{"sf1_id":540838,"sf2_id":"lmX4ZMNm","title":"New to the Field (Chapter 2, Act 1, Book 2)","author":"KitKaramak","words":9858,"posted_at":"2013-05-20T08:36:00.000Z","tags":["Action","Character Development","Clone","Fantasy","Fox","Kitsune","Plot Development","Sci-Fi","Series","Story Progression","Story Series","Succubus","Superheroes","Supernatural","Vampire"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/540838-new-to-the-field-chapter-2-act-1-book-2","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/lmX4ZMNm","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/1e/ad/1ead9c5b-a60c-4a79-8821-66dc929c07ae","description":"#2 of Twilight of the Gods Book3\n\nKalen Kincade.\n(Model: Ralf Baumgarten)\n(Copyright © 2011 Lukas Sowada; DeviantArt, Used for non-profit Entertainment Purposes only)","content":"New to the Field\n\n_October 1, 9:22pm PST  \nOld Oakland, California_\n\n\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; **Kalen Kincade leapt from the roof of the third story building.** \u0026nbsp; The ground rushed up to meet him.\u0026nbsp; He held the sniper rifle up, above his head, in his left hand.\u0026nbsp; His right hand moved between his knees as he dropped into a crouch on the sidewalk.\u0026nbsp; Dust waft up beneath his feet.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; He dashed out across Jefferson Street, sprinting towards the two boys at the park.\u0026nbsp; He hurdled over a homeless person, towards the group.\u0026nbsp; At a full run, he lifted the rifle upwards and pointed it towards one of the mercenaries.\u0026nbsp; At a glance, their blurry image came into view - he fired the weapon.\u0026nbsp; The round missed the mercenary, but struck another directly behind the first.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Whoa, stop!\" shouted Evan.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Kalen came skidding to a halt, weapon lifted towards another mercenary.\u0026nbsp; Some of them kept their weapons pointed towards Evan and Johann.\u0026nbsp; The rest of them pointed their guns back at Kalen, in a standoff.\u0026nbsp; Johann Foster lowered to one knee, hissing softly in pain.\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"No one needs to be shooting anyone,\" Evan announced in a clear tone.\u0026nbsp; \"Killing isn't the answer.\u0026nbsp; There's been too much of that.\"\u0026nbsp; He scooted his right foot back and nudged Johann's hip. \"Sorry, man.\u0026nbsp; That's my bad for not stopping it in time.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"That's the vampire,\" one of the mercenaries exclaimed in an excited whisper.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Seriously?\" another one asked in a soft tone.\u0026nbsp; \"Their side has vampires, too?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Shut up, all of you,\" said the squad leader.\u0026nbsp; He paused then added, \"There are three of you freaks.\u0026nbsp; There are ten of us.\u0026nbsp; I'd say that's about even, considering what you people can do.\u0026nbsp; Now, why the hell are you three out here?\u0026nbsp; We came after the doctor.\u0026nbsp; Somehow, you people let him get away.\u0026nbsp; He's a priority target.\u0026nbsp; Tell us where he went and we can all walk away from this peacefully.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Fuck that,\" said one of the mercenaries.\u0026nbsp; \"That bloodsucker just shot Dunham, and he's got Harper's rifle, meaning that guy is probably dead, too.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Hey!\" Evan said in a scolding voice.\u0026nbsp; \"No need to talk like that.\u0026nbsp; We're all civilized adults, here.\u0026nbsp; Geeze.\u0026nbsp; Seriously.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"The doctor is getting away while we stand around,\" said one of the men to the squad leader.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"He's long gone, thanks to me.\u0026nbsp; You've missed your opportunity to slay one supernatural,\" said Kalen.\u0026nbsp; \"You'll just have to settle for the three of us.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The leader's eyes cut from the boys back to Kalen, but he kept his head otherwise still.\u0026nbsp; The ski mask stuck to his top lip as he spoke.\u0026nbsp; \"The one we were hunting... Where is he?\u0026nbsp; I assure you that he was not going to be killed.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"So?\" Evan snapped. \"You guys are done.\u0026nbsp; Pack it up. Put the guns down.\u0026nbsp; We're going to turn you over to the cops.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"That's not an option,\" said Kalen. \"That only keeps them off the street for a few hours, young man.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Then what are our options?\" asked Evan.\n\n\u0026nbsp; Kalen smirked at the surrounding mercenaries.\u0026nbsp; He lowered the barrel of his sniper rifle, so that it pointed towards the ground.\u0026nbsp; \"They're the ones holding weapons. They just don't know how effective those guns will be on us.\u0026nbsp; That's why they haven't fired them yet.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I beg to differ.\" Johann stood up, slowly, then rolled up his torn, bloody sleeve.\u0026nbsp; He spit on his palm then rubbed the blood away from his arm, showing the squad leader that the mark was gone.\u0026nbsp; \"I was shot two weeks ago.\u0026nbsp; And you know what I learned?\u0026nbsp; I can manipulate the wound on the molecular level.\u0026nbsp; Now, what's so important about that man you were hunting?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The squad leader lifted his pistol a bit more and pointed it at Johann's forehead. \"You won't heal the next one, kid.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Evan put his hands down and turned around to face the man that was going toe-to-toe with Johann.\u0026nbsp; \"Okay, pal.\u0026nbsp; I've had enough of this.\"\u0026nbsp; Evan tensed up.\u0026nbsp; Every weapon in the area, including the sniper rifle held by Kalen, turned to glass.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; The vampire glanced down at the gun then threw it on the ground.\u0026nbsp; It shattered.\u0026nbsp; The fragments turned to sand on the pavement.\u0026nbsp; He looked down at the little white dunes of silica then back up at the surprised mercenary group.\u0026nbsp; Kalen shook his head and removed his blazer and silk tie.\u0026nbsp; He walked over to a nearby bench and laid them over the backrest.\u0026nbsp; \"Very well.\u0026nbsp; No guns, no problem.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"No,\" Evan said.\u0026nbsp; \"No\u0026nbsp;_fighting_.\u0026nbsp; At all.\u0026nbsp; For any of you.\u0026nbsp; Why are you after that other man?\" he asked, directing his last question to the squad leader.\u0026nbsp; \"What's special about him?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The mercenaries remained silent.\u0026nbsp; Kalen cleared his throat and said, \"He has a precognitive ability. \u0026nbsp;Seers are the only supernaturals that have proven impossible to capture.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Where's my sniper, leech?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Kalen pointed to another mercenary and smiled. \"Like the guy over there\u0026nbsp;_just_\u0026nbsp;said... I had his rifle, so he's obviously dead.\u0026nbsp; I just fed.\u0026nbsp; For those of you who have gone against my kind... you can shoot me all you want. I'll burn off a full feed on healing, then the rest of you will replenish whatever else I'll need.\u0026nbsp; Oh, and I know just how to bite to make it painfully debilitating.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"That's it,\" said one of the men.\u0026nbsp; He turned to Kalen and lunged with a combat knife.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Kincade reached for the man's wrist and guided the blade brazenly into himself, then watched the mercenary's eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; The attacker blinked in confusion.\u0026nbsp; He glanced down at where his knife went into Kalen's body.\u0026nbsp; His eyes lifted. \"Don't you even feel that, freak?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"It tickles,\" Kalen lied, keeping a stoic expression.\u0026nbsp; \"Here, let me return the favor.\"\u0026nbsp; Before anyone could so much as bat a lash, Kalen brought his hands up and snapped the man's neck.\u0026nbsp; \"Over seventy pounds of pressure, when a victim isn't resisting, makes this one of Hollywood's favorite ways of taking people down.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The man lay on the ground, eyes open.\u0026nbsp; His lips quivered, unable to breath.\u0026nbsp; He blinked rapidly and his skin began to turn an ashen color in the illumination of a lamppost.\u0026nbsp; Kalen looked back up, but no one moved.\u0026nbsp; \"As you can see, Hollywood lied.\u0026nbsp; Death is not instantaneous.\u0026nbsp; He's unable to breathe.\"\u0026nbsp; The mercenary lay there, with very little chest movement.\u0026nbsp; His eyes flitted about awkwardly, in a panic.\u0026nbsp; He pursed his lips together as if to try and say, 'please' but couldn't speak.\u0026nbsp; Kalen withdrew the knife from himself then twirled the blade about, so that it faced outwards in his grip.\u0026nbsp; \"Next?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"No,\u0026nbsp;_please_!\" Evan held his hands outstretched.\u0026nbsp; \"Just stop.\u0026nbsp; You're not impressing us.\u0026nbsp; You're scaring these people.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Scaring?!\" Kalen exclaimed with an incredulous expression.\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Yes!\" Evan replied with a similar tone. \"Someone convinced them that we're a threat to humanity or something.\u0026nbsp; So that's why they're following their orders unquestioningly.\u0026nbsp; Yes, it's wrong that they vehemently attacked our kind out of the blue last month.\u0026nbsp; But they've seen how easily a supernatural person can kill - so it makes them feel like they're right.\u0026nbsp; They think they're acting on an offensive defense.\u0026nbsp; You're proving them right.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Kalen stared at Evan for a moment.\u0026nbsp; \"Before tonight, I thought you two boys were doing this as a joke.\u0026nbsp; Like some sort of game, pretending to be 'superheroes.'\u0026nbsp; Perhaps I've misjudged you, young man.\u0026nbsp; But they attacked first.\u0026nbsp; And with so few of us left, they're engaged to see this through to the end.\u0026nbsp; And because the end of the Esoteric Community is plainly visible at this point... my only remaining option is to kill them all until one side stands victorious.\"\u0026nbsp; Kalen paused, turned to the squad leader and said, \"And we both know your arrest won't go beyond processing.\u0026nbsp; So that isn't an option, either.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Fine.\" Eric tensed his forearms.\u0026nbsp; Glass from the weapons turned to sand then reformed back into glass, creating knee-high shackles for each mercenary.\u0026nbsp; \"Now.\u0026nbsp; None of them can run away.\u0026nbsp; Johann?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Let's unmask all our villains.\"\u0026nbsp; The two boys removed the masks of the entire squad.\u0026nbsp; They both pulled their cellphones out then took pictures of each man's face.\u0026nbsp; When they finished, they touched their phones together, sending each the pictures that the other took, so they had the complete collection.\u0026nbsp; Evan turned his phone about and began to type on it with his thumbs.\u0026nbsp; He put it into his pocket then lifted his forearm and used the Bluetooth watch adaptor to email the pictures to himself.\u0026nbsp; \"Now.\u0026nbsp; These guys are all exposed.\u0026nbsp; From now on, I'm going to document all of them and capture or take down as many hunting parties as I can find.\u0026nbsp; Then, if I die, the pictures get automatically forwarded to several major media outlets.\u0026nbsp; And the world finds out about what they've done.\u0026nbsp; Now...\" He turned back to Johann and asked, \"What's the plan?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Foster rubbed his arm where he'd healed the bullet wound and muscular tissue.\u0026nbsp; \"God this itches... Uhm... I say we go find the doctor guy, and make sure he's okay.\"\u0026nbsp; Johann glanced at Kalen. \"Uhm... you should come with us.\u0026nbsp; That way these guys don't tempt you as being easy targets.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Evan turned to the leader.\u0026nbsp; \"Those new glass boots are made from ballistic resistant glass.\u0026nbsp; You're going to have to be cut out of those.\u0026nbsp; But I'm not a monster, you got it?\"\u0026nbsp; Evan glanced up at a nearby billboard, advertising late-night pizza delivery then he lifted his forearm again and used his large wristwatch to make a phone call.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; A moment later, a pizza delivery operator answered the line.\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah, I'm at Lafayette Square across from 1010 Jefferson Street.\u0026nbsp; I need two cheese pizzas.\"\u0026nbsp; He walked away from the group and recited his credit card number.\u0026nbsp; After hanging up, he announced, \"I feed my prisoners.\"\u0026nbsp; The young man grinned then said, \"Okay, Johann... the doctor may have been part of that surgeon's convention they're having not far from here.\u0026nbsp; We should start asking around.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Kalen stared at the boys for a moment then sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Cybil J. Powalski.\" He gestured in a dismissing fashion towards the looming Marriott in the distance.\u0026nbsp; \"Just make sure he's alright.\u0026nbsp; I'll go with you to the convention center; I need to pick up my car from that area.\u0026nbsp; But I won't go with you to speak to the seer.\u0026nbsp; I need to get back to my home and start packing things for the move.\u0026nbsp; Do yourselves a favor, boys... don't stick with this line of work.\u0026nbsp; It will only draw attention to yourselves.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; The vampire began to walk away.\u0026nbsp; He paused at the roadside, glanced over his shoulders and said, \"Oh, and good work, boys.\u0026nbsp; Despite your myopic approach to handling the genocidal hunting parties who have decimated entire sects, and murdered thousands... I have to admit I'm impressed by your humility and humanitarian fighting effort.\"\u0026nbsp; He crossed Jefferson Street and headed back towards the convention center. \u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Johann and Evan hurried after him, headed up 10th\u0026nbsp;street to the George Scotlan Memorial Convention Center.\n\nX\n\n* * *\n\nX\n\n_Meanwhile...  \nJust across the bay..._\n\n\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; **\"I don't go by 'Methos' anymore.** \u0026nbsp;You can call me Lance Patterson, now.\u0026nbsp; How can we help one another, my dear?\" He stepped from the driver side of a black 'licorice' colored Elio Motors first generation three-wheel car.\u0026nbsp; He tilted his head, meeting the gaze of USPRI Agent Samantha Summers, then popped the trunk.\n\n\u0026nbsp; Summers took his bag of groceries from the back of the car and headed up the steps to his home.\u0026nbsp; She let herself inside and carried the bag to his kitchen, pausing briefly to glare at several holes in the living room floor.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Surprised but not one to show it, Lance followed her into the house and closed the front door.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm fully capable of doing that myself.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Just sit down and relax.\u0026nbsp; I want to get a handle on you before we talk,\" she called from the kitchen, adding, \"And don't you dare make a gender joke.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I wouldn't think of it.\"\u0026nbsp; He settled down and picked up his iPad.\u0026nbsp; Moments later, he watched her emerge from the kitchen.\u0026nbsp; Lance put the tablet down. \"So... how can I help you, Agent Summers?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Again, Samantha gazed down at the body-sized holes in the wood flooring. \"You're the math genius?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Is that what your files tell you?\" he asked the woman.\n\n\u0026nbsp; She looked back up at the man who appeared in his early thirties and said, \"According to what I saw in your file, you talked theory with Isaac Newton and Gottfried Liebniz.\u0026nbsp; Soon after, they were arguing about who invented Calculus first.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Perhaps.\u0026nbsp; That would suggest I was old, Agent Summers.\u0026nbsp; And if I did talk about theory with them, I certainly wouldn't have gone too deeply into infinitesimal calculus, because it was something that mankind needed to explore on its own.\u0026nbsp; You see, it is not very good to drag someone through a door; it's better to show them 'said door' and let them walk through on their own.\u0026nbsp; If you force things on people, and they capitulate, it makes them closed minded.\u0026nbsp; But mathematicians are logical-minded people.\u0026nbsp; For them, you need only to postulate that a door exists at a place in time, and they will find their way to the correct address, up the walk, and through the door without anyone else to hold their hand.\u0026nbsp; Provided they are either motivated... or open-minded enough... to work out the equation.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I see.\u0026nbsp; Would you like to 'posit a theory' on why I'm here?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Lance grinned.\u0026nbsp; \"You've been trained as an USPRI agent,\" he said, pronouncing the acronym like, 'osprey.'\u0026nbsp; \"They're no longer needed because the geneticist, Aris Falcon, recruited a paramilitary force comprised of local police, soldiers of fortune, and concerned members of local government military.\u0026nbsp; He attacked everyone on nearly the same night.\u0026nbsp; The Esoteric Community is assumed to have fallen.\u0026nbsp; And, so, USPRI is now unnecessary.\u0026nbsp; That frees up black budget money.\u0026nbsp; Sadly, now that you've learned how to do your job... your job no longer exists.\u0026nbsp; So you're freelancing.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Like you said, mathematicians are logic-minded people.\u0026nbsp; I was on an assignment a few weeks ago.\u0026nbsp; A man lost his abilities.\u0026nbsp; Four other supernaturals lost their abilities when they came in contact with him, but he didn't pass it on to his children.\u0026nbsp; I can't help but be curious about how his kids can be immune.\u0026nbsp; Now it seems that he's no longer contagious.\u0026nbsp; While I was in town, conducting my investigation, there were mass gatherings of your kind.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Go on, young lady.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Summers folded her arms and paced in Lance's living room, mindful of the holes in the floor.\u0026nbsp; \"I know these holes came from an attack against you by one of Falcon's people.\u0026nbsp; I find it surprising that you decided to maintain you current residence.\"\u0026nbsp; She began walking around the holes, examining them.\u0026nbsp; \"Anyhow... My team leader was an USPRI veteran.\u0026nbsp; He'd been with the agency since its inception in 2011.\u0026nbsp; We decided to follow the supernaturals to their gathering.\u0026nbsp; Then a paramilitary force attacked.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Yes. Falcon's goons.\u0026nbsp; They are highly coordinated and they know how to contain the damage they cause, making Volunteer 606 look like amateurs.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Samantha frowned.\u0026nbsp; \"You mean the fire department that hunts supernaturals for so-called 'religious purposes,' yes?\u0026nbsp; Newsflash, they\u0026nbsp;_are_\u0026nbsp;amateurs.\u0026nbsp; They corner foes and use fire; they have a prayer session and call it a 'religious victory.'\u0026nbsp; They're dangerous radicals, and they're responsible for burning down entire city blocks with their arson strikes.\u0026nbsp; That's as 'amateur' as you can get. \u0026nbsp;I've arrested several of them over the last six months.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"But they are motivated and achieve results.\u0026nbsp; So... What brings you here, Agent Summers?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I'm not an agent anymore.\u0026nbsp; My department was closed.\u0026nbsp; The Government didn't want my knowledge of supernatural people to wind up in the wrong hands.\u0026nbsp; So they barred me from rehire with the Government for eight years, which cheapens the credibility of anything I would ever try telling the press.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"How... does one do such?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"They manipulated my finances to show that I have poor credit, and that I've filed for bankruptcy.\u0026nbsp; I know of one agent that was committed to a psych ward, because the loss of his job made him so angry that he wrote a book about everything he saw.\u0026nbsp; The book deal was canceled due to 'reasons of national security' before it ever got published.\u0026nbsp; Then one day he was picked up and taken to a mental institute.\u0026nbsp; I've been lying low and doing what I do best... investigating.\u0026nbsp; The problem is, I was still a probationary agent.\u0026nbsp; And now I'm financially ruined.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Very well, what brings you to me?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"If I can prove that the Government was involved with the attacks on esoteric people...\" Samantha trailed off with a frown.\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"You're begging for trouble,\" Lance said.\u0026nbsp; \"The thing is, we're not really evil.\u0026nbsp; And quite a few of us did survive.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Yes... one girl rescued me from a rapist.\u0026nbsp; I didn't realize it at the time - I was still in shock.\u0026nbsp; But I think I've seen a file on her now that the traumatic moment is over.\u0026nbsp; Young, blond hair, skirt... very confident with the rapist.\u0026nbsp; I realize that not all supernatural people are bad.\u0026nbsp; I need to stop this nonsense from going any further.\u0026nbsp; There are still people left in the world that need to be protected.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I know the girl you mentioned.\u0026nbsp; If you want to continue your investigation... you will need a logistical coordinator to feed you intelligence.\u0026nbsp; Is that why you came to me?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I need answers.\u0026nbsp; You're intelligent and you've been around for a long time.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"You... could say that,\" Lance replied with a smirk. \"How old do you think I am?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"You were somehow involved in an incident at the Great Library, during the time of Jesus.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"My dear girl, I arranged the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria because it housed a collection of scrolls that were uncovered about an age forgotten by time.\u0026nbsp; An age that needed to\u0026nbsp;_stay_\u0026nbsp;forgotten.\u0026nbsp; You see, there were a handful of people wishing to return to that time, and I could not allow it.\u0026nbsp; I never met Jesus, but he helped the one your files will call 'Isaac,' my dear.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; She eyed him for a moment then said, \"I heard another rumor that you perfected the Pythagorean theorem.\u0026nbsp; What happened with that?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I perfected a theory in Babylon that involved hypotenuse, through means of algebra and geometry.\u0026nbsp; Transcripts of my work remained in Babylon.\u0026nbsp; Many years afterwards, I visited the Greek scholar upon which the equation was later named, while he was still fairly young, traveling through Egypt.\u0026nbsp; A few years after that, I began hearing rumors of a supernatural Greek man named Pythagoras.\u0026nbsp; Turns out he was just confident in his abilities and very charismatic.\u0026nbsp; To the point that he had followers.\u0026nbsp; I went back to speak with him again.\u0026nbsp; I learned that he moved to Italy.\u0026nbsp; He was a good mathematician, but a better Philosopher.\u0026nbsp; He turned his love of numbers into a philosophical religion... it became so popular that ignorant mundane people attacked Pythagoras' followers, and burned their meeting places to the ground.\u0026nbsp; A lot of things attributed to him were invented by his followers, in his name.\u0026nbsp; I've answered your question - what are you trying to prove?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"It proves you're old.\u0026nbsp; But it doesn't validate the legitimacy of such advanced age.\u0026nbsp; So I'm still curious.\u0026nbsp; Now, when you say Babylon... you're talking over a thousand years\u0026nbsp;_before_\u0026nbsp;Christ?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"If it pleases you to think so.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; She scrunched her nose a bit and leered at him.\u0026nbsp; \"Are you the oldest?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"No.\u0026nbsp; Second oldest, provided these raids don't catch up with the one you still call 'Isaac.'\u0026nbsp; What about you, young lady?\u0026nbsp; Now that you're unemployed and bankrupt... what are your plans?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I'll get money where I can, and when I'm able.\u0026nbsp; From that point, I will continue my investigations.\u0026nbsp; It's what I know how to do.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Lance folded his arms and leaned back in his favorite reading chair.\u0026nbsp; \"I'll tell you what... I don't want any more of us to die.\u0026nbsp; I will employ you to continue your investigation.\u0026nbsp; You will report your findings to me and only me.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; She paused with a pensive expression.\u0026nbsp; Samantha fidgeted for a moment, considering her options. \"Where do I start?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Lance reached for a notepad and wrote on the page.\u0026nbsp; He scribbled in the corner then threw the pen into the trash and reached for another one on his end table.\u0026nbsp; He wrote down an address and said, \"There's a young woman named Nichole Parker.\u0026nbsp; She's the sister of the man whose powers abruptly disappeared.\u0026nbsp; Follow her - she's investigating the mercenaries employed by Aris Falcon.\u0026nbsp; Do\u0026nbsp;_not_\u0026nbsp;interfere.\u0026nbsp; Even if she's attacked.\u0026nbsp; Your primary objectives are the same as before USPRI was shut down.\u0026nbsp; You investigate in stealth, and you stop any supernatural that has a flagrant disregard for keeping their abilities somewhat secret.\u0026nbsp; If they blow up cars or destroy property in front of a crowd, then you need to stop them at all costs.\u0026nbsp; I will cover your expenses, and provide you with an allowance of money.\u0026nbsp; But you report only to me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I understand.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"One more thing.\" He opened a small drawer in his end table.\u0026nbsp; \"You know those new contact lenses that let you see a heads up display?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Contact HUDs have been around for couple of years now, Mister Patterson.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Yes, but these are new_er_.\u0026nbsp; The old ones used a translucent battery strip around the outer edge of the contact lens.\u0026nbsp; And the thickness sometimes irritated the user.\u0026nbsp; However, there's a new model not yet released to the consumer market.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Oh?\u0026nbsp; Test market technology?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Something like that.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"So how do these new ones work?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Lance grinned a bit.\u0026nbsp; \"The new model draws charge off the contact of your body.\u0026nbsp; Consider the electricity that your body puts out; that is how capacitive screens determine where you're touching on a glass surface.\u0026nbsp; These lenses charge off of that low-level field put out by your body.\u0026nbsp; So long as they're in your eyes, they will stay active.\u0026nbsp; Every few hours, you need to put eye drops in.\u0026nbsp; That helps equalize the two types of charge used to power them.\u0026nbsp; One is positive; the other is electron charge.\u0026nbsp; The contacts absorb the drops to create the chemical interaction.\u0026nbsp; They also help with wearing the lenses for long periods.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Seriously, they don't have a battery strip around the edge?\u0026nbsp; That's what annoyed me about the ones already on the market.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; He offered a nod in reply.\u0026nbsp; \"Quite so.\u0026nbsp; The new design makes them thinner\u0026nbsp;_and_\u0026nbsp;more comfortable to wear for long periods of time.\u0026nbsp; I want you to wear this pair.\u0026nbsp; I can help you by sending information to your phone.\u0026nbsp; Your body is both the battery and the antenna to pair them to your phone.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; She took the small-hinged jewelry box and opened it.\u0026nbsp; Within was a small container for contact lenses, and a rather small plastic bottle of eye drops.\u0026nbsp; \"So working for you has perks?\u0026nbsp; Well, thanks, Q-Branch.\u0026nbsp; They only come in 'clear' huh?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Lance folded his arms.\u0026nbsp; \"They have emitters on each side of the lens.\u0026nbsp; There is an application for your phone to make the forward-facing layer turn different colors, but it may reduce the crispness of the inside of the lens, which displays your HUD.\u0026nbsp; There's also an application to minutely alter the viscosity inside the lens, itself.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Um... What will that do?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; He smiled a bit.\u0026nbsp; \"Just a fraction of a change inside the lens will allow them to become a different eye prescription, for different users.\u0026nbsp; It has a side benefit of allowing you to turn them into low-level binoculars.\u0026nbsp; Don't expect to be able to see indiscernible details at great distance... it simply enhances microprint, or, perhaps, to increase the clarity of objects at a distance... or perhaps it can benefit aiming accuracy.\u0026nbsp; However, it has to be controlled by a phone, or a Bluetooth control panel, or something akin to a Google Glass headband.\u0026nbsp; I'll text you a link to where you have to download the interface application.\u0026nbsp; It's a third party app; you'll need to change your phone's settings to accept third party software.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Samantha stared at him in wonder.\u0026nbsp; After a moment, she nodded.\u0026nbsp; In a soft tone, she said, \"Uh, sure.\u0026nbsp; Yeah.\u0026nbsp; I'll click the box in the settings menu - I know what you mean.\u0026nbsp; But... seriously, these things can change color, increase visual acuity,\u0026nbsp;_and_\u0026nbsp;give me a heads up display?\u0026nbsp; All without needing to be charged?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Don't lose the eyedrops.\u0026nbsp; That's part of how they're charged.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Still.\u0026nbsp; That's amazing.\" Samantha pocketed the box. \"Text me with the apps and the instructions on how to pair them.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Don't lose the lenses.\u0026nbsp; They're quite new and difficult to replace.\u0026nbsp; I apologize about the drops, however.\u0026nbsp; Battery technology is far behind where it should be in my opinion.\u0026nbsp; The lenses should be able to run off body heat, without eye drops; perhaps that will be the next model.\u0026nbsp; LG came out with technology to have a Lithium-Ion battery so flexible that you could use it to tie your shoes... and that was in 2012.\u0026nbsp; Around the same time, the University of Wisconsin invented a shoe that creates ten watts of power simply by walking, and it could have kept the lace-battery charged.\u0026nbsp; You would have unlimited power to charge your phone over a decade ago if you had the right friends in high places.\u0026nbsp; The technology of the human race is quite advanced, but corporations sit on it until they feel they can make money. \u0026nbsp;It's pathetic that optical disc media still exists. \u0026nbsp;Our convenience is never considered, only the profit margin, Agent Summers.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; She grimaced at the way the man groused about tech, completely indifferent to the subject. \u0026nbsp;\"The agency has been dissolved.\u0026nbsp; I'm just... Samantha, now.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Lance grinned.\u0026nbsp; \"You're\u0026nbsp;_my_\u0026nbsp;agent, young lady.\u0026nbsp; And you have the highest need-to-know security clearance. \u0026nbsp;Everything we discuss stays between\u0026nbsp;_us_. \u0026nbsp;Understood?\u0026nbsp; And I won't be at liberty to discuss or explain everything up front.\u0026nbsp; Giving you some measure of plausible deniability is for your own safety, but eventually I will share everything when the timing is right.\u0026nbsp; Are we clear?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Understood.\"\u0026nbsp; She paused then offered a slight smile.\u0026nbsp; \"How can you drive that little tricycle out there?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"It's gas efficient.\u0026nbsp; It's inexpensive.\u0026nbsp; It's fun to drive and... are you judging me on my car?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; She offered a mysterious smile then held her hand out.\u0026nbsp; \"I'll need a method of transportation across San Francisco.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Oh.\"\u0026nbsp; Patterson frowned. \"Quite right.\" \u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Let me guess, I have to bring it back with a full tank, right?\u0026nbsp; No worries, I can handle eight gallons.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; He furrowed his left brow.\u0026nbsp; \"It's already full.\u0026nbsp; And at over eighty miles to the gallon, I don't plan to worry about such until next week.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Oh.\u0026nbsp; Well then.\u0026nbsp; I'll still need the keys.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Lance opened the drawer of his end table again.\u0026nbsp; He withdrew a pair of keys and tossed them to her with a shrug.\u0026nbsp; \"Ferrari 330 America.\u0026nbsp; Be careful with it, young lady.\u0026nbsp; Not many were made... and one was buried in Texas with its owner.\u0026nbsp; My point is, it's difficult to get parts.\u0026nbsp; And, please, don't scratch the '56 250GT Coupe Corsa in the adjacent bay.\u0026nbsp; They're very close together; be careful opening the car's door.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I...\" She looked down at the keys in her hands.\u0026nbsp; \"Why?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Because I like Ferrari.\u0026nbsp; I'm trying to get my hands on the 575 GTZ belonging to Yoshiyuki Hayashi.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Uhm... I have no idea who or what that is, or what you're talking about.\u0026nbsp; What I mean to ask is, why not just give me the little trike out front?\u0026nbsp; You're giving me the keys to a nearly irreplaceable car instead of one that costs less than ten grand?\u0026nbsp; I don't get it.\u0026nbsp; How does this make mathematical sense?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I'm going to be traveling.\u0026nbsp; I'm taking the Elio.\u0026nbsp; Almost seven hundred miles to a tank.\u0026nbsp; It doesn't take a mathematician to know gas costs too much.\u0026nbsp; Also, the little key on the ring in your hand... that fits the Master lock on the rolling door on the back of this building, where the Ferrari is kept. \u0026nbsp;Don't drive it like a sports car.\u0026nbsp; It was designed to be classy, not sporty.\"\u0026nbsp; He nodded towards the door with a grin.\u0026nbsp; \"Don't engage for any reason.\u0026nbsp; This is an information-only mission.\u0026nbsp; Don't even say hello to her.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; She looked up from the keys.\u0026nbsp; \"Understood.\"\u0026nbsp; She left through the front door with a giddy sort of smile.\u0026nbsp;\n\nX\n\n* * *\n\nX\n\n\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; **Evan glanced back at Johann** \u0026nbsp;then towards the doctor.\u0026nbsp; He offered a weak smile then glanced back at the little odd-shaped electric meter.\u0026nbsp; \"It's a what?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Cybil chuckled. \"An E-meter.\u0026nbsp; I amuse myself to collect pseudoscience medicinal artifacts.\u0026nbsp; As a doctor, I like to understand fringe science as much as I understand real science and medicine.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Evan's eyes moved to the label that read, 'Mark Super Seven Quantum.' It had a meter on the right and a digital clock on the top left with various dials.\u0026nbsp; He turned it over in his hands where a label noted that the device's Silver Certification was '3DEC08,' and its expiration date was in 2010.\u0026nbsp; \"Uhm... what's it do?\u0026nbsp; And how does an electric meter expire?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"The device, by itself, is useless.\u0026nbsp; Scientologists will tell you that it's only useful in the hands of a trained professional.\" Cybil grinned.\u0026nbsp; \"I just got it today.\u0026nbsp; That's why I was down in Old Oakland, earlier.\u0026nbsp; And don't worry; your acquaintance will have no problems retrieving his car.\u0026nbsp; I left a crude 'thank you' note in it.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Evan put the E-meter on a table and turned back to the rest of the hotel room.\u0026nbsp; \"We're, uh, not going to bother you.\u0026nbsp; We just wanted to make sure you were alright.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I am quite well, thank you.\u0026nbsp; I'm more concerned about the two of you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Johann frowned. \"What, uh... what about us?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Cybil folded his arms then sat down on the hotel bed.\u0026nbsp; \"I can't see your future beyond the beginning of next year.\u0026nbsp; I can assure you that I do not see your deaths.\u0026nbsp; But I can't see your futures, either.\u0026nbsp; Both of you are supposed to live long lives, I simply cannot visualize it.\u0026nbsp; And that... well, that is pretty weird.\u0026nbsp; But, I'm a surgeon.\u0026nbsp; The fact I could 'see' anything at all... that's considered a pseudoscience.\u0026nbsp; And regarding my typical accuracy, I have to acknowledge that it's apparently a very\u0026nbsp;_real_\u0026nbsp;science.\u0026nbsp; So I collect little trinkets, artifacts, and such - like the one on the table - because I like to amuse myself with the thought that other fringe sciences might also be real.\u0026nbsp; What if Hubbard was right? Who knows?\u0026nbsp; At any rate, gentlemen, I can assure you that I cannot foresee anything that would cause your deaths in the immediate months ahead.\u0026nbsp; So, please... go forth and be heroes if that is what you gentlemen wish to do.\u0026nbsp; Do so with gusto.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Johann bit his lip, looked at Evan, then back at the surgeon.\u0026nbsp; \"No offense but you have a funny accent with certain vowels.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Evan slugged Johann in the arm, but Cybil only laughed. \u0026nbsp;\"I was born in Dundalk, Maryland.\u0026nbsp; I was homeschooled until I was eleven years old, so I picked up my grandfather's strange Baltimore accent.\u0026nbsp; Of course, now that I'm a doctor, I have a nice home in Timonium, hon.\" He pronounced the word, 'Tih-moan-yum.' \"Half the state makes fun of this dialect.\u0026nbsp; Hardly anyone still uses it.\u0026nbsp; Thank you for stopping by.\u0026nbsp; I'm going to head to the lounge before bed.\u0026nbsp; Take care, boys.\u0026nbsp; Have a safe trip back to San Francisco.\u0026nbsp; Evan... stop trying to beat yellow lights.\u0026nbsp; They're not for racing; they're for preparing to stop.\u0026nbsp; Your little old BMW needs a new transmission.\u0026nbsp; I would start driving it less often, except when you really need to, else it won't last to the end of the year.\u0026nbsp; Johann, your old boss was a liar.\u0026nbsp; Don't be upset about the fire last month.\u0026nbsp; Things will get better for both of you.\u0026nbsp; Also, there is a beautiful naked woman needing your rescue.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Cybil walked to the hotel room door, opened it for them, and followed them out into the hallway.\u0026nbsp; \"Goodnight, boys.\u0026nbsp; Continue your quest for those arrogant hunters.\u0026nbsp; They'll lead you to the fox and the demon.\u0026nbsp; Don't worry, they're both your allies.\"\u0026nbsp; He cut his gaze to Evan and added, \"Brush up on your Japanese Anime.\u0026nbsp; You don't want to come off as\u0026nbsp;_too_\u0026nbsp;culturally ignorant, after all.\"\u0026nbsp; Cybil walked down the hallway and pointed at the elevator. \"Wrong floor, but good timing.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; The elevator door opened right on cue.\u0026nbsp; A woman and a small child were standing on it.\u0026nbsp; She told the boy, \"No, honey.\u0026nbsp; This wasn't our floor.\u0026nbsp; That's why you shouldn't push the buttons for floors unless you know it's where we have to go.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Sorry, mommy,\" he replied.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Cybil stepped onto the elevator before the doors could re-close.\u0026nbsp; \"Ah! Thank you, my young sir,\" he said to the child.\u0026nbsp; \"You saved me from having to call for the elevator.\u0026nbsp; I bet you must be able to see the future to know I would be standing here, didn't you?\" The elevator doors shut.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Evan and Johann looked at one another, as if in confusion.\u0026nbsp; \"Well... he's good with kids.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I think I might already know 'the demon' he mentioned.\u0026nbsp; Her name is Karla.\u0026nbsp; But ...a fox?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Anime?\" Evan added. \"I'm pretty sure it's a safe bet to say that the mythological kitsune isn't real.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"We just saw our first vampire tonight,\" Johann reminded.\u0026nbsp; There was blood on his collar.\u0026nbsp; Plus he took a knife to the gut and was really fast killing that guy.\u0026nbsp; At this rate, I'm almost ready to believe just about anything.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah, true,\" Evan said.\u0026nbsp; \"But... a\u0026nbsp;_kitsune_?\u0026nbsp; I love anime as much as you, but I'm going to have to see that to believe it.\"\n\nX\n\n* * *\n\nX\n\n_Meanwhile, in the Celestial Realm..._\n\n\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; **Tamamo-no-Mae** , the nine-tailed kitsune, nodded in respect to the deity standing before her.\u0026nbsp; She looked around the courtroom then said,\u0026nbsp; \"Thank you.\u0026nbsp; How may I serve this court today, Chancellor?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"We have questions about the three-tail named Sinopa Crevan.\" The well-dressed man folded his arms and turned back to Tamamo, standing at the podium.\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Hai, anything you wish to ask, I will answer Chancellor.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Tell us, Tamamo-kun, what is your relationship with Sinopa Crevan.\u0026nbsp; Also, could you explain to the panel why we cannot put her on the stand in reference to her prior accolades?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Tamamo cut her eyes towards the panel of deity judges.\u0026nbsp; \"I treat her as my surrogate daughter. Like many mothers and young daughters, she is at the age where we sometimes bicker, but Sinopa-chan holds a special place in my heart.\u0026nbsp; However, she cannot testify on behalf of her prior accolades, because our queen, tennko, Lady Kiko-tenno, forcefully gave her amnesia.\u0026nbsp; This occurred when Sinopa was recalled from Earth to fight alongside her peers in the culmination of the great Celestial Dynasty Wars.\u0026nbsp; The decision to strip her memories happened again quite recently by the demand of the queen of my race.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Twice,\" the Chancellor explained to the panel, \"Twice, now, Kiko has stripped Sinopa of her memories.\"\u0026nbsp; He turned back to Tamamo.\u0026nbsp; \"And why is that?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"She feels that Sinopa's involvement with the mortal realm is dangerous.\u0026nbsp; I'm hard-pressed to disagree.\u0026nbsp; Although, I feel great guilt over what memories have been taken from Sinopa.\u0026nbsp; She deserves to know her children and remember love.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The Chancellor nodded then moved to the center of the court chamber.\u0026nbsp; \"We would like you to speak on behalf of Sinopa.\u0026nbsp; Explain to the judges why she was chosen by my court to break the treaty of the Esoteric Community of Earth...?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Tamamo licked her lips, somewhat nervous, then nodded. \"Hai.\u0026nbsp; While it is true that deities and demigods are banned from entering the realm of Earth, and have been for a millennium, we have operated clandestine missions of peace and support to aid the human souls.\u0026nbsp; We know it's wrong, but sometimes we cannot bear to watch them suffer.\u0026nbsp; Sometimes, we do it to clean up the messes of vengeful deities who caused such suffering to begin with.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Understood, Tamano-san.\u0026nbsp; Please, tell us about Sinopa and her highlights in the physical plane of the Earth Realm.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Hai, Grand Chancellor.\" Tamamo paused and glanced about the court, eyeing the panel of judges.\u0026nbsp; Not all of them represented the Shinto Celestial court - some were western deities from opposite sides of the globe.\u0026nbsp; \"She has graduated from her role as gakusei,\" again, Tamamo stopped, looked at the foreign judges, and said, \"What we refer to as a pupil,\" she explained.\u0026nbsp; \"I now consider her a kohai - my junior in rank.\u0026nbsp; Sinopa-chan was first sent to the Earthly realm by Lord Inari as a test to earn her second tail.\u0026nbsp; She was tasked with slowing the progress of a blight that created what the humans call, 'The Irish Potato Famine.'\u0026nbsp; Sinopa wished to blend in and requested to take the form of an Irish human female.\u0026nbsp; It was this forward thinking that drew me to help her.\u0026nbsp; She soon learned, first hand, about embroiled resentment for the governed and their governments.\u0026nbsp; Her second tail came and she returned to Tokyo, then-Edo.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Eiyuu Geroi folded his arms. \"To play as devil's advocate, I would say that Sinopa-san did as she was ordered and found a creative solution to slow the progress of a famine.\u0026nbsp; She avoided being caught up in human drama between neighboring nations.\u0026nbsp; These actions make her intelligent, but those actions, alone, do not deem her worthy of this court's high praise. \u0026nbsp;Continue, Tamamo-san.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Tamamo waited for the Chancellor to finish speaking then said, \"A century later, Sinopa-chan was returned to Earth as another test by Lord Inari; to prove herself worthy of her then-incoming third tail.\u0026nbsp; Things took a dramatically unexpected turn.\u0026nbsp; She discovered that a small number of human beings were using technology to unearth the great First Age.\u0026nbsp; I speak of the rumored Earth city where our kind may have mingled with human kind.\u0026nbsp; Because no one present in this court knew of this age at the time, Sinopa had no help or support.\u0026nbsp; She continued to live amongst humans for the following decade-and-a-half to continue her research.\u0026nbsp; She met a human man whose family hid proof of such a forgotten time.\u0026nbsp; Sinopa-chan and this human man became romantically involved and, together, using artifacts throughout the Earthly realm, they discovered and confirmed the existence of this fabled city.\u0026nbsp; Only the oldest of deities were previously privileged to such information. Even fewer had ever seen it with their own eyes.\u0026nbsp; During this time, Sinopa Crevan balanced her romance and a newly growing family with her mission - to ensure that The First Age remained in the past.\u0026nbsp; After we felt that the danger had passed, she was recalled to fight in the Celestial Dynasty Wars.\u0026nbsp; To make the separation easier to handle, emotionally, I was ordered by Lady Kiko to remove the memories of Sinopa-chan, and those whose lives she touched with her love.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; The Chancellor quickly interjected, \"The tragic, unfortunate removal of her memories... A decision I feel showcases the differences between the old dynasty and this new era, under my rule.\u0026nbsp; Sinopa-san should have been reunited with her mortal family at the conclusion of the war.\u0026nbsp; Human lives are short - she should have been allowed to enjoy their company while it lasted.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Hai. I sometimes suggest to Sinopa-chan that she would make a fine mother, or that she should settle down and raise a family.\u0026nbsp; I have hopes that she may one day remember what she lost.\u0026nbsp; I can only hope that such occurs before it is too late.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The Chancellor asked, \"Tell the court how you allowed her family to remember their missing loved one, once Sinopa-san was recalled?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Tamamo bit her lip again. \"I fancy Earth knowledge.\u0026nbsp; I study their academia and history as a hobby.\u0026nbsp; However, I could not have been assigned to this mission because I was slain in my physical form while on Earth a very long time ago.\u0026nbsp; My ability to possess the physical body of a human is rather temporary.\u0026nbsp; Queen Kiko knew of my intelligence and, when Lord Inari ordered me to recall Sinopa Crevan, Lady Kiko demanded that I 'sweep up the breadcrumbs' in Sinopa-chan's wake.\u0026nbsp; I chose to convince the human family that their loved one passed from a human genetic defect attributed to factors that were, at the time, largely unknown and misunderstood by their society.\u0026nbsp; They called it 'cancer.'\u0026nbsp; They mourned her in death, because it was far more honorable than to let the family assume she left them.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Indeed, Tamamo-san.\u0026nbsp; And what was Sinopa's first action during the battle of the Celestial Dynasty Wars?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The white-haired kitsune folded her hands on the podium. \"Having satisfied Lord Inari's recall, and Queen Kiko's order, I brought Sinopa-chan home, where she selflessly rescued a child deity on the battlefield.\u0026nbsp; While her memories of Earth were stripped, she still possessed something that she learned from her human family.\u0026nbsp; It is a trait that Earth calls 'humanity.'\u0026nbsp; She put her wellbeing and a life of wisdom at risk to protect a child she'd never met.\u0026nbsp; She did this act because she felt it was the 'right thing to do.'\u0026nbsp; I found her courage and humility to be refreshing and honorable.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The Chancellor nodded to the nine-tail kitsune and said, \"Thank you, Tamamo-kun.\u0026nbsp; You may return to your meditation, if you wish.\u0026nbsp; We'll will discover the location of Sinopa and bring her to you again.\u0026nbsp; Then you will return her to the Earth realm for immediate reinsertion.\"\u0026nbsp; He bowed in respect; Tamamo was teleported from behind the podium before she could return the gesture.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"So you see,\" the Chancellor said.\u0026nbsp; \"This new dynasty rewards selfless acts of character.\u0026nbsp; In the final segment of this trial, we will speak to Kiko Sigyn.\u0026nbsp; Before we take a recess, I would like you to make a judgment on how to handle Sinopa Crevan, and to determine if we should utilize her once more, in a final attempt at finishing what we initially started: to save Earth from the impending threat.\u0026nbsp; After all, the swifter we act, the more lives we save.\u0026nbsp; As it stands, there are human beings on the front lines of this battlefield as we speak, whether they realize it or not.\u0026nbsp; They're fighting for their lives\u0026nbsp;_right now._\"\n\nX\n\n* * *\n\nX\n\n_October 2, 5:40am PST  \nSan Francisco, California_\n\n**\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Nichole Parker** \u0026nbsp;glanced at her cellphone screen then back at the townhouse, double-checking the address.\u0026nbsp; \"Well, this is the place.\"\u0026nbsp; Again, her eyes lowered to the text message on her screen that read, '_I have information on Aris Falcon, but I'll only speak to you because I knew your brother._' The rest of the message contained the address to the townhouse across the street.\u0026nbsp; She slid out of her convertible and shut the door behind herself.\u0026nbsp; The eastern skyline was only beginning to brighten on the horizon.\u0026nbsp; She crossed the two-lane road and approached the front door.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Nichole knocked, only to realize that the door wasn't closed all the way.\u0026nbsp; It eased open, silently swinging on its hinges.\u0026nbsp; \"Well... that's odd.\"\u0026nbsp; She cleared her throat then leaned in a bit and said, \"Hello?\u0026nbsp; Your door was open - are you all right?\u0026nbsp; It's Nichole; you texted me half an hour ago.\"\u0026nbsp; ...No answer. \u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; She went back to her car and opened the trunk.\u0026nbsp; Nichole took a Maglite, her service pistol and holster, and a secondary clip.\u0026nbsp; She shut the trunk, went back to the house, and activated the flashlight.\u0026nbsp; \"Here goes nothing,\" she muttered. \u0026nbsp;Parker took a deep breath then stepped into the dark house.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; The agent switched on her flashlight and looked around an unfurnished living room and dining area.\u0026nbsp; She moved into the kitchen but the appliances were unplugged.\u0026nbsp; She headed back to the living room, looked around a second time then moved towards the carpeted steps.\u0026nbsp; She headed upstairs, only to find that the bedroom and bathroom were fully furnished.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Finding the upstairs clear, she reached for a light switch.\u0026nbsp; The one in the bedroom did nothing.\u0026nbsp; She moved to the hallway and flipped a switch.\u0026nbsp; However, the lights in the stairs worked, casting friendly yellow illumination at one end of the hall and down to the foyer.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; She went back downstairs but before she reached the bottom floor, the wall of the living room exploded.\u0026nbsp; Nichole found herself thrown backwards.\u0026nbsp; She hooked her left arm into the railing and slumped over the steps halfway up.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Nicky glanced back down to the new hole in the wall, half expecting to see fire, but only a few pieces of debris burned.\u0026nbsp; Whatever caused the explosion was more of a concussive force than an incendiary one.\u0026nbsp; She rubbed her forehead and withdrew her weapon without thinking about it.\u0026nbsp; Confusion caused her to flail about but she kept her gun pointed outwardly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Her head began to clear and her eyes focused.\u0026nbsp; A woman stepped into the front door, adjacent to the large hole in the living room wall.\u0026nbsp; She had a disposable one-shot rocket launcher in her hands.\u0026nbsp; The woman tossed it on the floor and approached the steps.\u0026nbsp; \"There you are, bitch.\u0026nbsp; Falcon wants\u0026nbsp;_you_.\u0026nbsp; Why?\u0026nbsp; Because\u0026nbsp;_I'm_\u0026nbsp;not good enough!\u0026nbsp; That's right.\u0026nbsp; He wants\u0026nbsp;_you_.\u0026nbsp; I'm just a body.\u0026nbsp; Well.\u0026nbsp; That's unacceptable.\u0026nbsp; So I've decided I'm going to kill you.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Nichole rubbed her eyes with her left wrist.\u0026nbsp; \"Who\u0026nbsp;_are_\u0026nbsp;you?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"You dumb bitch, I'm\u0026nbsp;_you_.\"\u0026nbsp; The woman came closer.\u0026nbsp; She stepped into the light of the flashlight that was lying on a step, two stairs up from Nicky.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Nichole's eyes widened, staring into her own face on the other woman.\u0026nbsp; \"What the\u0026nbsp;_fuck_?\u0026nbsp; How the...?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"It's called\u0026nbsp;_cloning_\u0026nbsp;you dumb bitch.\u0026nbsp; God, why would he want you?\u0026nbsp; I'm obviously smarter than you.\u0026nbsp; Give me that gun.\"\u0026nbsp; She reached for Nichole's weapon and pointed it back at her.\u0026nbsp; \"You might be surprised to learn that clones don't have the same prints or retinal pattern as the original host.\u0026nbsp; A few points might match up, but not enough to fool a computer.\u0026nbsp; So Falcon won't let me replace you unless it's in death.\u0026nbsp; And I don't accept that.\u0026nbsp; So when those mercenaries get here, they're going to find your body and I'm going rogue.\u0026nbsp; Sadly, this part of the plan means you die.\u0026nbsp; I considered working with you, but... I've been trailing you for the last week.\u0026nbsp; You have a great life made for yourself, Nicky Marie.\u0026nbsp; It's normal.\u0026nbsp; It's nice.\u0026nbsp; A boyfriend, a job... do you know what my life has been like after I got out of that god-awful tube?\u0026nbsp; It's been hell.\u0026nbsp; Experiments.\u0026nbsp; All so I could\u0026nbsp;_be_\u0026nbsp;you in death, so no one would look for you.\u0026nbsp; My fingerprints were marred up on purpose so they wouldn't be able to use that.\u0026nbsp; Dental is the same, and cops don't check retina.\u0026nbsp; So I would pass as you.\u0026nbsp; Well... everything was fine between Falcon and me until I decided I\u0026nbsp;_want_\u0026nbsp;to live.\u0026nbsp; And the only way that's going to happen is if you become useless.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; The cloned woman pulled the trigger.\u0026nbsp; Nothing happened.\u0026nbsp; \"Goddammit.\u0026nbsp; You didn't even cock your weapon before coming into a dangerous situation?\u0026nbsp; Dummy.\" She gripped the slide and pulled it back then released it with a satisfying\u0026nbsp;_clack__!_\n\n\u0026nbsp; Nichole kicked her foot out and caught the woman in her stomach.\u0026nbsp; She tumbled down the steps and slammed into the front door, causing it to shut and latch.\u0026nbsp; Nicky pulled her arm from between the wall and the handrail and headed upstairs.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; The clone woman on the floor fired four shots, narrowly missing Nicky.\u0026nbsp; \"You dimwit, I have the gun!\u0026nbsp; Just accept it's over, so I can move on with your life!\u0026nbsp; I won't mess up your job.\u0026nbsp; I'll... fake amnesia or something.\u0026nbsp; Go through some courses, and fall into step after a few months.\u0026nbsp; If you can do it, so can I, after all!\"\u0026nbsp; She got to her feet and headed up the stairs.\u0026nbsp; \"C'mon, now.\u0026nbsp; Don't make this hard for me.\u0026nbsp; All I've done all my life is run on treadmills and drink disgusting nutrient solutions.\u0026nbsp; I don't want the hard life anymore.\u0026nbsp; I want\u0026nbsp;_your_\u0026nbsp;life.\"\u0026nbsp; She moved off the last step and started down the hallway.\u0026nbsp; \"You left your flashlight on the stairs, girl.\u0026nbsp; You could'a had a weapon.\u0026nbsp; What kind of idiot agent are you, anyhow?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Without warning, Nichole came out of the linen closet on the side, across from the bedroom.\u0026nbsp; With her hands together, she swung her arms and caught the clone across the face.\u0026nbsp; The gun tumbled through the wooden banister poles along the top of the staircase and fell all the way down to the bottom of the steps.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; The clone glanced off the wall then dove back at Nicky.\u0026nbsp; Nichole took the clone's shirt, pivoted hard, then threw her through the doorway to the bedroom.\u0026nbsp; The doppelganger hit her face on the dresser and cried out in agony.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"All you've ever done is run on a treadmill?\u0026nbsp; And you expect to fight a federal agent who's had defensive courses?\u0026nbsp; You need to cut this out so I can help you get out of here.\u0026nbsp; Whatever ideas you've had in your head... I'm sure we can figure something out\u0026nbsp;_together_.\u0026nbsp; If you help lead me to Falcon, I can take him down.\u0026nbsp; If you really are a clone, two Nichole Parkers' are better than one.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Are you nuts?\u0026nbsp; The DEA is one of the only federal agencies that isn't working with Falcon!\u0026nbsp;_NOBODY_\u0026nbsp;can take him down, goddammit!\u0026nbsp; I have to kill you, so that you have no use to him, then he'll leave me alone!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"That's not where this needs to go!\" Nichole shouted in reply.\u0026nbsp; \"Seriously!\u0026nbsp; My niece and nephew are twins.\u0026nbsp; If you really are me, then you have always wondered what it would be like to have a twin of yourself.\u0026nbsp; We could work together. \u0026nbsp;My brother can help!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"No, he can't!\u0026nbsp; He lost his abilities!\u0026nbsp; He's the same as you, now.\u0026nbsp; Why do you think he started having his kids pull heists for him?\u0026nbsp; He can't do it anymore.\u0026nbsp; One of Falcon's test viruses was stolen from the lab and wound up in Jon Parker.\u0026nbsp; Phase one is to kill a supernatural ability.\u0026nbsp; His grace, agility, dexterity... all gone.\u0026nbsp; He's just a normal retired athlete, now.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Nichole blinked.\u0026nbsp; \"What...?\" \u0026nbsp;The door at the bottom of the steps swung open with a loud sound.\u0026nbsp; Nichole back tracked to the steps and gazed down the stairs then looked back to the clone.\u0026nbsp; \"Your friends are here.\u0026nbsp; So now what?\u0026nbsp; Do we play the whole '_No, shoot HER_!' game?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"You don't even take my life seriously,\" said the woman.\u0026nbsp; She got up from the dresser, with a hand over the side of her face where she'd been injured.\u0026nbsp; \"They know the difference.\u0026nbsp; I'm suppose to die here, and you're supposed to be captured.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Nichole swallowed.\u0026nbsp; \"Then let's fight them together.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"They have guns.\u0026nbsp; God, you're really dense.\" The woman sat down on the bed, defeat in her eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Nichole ground her teeth together and returned to the bedroom then shut the door behind herself.\u0026nbsp; \"Go out the window.\u0026nbsp; Tell Reno what happened to me.\u0026nbsp; He'll come for me.\u0026nbsp; You can disappear after this.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"You've obviously not met Krys and Anne.\u0026nbsp; Krys' ability lets her find people with abilities in their genetic makeup, whether they manifested or not.\u0026nbsp; I was used as a test subject to see if your DNA can support receiving active abilities.\u0026nbsp; So I've been activated, but I've not been given any active powers.\u0026nbsp; Krys Monroe would easily find me.\u0026nbsp; I was supposed to have killed you by now, with that rocket.\u0026nbsp; Then I was going to run.\u0026nbsp; When Falcon found you dead, there would have been no reason to pursue me.\u0026nbsp; Now I'm as good as...\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"No, get out the window.\u0026nbsp; C'mon.\"\u0026nbsp; Nichole took the clone by her arm and forced her over to the window on the far side of the bed.\u0026nbsp; The bedroom door was kicked in and several men in paramilitary gear rushed in.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; One of them took his rifle's buttstock and struck the clone in the face with it.\u0026nbsp; She flew back and hit her head on the window, breaking it.\u0026nbsp; He struck her again, then turned the rifle about.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Three other mercenaries held Nichole down, doubled over the bed.\u0026nbsp; She watched as the clone was executed.\u0026nbsp; She flinched, struggling against the hands against her shoulders. \u0026nbsp;Tears ran down her cheeks.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Nichole felt the pinch of a syringe against her neck.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes widened and she gasped.\u0026nbsp; The needle tip slid out of her skin, then she pushed against the bed, trying to shove herself towards the attackers.\u0026nbsp; She used the power of her legs to shove through them.\u0026nbsp; Due to the arrangement of the furniture, she caused the four men to spill back over themselves.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Nicky grabbed a rifle, dove out of the bedroom then bolted down the stairs.\u0026nbsp; She fired it, causing the mercenaries in the living room to take cover.\u0026nbsp; She ran out into the front yard and headed for her car.\u0026nbsp; She noticed a woman in the bushes.\n\n\u0026nbsp; Whatever was in Parker's blood began to take hold.\u0026nbsp; She dropped against the side of her car, back against the driver door.\u0026nbsp; She pointed the weapon back towards the house, groggy.\u0026nbsp; \"Goddammit,\" she muttered, wearily.\u0026nbsp; \"H...Hey, lady.\u0026nbsp; Call the police.\u0026nbsp; I need your help.\u0026nbsp; They're trying to abduct me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The woman recessed into the brush, saying, \"I'm sorry, Miss Parker.\u0026nbsp; I cannot help. \u0026nbsp;I don't have backup anymore.\u0026nbsp; Forgive me.\"\u0026nbsp; The woman disappeared from Nichole Parker's view.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Nicky saw someone come through the hole in the living room wall of the townhouse across the street.\u0026nbsp; She opened fire, sending a three-round volley back at them.\u0026nbsp; One of the rounds caught the shoulder of the man's armored vest.\u0026nbsp; It spun him like a top and sent him to the floor.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; The gun became too heavy to hold.\u0026nbsp; The barrel sagged down until it touched the pavement.\u0026nbsp; She knew that gunfire would cause the neighbors to call the police.\u0026nbsp; Nichole squeezed the trigger, shooting the low-pointed weapon across the asphalt three rounds at a time due to the setting of the fire-select switch.\u0026nbsp; Her head canted to the left... everything went black.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\n\nX\n\n* * *\n\nX\n\n_October 2, 7:15am PST  \nSan Francisco, California_\n\n\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; **Inspector Nevada stepped out of his 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo** \u0026nbsp;and took a sip from a cup of coffee in his left hand.\u0026nbsp; He moved to the trunk and pulled out a city-issue pullover windbreaker, set the coffee cup on the roof of the car and adjusted the fabric.\u0026nbsp; He grabbed his coffee and headed over towards the crime scene.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; He ducked beneath the police caution tape, nodded to an officer he recognized, then made his way into an enormous hole ripped in the front of the townhouse.\u0026nbsp; Small holes dotted the area, caused by gunfire.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; All around him, officers were placing numerical placards and taking photographs.\u0026nbsp; One of the officers approached Nevada and said, \"Hey, Reno.\u0026nbsp; Welcome back to the job.\u0026nbsp; I hope you had a nice vacation.\u0026nbsp; You're primary on this one.\u0026nbsp; We've got one Jane Doe upstairs.\u0026nbsp; No ID.\u0026nbsp; Looks to be about mid-twenties.\u0026nbsp; We haven't touched the body, but Jerry was a first responder.\u0026nbsp; He's got the print scanner, but said she's got some scar tissue on her fingertips; we'll get started when you're ready.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah, sure.\u0026nbsp; Funny how this call comes in when I'm supposed to be off shift in forty-five minutes.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The officer grinned. \"I see you griping, but all I hear is '_wah, wah, wah; my pussy hurts__.'_\u0026nbsp; Stairs are over there.\" The man pointed to the other side of the living room.\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Stay classy, Warren,\" said Reno with a smirk.\u0026nbsp; He walked over to where the front door was closed, a little ways away from the hole in the wall, and took the stairs to the top floor.\u0026nbsp; Nevada saw Jerry in the doorway.\u0026nbsp; \"Hey, Sergeant.\u0026nbsp; Look, I don't want any trouble.\u0026nbsp; I know we had a fight not too long ago but...\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Jerry shook his head. \"Whatever.\u0026nbsp; I'm a professional.\u0026nbsp; I'll keep it professional on the job.\u0026nbsp; I'll leave the finger scanner with you.\u0026nbsp; I'm going to head back downstairs and start working on whatever caused that big-ass hole in the front of the living room.\" The sergeant brushed by the inspector and headed downstairs.\n\n\u0026nbsp; Reno shook his head, took a sip of coffee and sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah...\u0026nbsp; Good talk, man,\" he said to nobody.\u0026nbsp; Reno stepped into one of the bedrooms and saw a young kid in his uniform with a camera.\u0026nbsp; \"Hey.\u0026nbsp; Inspector Nevada.\"\u0026nbsp; He reached for the kid's hand and they shook.\u0026nbsp; \"Is this your first body, kid?\u0026nbsp; You look a little pale.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Uh, y-yeah.\u0026nbsp; Yes.\u0026nbsp; Yes, sir.\u0026nbsp; Sorry.\u0026nbsp; First body, sir.\u0026nbsp; Brice, sir.\u0026nbsp; Officer Brice.\"\u0026nbsp; He nodded back towards the corner of the bedroom, between the wall and the bed.\u0026nbsp; \"She's over there.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Reno moved around the bed and approached the slumped body.\u0026nbsp; He pulled on a pair of crime scene gloves from a box sitting on the end of the mattress, and lowered to one knee.\u0026nbsp; Nevada reached down and took the woman by her chin, gently tilting her head up so he could see her face...\n\n\u0026nbsp; The Inspector's eyes widened and he froze.\u0026nbsp; His stomach iced over.\u0026nbsp; He stared into the dead accusing glare of DEA Agent Nichole Parker.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\n\nX\n\n* * *\n\nNext Chapter:\u0026nbsp;[https://www.sofurry.com/view/541783](https://www.sofurry.com/view/541783)\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Twilight of the Gods Book3","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/540810-the-esoteric-collapse-book-2.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/541783-cops-and-robbers-chapter3-act1-book2.json"}}