Anthony is working undercover within Denise's organization, we don't want to blow his investigation without good cause."

Scott accepted a cup of coffee and took a sip.
"I think it's a great idea to form two teams and work this from both ends. I definitely want to know where both stand."
His face creased with slight worry.
"There's also Glory to consider. We don't want to do anything that would jeopardize her life."

Looking over at Eliza, he could tell that she was troubled about the possibility of Anthony being dirty or working undercover. He could understand her feelings, especially with innocent lives hanging in the balance.
"Want to work with me, Eliza? I could use some help keeping an eye on Barnes."
The way he saw it, they wouldn't be able to make a move on Denise until they had worked out Anthony's role. Not only that, Eliza would feel better sooner if they determined Anthony to be on the up and up.

Several of the code:breakers were starting to come too, groaning and rubbing their heads as the events from the night before hit them like speeding trucks. Eva shoved her hair out of her face, thankful that she was undead and not feeling much of anything at the moment " Ok, so who remembers what happened last night? "

" I dont "

" Kinda "

" It's blank "

" Bits and pieces "

Riku pulled his face out of Ashe's crotch and sat up " Well all that means is we had a bomb ass time!! "

This got several cheers and groans and shouts to shut up.

" Your all certainly a rambunctious lot arent you " Ulbert said with a chuckle, he was currently burried under a pile of bodies, but didnt seem to be bothered .

" What time is it? " Garfield asked, like Eva he wasnt feeling any real negative effects

" It is around 9 AM in the morning " Emmet told the group " With some time tampering the party was able to be maximized to the fullest and you were all allowed some recovery time, I'm happy that you all enjoyed yourselves "

" Fuck yeah, best party we've had in awhile " Tanesha declared, she turned to Riku " Bitch dont you have to address the nation in America right now? "

Riku stared at her blankly for a moment before hopping to his feet " DAMN! I fuckin forgot, well they cant start it without me so im not late, being on time is racist anyway. You bitches better make sure you check it out too " he opened a void and jumped through it "

Emmet snapped his fingers and all of the tv's in the room changed to the appropriate channel.

-----------------------------------------------------

Eliza nodded at Scott " Yes I'd like that, I hope we can work well together "

Everyone gathered around to see what Riku would. With a early morning yawn Tesla said "So 9am and we're already watching the news, oh joy." Katy shrugged "At least it's Riku, he'll probably do something out there to at least make it fun." The girls would come over to Sandra having actually not interacting with her that much just the party the night prior. Abby spoke up "been a while since we partied like that huh?" Sandra thought about it for a moment "No dear I don't think SXM ever quite had party like that before."

Katy texted Nick as they waited on Riku "Hell of a party last night Nicky. Wouldn't know where to begin in describing it."

Agent Morrison was leaning against a wall and checking his facebook. All around him the white house was abuzz, Riku was scheduled to address the nation in regards to what happened in Kansas recently, the problem was.....Riku wasnt there. Sometime last night he'd dissapeared. His initial reaction to the president dissapearing was a kidnapping, then he remembered who the president was.

He'd asked around but none of the staff seemed to no or really wanna talk to him, save for one demon in the form of a penguin with long, flowing blonde hair named Peyonce, who seemed to be a gossip and told Morrsion about a party. After that Morrison had told his agents to take the night off.

" Good Morning Agent Morrison "

Vice president Philip Smith had just waddled in, seeming bigger then he had been before and that was saying something " Good morning, any word on president Darkholmes whereabouts? "

" Unfortunately not " Philip said, shaking his head " But i'm sure he'll be here any-

A void suddenly opened up and Riku walked through, looking disheveled and drinking starbucks.

" Moment " Philip finished " Good Morning "

Riku walked over and kissed Philips cheek " Aint it just, morning Maury " he told agent Morrison who nodded back

" Good Morning president Darkholme, rough night? "

" HA,not at all, I certainly wasnt drinking copious amounts of drunks, doing riddiculous amounts of drugs, or having a tremendous amount of gay oral and anal sex, certainly I wasnt and by I wasnt, I totally was. Oh I forgot to tell you, dont worry, i'll bring you and the whole secret service along next time "

Agent Morrison honestly had no idea how to respond to any of that, so he didnt " Are you ready to address the nation or do need more time? "

" Nope! " Riku finished the last of drink and incinerated it before waving his hand and changing his outfit and taking his shades off, he certainly didnt look like he'd been partying all night " Ah, I tell you being a magical demon kicks so much ass when it comes to not having to deal with hangovers, anyway time for this bad bitch to address her fans "

A few minutes later Riku was sitting behind his desk in the oval office, serveral cameras rolling. A centipede demon gave Riku the signal that they were live and he began.

" My fellow Americans.....whats poppin ya'll?! I hope your all enjoying this fine ass morning cause I know I am and I certainly dont say this as someone that was up all night partying with a bunch of boss ass bitches, well mostly boss ass bitches, and a couple irrelevant ass bitches. Moving along I want to talk about the recent attack in Wichita, Kansas....really Kansas? ok whatever, a certain group took over the whole city in a massive hostage situation. But thanks to the efforts of Supers Unite, a group of seemingly not completely useless individuals who stepped up to do whats right and good and other crap that I totally cosign on "

" Lets get this out of the way, the nefarious group of devil worshipers apparently did all of this for me, an while I cant deny it's not flattering, I mean its not, but then it is, yeah. But thats not what we need, if you wanna praise me, then help me, help our great nation. We've taken great strides during my presidency so far, mutant and human bullshit is down a good 23 percent, thats amazing. But we can still do so much more, better wages for minimum wage jobs, erasing the stigma around sex work, its legitamate stuff and no one should feel ashamed of it. Not to mention racial issues, which the data says is just a bit worse then mutant/human problems. Just goes to show how much whit-I mean people still hav problems with those who are different "

" So I say onto you those who are team hell and wanna get my attention, get out in the communities and do some good and by do some good I mean the societal definition, like helping out at homeless shelters, volunteer, donate. If you have the power and resources to take over some bum ass city, then just think of what you can accomplish thats seemingly positive and in my name that makes me look good and helps the people "

" I give credit where credits do, even when I dont always want too, but I definetly have to tip my hat to these newcomers, you've been trending on social media and that means a lot, you have my thanks, be thankful, for your hard work, I look forward to seeing what you can accomplish and totally hope you dont, crash, burn, and die horrific deaths, hahahahaha "

" Whats that? we still have time? Alright, then as I said we've made some good progress of late, lets not stop it, keep going till we achieve plus ultra! I'm here for you, you can trust in me, at your discretion of course, trusting in a demon has historically not turned out well for humans, but I can assure you I'm a different kind of demon. You also dont have to worry about yet another dumbass cue de ta, if anyone out there, human or mutant has a problem, square the fuck up bitch, these hands stay ready!! "

" So listen up bitches, as the president of the united states of America I wont be taking any disrespect from any of you mothafuckers, I advise you fake ass hoes that been talking to keep it moving, find something to do, find a dick to suck and keep my name out yo goddamn mouth. Oh republican senator Megan Chore gurl, I heard your bitch ass was live on instagram the other day talking shit, bitch I didnt even know your ass was living, I thought you been crossed over to the other mothafucking side when you found out your husband dug his dick inside my bussy! As for the rest of you that got a problem, know your fucking place or suffer the consequences. For those of you who think your on my level, just know that you could never, you understand NEVER. Ya'll dont want this today, I will read ya'll completely blind, now fall in line! My great, we've got mothafuckin work to do "

---------------------------------------------------------------------

" That petty ass bitch, yaaaas! " Eva explaimed through her laughter

" you betta let them hoes know! " Tanesha said, punctuating each word with a snap of her fingers " You know he didnt come to play " the filled with laughter following Riku's address.

" He certainly has a way with words " Aziza said as she wiped the tears from her eyes " I can certainly i've never seen a presidential address quite like that "

" He's trending on twitter right now like crazy " Garfield commented, other checked their phones and started tweeting shade/support.

Ulbert was deeply amused, but more then that he was impressed " I say, he certainly accomplished much with that speech, wouldnt you say Emmet? "

" Indeed dawling, he roused the masses and stired their emotions. If social media is anything to go by, the ratio between support and apposition has been slowly shifting. His bluntness and tendency to be straight forward are allowing him to cut through much of it. Not to mention all the progress he is indeed making. He's also managed to make some blows in this shadow game of politics "

" You mean how the whole attack in kansas was staged right? " Adrian asked

Emmet nodded " Yes, in no small part thanks to our dear Roberta and her connections. Riku has managed to turn what should have been damaging to him into a boon and the people who thought they set it all up are sure smarting at this development. Ah, as much as things change, they stay the same. From the time of kings and queens when succession was based on blood, assassination was the name of the game. That still holds true, but now their's slander and defemation, falsifying information and doing everything you can to discredity and take down your opponent in the race to the top of the political pyramid. These men have never taken on someone as devious and I daresay it shows "

" Riku is suprisingly smart, I imagine this all going according to plan " Elspeth commented " Whatever these other politicians attempt to do now on will just put another nail in their coffins "

" And set up a bomb ass slaughter " Garfield said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

-----------------------------------------------------

Tabitha watched Riku address the nation and couldnt say she was suprised by any of it, even the fact that he gave the hero's league some credit. As he said he always gave credit where it was due, the rest was par for the course and she was indeed fighting laughter at some points. If she didnt know him as well as she did then she might have bought all he was saying, there was some truth sprinkled in, but he was nothing if not full of ulterior motives. Marcus was indeed right when he said Wichita was a set up job, Riku knew it too and was making his moves, she almost felt sorry for the people trying to go against him, almost.

--------------------------------------------------

" FUCKING BASTARD!!! "

A chair was thrown into a tv somewhere in a dark room.

" Now, now, dont you think you should keep your cool sir " said a voice

The person who'd thrown the chair, threw a glare at the speaker " The time to keep calm has come and gone, that damn demon, is still in office, this should have destroyed him. But no matter, are your people ready? "

" Yep, got the whole guild together, you got the money "

" The man nodded " It's beeing wired as we speak, half now and half when the jobs done. Were not leaving anything to chances, were getting special forces and mercenaries involved "

" Eh dont need em, the guilds more then enough, but do what you want "

Tesla was both surprised and amused. "You know I don't know what I was expecting from Riku, but it wasn't that." Sandra responded "I told you he'd make it interesting. Don't worry Tes, you'll get used to stuff like this soon enough.

Going back to what Emmet and the others was saying it was quite impressive Riku was connecting to people this well. By all accounts one would think Riku's approval ratings would of absolutely tanked, but someone he's actually pulling it off. Sandra had to admit she was quite happy for him. "I guess you can't top that petty demonic charm."

Scott nodded with a small smile.
"I think we'll work together just fine."
Eliza reminded him of Minerva, though without the darkness of an abusive past. Thinking of his love, he resolved to call her and check in. He had been graced with little time for his own allies between SU operations. With Riku's broadcast playing softly in the background, Scott went to the back to use the in-flight phone.

Dialing Minerva's cell phone, he heard it ring a few times. When she picked up, he smiled.
"Hey, babe. How's it going?"
It had been a little while since he and Minerva had been on a date, and he thought of the perfect place. It was a restaurant he had frequented in his teenage years, and he thought Minerva might like it.

---

Nick got out of bed the next morning and rubbed his eyes. He had a day off from training with Chiang, though Shadow Force business could happen at any time. After a shower and shave, he changed into jeans and a red, nondescript T-shirt. Nick shopped cheaply, especially since he trained constantly and so was bound to ruin clothes. As he dried his hair with a towel, he saw the text that Katy sent. Chuckling, he texted back with amusement.

Glad you had a good time. You missed a hell of a finale at WWE.
Tossing the towel onto the bathroom wall hook, he pocketed his phone. His plan for today was to see if either Scott or Lone Wolf would train with him, since Alan wouldn't train him until he finished Chiang's training.

---

Far away, a lone man stood on Iranian territory. His employer, a shadowy figure representing some government or the other, wanted a certain portion of the Iranian military 'neutralized'. With a large retainer in his offshore bank account and a painstakingly crafted new suit of armor to try out, Cybernator had no reason to say no. The US government would no doubt object to what amounted to freelance work, but as long as no blowback touched them, they would stay out of his affairs. After all, no one but a handful of faceless individuals knew that Cybernator was a very off-the-books mercenary for Uncle Sam. No one else who had found out had lived long enough to tell the tale.