Non-HPU: Crater City

[Deske]

"Fantastic," Gregg said, sliding the appointment card into his wallet. "Thanks for getting this set up for me," he said as he sat back down in the, now empty, waiting room. He picked up a magazine and idly skimmed through it.

[DdeeStar]

"We get requests from partnered organizations. Mostly public services." Heather replied. "The fire departments in the different parts of the city often ask for Leviathans to help fight forest fires. Thunderstorm, the dragon you saw in the valley, sometimes takes jobs from the city to give temporary boosts to the output of local power plants. Wildfire's done similar things. Construction companies appreciate just about any Kaiju with arms. It just sort of goes on like that." Heather said. "These jobs are completely optional, but they pay really well. You also have the right to hide your disguised form identity. In addition, your non-Kaiju partner will go with you for added security should you accept any of these commissions."

"Oh yeah! The partner thing! How does that work? Is it some sort of matchmaking-questionnaire thing or interviews, and is their job just to follow me around?" He tilts his head as he considers having a partner like Heather, a person capable of actually winning a hand-to-hand fight, accompanying him to school. Though it wouldn't change much since he's basically invisible anyway, having a bodyguard at a high school is a fun brief fantasy.

Tigress, slowly growing annoyed as she attempts to decipher the minuscule differences of the ancient phone's keyboard, mutters "Hold on a second, I'm trying-I gotta get all this down. Power... fire... stations... security..." Mist leans over into her space to see what she's typing, but she turns the screen away from him with a low growl. He doesn't seem to mind and just returns to smiling at Heather.

[CyberDragon]

"Oh yeah! The partner thing! How does that work? Is it some sort of matchmaking-questionnaire thing or interviews, and is their job just to follow me around?" He tilts his head as he considers having a partner like Heather, a person capable of actually winning a hand-to-hand fight, accompanying him to school. Though it wouldn't change much since he's basically invisible anyway, having a bodyguard at a high school is a fun brief fantasy.

Tigress, slowly growing annoyed as she attempts to decipher the minuscule differences of the ancient phone's keyboard, mutters "Hold on a second, I'm trying-I gotta get all this down. Power... fire... stations... security..." Mist leans over into her space to see what she's typing, but she turns the screen away from him with a low growl. He doesn't seem to mind and just returns to smiling at Heather.

Heather shook her head. "They won't be following you around everywhere. We recruit a number of non-Kaiju members, just like we do for Kaiju members. The two groups train together, alternating partners until we have a good idea of who will work best with whom. After that, you'll start training more regularly with that partner and, if all goes well, you'll be assigned to each other." she explained. "They'll be recruits, same as you. You'd be the same rank, or at least similar. You'd fight together, train together, and go on assignments together. Often times, a Kaiju and their partner end up being close as brothers and sisters."

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

A smile form on Mordecai's face, "One group did, yes. It was early in the afternoon a few months back and I decided to head over to a local Bar & Grill in my town for a bite to eat. The place has amazing burgers and steaks along with the finest homemade root beers as a side note. Anyway, before I even walked in, a group of Kaiju Hunters came in, about five or six of them, dressed in your usual hunters garb immediately spotted me, but could you blame them? We Tikbalang are pretty easy to tell apart from everyone. They all walked over and started doing their usual shtick, along with messing with my outfit at the time. Now, I am a calm individual, let it be known, so everything they were doing didn't register with me at all. However, when I heard one of them rooster their revolver, a .45 Caliber with a five-round cylinder, and was ready to pull the trigger...I believe the phrase is 'All heck broke loose'? Because it did as I just looked the gun-wielder in the eyes and...well to spare the details, he went through the window of the bar while the rest were soon on the ground in pain...of course I paid for their hospital treatment and the one with the gun? He actually left the kaiju hunting business and now works as at that same bar as a bartender. Darn good one too as I've visited the bar on occassions."

"Hmm." Titus shook his head. "Honestly, it sounds like they weren't so much Kaiju hunters as they were just hunters who hated Kaiju. Maybe they wanted to get into Kaiju hunting." he shrugged. "I asked because professional Kaiju hunters don't make themselves known. You don't see them until they've already killed you unless you're constantly keeping an eye out for them. Like I do. Kaiju hunters also don't tend to use guns as they're ineffective against even disguised Kaiju. They tend to prefer poison darts, bolts, or syringes. For example..."

Titus held up his arm, and it started to glow. Dark red scales grew across the skin on his limb, covering the entire arm in a natural gauntlet. He stuck the draconic arm out, holding it up next to Mordecai's upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow.

PTING!

A small dart, no longer than a centimeter, struck Titus's arm and bounced right off of his scales. Titus reached down and picked it up, wrapped it carefully in a cloth napkin, and stood up from the table. He looked over at the group of patrons in the restaurant, none of whom seemed to have noticed what just happened. One man in particular, the one Titus was walking towards, was trying to ignore him and his group even as Titus drew close. The man was about middle-aged. He wore a formal suit with a jacket and tie. He had a cane resting on his lap, bottom facing toward Mordecai.

The man was trying hard not to look at Titus approaching. His eyes were fixed firmly on his menu, but didn't move like they would have if he was trying to decide what to order. Slowly, he lowered a hand to the handle of his cane and gently shifted it to point to Titus.

Wildfire was too fast for him. He lifted his shifted arm and electricity crackled down it's length, gathering in a ball in Titus's hand. He thrust it forward, and a bolt of lightning shot out and struck the man right in the shoulder, sending him flying off his chair.

The cane dropped to the floor, and the rubber foot opened up. A small dart, identical to the one Wildfire had blocked, shot out and embedded itself into the wooden wall. By this point, all eyes were on Wildfire and the stunned hunter. Several screamed and ran for the door. Wildfire ignored them and bent over to pick up the hunter. He shoved the hunter's face into the table and forced his arms behind his back while he handcuffed them together. "You're under arrest for attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you." Wildfire recited. Once he finished and got the hunter to his feet, he raised a hand to one of the waiters. "Check and to go boxes for table five, please."

[SeanWolf]

"Hmm." Titus shook his head. "Honestly, it sounds like they weren't so much Kaiju hunters as they were just hunters who hated Kaiju. Maybe they wanted to get into Kaiju hunting." he shrugged. "I asked because professional Kaiju hunters don't make themselves known. You don't see them until they've already killed you unless you're constantly keeping an eye out for them. Like I do. Kaiju hunters also don't tend to use guns as they're ineffective against even disguised Kaiju. They tend to prefer poison darts, bolts, or syringes. For example..."

Titus held up his arm, and it started to glow. Dark red scales grew across the skin on his limb, covering the entire arm in a natural gauntlet. He stuck the draconic arm out, holding it up next to Mordecai's upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow.

PTING!

A small dart, no longer than a centimeter, struck Titus's arm and bounced right off of his scales. Titus reached down and picked it up, wrapped it carefully in a cloth napkin, and stood up from the table. He looked over at the group of patrons in the restaurant, none of whom seemed to have noticed what just happened. One man in particular, the one Titus was walking towards, was trying to ignore him and his group even as Titus drew close. The man was about middle-aged. He wore a formal suit with a jacket and tie. He had a cane resting on his lap, bottom facing toward Mordecai.

The man was trying hard not to look at Titus approaching. His eyes were fixed firmly on his menu, but didn't move like they would have if he was trying to decide what to order. Slowly, he lowered a hand to the handle of his cane and gently shifted it to point to Titus.

Wildfire was too fast for him. He lifted his shifted arm and electricity crackled down it's length, gathering in a ball in Titus's hand. He thrust it forward, and a bolt of lightning shot out and struck the man right in the shoulder, sending him flying off his chair.

The cane dropped to the floor, and the rubber foot opened up. A small dart, identical to the one Wildfire had blocked, shot out and embedded itself into the wooden wall. By this point, all eyes were on Wildfire and the stunned hunter. Several screamed and ran for the door. Wildfire ignored them and bent over to pick up the hunter. He shoved the hunter's face into the table and forced his arms behind his back while he handcuffed them together. "You're under arrest for attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you." Wildfire recited. Once he finished and got the hunter to his feet, he raised a hand to one of the waiters. "Check and to go boxes for table five, please."

Mordecai was at first curious as to why he placed his arm near him but soon was startled by the dropping of a dart. He then watched as Titus walked over to the hunter in question and proceeded to arrest him, but not before shocking him and scaring the other customers. "Waiter!" Mordecai suddenly shouted as he stood up from the booth, "Make it two separate checks: One for me and my friends and...one for the city official." Walking over to Titus, who still had the hunter on the table, Mordecai looked at the hunter for a bit before turning his attention, and anger, back at Titus, "When I told you I felt dread when I looked up at the sky here...I was wrong. I should've been looking down next to me. Your actions, be it needed or not, caused not only those innocents to run out in fear, possibly needing therapy from the nightmares you have given them, BUT have also physically AND psychologically wounded this man, even with him being a hunter!" As he was yelling, the waiter brought his check over and, looking it over a bit, he pulls out his wallet and pays for it in full, along with a nice sized tip as an apology for what happened. He returned his attention to Titus, "When we become Kaiju, people look upon us with joy and the feeling of safety. But you? People look upon you with sadness and the feeling of death...and that is something I will never be associated with," he then nodded his head and said, with notable disdain, anger, and a bit of sadness in his voice as a tear streamed down his face, "Enjoy the rest of your night, Official," before motioning for both Ryan and Kato that he was ready to leave.

[Hlaoroo]

"We'll talk in my car, Mr. Mayor." Ryan states voice icy and eyes hard as Kato hurries both him and the Tikbalang out the door. He notices that the chauffeur makes sure to keep himself between Ryan and the Hunter and makes a mental note to give the chauffeur a raise. Neither otter notices the chauffer's hat left on the seat of the booth.

"911, what's your emergency?" says the voice on Ryan's phone.
"There's been an attempted murder at Giovanni's. Wildfire has the perp contained but we'll need a squad car and forensics. Also HAZMAT because the weapon was a botulinum dart." the kelpie answers calmly, climbing into the limo and motioning for the mayor to join him.

Once he's given the address and received assurances that the cops will be on scene momentarily, Ryan puts the phone away and turns his piercing gaze onto the mayor.
"So. What was all that about, Mr. Mayor? That man just tried to kill you. He would have killed all three of us if Titus hadn't stopped him. You might not have seen it but he was pointing his dart gun at you again when Titus tazed him. Yes, it scared some humans, but it would have traumatised them a whole lot more if we'd all died. Not to mention that him shooting in a busy place like that could have also potentially killed many people. Titus HAD to stop him immediately. He could not have been talked down. What would you rather Titus have done? I'm sorry but sometimes life-or-death situations have to overrule social niceties and traditional customs."

~~~~~~~~
"Well, if you want to show off your Kaiju form then you're welcome. Little pinch." Lightfoot invites, inserting the needle and filling two vials.
"And if you want me to look at anything or to ask me about anything then you're obviously welcome to do that too. Slight cool sensation; don't freak out, okay?" he says, healing the puncture wound.
"Colossus Kaiju forms are almost invariably just scaled up versions of their disguised forms though so chances are I won't have missed anything anyway. Do you have a codename yet, by the way?"

[SeanWolf]

"We'll talk in my car, Mr. Mayor." Ryan states voice icy and eyes hard as Kato hurries both him and the Tikbalang out the door. He notices that the chauffeur makes sure to keep himself between Ryan and the Hunter and makes a mental note to give the chauffeur a raise. Neither otter notices the chauffer's hat left on the seat of the booth.

"911, what's your emergency?" says the voice on Ryan's phone.
"There's been an attempted murder at Giovanni's. Wildfire has the perp contained but we'll need a squad car and forensics. Also HAZMAT because the weapon was a botulinum dart." the kelpie answers calmly, climbing into the limo and motioning for the mayor to join him.

Once he's given the address and received assurances that the cops will be on scene momentarily, Ryan puts the phone away and turns his piercing gaze onto the mayor.
"So. What was all that about, Mr. Mayor? That man just tried to kill you. He would have killed all three of us if Titus hadn't stopped him. You might not have seen it but he was pointing his dart gun at you again when Titus tazed him. Yes, it scared some humans, but it would have traumatised them a whole lot more if we'd all died. Not to mention that him shooting in a busy place like that could have also potentially killed many people. Titus HAD to stop him immediately. He could not have been talked down. What would you rather Titus have done? I'm sorry but sometimes life-or-death situations have to overrule social niceties and traditional customs."

Sitting down in the limo, Mordecai was silent as he was calming himself down. "You are correct about life-and-death situations, however that wasn't why I was angry. No, there was another reason. When I was watching Titus shock the hunter, I witnessed a family run out, carrying a small child no more then four, who had tears in their eyes and crying. That family, when we arrived, was enjoying their meal and the child was amazed to see us but was too shy to walk over. Now, thanks to Titus, he'll go back home with a newfound fear of us, all because Titus chose to use his kaiju power in front of everyone instead...instead of subduing the hunter in a way that didn't involve what he did..." Mordecai then began to shake a small bit, his hands folded in front of his face, "Let's just head back to your place..." Mordecai went silent as he lowered his head onto his folded hands. Unbeknownst the Ryan, Tikbalang like himself have a strong connection with children as not only were they the first ones to interact with them in a positive way when they first arrived in the United States, but children seem to be more accepting of them then other kaiju, a fact that even the Tikbalang found a bit odd but they never questioned why. Mordecai, in particular, had a strong connection to them, with one of his first acts as mayor being to personally fund and help with the rebuilding of his town's elementary school, so seeing one run away from him in tears, especially when it wasn't his fault, just got to him.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Little..?" Julian asked as the needle went in. "Oh, right. Thought you were giving me a nickname." He waited until the clean up was done before stretching. "Might as well 'clean out the pipes, so to speak." So saying he rose to his feet. All 140ft of it. "No codename," he said, "would 'Dove' be a bit silly?"

[DdeeStar]

Heather shook her head. "They won't be following you around everywhere. We recruit a number of non-Kaiju members, just like we do for Kaiju members. The two groups train together, alternating partners until we have a good idea of who will work best with whom. After that, you'll start training more regularly with that partner and, if all goes well, you'll be assigned to each other." she explained. "They'll be recruits, same as you. You'd be the same rank, or at least similar. You'd fight together, train together, and go on assignments together. Often times, a Kaiju and their partner end up being close as brothers and sisters."

Tigress glances up from the screen to get Mist's attention. "Meaning you and your buddy aren't sharing your little gift with the world until you've both got some actual training on your belt. Hear me? He nods happily, unaffected by her note. He runs through his checklist in his mind, staring off behind Heather as he tries to think of what else he can ask to support moving here. The earlier healing sustains his joyful mood, despite being at an awkward loss for words, so he stares into the back of the room dazedly.

Tigress reviews the few things she's managed to type down. On Call, Live Town, Power, Fire, Station, Security... she can't understand her own shorthand and with a slight huff puts the phone away. She brushes her handpaws over her head, pulling back her ears as she tries to focus. "Alright. Stars. Look, you seem to know a lot about this stuff and our situation. Just give us your best analysis of this. I'll bend, it sounds like the right idea. Moving here and me joining too. But if the commissions are the only way for me to afford our housing and they are random and competed for, that's not a stable living situation and we're better off doing what we've been doing." She finishes this with a broad gesture, almost a shrug as she entreaties Heather's help.

[CyberDragon]

Tigress glances up from the screen to get Mist's attention. "Meaning you and your buddy aren't sharing your little gift with the world until you've both got some actual training on your belt. Hear me? He nods happily, unaffected by her note. He runs through his checklist in his mind, staring off behind Heather as he tries to think of what else he can ask to support moving here. The earlier healing sustains his joyful mood, despite being at an awkward loss for words, so he stares into the back of the room dazedly.

Tigress reviews the few things she's managed to type down. On Call, Live Town, Power, Fire, Station, Security... she can't understand her own shorthand and with a slight huff puts the phone away. She brushes her handpaws over her head, pulling back her ears as she tries to focus. "Alright. Stars. Look, you seem to know a lot about this stuff and our situation. Just give us your best analysis of this. I'll bend, it sounds like the right idea. Moving here and me joining too. But if the commissions are the only way for me to afford our housing and they are random and competed for, that's not a stable living situation and we're better off doing what we've been doing." She finishes this with a broad gesture, almost a shrug as she entreaties Heather's help.

"I never said it was the only way to pay for housing here." Heather corrected Tigress. "I said that it was a well paying option. I also said the self-defense instructor in town is looking to hire an assistant. That combined with the standard KDF salary and the discount on housing would mean you could afford to live here rather easily."

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

At this point, Wildfire was so fed up with Mordecai that he didn't even acknowledge the Tikbalang's criticisms. After all, he had more important things to deal with, like arresting an assassin. Wildfire frisked the man, searching his pockets for any evidence while the restaurant owner ran out into the main room.

"Good lord...! What happened out here?!" the man cried out.
By this point, Wildfire had fully shifted into his anthro dragon form. "Attempted assassination." Wildfire explained, pulling magazines full of darts out of the man's inner coat pockets. "Please stay back. There might be a biohazard risk. The police and HAZMAT have already been called." Wildfire pulled a phone out of the man's pant pocket and checked it for messages. It didn't take long. Wildfire's eyes went wide, and he dropped the phone on the table before running for the door, hunter in tow.

The most recent text read "Three targets found. Send backup to Giovanni's."

In almost no time Wildfire was outside. He could hear the sirens in the distance. He could see Ryan's limo. He kept his eyes wide open for any signs of more hunters in the area.

[Hlaoroo]

Following Julian's example, Lightfoot shifts to his taller form too, although he still stands almost ten feet shorter than the fox.
"I mean, who's gonna make fun of a hundred and forty foot tall fox?" he grins.
"Maybe a two hundred foot tall dragon?" suggests one of his other heads.
"Oh, shush, you!" the first says again, prompting a giggle.
"So, why Dove?" asks the third head.

~~~~~~~~
"I'm sorry about the kid... I don't think he'll be scared of us though. His parents will explain the attempted murder. And anyway, as I said, there was no other way Titus could have subdued him in time. One upset kid is a small price to pay for our lives." Ryan says, punching another number into his phone. He starts talking as soon as the recipient answers.
"Colonel Heather, it's Ryan O'Connor. We're gonna need your boys down at Giovanni's. Wildfire's just collared a hunter that took a potshot - hang on a moment. Mr. Mayor, stay here. Don't move." he warns, having spotted the dragon tearing out of the restaurant.

The sea otter jumps from the car, punching another button on his phone, and approaches the dragon, making sure to stay out of reach of the hunter.
"What's wrong, Wildfire? Are you hurt? Colonel Heather, you're on speaker." Unwilling to waste precious time, Ryan elects to let Wildfire direct operations.

[DdeeStar]

"I never said it was the only way to pay for housing here." Heather corrected Tigress. "I said that it was a well paying option. I also said the self-defense instructor in town is looking to hire an assistant. That combined with the standard KDF salary and the discount on housing would mean you could afford to live here rather easily."

Tigress nods, giving a dismissive gesture. "I don't have whatever certification you need for that, and I doubt that my form of fighting would even work with theirs." She finishes with a light shrug.

Mist interjects, replying "It's not just that though, she's saying-"

Ryan says, punching another number into his phone. He starts talking as soon as the recipient answers.

Mist stops talking as Heather's phone starts reacting. He sits back in his chair, pulling out his phone to try to look less like he's eavesdropping, and Tigress just lays her head on the table, waiting for Heather to answer. It's not like the two of them can't wait.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Well," Julian shrugged, "it's along the lines of not really wanting to fight if there's some other way to do things. I try to be inventive." He nodded. "Love the three heads look. At least you're not going mad if you talk to yourself."

[SeanWolf]

Mordecai sat in the limo, head still in his hands, as Ryan spoke. While he didn't want to admit it, what he said was ringing true, but it was a price he, especially other Tikbalang, preferred never to pay. Even for the protection of their own lives, they still rather the child be safe and happy, even if it meant dying to protect them. He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as Ryan started talking into his phone to a Col. Heather while leaving the limo, instructing him to stay there and not to move. Lifting his head up, he watched as Ryan rushed toward Wildfire though what they were saying he couldn't tell, but it was probably something to do with the hunter. Unsure of how long it was going to take, Mordecai pulled out his own phone and began playing an old DOS game he installed on it to past the time.

[Foxfan2164]

Hyper turned to Lyncus after he hung up on his call with Heather. "Hey... Is everything ok?" he asked "I know being told you're a kaiju isn't the best thing but now you know where those powers came from." Hyper sat by Lyncus and gave her a comforting hug.

[CyberDragon]

Tigress nods, giving a dismissive gesture. "I don't have whatever certification you need for that, and I doubt that my form of fighting would even work with theirs." She finishes with a light shrug.

"I'm sorry about the kid... I don't think he'll be scared of us though. His parents will explain the attempted murder. And anyway, as I said, there was no other way Titus could have subdued him in time. One upset kid is a small price to pay for our lives." Ryan says, punching another number into his phone. He starts talking as soon as the recipient answers.
"Colonel Heather, it's Ryan O'Connor. We're gonna need your boys down at Giovanni's. Wildfire's just collared a hunter that took a potshot - hang on a moment. Mr. Mayor, stay here. Don't move." he warns, having spotted the dragon tearing out of the restaurant.

The sea otter jumps from the car, punching another button on his phone, and approaches the dragon, making sure to stay out of reach of the hunter.
"What's wrong, Wildfire? Are you hurt? Colonel Heather, you're on speaker." Unwilling to waste precious time, Ryan elects to let Wildfire direct operations.

When Heather's phone started to ring, her face immediately soured. She had half a mind to just ignore the call, but she figured that, with how the day was going, it could be an emergency. She picked up the phone and saw it was Ryan. Ryan calling her was rather unusual since he was mostly Wildfire's friend. She apologized for the interruption and picked up the phone.

"Ryan, I'm in the middle of something. What's this about?" she asked before listening to his explanation. Her eyes widened, but she kept listening.

"I was searching this guy when I found his phone. Before he attacked, he sent out a message to send backup. There's likely more hunters in the area." Wildfire urgently explained. He pulled the hunter forward and snarled at him. "Where's your friends?" he growled.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The hunter spat back.

Wildfire ignored him and started talking to the phone. "Heather, I hear sirens. Send someone over as soon as you can. I don't trust the police to handle this properly."

"Will do. I'll send Elder to help with the search." Heather said. She hung up.

Wildfire started looking around, dragging the hunter with him wherever he went. He was looking for any signs of where or who the other hunters were. His first clue didn't come until he walked past a bench at a bus stop. On the bench was a picture of a missing child. A missing child that looked way too familiar. The kid on the bench poster was around three or so years old, but had been missing for a year. His hair was different - longer and black instead of light blond - but his face and eyes were the exact same as the child dragged out by his family when Wildfire attacked the hunter. "Hey, Ryan?" Wildfire called. "Doesn't this kid look familiar to you?"

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

"I'm sorry..." Heather started. "It's an emergency." She dialed another number on her phone, this time connecting once more to the intercom system in the valley. Even inside and on the top of the mountain, it was easy to hear the speakers. She looked on the screen of her phone at the Cthulhu-like Kaiju apparently still napping under the waterfall. "Elder! Look alive! You're needed at Giovanni's. You know where that is?"

The creature on the screen blearily opened one of it's eyes and looked at the camera from across the valley, then nodded it's tentacled head. It stood up to it's full height, nearly 350 feet tall. It opened it's massive wings and took off into the sky.

[DdeeStar]

She apologized for the interruption and picked up the phone.

Tigress gives a thumbs up from the table, turning to the side to look at Mist. He just nods to Heather, smiling, and pulls out a deck of cards from his vest. Tigress pushes herself back up and takes her half of the deck, the two beginning to chat quietly in Yasal as they flip the cards and play War.

"What she means is there's multiple-"
"I don't need you to team up with her. She's a big girl, she can talk by herself." Tigress glances over at Heather, shrugs, and continues "She's gotta have like a foot or more on you."
"Her height is probably making this worse, honestly. You're acting really on edge."
"Well, I had a plan for how your birthday was going to go, and now we're here. The really annoying thing is that I left your gift in the motorcycle, and this would be a great time to give it to you." Mist looks up from the play area, intrigued by the idea of another gift, but she just keeps looking down at the cards. She sweeps the bet into herself. "And they're both going to be long gone. People'll just saw through the fence bars or something. Then we'll have to-"

"I'm sorry..." Heather started. "It's an emergency."

"You're fine. Just one of those days." Tigress responds with an immediate switch to English, not looking up from the cards.
"One of those days, huh?"
"It's your birthday. Of course it's a bad day." Mist gives a quiet 'aw' in response. Not that he's actually hurt by this, but he figures making her the bad guy would be a little distraction from her premature pity party.

Even inside and on the top of the mountain, it was easy to hear the speakers. She looked on the screen of her phone at the Cthulhu-like Kaiju apparently still napping under the waterfall. "Elder! Look alive! You're needed at Giovanni's. You know where that is?"

They both flinch at the (relatively) loud noise, pausing the discussion for a moment. Tigress then gives one last response, backtracking with "Because it's important to you. You know what I mean." She rolls her eyes at Mist, who just winks, sweeps the cards back into their holder, and sticks it into his vest. Both of them turn to Heather at once, Tigress bored again and Mist sharing his automatic smile.

[Hlaoroo]

"Well," Julian shrugged, "it's along the lines of not really wanting to fight if there's some other way to do things. I try to be inventive." He nodded. "Love the three heads look. At least you're not going mad if you talk to yourself."

All three heads immediately grin.
"Have you not heard of the March Hare?" they all ask at once.

~~~~~~~~
"Humans can be so hard to tell apart... But I'm pretty sure that's the kid the Mayor was freaking out about..." Ryan agrees.
"[Expletive]! What are we gonna do?"

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Yes," Julian said, as lightly as a 140ft tall person possibly could, "but he's mad and you're a... Heh. Never mind, eh?" He tried flexing, just to see if muscles were still working. He took a few steps. The room was designed for them but he made them as small as possible.

[Citrisfur]

Hyper turned to Lyncus after he hung up on his call with Heather. "Hey... Is everything ok?" he asked "I know being told you're a kaiju isn't the best thing but now you know where those powers came from." Hyper sat by Lyncus and gave her a comforting hug.

"Fine," she responds. "Just, um, what am I supposed to do with these? Eventually I'm gonna do something I'm not supposed to, or attract trouble, or... right?"

[Foxfan2164]

"Well..." Hyper said, trying to avoid the question."I mean these powers aren't gonna help your life in small ways." he replied, softly laying his head on Lyncus' shoulder. "But when the time comes, you might help the whole city. In case you didn't know," he said, lowering his tone "I'm a kaiju as well. The best way to not raise suspicion is to try not to tell too many people and try to hide your powers."

[CyberDragon]

Tigress nods, giving a dismissive gesture. "I don't have whatever certification you need for that, and I doubt that my form of fighting would even work with theirs." She finishes with a light shrug.

Heather hung up the phone. "Sorry again about that. Anyway, you don't need a certificate to be an assistant self-defense instructor, but the point is there are jobs available in town. Part time or full time. I just figured the Self Defense Instructor position would appeal to you. You seem the type to have experience teaching people how to survive." She said, giving a meaningful glance toward Mist.

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

"Humans can be so hard to tell apart... But I'm pretty sure that's the kid the Mayor was freaking out about..." Ryan agrees.
"[Expletive]! What are we gonna do?"

"We find that 'family' and save that kid. They must be this guy's backup. They must have bailed when they saw I was on to the fact that hunters were there." Wildfire stated. "But I'd have to figure out where to put this hunter here." Wildfire said, nodding to the hunter in his grip. "He'll slow us down and give us away."

[DdeeStar]

Heather hung up the phone. "Sorry again about that. Anyway, you don't need a certificate to be an assistant self-defense instructor, but the point is there are jobs available in town. Part time or full time.["]

Mist turns to Tigress with his smile, having tried to support this point before she changed the subject. She ignores him.

["]I just figured the Self Defense Instructor position would appeal to you. You seem the type to have experience teaching people how to survive." She said, giving a meaningful glance toward Mist.

"You're good because you're a tiger mom." Mist replies with absolute seriousness. Some of these write themselves.

Tigress starts to speak, pauses as she gets the joke and tries be professional and not react, then replies "The fact that that child is alive is no less than a miracle. He can't fight or use his powers or be left alone in a dark room-he'll start to suffocate on shadows." She shakes her head as he laughs and nods. "That actually happened. Still not sure how."

Mist leans into her seat and speaks with a pleading voice. "All the more reason for me to be on-site to train, right? I can learn from a tutor like I'm supposed to instead of sticking knives in the outlets!" She turns to him, shocked at the idea that he's still doing that, to which he continues "I haven't done it since the first couple times, but like..." He quickly pulls out the notebook, flipping it open and pointing at one section of notes with his finger. "Void! That's like a coma when naturally expressed!"

They both stare at each other for a moment. Tigress, giving him a wary look, ventures "Is this a threat?"

Mist drums his claws on the table impatiently and decides not to give a straight answer. "Let's focus on the topic at hand. You should at least interview for the job." He grabs the notebook and sticks it back in his vest, gesturing outwards as if to say it's her play.

Tigress looks back at Heather, realizing they'd fallen into their own side conversation again. She shakes the unnerved look off and returns to her best businesswoman look, which... isn't great. "Sorry. Guess that'll have to go on the calendar too somewhere. Probably after the court case. But I guess... if everything really does line up, which means it won't then there really isn't anything stopping us... I'm just a little susp- little curious as to why you would put this much effort into helping us. You seem to know of the Yaksas. There must be a dozen Kaiju you could recruit with the time it takes to get the two of us situated." Her little slip isn't subtle by any means, but she's used to speaking as bluntly as possible so the fact that she corrected herself means a lot to the two of them.

[SeanWolf]

"Wonder what's going on over there," Mordecai thought to himself as he put his phone away. His curiosity getting the better of him, he steps out of the limo and walks over to where Ryan, Wildfire, and the captured hunter were standing and was ready to inquire what they were doing when he catches sight of a poster. He didn't realize it at first but, after a few minutes of looking at it and thinking back to earlier, he suddenly began to feel angry again. But unlike his anger at Wildfire, this anger was different. Thinking back to when he saw the child get dragged out screaming and crying, he quickly realized that there was another reason for the child's actions and it wasn't what Wildfire did at that moment. Looking down at the hunter with a look that could make even the mightiest quiver in fear, he reaches down and pulls the hunter with one hand, pulling him out of Wildfire's grip with such force that would make Wildfire react with a bit of a shock, and looks him dead in the eye and, with his guttural growl, begins to talk to the hunter: "Choose your answer carefully and wisely, for if your next answer is false, then there'll be no place on Earth that will hide you from the Tikbalang's wrath. Attacking a kaiju is one thing, but threatening the life of a innocent child? Not even the fires of Hades itself will offer you comfort if I find you were either lying or have done harm to the child. Now...where are they?" His grip tightened on the hunters outfit and not the neck as he didn't want to outright kill them (not at the moment anyway) as he spoke, his anger also higher then it ever was, even more so then it was with Wildfire.

[Citrisfur]

"Well..." Hyper said, trying to avoid the question."I mean these powers aren't gonna help your life in small ways." he replied, softly laying his head on Lyncus' shoulder. "But when the time comes, you might help the whole city. In case you didn't know," he said, lowering his tone "I'm a kaiju as well. The best way to not raise suspicion is to try not to tell too many people and try to hide your powers."

"I'm not meant for hiding," Lyncus says, somewhat more bewildered that Hyper suggested that as an option more than him admitting to being a kaiju, "I always get found out in the end, somehow. How do you hide a giraffe from the government?!"

[Foxfan2164]

"Maybe doing somethong else would keep you mind of the fact you're a kaiju." Hyper suggested as he sat upright. "Wanna take a walk? Maybe that'll clear your mind."

[Citrisfur]

"Maybe doing somethong else would keep you mind of the fact you're a kaiju." Hyper suggested as he sat upright. "Wanna take a walk? Maybe that'll clear your mind."

Lyncus stands up suddenly, shaking her head slightly. "Sure, whatever. But this thing is still going to be with me," she says, giving her paw that previously held the orb a slight flourish. "Wonder what James is up to, anyways. Maybe he finished his paper by now."

[Foxfan2164]

"Alright then!" Hyper said as he got up to his footpaws. He held out a handpaw to her. "Come on! The orb'll always be with you but your fear of being found out won't stay." He said to Lyncus, happily.

[Hlaoroo]

"Yes," Julian said, as lightly as a 140ft tall person possibly could, "but he's mad and you're a... Heh. Never mind, eh?" He tried flexing, just to see if muscles were still working. He took a few steps. The room was designed for them but he made them as small as possible.

"I'm a what?" grins one head while the other two watch Julian carefully, analysing his lines and movements.
"Are you alright? Any pain at all?" one of them asks eventually. "You're just not moving much, that's all..."

~~~~~~~~
Ryan steps forward, deciding to play the "good cop".
"Easy, sir. He can't talk to us if you strangle him with his own clothes." he points out, hoping the mayor will catch on to what he's doing.
"Things'll go much easier for you if you just talk, Hunter. We might even be able to get you a deal, maybe even get you off. It is us you shot at after all and we can ask for the charges to be dropped. Why don't we start with an easier question? What's your name?"

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Hmm," Julian said, lengthening his strides somewhat, "Just wanted to make sure I didn't get Arcophobia or something. Is there such a thing as a Kaiju that's afraid of heights?" He chuckled slightly, "and I was trying not to infer a Doctor could be mad, is all. All seems OK. I could probably wag my tail and provide air conditioning for a small office block."

[CyberDragon]

"You're good because you're a tiger mom." Mist replies with absolute seriousness. Some of these write themselves.

Tigress starts to speak, pauses as she gets the joke and tries be professional and not react, then replies "The fact that that child is alive is no less than a miracle. He can't fight or use his powers or be left alone in a dark room-he'll start to suffocate on shadows." She shakes her head as he laughs and nods. "That actually happened. Still not sure how."

Mist leans into her seat and speaks with a pleading voice. "All the more reason for me to be on-site to train, right? I can learn from a tutor like I'm supposed to instead of sticking knives in the outlets!" She turns to him, shocked at the idea that he's still doing that, to which he continues "I haven't done it since the first couple times, but like..." He quickly pulls out the notebook, flipping it open and pointing at one section of notes with his finger. "Void! That's like a coma when naturally expressed!"

They both stare at each other for a moment. Tigress, giving him a wary look, ventures "Is this a threat?"

Mist drums his claws on the table impatiently and decides not to give a straight answer. "Let's focus on the topic at hand. You should at least interview for the job." He grabs the notebook and sticks it back in his vest, gesturing outwards as if to say it's her play.

Tigress looks back at Heather, realizing they'd fallen into their own side conversation again. She shakes the unnerved look off and returns to her best businesswoman look, which... isn't great. "Sorry. Guess that'll have to go on the calendar too somewhere. Probably after the court case. But I guess... if everything really does line up, which means it won't then there really isn't anything stopping us... I'm just a little susp- little curious as to why you would put this much effort into helping us. You seem to know of the Yaksas. There must be a dozen Kaiju you could recruit with the time it takes to get the two of us situated." Her little slip isn't subtle by any means, but she's used to speaking as bluntly as possible so the fact that she corrected herself means a lot to the two of them.

Heather sighed and shook her head. "You would think that. But each recruitment has to be pre-arranged and set up in a secure location. We only do about one or two recruitments a week." Heather explained. "It takes time to find people in the area who are open to the idea of setting one of these recruitment meetings up. It takes time to secure a location that's inconspicuous enough there won't be eavesdroppers. We can't exactly recruit at colleges and big events like the rest of the military. It's too risky. As a result, we have to try extra hard on the recruits we do find." Heather explained.

She looked up and smiled. "Besides. I like Kaiju. You guys get the raw end of a lot of deals, and I want to help how I can."

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

"Wonder what's going on over there," Mordecai thought to himself as he put his phone away. His curiosity getting the better of him, he steps out of the limo and walks over to where Ryan, Wildfire, and the captured hunter were standing and was ready to inquire what they were doing when he catches sight of a poster. He didn't realize it at first but, after a few minutes of looking at it and thinking back to earlier, he suddenly began to feel angry again. But unlike his anger at Wildfire, this anger was different. Thinking back to when he saw the child get dragged out screaming and crying, he quickly realized that there was another reason for the child's actions and it wasn't what Wildfire did at that moment. Looking down at the hunter with a look that could make even the mightiest quiver in fear, he reaches down and pulls the hunter with one hand, pulling him out of Wildfire's grip with such force that would make Wildfire react with a bit of a shock, and looks him dead in the eye and, with his guttural growl, begins to talk to the hunter: "Choose your answer carefully and wisely, for if your next answer is false, then there'll be no place on Earth that will hide you from the Tikbalang's wrath. Attacking a kaiju is one thing, but threatening the life of a innocent child? Not even the fires of Hades itself will offer you comfort if I find you were either lying or have done harm to the child. Now...where are they?" His grip tightened on the hunters outfit and not the neck as he didn't want to outright kill them (not at the moment anyway) as he spoke, his anger also higher then it ever was, even more so then it was with Wildfire.

"H-HEY! Let go of me, freak!" the hunter stammered, glancing back to Wildfire. "I don't know what you're talking about! You going to do anything?!" he barked at the dragon.

Wildfire shrugged. "I was planning on just eating you and looking for your friends myself if you didn't talk. This seems like a fair deal for you, that being considered." he only partly bluffed. The hunter's panic started to grow even more apparently.

Ryan steps forward, deciding to play the "good cop".
"Easy, sir. He can't talk to us if you strangle him with his own clothes." he points out, hoping the mayor will catch on to what he's doing.
"Things'll go much easier for you if you just talk, Hunter. We might even be able to get you a deal, maybe even get you off. It is us you shot at after all and we can ask for the charges to be dropped. Why don't we start with an easier question? What's your name?"

"I told you!" the hunter cried out, desperation apparent in his voice. "I don't know! Those freaks aren't my friends! I don't even know their real names! Those guys are dingos! Child traffickers! Not a single thing they won't do for cash. I had no idea they were the support the - !" He cut himself off, as if realizing he was saying too much. "... I want a lawyer."

[SeanWolf]

"I told you!" the hunter cried out, desperation apparent in his voice. "I don't know! Those freaks aren't my friends! I don't even know their real names! Those guys are dingos! Child traffickers! Not a single thing they won't do for cash. I had no idea they were the support the - !" He cut himself off, as if realizing he was saying too much. "... I want a lawyer."

Mordecai growled a bit more as his grip tightened around the hunters outfit, ignoring what both Ryan and Wildfire were saying. An idea soon came to him, leading to him loosening his grip and bringing the hunter in closer to him: "Forget about the dragon and his words, they are meaningless and devoid of any truth. Instead, focus on me and me alone. Now tell me: Where are these 'dingos' you mentioned? If I find that you are lying..." he looked over around for a bit, "...Oh, I'm fairly certain that the Cipactli in the sewers hasn't been fed in a while. So I ask again: Where are these dingos and the child?"

[DdeeStar]

Heather sighed and shook her head. "You would think that. But each recruitment has to be pre-arranged and set up in a secure location. We only do about one or two recruitments a week." Heather explained. "It takes time to find people in the area who are open to the idea of setting one of these recruitment meetings up. It takes time to secure a location that's inconspicuous enough there won't be eavesdroppers. We can't exactly recruit at colleges and big events like the rest of the military. It's too risky. As a result, we have to try extra hard on the recruits we do find." Heather explained.

She looked up and smiled. "Besides. I like Kaiju. You guys get the raw end of a lot of deals, and I want to help how I can."

Tigress shakes her head and scoffs "Thankfully we're the special mountain demons everyone loves and every other Kaiju wants to hang out with the beings that gave us such a great reputation. We kinda earned what we're getting." She gives Mist a playful punch on the arm. "Bad luck on your first draw, huh?"

Mist grins, pulling out the card deck and slipping them into his handpaw as he responds. "I guess. Still, no good game is won or lost on one hand alone. Here, we've got a chance to shuffle things around a bit. " He begins to slip the cards together, looking up at Tigress. "Switch up our lives for the better! And I get that you're suspicious of this. Sure, we aren't ideal, but they wouldn't be recruiting if they were a-" He throws down five cards, flipping them upright.

Tigress struggles not to laugh at his determined, confident look as he flips a junk hand. "You didn't even get one pair."

He turns down to the cards, sighing in disappointment as he puts them back into the deck and shuffles it once more. "Not giving up that easily." He looks up at Heather this time, resolute. "Forget that happened. Now, we may be demons, and sure we need training, but eventually we can be your-" He puts his torso on the table, legs on the chair and arms fully outstretched to bring the deck within her reach. He quickly fans it open, cards pointing towards Tigress and himself as he silently prays she'll manage to blindly draw an ace. She gives Heather a peaceful smile, an odd expression on her, but honest. She's already made her choice... but it'll be fun to see what she draws. She gives her own silent prayer, mostly in jest, for some sort of sign Gaia cares-if not for her, then for Mist. Is this a good choice?

[Hlaoroo]

"Oh, there definitely are. It tends to be the water types usually but it can be anyone really. The important thing to remember is that although it seems like you're a greater distance from the ground, proportionally it's exactly the same. So if you fall you're really falling no further than you would if you tripped while in disguised form. And the damage to yourself would be identical, even if you did leave a bigger crater. Speaking of disguised forms, do you have a disguise for while you're in Kaiju form? If not we'll talk to the Colonel about getting you one."

~~~~~~~~
Mordecai's new threat gives Ryan another idea and he uses his power to make the sewer slosh and gurgle a little, shooting a small amount of slime from the grate.
"You should probably talk so we can all get out of here. It'll go easier for you. Who were they supporting? Who did you call in?"

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Nope," Julian replied, pointing at the logo for the repair shop on his shirt, "I'm just 100% me.
Which is a great advert for the shop but does put a target on everyone." He shrugged before slimming back down. "One more reason I don't do that often," he admitted.

[CyberDragon]

Tigress shakes her head and scoffs "Thankfully we're the special mountain demons everyone loves and every other Kaiju wants to hang out with the beings that gave us such a great reputation. We kinda earned what we're getting." She gives Mist a playful punch on the arm. "Bad luck on your first draw, huh?"

Mist grins, pulling out the card deck and slipping them into his handpaw as he responds. "I guess. Still, no good game is won or lost on one hand alone. Here, we've got a chance to shuffle things around a bit. " He begins to slip the cards together, looking up at Tigress. "Switch up our lives for the better! And I get that you're suspicious of this. Sure, we aren't ideal, but they wouldn't be recruiting if they were a-" He throws down five cards, flipping them upright.

Tigress struggles not to laugh at his determined, confident look as he flips a junk hand. "You didn't even get one pair."

He turns down to the cards, sighing in disappointment as he puts them back into the deck and shuffles it once more. "Not giving up that easily." He looks up at Heather this time, resolute. "Forget that happened. Now, we may be demons, and sure we need training, but eventually we can be your-" He puts his torso on the table, legs on the chair and arms fully outstretched to bring the deck within her reach. He quickly fans it open, cards pointing towards Tigress and himself as he silently prays she'll manage to blindly draw an ace. She gives Heather a peaceful smile, an odd expression on her, but honest. She's already made her choice... but it'll be fun to see what she draws. She gives her own silent prayer, mostly in jest, for some sort of sign Gaia cares-if not for her, then for Mist. Is this a good choice?

Heather shrugged and pulled a card from Mist's hand. She let out a small laugh. "Hope you won't be the King of Hearts. He's stabbing himself in the head." She turned the card to show it. then placed it on the table face down next to the rest of the cards. She picked up the fanned out cards minus the one she drew. "Though I think I know what you were trying to say..." Heather said, shuffling the deck back together and setting it down next to the face-down card. She then picked the solo card back up, and turned it to show Mist it was now an Ace of Spades. "...Ace in the hole?"

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

Mordecai growled a bit more as his grip tightened around the hunters outfit, ignoring what both Ryan and Wildfire were saying. An idea soon came to him, leading to him loosening his grip and bringing the hunter in closer to him: "Forget about the dragon and his words, they are meaningless and devoid of any truth. Instead, focus on me and me alone. Now tell me: Where are these 'dingos' you mentioned? If I find that you are lying..." he looked over around for a bit, "...Oh, I'm fairly certain that the Cipactli in the sewers hasn't been fed in a while. So I ask again: Where are these dingos and the child?"

"Who's the one lying?" Wildfire muttered, mostly to himself.

Mordecai's new threat gives Ryan another idea and he uses his power to make the sewer slosh and gurgle a little, shooting a small amount of slime from the grate.
"You should probably talk so we can all get out of here. It'll go easier for you. Who were they supporting? Who did you call in?"

The hunter swallowed, looking at the sewer drain with apprehension. He shut his eyes, stuttering and stammering as he tried to remember anything. "They... They left the restaurant... They turned left... The parking building! They must have used the public parking lot! I don't know what their car looks like... but it hasn't been long. They wouldn't have had the time to get to their car and leave yet. If you block the exit, you can catch them."

"Then we need to hurry." Wildfire pulled the hunter out of Mordecai's grasp and started dragging him along. "Might eat you anyway just to free up my hands..." he grumbled.

[DdeeStar]

Heather shrugged and pulled a card from Mist's hand. She let out a small laugh. "Hope you won't be the King of Hearts. He's stabbing himself in the head." She turned the card to show it. then placed it on the table face down next to the rest of the cards. She picked up the fanned out cards minus the one she drew. "Though I think I know what you were trying to say..." Heather said, shuffling the deck back together and setting it down next to the face-down card. She then picked the solo card back up, and turned it to show Mist it was now an Ace of Spades. "...Ace in the hole?"

Mist pushes himself off the table and back into his chair, leaving the cards with her in his retreat. He's clearly embarrassed at the poor show on his part. Still, he smiles happily as Heather displays the right card. "Yeah! That's the one!" He grins up at Tigress, who seems amused by the show. "There you go. She's handing us a new chance." She just looks back at him expressionless. He quickly grows exasperated, spinning in his chair to face her and continuing in a hissed whisper "What will it take! Running isn't working and you keep making enemies with everyone we meet! What is your problem with us having a better life!" She tries to hide her smile as he whisper-yells at her, causing only more annoyance to him as she continues to not take him seriously. He continues for another sentence or so before she gently brings her handpaw up to shut his jaw, catching him by surprise. He just stops, confused. Tigress turns to Heather. A brief moment passes as she works up the nerve to follow through. True to form, you wouldn't know it from the self-assured tone of her reply.

"Guess that's it for questions. Next thing's committing, right? Is there somewhere I sign?"

[SeanWolf]

A smile crossed Mordecai's face as he nodded, happy that he, with help from Ryan, was able to get info out before Wildfire snatched the hunter away. Following the three to where the hunter said, Mordecai tapped the hunter's shoulder and said, "Thank you for your help. I am willing to drop the charges against you if you want to serve your time by working in my town as a rouge spotter. You will be treated fairly and be given reasonable accommodations, but you'll also be on surveillance 24/7 by a guard we assign to you and will not be allowed any weapons. If not, you can enjoy your time in jail."

[Deske]

Gregg flips another page in the magazine, casually reading factoids about countries across the sea.

[Hlaoroo]

Lightfoot also Shifts back into disguised form before continuing.
"We'll definitely work on getting you a disguise to match either your personality or codename or both then. That's something the Colonel will help you organise though. I can only do medical stuff really." he apologises.
"Being Chief Medical Officer has its perks but my budget is limited to medical necessities and disguises don't really count for that. Not unless I can spin a way to make it a psychological need for you... Hmm... Anyway, I guess that's all I need from you. If there's nothing else you need from me then I suppose I should see my last patient."

~~~~~~~~
Ryan decides not to tell the hunter that this isn't Mordecai's jurisdiction and therefore the mayor can't really help him. Instead he follows the horse and dragon and instinctively pats his pocket to make sure the small, specially modified taser he'd grabbed on his way out of the limo is safely in place.
"You said something about support. Who were they supporting? Who else were you working with?" he asks the hunter as they run.

[CyberDragon]

Mist pushes himself off the table and back into his chair, leaving the cards with her in his retreat. He's clearly embarrassed at the poor show on his part. Still, he smiles happily as Heather displays the right card. "Yeah! That's the one!" He grins up at Tigress, who seems amused by the show. "There you go. She's handing us a new chance." She just looks back at him expressionless. He quickly grows exasperated, spinning in his chair to face her and continuing in a hissed whisper "What will it take! Running isn't working and you keep making enemies with everyone we meet! What is your problem with us having a better life!" She tries to hide her smile as he whisper-yells at her, causing only more annoyance to him as she continues to not take him seriously. He continues for another sentence or so before she gently brings her handpaw up to shut his jaw, catching him by surprise. He just stops, confused. Tigress turns to Heather. A brief moment passes as she works up the nerve to follow through. True to form, you wouldn't know it from the self-assured tone of her reply.

"Guess that's it for questions. Next thing's committing, right? Is there somewhere I sign?"

Heather simply nodded and pulled out some spare forms, handing them to both Tigress and Mist. "You'll have to co-sign for Mist since he's only 17. Your training will start tomorrow, if you are able."

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

A smile crossed Mordecai's face as he nodded, happy that he, with help from Ryan, was able to get info out before Wildfire snatched the hunter away. Following the three to where the hunter said, Mordecai tapped the hunter's shoulder and said, "Thank you for your help. I am willing to drop the charges against you if you want to serve your time by working in my town as a rouge spotter. You will be treated fairly and be given reasonable accommodations, but you'll also be on surveillance 24/7 by a guard we assign to you and will not be allowed any weapons. If not, you can enjoy your time in jail."

The hunter glared at Mordecai. "I will never work for such an unnatural creature as you." he spat.

"I wouldn't bother trying again. You're talking to someone who hates Kaiju enough to commit genocide against them by killing them one by one."

Ryan decides not to tell the hunter that this isn't Mordecai's jurisdiction and therefore the mayor can't really help him. Instead he follows the horse and dragon and instinctively pats his pocket to make sure the small, specially modified taser he'd grabbed on his way out of the limo is safely in place.
"You said something about support. Who were they supporting? Who else were you working with?" he asks the hunter as they run.

"He sent a message to someone asking for them to send support." Wildfire said. "Hunters are often hired by politicians and rich people to collect trophies. Some just offer a reward for anyone who can confirm a Kaiju kill. So, which ****** hired you, huh?"

"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you." the hunter snarled. "I've never seen him. Don't even know if it's a him. We drop the proof off in a locker on pier 7. We text them, and in an hour the proof is switched out with payment."

Wildfire continued dragging the hunter by the collar until they reached the entrance/exit to the parking structure. Wildfire stepped up to the toll booth and addressed the worker inside. "KDF officer Wildfire." the dragon announced himself, showing his ID. "We're looking for two suspects wanted for murder, kaiju hunting, attempted murder, kidnapping, and suspected child trafficking. We believe they parked here, and are trying to make it to their vehicle. We need to inspect all outgoing vehicles for the suspects."

The gate guard looked alarmed. "Do... you have a description of the people you're looking for?"

Wildfire gave the hunter a shake. "What do your friends look like?"

"I told you. They're literal dingos. The kid they're with is human. They tend to say the kids they take are adopted..." he grudgingly said.