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Futuristic Arcadia: Heroes World Brave

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Sasha looked slightly confused when Henry glanced at Akiko and said "lead investigator" as he'd already forgotten Akiko was a detective again.
 
The "lead investigator" was currently pulling out a notepad and pen. She was the best detective! Best girl!

"The thing is, they don't exactly operate in complete secrecy. I mean life insurance policies are expensive but it's not like people don't need them, especially with all the destruction we inevitably wreak," Akiko muttered as she flipped to a blank page. "Their life extension programs are well known too though back then, they were just rumors. When people started disappearing.."

Akiko frowned, "They were doing it by their own choice. "
 
The Little Giant stood before them with a serious, contemplative look. A few magpies pecked at the grass that lined a wide concrete building with big windows that gazed out into the airstrip. Deceptive blue skies littered with clouds beamed down upon them, the wind rough and chilling. Eventually Gary spoke, "After what happened with Triple 9 I would think that Alpheum would be under very strict security at the moment. There are other channels to gain access to their...resources, but they pay a high price."

"What kind of resources are we talking?" Liz asked.

Gary Quinn shrugged, "It's as the little lady said - Alpheum are rather beloved in Australia due to their research in the medical field. Y'know, prolonged life, curing diseases, keeping people alive. The issue is that it's privately owned, so mostly the rich and the lucky have access to it. There are lots of Go Fund Me's on the internet about families with sick kids needing financial support to get insured, but for those that are more desperate, well..."

As his words trailed off Liz began to understand, "Ah, an underground business taking advantage of the poor and needy! Very classy."

"Exactly. The guys name is Phoenix Lin. He's pretty famous in Melbourne for his 'four immortal sons' who rule over China Town like obnoxious, shady guardians," Gary grimaced, "Technically their work is all legal, so there isn't much that can be done about it. It's best not to sniff around them too much 'else your nose will be bitten by Alpheum."
 
"Sounds very Streets of Rage," Sasha chuckled. "Or maybe it's more of a Final Fight... Well, either way, it's a place to start." Sasha glanced at the others. "What do the rest of you think? Care to join me hunting down this Lin?"
 
"I'll join!" Akiko exclaimed as she stabbed the paper with her pen to end the last sentence she wrote.

Do not get bitten.

"It may not be best but it's also not best to leave them rampaging around," she said as she tucked away the notepad in her front pocket. The smile on her face faltered and the cool feel of her necklace was suddenly more prominent. A memory stirred behind her eyes but with a blink it was gone. "They're left alone too often."
 
"Well, sounds like we have a plan then," Klaus began, leaning against the VTOL, his arms across his chest. "Why don't we agree to meet at Alpeum in six hours? Whatever you manage to turn up, we can consider it while we take our VIP tour. I'm going to follow some other leads I managed to stir up on the trip over, so I'll see you all soon."
 
Liz raised an eyebrow at Klaus, "You're not thinking of going alone, are you? I'm coming too."

All of them stared at her in surprise. She shrugged as if it meant nothing to her.

Gary grinned, "Well, that's alright. Me and the kiddos will meet you guys in 6 hours then!"


text-1665727547259.png

Melbourne, Australia
6:08pm


♫ King Brown - Barkaa
The sun had gone down on the city of Melbourne, it's last remnants of light creating a gradient of orange to navy on the horizon. Multicoloured lights illuminated the busy streets packed with locals and tourists that crowded restaurants and pubs. Buskers sang and performed on the streets, creating a cacophony of sounds that were almost overstimulating against the noise of traffic and the roars of laughter booming from rooftop bars. The twilight air was refreshing, opening up to a starless sky that was instead filled with looming buildings displaying billboards of the two competing AFL teams and local radio stations. Gary walked in front of them as if he has traveled through these streets a thousand times, ignoring a homeless man who rattled a bottle of small change at them as they walked past. Even the people who stared down at him he ignored - for as a man with dwarfism he was all too used to the looks that people gave him - and slipped through the crowds with ease. They passed a brick wall painted with graffiti art that read 'EAT THE RICH' and eventually stopped at the corner of a narrow, crowded street where a 7/11 marked the beginning of China Town. A large, ornately decorated arch gave way to a street bustling with cars, scooters and people. A tram rang its bell as Gary spoke to his newly acquainted supers with a smile, "Phoenix Lin's restaurant is just down the street from here. Have you decided who is going to be acting the sick and dying one, yet?"

Briefly, Gary explained his idea once more. One of them would be acting as someone in desperate need of Alpheum's insurance whilst the others played the concerned family...though considering the group gathered before him was a Russian man, a Japanese woman and an African American man he wondered if his idea would be believable. Still, Gary knew that Phoenix wouldn't care about the details once they agreed to his conditions. Once their infiltration team had gathered enough evidence to satisfy Akiko they would escape and meet up at Alpheum headquarters with the others.

"I cant go in with you, remember. They'll recognize me, but I'll be waiting outside in case anything goes wrong."
 
A mousy woman with a tangle of brown hair slowed to a stop beneath the outstretched wings of a magnificent and delicate phoenix, hung in all its gilded glory above a restaurant entrance on a bustling street corner just off central Chinatown. She dug a well-used notepad from the pocket of her oversized tan jacket, flipping through it to double check something against both the street she was on and the aging wrist watch otherwise hidden beneath her sleeve. The woman slid her owlish glasses further up her nose, nodding to herself before tucking her notepad back in her pocket and ducking under the curtain into the restaurant proper.

The restaurant was dimly lit in reds and golds, silk tapestries and marble statuary decorating it even as it carved the floor space into a deceptively simple labyrinth of tables and dividing walls. She was hardly the first here, the entranceway already partially filled with guests waiting on the good graces of a hostess who carried herself with the confidence of someone who knew as undeniable fact that they were better than you. The woman in the tan jacket stepped past all of them, walking with a brisk determination into the house proper. Her goal lay not at the back, but nested in the center, the inescapable vortex the entire building seemed to have been formed around. The titular “Phoenix” the restaurant was named for.

Lin Fenghuang.

A well-muscled Arabic man with a shaved head and an admirable tan stepped in front of her as the woman approached, crossing his arms and looking down his nose at the would-be intruder. She tried to step past, but a quick shift of his weight instantly obstructed her again. She tried to go around his other side with the same result.

“I have an appointment,” the woman informed Lin’s guard, offering him a politely friendly smile.

“Unlikely,” he replied brusquely, taking a step forward and forcing the woman to take a step back.

“It’s true, we spoke earlier, and I was told-”

“I’m not seeing anything on my log.”

“You- you’re not checking a log…”

“C’mon Sandy, just let the girl through,” called a voice from Lin’s table. One of his three other companions, with a hairy face and cheshire grin. And she could swear she saw a tail swishing beneath the table.

“Indeed!” spoke another - a large heavyset man, balancing a hand drum on one knee. “I can’t imagine just anyone would be bold enough to lie so poorly in a place like this! And even if she did come with ill intent, I’m sure we could handle ourselves just fine.”

“Sandy” glowered at the woman for a long moment, narrowed eyes seeming to pierce straight through her before finally he relented. “For your sake,” he warned in a low growl only she could hear, “I hope this whim of theirs isn’t misplaced.” He stood there a moment longer, then uncrossed his arms and joined the others at the table.

She rocked back on her heels for a second, waiting for her mind to catch up, then cleared her throat and slid over to Lin’s table. She gave the seats in the booth a cursory glance, wondering if she should sit or not. Lin was flanked by the large man and Sandy, while the friendly guy sat opposite with a very… very pretty lady in a rabbit-eared hoodie sequestered in the corner on the guy’s left side. The rabbit lady’s eyes flickered up at her as she reached for a gyoza with fine red chopsticks, making her suddenly very aware of her own heartbeat. Maybe it was better to stand for now.

“Oh! Um,” she started flawlessly, remembering why she was there. She fished inside the inner pocket of her jacket before pulling out a business card and offering it to Lin. The monkey guy took it instead, his hands so fast she almost didn’t see them.

“Ho-hoh!” he exclaimed, looking it over. “A bookseller! Lynne Aster, huh? That’s a new one.”

“Y’know, I think I do remember that name,” The rabbit woman agreed, taking the business card with one hand while grabbing another gyoza with the other. “I suppose you were telling the truth, then?”

“As I knew from the very start!” the drum guy cheered, snatching the card from the air with deceptive grace as the woman tossed it his way. “You strike me as the honest sort, and I’m never wrong about these things.”

Sandy gave him a sidelong glance. “Hmph.”
 
Detective Bong walked alongside them in silence as she took in the sights and sounds all around her. The ease with which Little Giant walked, the trifling bits of conversation she overheard, the blossoming of the night life in the city all served to loosen the stranglehold Alpheum held over her heart. She absentmindedly reached for the gold chain around her neck, feeling the glass ball slide up slightly beneath her shirt as she ran her fingers up and down the chain.

Gary's questions snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked over, perking up at the mention of acting.

"It's fine, we got this. In fact, watch, I'll take the lead," Akiko announced as she winked at them, finger guns out. "The lead role that is."

Then, she coughed loudly, exaggeratedly, clutching at her throat and chest as she collapsed down to one knee. More forced coughing that mimicked that of a cat throwing up a hairball followed up by her actually coughing as she suppressed the urge to throw up that she had accidentally triggered. She cleared her throat and got up, looking expectantly at the others, tears in her eyes from the force of the gagging.

"You think that'll fool them?"
 
"No," Sasha said bluntly, his features and form shifting instantaneously. His skin became sallow and wrinkled, his eyes sunken and red, and his lips blueish in hue. His back hunched and a cane appeared from somewhere along with a limp. Even his clothes changed, forming into a suit one of some money might wear but faded, as if it had been worn heavily recently.

In short, Sasha became a sickly Englishman of about 73 in a matter of three steps down the street.

He cleared his throat, his accent and age evident. "Henry, you shall be my companion, of sorts. A fresh mind to counter the aged, one might say, hmm?" Even the manner of his speaking was different, the lilt and cadence giving the impression that Sasha was used to getting his way.

"Akiko, you can be my eccentric daughter," Sasha said. "My name will be Sir Brandon for this venture, though I suspect I will remain dubious until otherwise persuaded, hmm?"

Sasha smiled kindly. "I must say, daughter, I am intrigued. Lead on, my dear, lead on."
 
Akiko began to profusely sweat, hand halfway out of her pocket, clutching something that reflected the light of the shops and street. Her gaze was on the sidewalk but she slowly looked up, intentionally avoiding the sight of the transformed Sasha. Instead, she focused on the glass window of the shop nearby and caught her reflection. The suit, her short hair, the tie so painstakingly made...

I'm a detective, she thought resolutely and let the monocle go to let it slip back into her pocket.

"Righty-o," Akiko said, a hint of a bad English accent in her voice. She cleared her throat and adjusted her tie, continuing in her normal voice, "Adopted daughter, you came to the states, and you know how to identify tobacco by their ash."

A pause.

"Well, maybe not that last one but let's make sure we play this like iced tea," Akiko grinned as she strolled forward.
 
Henry looked at Akiko, then Sasha, expressionless. His eyes met with Gary, then at the camera, and then landed back on Akiko and Sasha. "Yeah...we're uh....we're really gonna nail this thing," he sighed with a resigned tone as he followed the two apparent investigative experts.
 
Akiko led the way to the restaurant's doors, opening the doorway into the lobby. A few guests had yet to be seated, and a hostess approached the trio, a pasted-on smile on her face.

"Seating for three?" the hostess asked.

"Oh, yes, yes, hmm?" Sasha said in response, cocking his head slightly as he leaned in and smiled. "My daughter, and my companion, yes. My daughter speaks very highly of the refreshments here, yes. I had to see..." Sasha licked his sickly lips. "Taste them myself, hmm?"
 
"Erm, we'll take a seat by the window, if you don't mind," Henry interrupted, adopting an English accent as well. "Come on, Sir Brandon, you should hurry and sit down. Standin' too long ain't gonna be too good fer your knees, y'know?"
 
Gary visibly facepalmed as the trio walked in. He waited outside on the streets where the cool night air brushed against him. Their fate was in Phoenix Lin's hands, now.

***

Lynne Aster was met with a long, cold glance from the elderly man on the opposite end of the circular table where the Fenghuang family dined. She would feel awfully scrutinized by the colourful characters who looked her up and down like a delicious meal. Slowly a wrinkled hand reached up to where the largest son, Ken, held the business card and took it with a gentle snap.

Phoenix Lin was an ordinary man in appearance. He was around 70 years old in age and had deep lines that framed Asian features. Lynne would notice tanned skin dotted with moles and faded tattoo's from his youth, and greying hair that thinned at the top of his head. Each of his children shared some of the same features as him, though they all varied in shockingly different ways. What was striking about Lin Fenghuang, however, was his piercing red eyes that seemed to delve deep into a persons soul. Those crimson eyes flicked down to the business card he now held and, after a moment of silence, the elder spoke, "Let's skip the pleasantries. What do you want, Miss. Aster?"

***

The hostess stared blankly at the strangers that had walked in, but silently slipped three black menu's under her arm and lead the supers to a spare table that looked out to the crowded street where Gary stood idly by. He noticed them in the window and shot a thumbs up that didn't instill any confidence in them whatsoever. The female waitress passed Sasha, Henry and Akiko a menu each and began to speak in a bored drawl, "I'll get you some water. If you wish to order the Immortal Hot Pot there is a wait time tonight, is that okay?"

After sharing confused looks with each other, the waitress leaned over Henry and snapped open his menu, pointing a finger to the only thing on the long list that didn't have a significant description and was written in bold, red lettering.

Immortal Hot Pot
Phoenix Lin Special.
Beside the text was no price and no further explanation. The woman shrugged and continued, "Everyone always wants that, but my personal favorite is 'Kai's Sichuan Mapo Tofu'. Anyway, I'll leave you to decide and get you guys some water."
 
"I'm actually very hungry, dear," Sir Brandon said, placing a hand over Akiko's after they were seated. "That tofu does sound very good."
 
"How very shocking!" Sir Brandon said, looking very concerned and slightly disappointed in his adopted daughter. "Your time in America has not done you well I dare say... Wouldn't you agree Henry, hmm?"
 
Henry looked in concern at the two, almost too baffled to speak, before he turned to the waitress and shrugged. "Hardy," he shook his head in disbelief, resisting the urge to slap both of their heads together for a moment. "Would you believe this man," he chuckled, pointing to 'Sir Brandon' while laughing. "Like a father to me and still, he forgets me last name."

Raising a finger, he added as he waited for Akiko to take a seat. "Tell you what. Since we'll be waitin' a minute anyway, think we can start off with the mapo tofu and uh...how 'bout the Peking Duck.? And we'll be here a while discussin' business so we'll take that Hot Pot whenever it's available."
 
"Oh dear Hardy, forgive me, truly," Sir Brandon said as the waitress shuffled off. He glanced at Akiko. "Perhaps we had better sort out your name as well, hmm? Before I stumble over my own tongue again and make fools of the lot of us."
 
"Come on grandpa, get it together. I'm your niece, Aiko," Akiko said as she looked through the menu, Henry recognizing the name. It had been the same one she had given him when she had first made contact with him.

"You think we should get some dumplings too? Ooh, pork buns are a good choice."
 
Sir Brandon had the good grace not to look baffled at his once adopted daughter, and now niece's, identity, at least not for longer than a few seconds.
 
"Come on grandpa, get it together. I'm your niece, Aiko," Akiko said as she looked through the menu, Henry recognizing the name. It had been the same one she had given him when she had first made contact with him.

"You think we should get some dumplings too? Ooh, pork buns are a good choice."
Henry stomped repeatedly on Akiko's foot, before looking at the waitress. "See, what I mean? Eccentric as they get, these two! Heh heh..."
 

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