Non-HPU: Crater City

[Foxfan2164]

"Well..." Hyper said, scratching his head with a paw. "Wait how do you know so much about kaiju of you're not from here?" he asked questioningly, dropping the paw. "Do you study them or something?"

[SeanWolf]

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. O'Conner," Mordecai replied as he took the webbed paw in his hand and shook it, "As I said, I am Mordecai: The mayor and protector of the town of Thunder Bay...wait, did you say O'Conner? Your father came to visit our town a few months ago to discuss construction of a new farmland, did he not?"

[CyberDragon]

"Really should have left it where the guy dropped it," Julian said, putting the watch down and leaning back against the wall. "I have pictures of the Human if you want them? Not him, by the way. Obviously," he added, gesturing to his co-'infiltrator'.

Heather carefully picked up the watch and examined it. "These devices are contraband. Only a members of a very specific branch of the military are allowed to have them, and I'm the only member of that branch here. We use them to verify who we are talking to is who we're supposed to talk to, and to locate potential recruits." Heather was thinking quickly. The only group that would have a reason to locate nearby disguised Kaiju that she could think of were hunters. "Show me the video you took. Now." she demanded.

"Mist. Come here. We can get all three with one shot and be gone before they're up." Tigress commands, hushed. Mist shakes his head, looks around, and silently dashes to the other aisle, sliding against the side to keep his profile low. This could easily be part of the test, since she said to stay there... But what if she needed help? Tigress bares her fangs at him to get his attention, but he keeps his eyes on Heather. She turns back as well, preparing the energy strike for any aggressive movements.

Heather is quite aware of Mist's movement. She spotted him out of the corner of her eye, but resisted berating him out of concern that the two people in front of her might still be hunters. Just because they were Kaiju didn't rule that out as a possibility.

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

"Sounds like fun! Mind if I join you? I have a feeling today will be a good day to see the Crater Bay Creature - or is it just a whale?" Ryan grins cryptically.
"Just gotta drop these papers at my father's office first, then I'll be free."

"Hah!" Wildfire laughed. "Sounds like a plan, friend! At least the tourists like to see us. I'll probably grab some food at Fredrick's Fish and Chips at Pier 29 while you take care of things. We can meet there."

Mordecai smiles and removes his hand from their shoulder. "I doubt we'll ever fight each other as well. We both share the same goal, even if we have our own means of achieving the goal," he said before chuckling again and asking, "Look at me, I haven't introduce myself properly to you. My name is Mordecai...what is the name you two been given?"

Wildfire stuck his hand out and shook Mordecai's own hand. "You can call me Wildfire. That's the name the KDF gave me, at least." He said. He didn't exactly want to say his real name while half-transformed into his Kaiju form. He put a hand on Mordecai's shoulder, trying to be friendly. "Once your errands are done, you're welcome to join us at the pier. I know it seems unprofessional, but it safe encounters with fully shifted Kaiju do help us build trust with people. Plus... You mentioned that when you look around, you see only fear. Well, there are two things I do feel at peace doing in this city as a dragon. Flying through the sky, and swimming in the bay and ocean."

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"Well..." Hyper said, scratching his head with a paw. "Wait how do you know so much about kaiju of you're not from here?" he asked questioningly, dropping the paw. "Do you study them or something?"

"Well... Um..." the lab fidgeted, a little embarrassed. "Sort of? Not, like, for any of my classes. It's more of a hobby. I guess you could just say I'm... kind of a fan?"

[Hlaoroo]

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. O'Conner," Mordecai replied as he took the webbed paw in his hand and shook it, "As I said, I am Mordecai: The mayor and protector of the town of Thunder Bay...wait, did you say O'Conner? Your father came to visit our town a few months ago to discuss construction of a new farmland, did he not?"

"That he did! Our company has finger in many pies. It's an honour, Mr. Mayor! But please, call me Ryan. Mr. O'Connor is my grandfather. I never did like formality much."

"Hah!" Wildfire laughed. "Sounds like a plan, friend! At least the tourists like to see us. I'll probably grab some food at Fredrick's Fish and Chips at Pier 29 while you take care of thing. We can meet there."
Wildfire stuck his hand out and shook Mordecai's own hand. "You can call me Wildfire. That's the name the KDF gave me, at least." He said. He didn't exactly want to say his real name while half-transformed into his Kaiju form. He put a hand on Mordecai's shoulder, trying to be friendly. "Once your errands are done, you're welcome to join us at the pier. I know it seems unprofessional, but it safe encounters with fully shifted Kaiju do help us build trust with people. Plus... You mentioned that when you look around, you see only fear. Well, there are two things I do feel at peace doing in this city as a dragon. Flying through the sky, and swimming in the bay and ocean."

"Done deal! But don't eat too much or I'll have to save you again!" the sea otter teases.
"Yeah, you'll be welcome if you want to join us, Mr. Mayor. And don't worry, the Crater Bay Creature really isn't as fearsome as people think." Ryan encourages with a wink.

[SeanWolf]

"That he did! Our company has finger in many pies. It's an honour, Mr. Mayor! But please, call me Ryan. Mr. O'Connor is my grandfather. I never did like formality much."

"Well, Ryan," Mordecai smiled, "Please tell your father we will be happy to do business with him again and that he, and you, will always be welcomed in our town!"

Wildfire stuck his hand out and shook Mordecai's own hand. "You can call me Wildfire. That's the name the KDF gave me, at least." He said. He didn't exactly want to say his real name while half-transformed into his Kaiju form. He put a hand on Mordecai's shoulder, trying to be friendly. "Once your errands are done, you're welcome to join us at the pier. I know it seems unprofessional, but it safe encounters with fully shifted Kaiju do help us build trust with people. Plus... You mentioned that when you look around, you see only fear. Well, there are two things I do feel at peace doing in this city as a dragon. Flying through the sky, and swimming in the bay and ocean."

"I'll take you up on the offer, Wildfire," Mordecai then said to Wildfire, "I heard the fish is nice this time of year, though I unfortunately forgot my towel," A sly smile crossed his face after that last part.

[Deske]

"Gregg, it's a pleasure," he said in response, "This is a fun little ice breaker isn't it." He stiffened slightly as Heather appeared from one of the aisles. "Well I mean there wasn't really a sign, just an unlocked chain on the front gate-" he pressed himself up against the wall when he was told to, "-Okaaayy getting to know this wall too, definitely not in the mood to get shot today." He set his briefcase on the ground and raised his hands up to head height. He breathed a sigh of relief as Julian said he had pictures of a human that wasn't him. "Fantastic," he glanced to the side, noticing some slight movement by another one of the aisles "Military, multiple people, not all accosting us at once..." His eyebrows rose as he realized what was going on, "Oh, oh."

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Of course," Julian said calmly, pulling the phone out. "I'm gonna need to call in a sickie later anyway, I think." He hit 'play' as Gregg realised something. "What," he asked.

[Deske]

"This is either some sort of secret conference that the spy wanted in on or it's a recruitment," Gregg says, leaning towards the fox. "Which one though? I don't know. Both would be equally enticing for hunters."

[Foxfan2164]

"Oh well I guess that makes sense." Hyper replied, relieved. "Well then, I'll be going. See you later." he said to the lab. He continued walking west toward the direction of kaiju that passed a while ago.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Yeah," Julian sighed politely, "I can certainly pick 'em, can't I? Sorry for getting you dragged into this, by the way."

[Deske]

"Nothing wrong with a bit of adventure and it's no problem. I have a feeling we aren't in any real danger though. Though I swear if they mess up my drawings and measurement they're going to be in for a world of hurt." He glanced down at the briefcase resting by his foot.

[CyberDragon]

"Done deal! But don't eat too much or I'll have to save you again!" the sea otter teases.
"Yeah, you'll be welcome if you want to join us, Mr. Mayor. And don't worry, the Crater Bay Creature really isn't as fearsome as people think." Ryan encourages with a wink.

"You can never have too much of Fredrick's clam chowder!" Wildfire declared.

"I'll take you up on the offer, Wildfire," Mordecai then said to Wildfire, "I heard the fish is nice this time of year, though I unfortunately forgot my towel," A sly smile crossed his face after that last part.

"Sounds like it's settled then!" Wildfire said cheerfully, clapping his hands together. "I'll fly on ahead and get ready. You guys do what you have to do and meet up with me. Remember, we meet up at Pier 29, Fredrick's Fish and Chips. See you there!" Wildfire waved at his two friends, spread his wings wide, and took off to the north east.

Wildfire didn't have to fly for long, but he also didn't go all the way to the pier by air. Before he got there, he dropped down into an empty alley and shifted back into his human form. Titus emerged from the alleyway and made his way to the crowded and bustling pier. Titus wandered through the shops. There were magic shops, puzzle shops, chocolate and candy shops, ice cream shops, shops for clothes, suveniers, arcades, even a carousel for little kids and a Ferris wheel for those not afraid of heights. Titus took a left turn and wandered into a little restaurant with "Fredrick's Fish and Chips" on the sign. The human behind the counter grinned when he saw him.

"Titus! Good to see you! The usual?" the man asked.

"Hey, Fred. Yeah, I'll just have my usual. Have there been any sightings of the bay creatures today?" Titus asked.

"No, but I hope we see them soon! We miss our sea dragons around here. Last time the 'Dragon of Crater Bay' showed up, business quadrupled for three weeks straight!" Fred pulled a freshly baked loaf of sourdough out of the oven and started cutting it's core out to form a bowl. He poured some white clam chowder into it, then added an extra bowl of the stuff on the side.

Titus grinned. "I've got a funny feeling people will be seeing quite a few of the 'Crater Bay Monsters' today!" Titus declared.

Fred raised his eyebrows and gave a knowing, and excited, grin. "Oh? Well I certainly hope so. The guests love them. They've been getting impatient, hoping to see them!" Fred walked out and handed the platter of soup to Titus. "Here you go. On the house. It's the least I could do."

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

"Oh well I guess that makes sense." Hyper replied, relieved. "Well then, I'll be going. See you later." he said to the lab. He continued walking west toward the direction of kaiju that passed a while ago.

As Hyper and the lab were talking, Wildfire flew overhead once more. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Up there!" the teenaged lab pulled his camera out again and started taking pictures. "That's not an airplane!"

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

"Of course," Julian said calmly, pulling the phone out. "I'm gonna need to call in a sickie later anyway, I think." He hit 'play' as Gregg realised something. "What," he asked.

Heather took the phone and started watching the video. She observed the human male's profile and the direction he ran in.

"Nothing wrong with a bit of adventure and it's no problem. I have a feeling we aren't in any real danger though. Though I swear if they mess up my drawings and measurement they're going to be in for a world of hurt." He glanced down at the briefcase resting by his foot.

Heather set the phone back down on the ground. "I just need to check you and the briefcase for any weapons. I know, I know. You just said what's in the briefcase. Just bear with me for a moment." The massive human started patting down the clothes of both the human and the fox, checking their arms, legs, and torsos for anything that might be a weapon. Finding nothing, she carefully sifted through the paperwork in the briefcase, but also found nothing. "You're clear. Unfortunately, the person you got the watch from wasn't a part of my branch, which means that he's likely a Kaiju hunter. And he was alerted to your presence when the watch went off, which means he knows you're a Kaiju." She said, looking at the fox. "You're not safe until we catch the man. Luckily, I think he's going to get caught rather soon." Heather said the last part quietly. She gestured for the fox and the human to get to cover.

Drawing her weapon, a massive semi-automatic hand cannon to end all hand cannons, Heather ran down one of the isles of the warehouse and circled around behind the rows.

- - - - -

Mist wasn't the only person in his isle. Hidden in the shadows, a man in a gas mask and a black cloak was approaching him from behind. In his hands, he held a crossbow with bolts like syringes, filled with some unknown fluid. He crept through the darkness like a viper, closing in on Mist until he was within striking range. He lifted the crossbow, took aim, and...

"YOINK!" Heather shouted from behind him and grabbed his crossbow. He jumped from surprise and Heather pulled the weapon straight out of his hands. The man reached for the inside of his hood and pulled a knife out, which Heather responded to by smashing the butt of the crossbow against his mask, shattering the eyepieces.

"NNNNNGGH!" the man shouted with pain and anger. He swung the knife wildly at Heather, who ducked and weaved around the weapon. Eventually she ducked under his arm, got behind him, and locked his arm in a hold. She tightened her hold until she heard his arm pop out of socket and the knife drop to the floor. She wrapped her arm around his neck and her legs around his and dropped to the floor, dragging him down into a sleeper hold. She kept him in that hold until he stopped struggling and passed out from lack of oxygen to the brain. Finally, Heather stood up, dragged the man to the shelf, and handcuffed him to it before searching him for any weapons or information.

"We should be clear for now." Heather announced to the four others in the room. "But don't leave until I know he hasn't called for backup."

[Welsh Halfwit]

Julian wasn't the kind to need a second encouragement to get to cover and he watched carefully as the woman moved to deal with the intruder. "She really is quite violent, isn't she," he said, rhetorically and to Gregg. "I hope she brings my phone back. I think I'm going to need to call in sick." He waved slightly towards the others. "Hello, by the way. May I come closer?"

[DdeeStar]

Mist wasn't the only person in his isle. Hidden in the shadows, a man in a gas mask and a black cloak was approaching him from behind. In his hands, he held a crossbow with bolts like syringes, filled with some unknown fluid. He crept through the darkness like a viper, closing in on Mist until he was within striking range. He lifted the crossbow, took aim, and...

"YOINK!" Heather shouted from behind him and grabbed his crossbow. He jumped from surprise and Heather pulled the weapon straight out of his hands. The man reached for the inside of his hood and pulled a knife out, which Heather responded to by smashing the butt of the crossbow against his mask, shattering the eyepieces.

"NNNNNGGH!" the man shouted with pain and anger. He swung the knife wildly at Heather, who ducked and weaved around the weapon. Eventually she ducked under his arm, got behind him, and locked his arm in a hold. She tightened her hold until she heard his arm pop out of socket and the knife drop to the floor. She wrapped her arm around his neck and her legs around his and dropped to the floor, dragging him down into a sleeper hold. She kept him in that hold until he stopped struggling and passed out from lack of oxygen to the brain. Finally, Heather stood up, dragged the man to the shelf, and handcuffed him to it before searching him for any weapons or information.

"We should be clear for now." Heather announced to the four others in the room. "But don't leave until I know he hasn't called for backup."

Tigress drops Mist, having grabbed him as soon as Heather shouted, onto the ground. She's no longer stunned by her fears coming true and is raring to go. Mist, however, is shivering in fear, paralyzed by both the suddenness of the attack and the fact that he didn't even sense danger. She's still standing over him, glaring at Heather. The other two strangers don't even matter. Tigress isn't pleased with herself for not noticing him, despite the fact that Mist's bank of life energy had practically blinded her in that direction, but still. Naturally, she chooses to take this out on the nearest stranger. "How could you?!" She shouts at Heather. "You KNEW HE WAS THERE and decided to wait so you could play the HERO!" She's spitting with rage as she roars her rage.

Mist slowly props himself up as she shouts, breathing shakily."Mom, stop."

"Stars FORBID you warn me that one of YOU is after us! You think we wouldn't notice that this happened to come right after your-" She shifts into a quiet hiss, almost laughing how well this is adding up to her. "-little talk about how he'll need a partner? GENIUS to point out these WONDERFUL little devices come from YOU! This is ALL JUST-"

"STOP!" Mist spins around and shoves his full force into Tigress's chest. She stumbles back a single step, more out of shock then his actual force. "I-it's not her fault. It's mine. I should've heard him, should've stayed hidden, should've worn something less obvious than a stupid flashy costume." He puts his hands over his face. Tigress steps back over to him, wrapping her arms around him. All her anger has vanished, and her fear is clearly visible too, tears in her eyes. "What was I thinking?" He whispers. The two of them are once more in their own little world, the hopes Titus inspired in Mist suddenly so insignificant as he realizes that could've been the end. He could've died before even doing anything. What would've been the point then? He'd be just a useless corpse, all this effort to join the KDF amounting to nothing. Who would that help?

Tigress quietly lays her head against Mist's. She looks up at Heather, then looks back down and shuts her eyes tightly. "I'm sorry. So, so sorry." She knows she's only made this worse for everyone involved, but she could justify it by saying she was keeping a healthy skepticism. That had protected no one, done nothing. She was fully prepared to act, yet didn't. What was wrong with her?

[Welsh Halfwit]

Julian stepped forward gently. "You don't need to blame anyone but him," he said, glancing at the fallen person. "I could have known what he was up to and stopped him somehow but I didn't know. She didn't know he was here until we advised her." he stayed back, not willing to anger the Mother by approaching the child. "Seems they know what they're doing, these people. It's not the fault of any of us. Particularly not yours."

[Deske]

"Don't have to reassure or explain yourself to me. Wouldn't be my first time being detained," Gregg replied with a simple shrug. He was fine with her going through his case, as long as she didn't decide to destroy anything if she decided that something was evidence, or whatever. Lucky for him, it went smoothly.
"Maybe efficient is a better word?" Gregg replied as he shuffled behind cover along with Julian. "I don't know if I can call in sick, but maybe she'd be willing to write my boss a note about why I'm as late as I am..."

As soon as the, frankly one sided, beatdown was over, Gregg stood up and straightened out his vest. "Julian's right. If we're being fair here, it wasn't exactly the costume that tipped him off. The watch tracks us and I don't think walking into an abandoned warehouse dressed in fatigues is exactly the most low key approach to recruitment." He pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket and carefully kneels down to the mother-son duo. Holding it out, he continues, "Listen, uh, kid, don't be discouraged by this. Take it as a, hm, a learning experience. Every great hero starts small and only gets bigger the more they face the world." He glances back at Julian with a very obvious, I hope I'm doing this right, because I'm winging this whole speech look, before turning back to the two.

[CyberDragon]

Tigress drops Mist, having grabbed him as soon as Heather shouted, onto the ground. She's no longer stunned by her fears coming true and is raring to go. Mist, however, is shivering in fear, paralyzed by both the suddenness of the attack and the fact that he didn't even sense danger. She's still standing over him, glaring at Heather. The other two strangers don't even matter. Tigress isn't pleased with herself for not noticing him, despite the fact that Mist's bank of life energy had practically blinded her in that direction, but still. Naturally, she chooses to take this out on the nearest stranger. "How could you?!" She shouts at Heather. "You KNEW HE WAS THERE and decided to wait so you could play the HERO!" She's spitting with rage as she roars her rage.

Mist slowly props himself up as she shouts, breathing shakily."Mom, stop."

"Stars FORBID you warn me that one of YOU is after us! You think we wouldn't notice that this happened to come right after your-" She shifts into a quiet hiss, almost laughing how well this is adding up to her. "-little talk about how he'll need a partner? GENIUS to point out these WONDERFUL little devices come from YOU! This is ALL JUST-"

"STOP!" Mist spins around and shoves his full force into Tigress's chest. She stumbles back a single step, more out of shock then his actual force. "I-it's not her fault. It's mine. I should've heard him, should've stayed hidden, should've worn something less obvious than a stupid flashy costume." He puts his hands over his face. Tigress steps back over to him, wrapping her arms around him. All her anger has vanished, and her fear is clearly visible too, tears in her eyes. "What was I thinking?" He whispers. The two of them are once more in their own little world, the hopes Titus inspired in Mist suddenly so insignificant as he realizes that could've been the end. He could've died before even doing anything. What would've been the point then? He'd be just a useless corpse, all this effort to join the KDF amounting to nothing. Who would that help?

Tigress quietly lays her head against Mist's. She looks up at Heather, then looks back down and shuts her eyes tightly. "I'm sorry. So, so sorry." She knows she's only made this worse for everyone involved, but she could justify it by saying she was keeping a healthy skepticism. That had protected no one, done nothing. She was fully prepared to act, yet didn't. What was wrong with her?

Heather kept searching the man, ignoring Tigress's tirade against her for now. She had more important things to worry about, like if Tweedledee had a few Tweedledums on the way. She searched his pockets and found a few things. A magazine for that crossbow filled with some kind of darts, as well as a cell phone. She used the hunter's fingerprint to unlock it, and checked for any recent messages. She did manage to find one sent out very recently, but sighed with relief at them message.

[Located some targets.]
[Won't say where. Don't need others taking my prize.]
[You understand me? They're mine. Any competition I see will get shot.]
[Get my reward ready.]

"I wasn't aware he was there until our new friends showed me the video." Heather finally said. "I know the building inside and out. I could tell he was running for the back door, and knew where he'd have to go to get to us." She said in her defense. Heather looked up and put the phone in a plastic bag, then stuck it in her pocket. She walked over and knelt beside Mist. "It's not your fault. This was supposed to be a safe place, but he had a gravimeter. No amount of discretion can hide from those watches, and that's why they're illegal for civilians to possess."

Heather stood up and addressed the group. "Well then. I've got good news, at least. This idiot..." She started, kicking the unconsious man's leg, "decided to go lone wolf, so he didn't say where he was. That means this spot is still a safe location in that hunters don't know about it. In addition, he sent a message to someone who seems to be hiring hunters. If we can track the number he sent it to, we'll be able to arrest a higher up in their ranks."

[SeanWolf]

"And I should go and get my errands done," Mordecai said after watching Wildfire lifting off. Looking down at Ryan, he first asks, "Would you care to tag alone? I could do with the company," before leaning in close and whispering, "I know you to be a fellow Kaiju as well but you have a good heart, so you have my trust."

[DdeeStar]

Julian stepped forward gently. "You don't need to blame anyone but him," he said, glancing at the fallen person. "I could have known what he was up to and stopped him somehow but I didn't know. She didn't know he was here until we advised her." he stayed back, not willing to anger the Mother by approaching the child. "Seems they know what they're doing, these people. It's not the fault of any of us. Particularly not yours."

As soon as the, frankly one sided, beatdown was over, Gregg stood up and straightened out his vest. "Julian's right. If we're being fair here, it wasn't exactly the costume that tipped him off. The watch tracks us and I don't think walking into an abandoned warehouse dressed in fatigues is exactly the most low key approach to recruitment." He pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket and carefully kneels down to the mother-son duo. Holding it out, he continues, "Listen, uh, kid, don't be discouraged by this. Take it as a, hm, a learning experience. Every great hero starts small and only gets bigger the more they face the world." He glances back at Julian with a very obvious, I hope I'm doing this right, because I'm winging this whole speech look, before turning back to the two.

She walked over and knelt beside Mist. "It's not your fault. This was supposed to be a safe place, but he had a gravimeter. No amount of discretion can hide from those watches, and that's why they're illegal for civilians to possess."

Heather stood up and addressed the group. "Well then. I've got good news, at least. This idiot..." She started, kicking the unconsious man's leg, "decided to go lone wolf, so he didn't say where he was. That means this spot is still a safe location in that hunters don't know about it. In addition, he sent a message to someone who seems to be hiring hunters. If we can track the number he sent it to, we'll be able to arrest a higher up in their ranks."

Mist quietly pushes his way out of Tigress's grasp, her head turning to follow him as he walks over to his hat. One quick motion snatches it off the floor and has it back over his ears again. Still facing away from the three and their good intentions he speaks, voice cutting slightly as he tries to force his voice into its normal cadence. "Gue-ss we're done here then. You've gotta get on that lead before it's gone." He turns his head slightly to speak to the two newcomers. "Th-hanks, you two. You didn't have to do anything. I appreciate it." Tigress simply watches him, her fur still buzzing lightly. His body language creates an obvious air of defeat as he stands there trying to steady his breathing. Clearly he wasn't ready for this. He had been foolish. "What a day." He whispers, realizing how little time has passed since he was so excited to help. So much had happened in so little time. His gaze turns back towards the hunter's limp body, no thought or emotion in reaction to it.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"May I text my boss that I'm taking a sick day," Julian asked, holding his hand out for his phone, "I work about five hundred yards from here and people will get hurt if they come looking and track me. I'm not doing that to them so I hope you have need for a basic repairman and first aider. I'm safer with you, I think. I must be nuts.
N trouble," he added to the 'youngster', "sometimes even those who don't fight have to stand, eh?"

[CyberDragon]

"May I text my boss that I'm taking a sick day," Julian asked, holding his hand out for his phone, "I work about five hundred yards from here and people will get hurt if they come looking and track me. I'm not doing that to them so I hope you have need for a basic repairman and first aider. I'm safer with you, I think. I must be nuts.
N trouble," he added to the 'youngster', "sometimes even those who don't fight have to stand, eh?"

"Huh?" Heather looked down and realized she still had his phone. "Oh! Yeah, just give me a minute." She pulled out her own phone and connected it to Julian's. She started downloading the video he took onto her phone, then deleted it on his. She explained why. "The video is evidence. It's evidence against the hunter, but it's also evidence that you were one of the Kaiju he found. As such, I figured it's probably best to delete it from your phone to keep it from being linked to you personally. Here." She handed Julian back his phone.

Mist quietly pushes his way out of Tigress's grasp, her head turning to follow him as he walks over to his hat. One quick motion snatches it off the floor and has it back over his ears again. Still facing away from the three and their good intentions he speaks, voice cutting slightly as he tries to force his voice into its normal cadence. "Gue-ss we're done here then. You've gotta get on that lead before it's gone." He turns his head slightly to speak to the two newcomers. "Th-hanks, you two. You didn't have to do anything. I appreciate it." Tigress simply watches him, her fur still buzzing lightly. His body language creates an obvious air of defeat as he stands there trying to steady his breathing. Clearly he wasn't ready for this. He had been foolish. "What a day." He whispers, realizing how little time has passed since he was so excited to help. So much had happened in so little time. His gaze turns back towards the hunter's limp body, no thought or emotion in reaction to it.

Heather watched Mist, looking rather disappointed herself. He was so enthusiastic, and showed a lot of promise. But this was a hard blow. Heather quickly hid her look of disappointment and looked Mist directly in the eyes. "What are you on about, Recruit?" she said in the tone of a commander addressing a soldier. "Don't tell me you've given up! After this of all things? If I left the military the first time I messed up, I'd have never made it out of boot camp! If I gave up the first time I needed my neck saved after being caught off guard, I'd never had made it to Captain of the Coast Guard. If I dropped out at the first moment of embarrassment, I'd never have joined the KDF. Because let me tell you, everyone messes up while they're still learning, and you never stop learning. If you don't think it was an embarrassing mistake to get snuck up on by a tier 10 Leviathan, then what is embarrassing to you? This?" She waved in the hunter's direction.

Heather lowered her voice and continued. "Besides, I want to show you something. The fact is, all four of you are going to have to come with me to the KDF mainland Headquarters. Once I report this, the investigators will want to speak with all witnesses, and we don't want to compromise this location by doing it here."

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Thanks," Julian replied, texting that he had a 24hr bug. As they had no clue as to his real nature, he felt he could get away with it. "I do like having a life. Although options for travel seem to have opened up today."

[DdeeStar]

Heather watched Mist, looking rather disappointed herself. He was so enthusiastic, and showed a lot of promise. But this was a hard blow. Heather quickly hid her look of disappointment and looked Mist directly in the eyes. "What are you on about, Recruit?" she said in the tone of a commander addressing a soldier. "Don't tell me you've given up! After this of all things? If I left the military the first time I messed up, I'd have never made it out of boot camp! If I gave up the first time I needed my neck saved after being caught off guard, I'd never had made it to Captain of the Coast Guard. If I dropped out at the first moment of embarrassment, I'd never have joined the KDF. Because let me tell you, everyone messes up while they're still learning, and you never stop learning. If you don't think it was an embarrassing mistake to get snuck up on by a tier 10 Leviathan, then what is embarrassing to you? This?" She waved in the hunter's direction.

Heather lowered her voice and continued. "Besides, I want to show you something. The fact is, all four of you are going to have to come with me to the KDF mainland Headquarters. Once I report this, the investigators will want to speak with all witnesses, and we don't want to compromise this location by doing it here."

Mist looks back at her silently, head slightly tilted. There's no point in responding to her lecture. It's not even the surprise that worries him, though he did like thinking he'd at least hear assailants coming. The issue is that he couldn't fight them off anyway. Were it not for the tank of a human before him, he could've seen the hunter from across the warehouse and still would've lost. If there was any sign he wasn't worth training, it would be that. Once she moves to address the whole group he snaps out of his thoughts. He quickly sweeps his hand in front of his face and returns to the cheerful entertainer's smile he started with, impressively convincing to any who haven't been part of the situation thus far. "Guess we're doing that then."

Tigress, in the meantime, listens carefully to Heather's command. She's composed herself considerably, but her general mood has returned to a more neutral than aggressive tone as she surveys the two visitors for the first time since they've arrived. She turns back to Heather once she finishes for a quick question. "How far? Are we transporting ourselves or what?"

[Foxfan2164]

"Oh well I guess that makes sense." Hyper replied, relieved. "Well then, I'll be going. See you later." he said to the lab. He continued walking west toward the direction of kaiju that passed a while ago.

As Hyper and the lab were talking, Wildfire flew overhead once more. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Up there!" the teenaged lab pulled his camera out again and started taking pictures. "That's not an airplane!"

"Oh well, you found your kaiju." Hyper said, congratulating the lab. He continued on his way down the road, to the point where he heard some commotion in the direction he was walking in. He said his goodbyes to the lab and walked away.

[Hlaoroo]

"That he did! Our company has finger in many pies. It's an honour, Mr. Mayor! But please, call me Ryan. Mr. O'Connor is my grandfather. I never did like formality much."

"Well, Ryan," Mordecai smiled, "Please tell your father we will be happy to do business with him again and that he, and you, will always be welcomed in our town!"

"I shall! And thank you!"

"You can never have too much of Fredrick's clam chowder!" Wildfire declared.
"Sounds like it's settled then!" Wildfire said cheerfully, clapping his hands together. "I'll fly on ahead and get ready. You guys do what you have to do and meet up with me. Remember, we meet up at Pier 29, Fredrick's Fish and Chips. See you there!" Wildfire waved at his two friends, spread his wings wide, and took off to the north east.

"Okay, you have a point there. I will admit his chowder is pretty amazing! See you there!" Ryan waves as Wildfire disappears.

"And I should go and get my errands done," Mordecai said after watching Wildfire lifting off. Looking down at Ryan, he first asks, "Would you care to tag alone? I could do with the company," before leaning in close and whispering, "I know you to be a fellow Kaiju as well but you have a good heart, so you have my trust."

"Sure, unless you want to tag along with me. My car is right there." Ryan offers, nodding to where a uniformed sea otter waits attentively by a dark tinted, modestly sized limousine parked at the bottom of the City Hall steps. Unlike his employer, however, this fellow is exactly what he seems - a zoomorphic sea otter.
"Thanks. Says a lot about you that you're willing to trust someone you only just met. For that, I'm willing to trust you too." he whispers back.

[Deske]

"Mhmm, wonderful," Gregg said as he pulled out his phone and proceeded to dial his bosses number. He stepped off to the side to talk, returning when he was finished. "He told me he could hold down the shop, so I've got the day free for a fun round of questioning." He slipped his phone back into his pocket. "So, to 'HQ' I guess?"

[CyberDragon]

"Don't have to reassure or explain yourself to me. Wouldn't be my first time being detained," Gregg replied with a simple shrug. He was fine with her going through his case, as long as she didn't decide to destroy anything if she decided that something was evidence, or whatever. Lucky for him, it went smoothly.
"Maybe efficient is a better word?" Gregg replied as he shuffled behind cover along with Julian. "I don't know if I can call in sick, but maybe she'd be willing to write my boss a note about why I'm as late as I am..."

Heather turned, acknowledging the human Kaiju. "Sorry. To address your question, I could write a message that then gets covered in a full cartridge of black ink to the point of being barely readable and have a federal agent flanked by soldiers deliver it to your boss saying you likely won't be in until late if you come in today at all." She said, not a hint of a joke to be heard in her voice. "The KDF is one of the most secretive branches of the military. Even this recruitment was supposed to be confidential. We're working to be more open about things, but as long as enforcement of anti-hunting laws remains as lax as it is, it's in everyone's best interest that we don't reveal the identities of our recruits or members, nor the locations of our facilities. The nature of the attack should also be kept secret to avoid tipping off whoever hired this guy." She simply shrugged. "Might just be easier to text your boss and say you're sick. Or that you got hit by a car on your way to work. Or that you got attacked by a genocidal assassin and then got whisked away by a Special Forces trooper. Funny that the most factual story is the one that won't be believed."

"Mhmm, wonderful," Gregg said as he pulled out his phone and proceeded to dial his bosses number. He stepped off to the side to talk, returning when he was finished. "He told me he could hold down the shop, so I've got the day free for a fun round of questioning." He slipped his phone back into his pocket. "So, to 'HQ' I guess?"

"Thanks," Julian replied, texting that he had a 24hr bug. As they had no clue as to his real nature, he felt he could get away with it. "I do like having a life. Although options for travel seem to have opened up today."

Tigress, in the meantime, listens carefully to Heather's command. She's composed herself considerably, but her general mood has returned to a more neutral than aggressive tone as she surveys the two visitors for the first time since they've arrived. She turns back to Heather once she finishes for a quick question. "How far? Are we transporting ourselves or what?"

"I've got a truck that can fit all of us, and we can gag and hog-tie the hunter in the bed of the truck." Heather said. "It's about half an hour to forty five minutes away by truck, and that's with good traffic. That said, I know a slightly off road way that gets us there in fifteen." She walked over to the hunter, who was starting to wake up. She tore off his mask and drew her hand cannon, keeping it pointed safely away from anyone, but in the hunter's full view.

The hunter started to struggle, and looked like he was about to say something. "Shut up! You have the right to remain silent. If you give up this right, I will hurt you and then make sure every word you say is used against you when you're thrown into an oversea terrorist prison for launching a chemical attack on a military facility." She undid his cuffs, making sure her gun was in his sights but out of his reach while she re-cuffed him, just not to the . She grabbed him by the collar with one arm and hoisted him to his feet. "I know those bolts are filled with enough poison to kill everyone in this city with some to spare, so if you think that's not on the table, you have another thing coming. You have the right to an attorney, assuming you can contact one that's cleared to know about the facility you're being held at. If not, you'll be provided with a government attorney who likely hates you as much as I do right now. So shut up, don't struggle, and cooperate. Then maybe things will go smoothly and we can try for life in federal prison for trying to kill a kid in a government building rather than the domestic terrorism charges. Got it?"

The man immediately shut his mouth and nodded quickly, falling in line and letting himself be pushed and guided along by the massive, and frankly terrifying, soldier. Heather stopped and picked up the crossbow, knife, mask, and ammunition, putting them all in evidence bags before continuing towards the back door. She looked behind her at the rest of the group. "Follow me. My trucks out back, like I said, and you won't be able to access the shorter routes in your own vehicles."

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

"Oh well, you found your kaiju." Hyper said, congratulating the lab. He continued on his way down the road, to the point where he heard some commotion in the direction he was walking in. He said his goodbyes to the lab and walked away.

"Yeah! Yeah!" the lab said enthusiastically. "Mom and Dad'll have to believe me now! Thanks for the directions!" The lab said before running towards the museum he left his parents at.

Meanwhile, it seemed the commotion was coming from an abandoned warehouse. That said, the commotion seems to have died down.

[Deske]

"Hrm, I just told him that some business with the government came up and left it at that. We've had government contracts before so it won't raise any suspicions." He lifted an eyebrow at the mention of a truck, "Is it government black with tinted windows or is it government white, also with tinted windows?"

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Ah, well," Julian said after sending the text and listening to the others talk about Gregg, "should be fun. They do white tinted windows? Hey," he added, clapping Gregg on the shoulder, "perhaps they'll need to hire a..." He tried to think of what might need the things the 'Human' had said were in his case. "...Cartographer? Architect? Comic artist?" As though to distract himself, he looked over to Mist. "I like the hat, by the way. Something you can lift when you're meeting ladies," he asked, simulating the action.

[DdeeStar]

She looked behind her at the rest of the group. "Follow me. My trucks out back, like I said, and you won't be able to access the shorter routes in your own vehicles."

"Right behind you." At this point she'd hardly be able to see with how bright Mist's glowing, and she was going to have to ask him to cut some of the energy if she was driving. She checks the charge on the stun gun and returns it to her pocket. Mist nods his agreement, ready to go.

As though to distract himself, he looked over to Mist. "I like the hat, by the way. Something you can lift when you're meeting ladies," he asked, simulating the action.

Mist runs his hand against the right side of the brim. "It's less about attempting to be the top dog of some harem, more about lying better." The pun lacks the heavy emphasis he normally puts in it, as if he barely realized he was saying it. To illustrate the lying point he quickly draws a small matchbox from the inside of his vest, grabbing three matches and striking them against the box. All three burst into blue flame and immediately burn past the head through to the wood, effectively disappearing fully in a swift blue burst. He puts the matchbox back and rubs his hand together to get the ash hidden. That would have to do for now, if he burned any more energy he'd do practically nothing in any other situations that pop up within the hour. The little burn on his hand wasn't a great tap for energy. "Magic."

[Welsh Halfwit]

"It's more politeness than for a harem, my friend," Julian replied. "Not that I'd ever know what to do with a harem anyway. Known a girl for months and finally got her number today and... I'm babbling. Gotta envy you the magic, though. All I do is grow tall. A mask would help..."

[SeanWolf]

"Sure, unless you want to tag along with me. My car is right there." Ryan offers, nodding to where a uniformed sea otter waits attentively by a dark tinted, modestly sized limousine parked at the bottom of the City Hall steps. Unlike his employer, however, this fellow is exactly what he seems - a zoomorphic sea otter.
"Thanks. Says a lot about you that you're willing to trust someone you only just met. For that, I'm willing to trust you too." he whispers back.

Mordecai looks at the limo for a bit then replies, "Well, that would make the errands easier...OK. I just need to head over to the nearest place that sells agriculture vehicles...one of our tractors recently died and I need to buy a new one." before following Ryan over to said limo and greeting the driver with a handshake.

[Deske]

"Ooh, nice trick. I've got something of an affinity for blue fire as well, but a little bit different," Gregg said in response to Mists magic trick. "Oh and I'm a tailor actually. And I wouldn't worry too much as long as word doesn't get out, it could be any one of the red foxes in the city. Like she said," he gestured to Heather, "Most civilians can't get a Kaiju detector, so unless they're already hunting for us, then you don't have to worry."

[CyberDragon]

"Hrm, I just told him that some business with the government came up and left it at that. We've had government contracts before so it won't raise any suspicions." He lifted an eyebrow at the mention of a truck, "Is it government black with tinted windows or is it government white, also with tinted windows?"

Heather opened the rear door of the warehouse and lead the group outside. "Cyberpunk Stainless Steel. With tinted windows." She said, pointing to a very strange looking truck with a stainless steel skin. She pushed the hunter over to the truck and opened the tailgate. "Get in." She demanded of the hunter.

It looked for a moment like he was going to resist, but then Heather pressed the handle of her pistol against his back. "You only need one kidney." she said.

He seemed to take the hint, and climbed into the bed of the truck. Heather read him a few ground rules. "I see you trying to escape, I'll pull over and shoot you in the shins. I see you making any attempts on the people in the truck, I'll pull over and shoot you in the knees and shoulder joints. If I so much as hear you back here, I'll stop this vehicle, break your teeth, and duct tape your mouth shut. Understand?"

The hunter nodded quickly, but kept his mouth shut.

"Good. Keep up like this, and you might even get a trial." She said. She slammed the tailgate shut and closed the lid of the truck bed, locking the hunter inside.

"Right behind you." At this point she'd hardly be able to see with how bright Mist's glowing, and she was going to have to ask him to cut some of the energy if she was driving. She checks the charge on the stun gun and returns it to her pocket. Mist nods his agreement, ready to go.

"Alright, everyone. Pile in the seats." Heather said after she was done thoroughly terrifying the hunter. "There's a stainless steel barrier between you and him, so you're all perfectly safe."

[Foxfan2164]

Hyper went to see what was going on over by the warehouse. He walked over to the warehouse and peeked around the corner to see what was happening. He noticed a couple of zoomorphs and a human piling into a truck, possibly going somewhere. He was a bit confused as to why they were going into a truck but then he saw Mist climbing into the truck as well. "Hey Mist!" he yelled while waving a paw. "Where are you going?"

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Right-ho," Julian said, hopping up and in. "My main problem with being seen, Gregg? We're going to go past where I work in about a min...". He paused as someone called out. A Grey Wolf was approaching. "Nice to meet you, Mist," he told the cat.

[DdeeStar]

"Hey Mist!" he yelled while waving a paw. "Where are you going?"

Mist stops as he realizes that there's a new voice, spins around, and grabs Tigress's arm just before she fires the lightning blast. She realizes they're fine and puts her arm down without a fight, the electric hum fading again. He hops out of the car and steps to the side. Now who is-Oh. It's just one of the popular kids from school. Mist quickly tries to structure a lie with the knowledge that almost everyone here is a Kaiju and the odd one out is huge and visibly armed. "Family paintball outing for my birthday. Figured I'd go down in style." Suddenly (partially) recalling the note from earlier, he tips his hat slightly to the newcomer. Tigress notices this and brings a hand to her mouth to cover a smile. "Did you need something, or..." He trails off, not used to small talk. This was certainly something.

[Foxfan2164]

"Why do you need a truck to take you and your family down to play paintball?" Hyper asked, pretending to be confused. He knew that Mist and his accomplices weren't going to play paintball, but what he didn't know was the fact that there was a kaiju hunter in that truck. "Could I come with? I knew I wasn't invited but I would love to play paintball." he added, pretending to have no idea about the contents of the truck.

[DdeeStar]

"Why do you need a truck to take you and your family down to play paintball?" Hyper asked, pretending to be confused.

"Truck comes with the ref." He gestures vaguely towards Heather, trying to hide his annoyance behind the big smile. "Fits the whole party, the guns, a good amount of ammo and the collapsible cover. This way we get to pick where we play."

"Could I come with? I knew I wasn't invited but I would love to play paintball." he added, pretending to have no idea about the contents of the truck.

Mist's smile falters for a moment, then it returns as he looks towards Heather and asks with a light sigh "Is that something we can do? Did you bring an extra gun, do we have an extra seat? Everything lines up?" He's certain this is a terrible idea. Besides the obvious problems with security and privacy he's already having a stressful enough day without someone unaffiliated there. Especially were Hyper to see something, being in the same school... Mist regularly had issues keeping the energy reactions quiet and even the match trick wouldn't work if Hyper kept pushing him for answers.

Tigress leans against the van and mutters "Not gonna introduce us to your friend?" Mist glares at her and she gives him a lazy copy of his showman's smile.

[Hlaoroo]

Mordecai looks at the limo for a bit then replies, "Well, that would make the errands easier...OK. I just need to head over to the nearest place that sells agriculture vehicles...one of our tractors recently died and I need to buy a new one." before following Ryan over to said limo and greeting the driver with a handshake.

"Mr. Mayor, welcome." the chauffeur greets, shaking the hand and opening the door for the horse.

"Sure, there's actually one on the way to the office." Ryan says, following the mayor into the car.
"HQ is in the CBD not far from here but these papers need to go to one of our smaller offices further out of town. Can I offer you a drink?" the sea otter asks, opening a mini fridge to reveal a modest selection of alcohols and soft drinks.