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Fantasy ＩＭＰＥＲＩＵＭ

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REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Night -- Location: In front of Gryphus base -- Interactions: Adrian, Helvius, Vinnie
"MOTHER LUX!" A familiar voice echoed through the sleeping corridors. Remy immediately awakened and shot up in his bed, thinking something was wrong. He slowly opened his bedroom door and heard voices coming from down the hallway, adrenaline starting to pump through his veins. Recognizing the voices as Adrian, Vinnie, and Helvius, he relaxed and remembered that they were Initiating Liv tonight... and it clearly wasn't going according to plan.

He saw Dominic from across the hall also open his door with a confused look on his face. The Gryphus Circle member gave Remy a questioning look and Remy mouthed the word "Initiation" in response. Dominic rolled his eyes and closed his door again, no doubt going back to sleep and thinking Initiation was just a kid's prank. After a few moments, Remy saw the three boys exit Vita's and Liv's bedroom with a black burlap sack slung across their shoulder.

About half an hour later, Adrian and Vinnie returned from dropping off the new recruits in their usual desert spot. Remy joined them outside the base entrance with camp chairs and beers set up. They were waiting for Marcy and Liv to get back as well as the other Griffins to join the audience. "Yo why were you yelling?" he questioned Adri, taking a sip of his beer.

A sheepish look crossed over the Ventus Prodigium's face.

"Liv kicked him square in the nuts!" Vinnie blurted out, cracking up immediately after. He clearly couldn't contain himself and had been going around telling everyone.

Remy laughed loudly. "No way!" A surge of pride shot through him upon hearing Liv's feat. "Is that way you were screaming Mother Lux?" He burst out laughing again.

Adrian shot them a dirty look, obviously still salty about the situation. "That girl knows how to fight, ok? At least I tried to grab her, you just stood at the entrance doing nothing," he retorted back to Vinnie.

"Ok at least you don't have to fight her again later," Helvius inserted.

"Yeah well you'll be able to use your magic in the fight," Adri replied. "No matter how good she may be at hand-to-hand combat, you and Fabius will trump her in an elemental fight."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Remy interjected, remembering how Liv had alluded to the fact that she had been practicing a lot when they first met in Lutum.

The three boys looked at him. "How do you know?" Adri asked.

The Gryphus leader shrugged to give off an air of nonchalance and took another sip of his beer. "She just mentioned how she had tried to practice a lot even while she was living in Lutum."

Vinnie and Helvius nodded and went back to their side conversation while Adri kept his gaze on Remy, connecting the dots in his head.

"What?" Remy asked when he noticed Adrian still staring at him.

"Nothing," his best friend replied with a smirk. "You just seem to be making lots of friends in Lutum." That dumb smile stayed on his face.

Remy refused to meet his gaze and took another sip of his beer. "I'm a friendly guy," he replied.

"That's bullshit," Adrian laughed and Remy slapped his friend's shoulder with his beer can.

At this point, a crowd of Griffins had started milling out of base and taking their seats behind dunes. Some had beers while others brought snacks to eat during their upcoming entertainment. It wasn't every day a new recruit was Initiated, but it was even more rare to have them resist their kidnap attempt. Word had already spread like wildfire about how Liv had thwarted the Initiation team's attempt to steal her in the middle of the night. Everyone was curious to see who this girl was and more importantly, how she fought.

"Ugh they better not make me work tonight or else I'm going to make them hurt more," Atticus muttered to himself as he walked by Remy and Adri. He was clearly forced to be here during every Initiation and not happy about it.

Eventually, Roxanna alerted them that the two recruits were nearing base with her heightened vision from atop a dune. The Griffins quieted down and sat in anticipation, waiting for the two women to arrive. Fabius and Helvius took their places behind the adjacent opposite-facing dunes, ready to pounce.

When Liv and Marcy finally arrived, Remy could see everyone trying to stifle a chuckle as they heard Marcy let out a terrified scream and hide behind Liv. They all found her role as the scared recruit in the Initiation process particularly amusing given how tough of a person she really was in daily life. Huddled with Adri, Remy watched Fabius and Helvius jump out and open with their classic power move.
 
MARCELLA, HELVIUS, FABIUS
Time of Day: Night -- Location: Desert Wastes, in front of Gryphus base -- Interactions: Liv
“I think it’s supposed to point North, but I don’t see it right now. Don’t worry, though, it’s a super bright star, and I’m sure we’ll find it. First, let’s walk back to the place we were dropped off," Liv suggested.

Marcella nodded in agreement and the two women followed their tracks in the sand back towards where they were first dropped off. Of course, all of the tracks from the dirt bike had been erased by Adri so they couldn't just follow it home. She glanced over at the new recruit and saw her eyes fixated on the sky, waiting for a break in the clouds for some clue. Marcy resisted a small smile at how quickly she caught on- this was a smart one.

After several minutes of sitting in the sand and staring up at the cloudy sky, a bright twinkling ball finally appeared from behind the foggy blanket. Immediately, Liv pointed at the North Star. "I found it. We’re going to be just fine. C’mon, this way," she said and started walking in the northwest direction.

"Yay! We're not going to die tonight," Marcy replied with excitement in her voice and followed after the new recruit. Her steps trudged through the soft desert sand, going through periods of sloping dunes and patches of flat ground. "So what's your story?" she asked Liv as they walked, curious to see how open this recruit was. Some new recruits were prepared to launch into their entire life story while others barely said a word to her.

They walked for what seemed like close to forty-five minutes before a small metal door disappearing into the ground finally came into sight. "We're here!" Marcy squealed and started running towards base, knowing what was about to come next. From the corners of her eyes, she could already see all the Griffins hiding behind dunes, waiting for the battle to start. She noticed there were more Griffins gathered than usual.

Helvius and Fabius suddenly leaped out from opposite-facing dunes and confronted the two women. They both wore black bandanas tied around the bottom half of their face, only revealing their narrowed, determined eyes. Their bodies were tensed into a fighting stance with their fists positioned in front of their faces, clearly ready for a fight. "So you two made it back alive," Fabius commented.

"Now let's see if you can make it past us," Helvius added with a threatening voice.

They both took a step forward and in immediate succession, Fabius launched out a strong blast of rushing water from his palm towards the two "recruits." Helvius simultaneously discharged a strong bolt of lightning through the water current. The Aqua Prodigium's water blast not only concealed the bolt of electricity within its waves, but it also exponentially increased the speed of the lightning itself.

Starting off the battle with such a heavy-handed move caught most recruits off guard, especially after they had just been wearily wandering through the desert. As a result, the twin aqua-fulmen attack often took out over half of the new recruits, knocking them down right then and there. It helped that the Medic team was carefully watching from behind the dunes to ensure a quick recovery should something bad happen. However, as Helvius had been part of the failed attempt to capture Liv, he knew that she wouldn't go down so easily.

Playing the role of the easily panicked new recruit, Marcy immediately screamed when she saw the two boys jump out. She instantly ran behind Liv and covered her face with her hands. "Oh god we're going to die now," she said to Liv. "Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me," she started to repeatedly whisper to herself. Her hands were still covering her face as if blocking her sight from something would prevent it from happening.
 
liv eione
time of day: nighttime --- location: in front of the base--- interactions: marcella, masked griffins
The relief that rushed through her as Marcy followed her without protest was genuine and immense. She seemed to be in high spirits, though Liv couldn’t help but wonder when her mood was due to take another dip. Hopefully, they’d be back at the base before it happened again. Still, Marcella was quick to initiate conversation as they walked, asking her what her story was, and though she would’ve much more preferred that the dramatic recruit kept her mouth shut, Liv figured that humoring her and keeping her chattering might be the best way to keep her calm and occupied during the trek.

“My story? Just the same old,” she shrugged. She kept her eyes ahead as she spoke, sweeping the horizon for any sign of the base or a potential threat. “I’m sick of us being treated like trash. I want more than their scraps.” Though she had expected Marcy to immediately burst into a stream of words, she seemed to be listening carefully, instead. After a measured silence that was only punctuated by the sound of their footsteps, Liv added, “And well…I want justice for those who didn’t deserve what was done to them.” She paused, glancing over to meet the other recruit’s eyes. She chuckled lightheartedly to break the serious atmosphere, shrugging again. “Or y’know, whatever else I can get. But yeah, I’m from Favonius. My dad and grandma raised me–I’m an Ignis Prod, just like my old man. You?”

This time, Marcy did launch into a rambling spiel, and mercifully, Liv only had to nod along as she spoke. One thing she did pick out among the chatter, however, was that her fellow recruit was a Terra Prod. Potentially important information, she thought, especially now that they were nearing the base. Adrian had said something, back in the room–about how he was curious to see how she’d do ‘at the end.’ There had to be something waiting for them. Sure, leaving recruits stranded in the middle of the desert was a challenge in itself, but it seemed rather anticlimactic to serve as a good old-fashioned hazing. In fact, as they drew close to their end goal, the tall, sloping sand dunes were clearly the perfect place for an ambush. If she was the betting sort, she’d wager that there were people lying in wait. Finally, at the telltale, dull glint of a metal door in the distance, her steps slowed.

“Okay, now here’s the thing–” she began, turning to Marcy.

Unfortunately for her, said young woman was already in full motion. “We’re here!” she shouted joyously, overflowing with puppy-like enthusiasm as she bounded forward.

“No–Marcy, wait!” Liv hissed, lunging after her, but it was far too late for any of that. Two figures leapt out of the nearest sand dunes, wearing black bandanas to conceal their identity; Marcy screamed bloody murder, scrambling behind her.

“Oh god, we’re going to die now,” she babbled, “Please don’t kill me, please don’t kill me…”

Before Liv could open her mouth to tell her panicking partner that they, in fact, weren’t going to be killed, the disguised Griffins spoke up, using their biggest, baddest, scariest voices. “So you made it back alive,” the first one began menacingly.

“Now let’s see if you can make it past us,” the second one added–who she immediately recognized as the same Griffin she had pinned to the floor earlier in the night–Helvius. A chance for payback, maybe? But the duo seemed disinterested in any sort of verbal exchange; at once, they stepped forth, and moving in perfect tandem, they unleashed their elemental power. A surge of water shot towards them, laced with something else–lightning?

Ripping Marcella away from her, Liv shoved the cowering girl out of harm’s way. She herself jumped back, giving herself some distance as she met the dual elemental attack with her own blast of fire. With a loud hissing and crackling sound, the makeshift arena exploded with thick steam and smoke, clouding the visibility. Tumbling away, she grabbed Marcy, who was still frozen on the sandy ground.

“Listen to me,” she hissed into her ear, opting for a firm shake of her shoulder when she went ignored. “Listen! Okay? Marcy? This is a test, okay? They’re hazing us. They’re not gonna kill us. But you can’t just let them get away with this, right? You gotta show them what you’re made of. Right?” At the first sign of agreement, Liv nodded briskly. “Okay. You don’t have to fight until you’re ready, but in the meantime, can you make a wall or something to protect yourself? You got this.” With that, she stood and slipped silently into the haze, once more on the hunt. If payback was the name of the game, she had some to dish out, too, for making her deal with a heap of emotional chaos this long.

 
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MARCELLA, HELVIUS, FABIUS
Time of Day: Night -- Location: Desert Wastes, in front of Gryphus base -- Interactions: Liv and each other
Liv's swift defensive fire blast filled the sandy arena with smoke as it evaporated the water from Fabius' aqua attack. Marcy could imagine the other Griffins straining to see through the smoke, the eager ones likely pestering Roxanna to heighten her vision and report what she saw. Marcy was surprised at how quick this recruit's reaction time was. Wet droplets landed on her face as she continued her panicked babbling behind her hands.

She heard Liv's frantic whisper in her ear and felt the Ignis Prod shake her shoulders with frustration, trying to get her attention. "Listen! Okay? Marcy? This is a test, okay? They’re hazing us. They’re not gonna kill us. But you can’t just let them get away with this, right? You gotta show them what you’re made of. Right?” Marcy looked up from her hands into Liv's focused brown eyes. “Okay. You don’t have to fight until you’re ready, but in the meantime, can you make a wall or something to protect yourself? You got this.” A renewed sense of determination filled Marcy's own hazel eyes. She nodded and moved her trembling hands from her face to position them in front of her chest, feeling for the solid earth within her core. With a deliberate upward motion, a wide rock wall rose from the ground in front of herself and Liv to protect them from oncoming attacks.

Helvius and Fabius began pounding their rock shield with smaller quick attacks of electricity and ice, trying to break through the shield. This time, they opted for fast, precise attacks as opposed to a single super blast like their opening move. They both aimed at the same point in the center of the shield, hoping that the repeated attacks would eventually crack the entire rock. After several blasts, the shield eventually gave way to the onslaught and cracked from the center, causing little rock pieces to fall onto the soft dunes.

Suddenly, without any warning, a figure jumped out at Fabius from behind the disintegrating rock shield. Liv launched a swift punch to his core, knocking the air out of him. Simultaneously, Marcy screamed bloody murder and quickly reinstated her rock shield. This time, however, she created a turtle-like shell by crouching onto the ground and using both her hands to stabilize a stronger rock dome around her entire body. Without having to cover for both herself and Liv, she was able to create a smaller, tighter, and stronger shield.

Fabius recovered from the blow to his stomach and quickly created an icy casing around his fist. He aimed this icy punch at his opponent's face, but he lacked the speed needed to land a head blow like that. It had been a while since his last hand-to-hand combat training, as he had recently been working on improving his Aqua magic. Meanwhile, Helvius began shooting shocks of lightning at Marcy's new rock shell, trying to crack it open again.
 
liv eione
time of day: nighttime --- location: in front of the base--- interactions: marcella, masked griffins
In all honesty, she hadn’t expected much from Marcella. If anything, just staying out of harm’s way would’ve been the best she could’ve asked for. As a sturdy wall of rock rose from beneath their feet, Liv couldn’t help but be a little impressed with the size of it. If this was what a scared-stiff Prod could do, what could a professionally trained soldier do? As highly skilled the specters were, they couldn’t exactly just pull out elemental shields and weapons out of thin air.

Of course, she was now the exception.

She could hear the two attacking the wall now, aiming for the center–short bursts of energy. One opponent was an Aqua Prod, and the other, likely a Fulmen Prod. As an Ignis Prod, she knew that put her in a bad spot if it came to a direct elemental fight with an Aqua Prod. So that only left one option: take him out first, as quickly as possible. One on the left, one on the right. 50-50 chance of getting the jump on the right target. She didn’t like those odds.

Moving quickly, she stood directly in front of the wall, where the two on the other side were chipping away at the earthen defense. Ignoring Marcella’s quizzical gaze, she laid her hands over the center and closed her eyes, concentrating on the rhythmic sounds of the attack and the occasional, tell-tale grunts from each Griffin. Left, right, left, right, went the metronome in her head. Left, right, left, right… She could feel the attacks getting closer, the cracks getting larger as the stone slowly began to heat up under her hands. It didn’t need to be much–just enough. Just enough to–

A sharp sizzling sound hit her ears as ice met heated stone. Left! She leapt away right as the stone before her crumbled, pivoting hard towards the figure beyond the falling rocks. She landed a solid punch to the stomach, but before she could go for the second strike, the now-familiar sound of Marcy screaming interrupted her. When she turned around, however, it appeared that she had managed to pull up a full-body defense. By the time she had returned her attention to her opponent, he had recovered, swinging an ice-covered fist in her direction. She dodged instinctively, grasping his forearm and yanking him towards her as she dipped into a chokehold. He flailed, one hand grabbing her wrist, and immediately, a white-hot sensation burst where he held her, ice creeping to life. Still, she had no intention of letting go. A little bit of pain had never held her back from getting what she wanted. This was nothing–absolutely nothing.

Just then, another shriek pierced the night air along with a crackling noise. “Help! Help me!” Marcy was screaming. Whipping about, she saw that Helvius had breached the shell-like defense, and now the girl was cowering at the lip of her broken turtle-shell, once again frozen with fear as he drew back to strike. Biting back a frustrated hiss, she forcibly smashed through the icy grip and thrust the coughing man away from her, rushing back towards Marcy.

Gathering the heat to her fingertips, she hurled a ball of fire at Helvius. Though he moved to dodge, it caught the corner of his pants, spreading voraciously as he yelped and tumbled to the sand, rolling to extinguish the flame. She was on him in the next moment, leaning half of her weight against the very same arm she’d pinned down before. “Stay down if you don’t want a sprain, yeah?” There was a moment of resistance, but at a slightly more insistent prod, Helvius finally nodded vigorously. Satisfied, she sprang up, checking to see that Marcy was back in her turtle formation before whirling back towards the remaining fighter–but with the distance, it was too late.

A massive burst of water hit her legs, knocking her off her feet with the sheer pressure of the blast. She landed neatly enough, but was soaked from head to toe, looking more like a drowned rat than anything else as she found her stance. She was greeted, however, with the pointy end of an icicle at her throat. Flames spluttered weakly at her fingertips as she considered her next move, staring eye-to-eye with the ‘bandit.’ In a life-or-death situation, there’d be more options–in fact, even if it was just up to her pride, she would keep going, no question about it. However, her silly competitive streak was nothing in the face of the mission. From her peripheral vision, she could see the audience, held in suspense. This was a show as much as it was a test, and well, she’d done that quite well, she thought. Finally, she released a breath and offered him a chagrined smile, raising her hands up in an almost playful surrender.
 
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REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Night -- Location: In front of Gryphus base -- Interactions: Adrian, Vinnie, Liv
Remy watched Helvius and Fabius open with their familiar aqua-fulmen double attack. He was impressed by how quickly Liv reacted with a defensive fire blast of her own, filling the area with smoke. He leaned forward in his camp chair and strained his eyes to see what the fighters were doing. In his peripheral vision, he could see a couple of the Medics badgering Roxanna to use her acute vision on the fight. When the smoke cleared, Helvius and Fabius were trying to break through a rocky shield that Marcy had conjured.

"Bets on how long that Liv girl will last?" Vinnie turned towards Adri and Remy, his eyes dancing with eagerness.

"One of them will probably get kicked in the nuts," Adri retorted jokingly, thinking about his own injured groin. "But Fabius' Aqua magic will ultimately overpower her."

The Gryphus leader paused to think. He knew that she was fast and nimble, thinking back to their run-in with the patrols in Lutum. He also knew that she had been practicing her Ignis magic, but he was unsure what level of expertise she had achieved. "Without Marcy, she would have a chance at taking them both," Remy answered. "But Marcy's quite a liability here. She does more harm than good with the panicked character she's playing. Liv would be better off fighting alone in a one v two."

Vinnie looked skeptical. "She may have surprised us back when we tried to take her in the bunker, but in an elemental fight, Fabius and Helvius can take her down easy," he disagreed.

Just as he said that, Marcy's rocky defense crumbled and a swift figure launched out from behind the wall. Before Remy could even blink, Fabius had taken a sharp blow to the core. He swung a defensive punch back at Liv and Remy noticed the white icy casing around his hand that he was using for extra power. However, he was no match for her speed. She dodged his punch and grasped his forearm, yanking him into a chokehold and causing his arms flail out. Remy thought he looked like a squirming octopus.

Remy smirked and looked at Vinnie, who had a surprised expression on his face. "Still think they can take her easy?"

Suddenly, Helvius broke through Marcy's turtle shell with a loud crack and prepared to launch a lightning strike at her. "Help! Help me!" she shrieked, diverting Liv's attention. The Ignis Prod pushed Fabius away from her and threw a hot fireball at Helvius, who jumped back to avoid the blast. However, part of his pants still caught fire and he tumbled onto the ground, trying to extinguish it. Liv used this opportunity to pin him down into what would be the fatal blow. After a couple seconds of struggling, Helvius tapped the ground to signal surrender. It was clear to Remy that Liv's strengths lay in close hand-to-hand combat. Vinnie was correct in his assessment of her elemental abilities being subpar to Helvius and Fabius, but he had underestimated her experience with physical fighting, which was something the Griffins didn't focus enough on. He made a mental note to talk to Caliban about incorporating more hand-to-hand combat training in the Gryphus students' curriculum.

Before she could celebrate her victory, she was drenched in a strong water blast from Fabius, who had recovered from his chokehold. As she regained her balance, he held a sharp icicle less than an inch from her throat and a smirk behind his bandana.

There was a long pause.

Remy detected sparks of fire sputtering from her fingertips, surprising him with her resolve. Based on the intense, focused look in her eyes, he could tell she was seriously considering not accepting defeat, even with a fatal weapon held so close to her neck. It felt like the whole audience was held in a tense suspense.

Finally, Liv put on a reluctant smile and raised her hands up in surrender. Fabius took off his bandana to reveal his face and offered his hand out to shake hers. "You fought well," he said. Helvius came over to do the same. The Griffins poured out from their viewing spots behind the dunes and began congratulating Liv for passing the Initiation test. When the two girls had first arrived, the audience had made an attempt to stay hidden behind the dunes, but as the fight progressed, most of them had revealed themselves to get a better viewing point.

Quintus, one of their mechanics and Marcy's brother, went up to her and slapped her on the back. "Welcome to Gryphus, newbie," he teased.

"Dude shut up." Marcy rolled her eyes and punched him hard in the arm. Any sign of the weak, panicked, emotional recruit she was playing before had completely disappeared. Her once fearful, uncertain face was now replaced by a relaxed confidence as she was surrounded by her insurgent friends. She walked up to Liv with an amused look on her face. "You did well. I thought you were going to kill me back there, although I wouldn't blame you," she said, almost laughing when she saw the shocked expression on Liv's face at the realization that her hazing partner was not actually a new recruit the whole time. "Don't worry, I don't ever cry that much."

Remy joined their group and offered his hand out to Liv in congratulations for passing the Initiation. "You'll have to teach us your physical combat techniques sometime," he said. "And you did well covering for Marcy. She's a fun little test we like to put initiates through," he smirked.

The Griffins spent a little longer mingling outside the base before most of them began to retire back to their bunkers, as it was late in the night now. Remy said good night to his friends and headed back into his room that he shared with Adrian. As he laid down in bed, he thought back to the fight and the way Liv moved with such precision and swiftness. He decided he should spend some time acclimating her to Gryphus since her skills would clearly be a beneficial addition to the group and he definitely did not have any personal motivations to do so. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep, his thoughts getting lost in the darkness.
 
liv eione
time of day: nighttime --- location: gryphus base --- interactions: remy, various griffins
The black-clad Griffin before her pulled the bandana away from his face, revealing a somewhat familiar face. Fabian? No. Fabius. “You fought well,” he said approvingly, extending a hand.

“You sure didn’t make it easy,” she responded amicably, her smile loosening into something much more friendly as she shook his hand.

“Good job,” Helvius muttered to her as he ambled over, massaging his sore arm. “Dunno if my arm’s ever gonna be the same, but still.”

Liv chuckled apologetically, but before she could apologize, Fabius laughed, prodding him none-too-gently in said arm–which immediately garnered a yowl from the young man. “Try not to be a sore loser,” the Aqua Prod joked, even as Helvius flipped him off with a glare. If he spoke to snipe back, his words were lost in the ruckus as the main crowd finally reached them; the tension had broken, the show was over, and now it was the curtain call. A flurry of griffins surrounded her, each person eager to congratulate her on officially becoming one of them–numerous hands prompting handshakes, claps on the back, and fist bumps. She played her part, laughing along, uttering thank yous and waving off compliments.

The noise receded momentarily as Marcy came up to join them, the crowd falling quiet as if in anticipation. A male griffin slapped her heartily on the back, grinning wide–but even before he’d quite spoken, Liv couldn’t help but notice that Marcy didn’t seem like Marcy at all. She took in how Marcy’s cowering, nervous stance was gone, the wild-eyed energy replaced with something much calmer and self-assured. “Welcome to Gryphus, newbie,” he offered, to which not-Marcy slung a hefty punch into his arm.

“You did well. I thought you were going to kill me back there, although I wouldn’t blame you,” the young woman chuckled, looking thoroughly amused at the blank expression on Liv’s face. “Don’t worry, I don’t ever cry that much.”

So, it was an act. She was a plant, so to speak…a mole. The irony would’ve been funny, but the specter didn’t find the shortcoming in her perception to be humorous in the least. Of course, this wasn’t the place to let any of that show. “Mmmm…I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to trust you,” Liv remarked in a comically suspicious tone, her brows rising high. After a beat, she laughed, shaking her head. “You should be on the big screens, not pranking poor unsuspecting little recruits!” This seemed to please ‘Marcy’ well enough–if that was even her real name.

“You’ll have to teach us your physical combat techniques sometime,” a new voice spoke up. It was Remy Varick himself who stuck his hand out for a shake next–and to be honest, she had hoped he would be among the audience. Out of all the prime targets in the Gryphus, the new leader and the younger brother of Rhea Varick was understandably one of the biggest. She took his hand, shaking back with a firm grip.

“Yeah? As long as you guys are down to help me polish my Ignis skills,” she tossed back easily, smile at the ready.

“And you did well covering for Marcy. She’s a fun little test we like to put initiatives through,” Remy noted, his own mischievous smile at the corner of his lips.

“Ohhh, so you’re the one who put her up to this,” Liv said tartly, jokingly crossing her arms over her chest. “I see how it is.”

The good-natured ribbing and back-slapping continued on for a while, with the Amara siblings coming up in a huddle to congratulate her. Vita pressed a can of beer into her hand with a wink, and Liv downed it gratefully as Vinnie loudly and excitedly recounted the events of the bunker to his older brother, who looked like he’d already heard it several times before. The youngster was soon chased away when a grumpy looking medic came by to inspect the arm Fabius had frozen. He muttered at her about how reckless it was to rip an arm out of ice, though his hands were still gentle as he prodded at the cuts. He said nothing, however, about the ruined skin and torrent of burns criss-crossing her arms.

After he was gone, Vita mouthed the name ‘Atticus’ at her. “You should’ve seen how pissed he was when he had to patch up Vinnie after the initiation. He was a mess. So, he completely wiped ou–” Vita remarked.

“Hey!” came Vinnie’s voice in the distance, and both girls dissolved into laughter.

The night came to a close not long after, with everyone back in their bunks. It was late, with dawn threatening to encroach, but Liv knew that she’d be awake right on time, just like clockwork. She could hear Vita’s soft snores above her, her breathing slow and even. While she knew she ought to try to get some shut eye, the idea of sleep felt distant. It wasn’t the adrenaline–she was used to having to sleep after an eventful day. No, it was excitement. One of us, they’d said. A true griffin, now.

Her eyes bored into the slats of the bunk above her, glittering in the dark.

It had truly begun.

 
REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Night -- Location: Prayer room in Gryphus base -- Interactions: Cassia
The next three months in Gryphus was rather uneventful, which was a positive sign for the insurgent group given the nature of their profession. Remy had finally gotten into the groove as Gryphus leader, spending his days meeting with the Circle, sparring in the training room, sipping coffee with Caliban, greeting new recruits, and riding dirt bikes with Adrian. As one of the precious Aqua Prods in the desert, he was not exempt from the typical Aqua Griffin duties. This included replenishing their own bunkers' water supply as well as replenishing the water tanks in each Lutum division and delivering fresh water to the door steps of known Prodigium who needed extra for their sick and elderly. When he traveled to Auster's water tank, he was careful to avoid the street he grew up on (where Mr. Flynn lived) and the surrounding military patrols.

Last month, Remy paid his father's statue his annual visit for his 5th death anniversary. When Ricardis first turned to stone five years ago, the Griffins had moved his statue to the prayer room next to the main spirit house. Remy, 18 years old at the time, had spent the entire first week there, day and night, hoping his father would come back to life. After a while, he stopped visiting the prayer room. He wanted to avoid the painful sight of what his father had become. Eventually, he only returned on his death anniversary to whisper prayers to the Lux Libertas and hope that his father's soul was in a good place now.

On the night of October 20, Remy arose from his bunker and made his way quietly to the prayer room in the dead of the night to visit his father's statue once more. He had always enjoyed being up late at night, alone in the bunker, and feeling the stillness of the air. When he opened the door, he noticed that someone had placed fresh bright pink azaleas at Ricardis' feet. Remy knelt onto the soft pillows on the ground in front of the spirit house and whispered a prayer to guide his father's soul. Although he was not particularly religious himself, there was no harm in praying to the Lux Libertas once a year, especially when it concerned his father. Remy sat for a few moments, looking up at Ricardis' statue. "Hope you're doing okay on the other side, Dad," he whispered. "I'll get Rhea back, I promise," he vowed.

Remy's gaze shifted to the azalea flowers at the statue's feet. He knew from Cassia that these flowers were rather high-maintenance and difficult to grow. He also knew that Cass was one of the few Griffins knowledgeable enough about plants and gardening to successfully grow azaleas. Remy had always been drawn to her nerdy and nurturing side, which came out in her passion for gardening. It was part of the reason he had fallen for her as a teenager and their relationship had lasted for as long as it did. However, he had come to learn that their values were fundamentally opposed. Where he was daring, willing to take risks, and driven by his intuition, she was more cautious and worried about safety, taking the time to construct the perfect plan before acting.

These differences had come to a head when Remy found out that her mother had been present at the very incident that turned Ricardis to stone. Rather than helping him stop the collapsing building, Cassia's mother sensed the impending danger and removed herself from the situation instead, a decision that Cass understood but that Remy could not. This escalated into one of the worst fights they had yet, resulting in their imminent break-up. He could still remember their dramatic fight vividly.

Did you want my mom to join your dad too? Is that what you want? For BOTH of our parents to be rocks? Cass had yelled.

Well maybe if your mom had helped instead of running away, my dad would still be alive. Remy viciously retorted.

That building was coming down no matter what, regardless of if my mom had helped! She replied, anger seething in her eyes. When he didn't reply, she added, I'm sorry you lost your father, Remy. I truly am. But you can't blame my mom for this.

I guess we'll never know what would've happened, Remy responded after a long pause and walked out of the room.

They avoided each other for months after that, but the close, tight-knit Gryphus community meant that they were eventually forced to put aside their differences to live in such close quarters with each other. Adrian, a close mutual friend of them both, was a catalyst in reconciling the two of them and they reignited their old friendship trio once more for the next few years.

When Rhea was captured earlier this year, Remy had broken down into an emotional mess, having lost his only remaining family member. Feeling lonely and hopeless, he had turned to Cass' comforting presence for emotional support and they soon began hooking up again, even though Remy knew they would never work out in the long run. Alas, they soon began fighting after they rekindled things. A few months later, once Remy had officially taken over the role as Gryphus leader, he broke things off with Cass in order to focus on his leadership responsibilities.

"You like the azaleas?" A quite voice sounded from behind him. Remy turned around to see his ex-girlfriend leaning against the door frame, dressed in black leggings, a loose T-shirt, and a bag slung over her shoulder. There was no doubt that she was attractive and Remy was reminded of why he had hooked up with her after Rhea's capture. Cass walked over and sat down next to him on an adjacent pillow.

"They're a nice touch. Thank you," Remy smiled slightly. "I'm surprised you remembered."

A look of guilt crossed over her face and Remy internally kicked himself for accidentally implying that he didn't think Cass cared for his father's death. As her mother's lack of involvement in Ricardis' incident was the cause of their original break-up, it was still a rather touchy subject between the two of them even years later.

"I'm only surprised because it's been so long," Remy quickly added on, hoping to rectify his previous mistake.

Her look of guilt turned into a soft smile. "I never forget a date, you know that," she reminded him.

"Except for Adrian's birthday a couple years back," Remy teased.

"Hey I didn't forget!" she objected. "He was being a piece of shit, so I wanted him to think I had forgotten."

Remy rolled his eyes. "Classic Adri."

"Guess what I have?" A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes and she pulled out a bottle of nice whiskey from her bag along with two plastic cups.

The Aqua Prodigium let out an impressed whistle. "Macallan? No way. Where did you get this gem?" Remy eyed the fancy, matte Macallan label on the bottle.

"Let's just say I have my connections at Lutum Liquors," Cass replied mysteriously, twisting open the bottle cap and filling up the plastic cups.

"You flirted with that poor boy again, didn't you?" Remy asked, referring to the owner's son who had always had the biggest crush on Cass.

"A girl has her ways," she replied with a smirk.

Remy leaned back and stared up at his father's stone statue. It looked rather creepy in the dark. He held up his cup towards his father and poured it’s contents onto the base of the statue. "This one's for you, Dad," he muttered.

Cass filled up his empty cup and laid a soft hand on his shoulder, looking at him with sympathetic eyes.

Remy turned to meet her eyes. "Cheers," he said and held his cup against hers before taking a long sip.

They sat in silence for a while, taking quiet sips of their drinks. For everything they had been through together, Remy felt like he could still sit in comfortable silence with Cass. He let the whiskey burn rush down his throat, mixing with his stomach acid. Remy remembered the first time his father had let him try whiskey. As a teenager, he had always thought drinking whiskey looked so cool and he wanted to try it so badly. Of course, the burn hit him harder than a truck, but he still forced himself to swallow it. His father had laughed at the pained look on his face. Don't worry, you'll get used to it, he had said. Whiskey had always been Ricardis' favorite drink and Remy didn't start drinking it regularly until after his death.

A clock ticked in the background and they chit chatted about what Adrian and their friends were up these days. As Remy finished his first cup, the whiskey started to affect him and he felt the familiar alcoholic buzz in his head.

"What do you miss most about him?" Cass asked softly, refilling their cups.

He paused for a while, thinking through all the childhood memories they had together. "He always seemed like he knew what he was doing, like he had it all figured out, like he had answers to just about everything. It was reassuring to know that he was here to lead us through it all," Remy replied. "Should've picked his brain more while I could," he added, thinking about how lost he sometimes still felt about leading the Griffins. "I have no fucking idea what I'm doing, Cass," he admitted, looking over at her with desperate eyes.

"You'll figure it out too," she reassured him. "Do you think your father was born with all these answers? Of course not. He had to struggle and make mistakes and learn it all himself. And you will too." She leaned in closer to him. "I believe in you," Cass added, staring up at him with big brown pools.

Remy met her gaze and he felt the alcohol rush through his veins. "Thank you," he replied.

Cass leaned in closer to his face until she was about two inches away and looked down at his lips before looking back at his eyes. The signal was clear.

After a tense second, Remy cleared his throat and turned his head away. "It's getting late. I should get back to bed," he said quietly. He recognized the hurt look on her face at the rejection and he felt guilty. A few months ago, he would've been tempted and probably would've given in to their sexual history, but he was in a better, stronger place now. He knew that they wouldn't be able to last, so there was no point in reopening that wound again. Plus, he had other priorities to focus on. "Thanks for the whiskey," he added.

Cass nodded and didn't say anything as she collected the whiskey bottle and cups back into her bag. She stood up to leave, not sparing him a second glance.

Remy could tell she was upset. "I'm sorry," he said.

She shot him a sharp look. "You don't need to apologize, Remy," she said curtly. "Good night." Cass exited the prayer room swiftly, leaving Remy alone with his stone father.
 
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REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Morning -- Location: Cafeteria in Gryphus base -- Interactions: Adrian, Marcy
A couple weeks later, Remy woke up on a sunny morning and made his way downstairs to the cafeteria for breakfast. He saw Cassia from across the cafeteria sitting with her friends and he quickly shifted his gaze when she caught him looking. They still hadn't talked much since that night in the prayer room and things were still awkward between them.

Remy spotted Adrian at one of the tables and took a seat next to him. "Sup," he greeted his friend and started to scarf down his eggs. Adrian looked up at him and nodded in greeting but didn't say anything, as he was too busy devouring his own meal.

"What are you up to today?" Adrian asked Remy when he had finished his breakfast.

"There's something wrong with the clutch on my dirt bike. I might need to replace it," he replied. "What about you?"

"Ugh I'm on bathroom cleaning duty," he replied with a grimace. "I've been putting it off for weeks now and Tasia got on my ass about it last night. She said it had to be done today or she was going to give me half portions for the rest of the month."

Remy smirked. Everyone knew that Adrian would be swayed by either offering food or threatening to take it away from him. "Have fun with that, man. Glad I'm not in your shoes."

Marcy came up to their table and looked at Adrian. "Hey, you busy today? Can you make a trip to Mason's Motos to grab some parts? We've been getting some complaints about the mopeds and several of them could use some replacement parts. I can't go because I gotta help my dad with a bike he's putting together and who knows where Quintus is." Marcy worked with his father, Proteus, and younger brother, Quintus, as the auto-mechanics of Gryphus.

"Can't,"the Ventus Prod groaned. "I'm on bathroom duty."

Marcy crinkled her nose in disgust at the thought of bathroom cleaning. "Sucks to be you."

"I can go," Remy offered. "I have to head to there anyway to buy a new clutch for my dirt bike."

"Thanks, Remy," she replied. "Let me grab you the list of parts we need."
 
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liv eione
time of day: late morning --- location: favonius district --- interactions: vita, placida
The two girls walked down the crowded alleys, shoulder bumping against shoulder, bags filled to the brim with groceries. The sun was climbing high into the sky, not quite yet midday, but they’d already spent a decent few hours traversing the stalls of the market districts for their spoils. They chattered as they strolled, swapping harmless gossip and silly stories about their past lives. As Vita described an incident where Virgil had been riled up into a prank war by Vinnie, she laughed and made all the appropriate jokes, jabbing at the thought of serious, serious Virgil tossing a frog into Vinnie’s bath.

Liv liked Vita. She was easy-going, easy to talk to, easy to convince. Useful. A convenient cover, and perhaps even more importantly, a compliant and unwitting accomplice. The buddy system, as it was quaintly referred to by the Griffins, was always firmly in place. Not at all impossible to circumvent, of course, but it was certainly an annoying obstacle. Luckily for her, Vita was always willing to tag along for a trip–and today was a day where it was imperative that she had someone amicable as her ‘buddy.’ She was using a precious day out of the very small handful of days she was allotted for this kind of trip, after all.

“We’re here,” she announced, trotting up the run-down steps with an extra bounce in her step. The inner door was ajar, with only the screen door shut, allowing the cool autumn breeze to ventilate the cramped living quarters. “Grandma! It’s me!” she called as she rummaged for the key, but before she could even bring out her keychain, the elderly woman came rushing to the door, curlers in her hair.

“Livia!” she gasped, shoving open the door so quickly that it nearly hit her. “You’re home!” She wrapped her frail-looking arms about her frame briefly, patting her on the back. Her gaze flicked down the young woman standing on the step below, then pulled back with a smile. “And you brought a guest! Come, come in,” she gestured insistently, waving them inside. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you last! I thought you forgot about me,” she added with a slightly petulant twist of the lips, even as she brushed Liv’s hair away from her face.

“I missed you too, grandma,” she rolled her eyes, but she was also smiling. As Vita entered the house, she turned to introduce her fellow Griffin to the woman who had supposedly raised her. “This is Vita. We work together, and she’s been helping me settle into the job.”

“Thank you so much for helping her out,” Placida crooned, grabbing Vita’s hand and patting it in the most matronly fashion. “I feel better knowing that she has people looking out for her.”

“Not at all, Ms. Eione,” Vita chuckled goodnaturedly. “I just joined right before Liv, myself. She’s already been making a bit of a name for herself in the company.”

“Is she, now?” Brows arched high, she shot a look at her granddaughter. “Not trouble, I hope?”

“When have I ever been trouble, grandma?” Liv retorted defensively.

“Only when I wasn’t looking,” she snorted, to which Vita immediately started laughing.

“Grandmaaa. You’re making me look bad,” the dark-haired girl shook her head, then held out the bags of groceries at the older woman. “Here, will these bribes work?”

“Now what’s all this?” Placida clucked as the two deposited the bags at her feet. “There’s so much!”

Liv shrugged, her gaze dropping to the assorted goods.“Yeah, I just–I’m not around as much, so I figured it’d be good to stock up on some stuff.”

“You worry too much about me,” the elderly woman chided, gesturing dismissively. “I can get groceries for myself. This is too much. You take it back and cook something decent for yourselves–I think you’ve lost weight!”

“Mmhm,” Liv hummed. “Is this too much, then?” she asked next, holding up the pack of cigarettes she had kept in her pocket.

At the sight of the small white box, a new spark seemed to light up in the older woman’s dark eyes. “Oh. That, never.” Eagerly, she reached for the pack, but Liv drew back, raising it up and out of her way.

“Ah-ah-ah,” she uttered in a sing-song tone, waggling a stern finger. “These are special import, so don’t just burn right through them, okay? I put hard work into getting my hands on them.” Special import and hard work, indeed. Tucked and rolled into each cigarette were tightly scribed notes, painstakingly written at times of night when not a soul in the bunker was awake. Numbers. Coordinates. Routines. Procedures. Everything she’d been able to learn and confirm in the month she’d been there as Griffin. But perhaps most important of all, a certain set of instructions to relocate from the Favonius District.

“You were always my favorite,” her grandmother crooned in a wheedling tone, smiling wide as she was finally handed the pack. The message had been clear. Carefully, she tucked it away into the folds of her clothing before turning to the girls with a new interest in her eyes. “Now. Come, come, have you two eaten lunch? I was just about to finish up.” Without consulting any further, she hurried off into the kitchen. “Come eat.”

“Oh, I don’t want to be any trouble–” Vita began, but Liv interrupted her, shaking her head.

“Trust me, don’t fight her on this one,” she remarked with a rueful smile, to which the other girl only laughed accommodatingly.

“Come sit!” the call came, and the two of them obeyed, dragging the groceries into the house as the clatter of kitchenware started up–along with the usual barrage: “So, Vita, do you have a boyfriend?”

 
liv eione
time of day: morning --- location: gryphus base, cafeteria --- interactions: remy
Three months. That’d been the limit on her prep period for this mission from the minute she’d been injected; it had flown by, even as she had spent every minute after recovery in training. It’d been a brutal, grueling thing, but she had always thrived under high expectations and pressure. On the surface, comparing the past three months of being a Griffin to those three hellish months would’ve made the current mission a vacation, but she knew better than to let her guard down even for a second.

She was alone in enemy territory. No matter how many japes she traded with the Amara siblings or beers she drank with the young Griffins, no matter how well she assimilated into the fabric of Gryphus, this was never far from her mind. It was easy enough to wear Liv’s skin, be the girl she was supposed to be; hard-working and friendly, the kind that would garner respect and trust from those around her. She had always been exceedingly skilled at playing a role set out for her, after all. She was responsible and punctual with chores, willing to take on more work and more training whenever the chance arose. She never complained and kept herself busy, but never skipped out on socializing.

Admittedly, she’d never had a mission require this level of fraternizing. Hands weren’t like Eyes; they didn’t lead long-term lives in one place. In frankness, the Liberi Home had been the first place she’d even been exposed to other children. Socializing with peers didn’t come naturally to her. However, she had understood from the start just how important being accepted–no, liked, trusted, believed–by the other Griffins, particularly those in power, would be to the success of this assignment. And of course, there was no other outcome she could accept. Through Vita and her brother Vinnie, she had gained important access to the group surrounding the young leader of the Gryphus, and over the months she had been able to slowly but surely worm her way inward. Playing cards, dodgeball, the occasional night out–she was making good progress.

Of course, ‘good’ was never good enough.

Sitting next to Vita as usual, breakfast before her, Liv casually surveyed the layout of the cafeteria. If one paid just a little more attention, there was a lot to glean. She watched the way Remy at the next table quickly ducked his head away when Cass returned his gaze. Things had seemed fine between them when she’d first joined, things had taken a sharp turn towards the end of October, right around the anniversary of Ricardis Varick’s ‘heroic sacrifice.’ It hadn’t surprised her to find out that they’d dated before–and if Fabius’ tipsy ramblings could be trusted, things were a bit on and off between them. Presumably off, at the moment.

Well, there was always a way to turn information into an advantage. All that was needed was an opportunity–and it seemed luck was on her side, as a chance in the form of Marcy the actress rolled into view. It seemed that she needed some parts, and Remy had volunteered to pick them up, as he also had some business. What an absolute coincidence! She also happened to need to go into Lutum for…something. Leaning back in her seat, she jerked her chin at the young man. “Hey, did you say you were stopping by Mason’s Motos?” she inquired casually, continuing only when she’d received an affirmative answer. “You mind if I tag along? I’ve been meaning to go get a new helmet there, mine doesn’t fit right.”
 
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REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Morning -- Location: Cafeteria in Gryphus base > Vulturnous division -- Interactions: Adrian, Marcy, Liv
As Marcy left the cafeteria to grab their shopping list, Liv came up to Remy's and Adrian's breakfast table to see if she could join the errand. "Sure," Remy smiled at her. "It'll be nice to have some company since someone procrastinated their chores for weeks and is now stuck on bathroom duty." He looked pointedly at Adri, who rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Hey I was hungover for like a week after my birthday. No way was I about to clean bathrooms then," Adri protested.

"You're lucky you're even alive after your birthday. Your dumbass almost got your hands cut off for cheating!" Remy responded in a hushed voice, not wanting any eavesdroppers to learn about their secret birthday bash. "Lady Luck sure did shine upon you. What a fitting name for the place."

"Didn't he literally barrel into you?" Adri asked Liv.

"Well you almost killed her!" He accused Remy, referring to how he had drunkenly bowled into Liv and sent them tumbling down the steps in their haste to exit the casino.

Remy looked at Liv and laughed as he remembered the incident. "It was only a few scrapes and bruises, wasn't it?" he asked her, eyes twinkling. He looked back at Adri. "Besides, I wouldn't have been in such a hurry to run out if YOU hadn't gotten us into that mess in the first place. Do you even remember how obvious you were being?? You practically blew away all the Rosatus cards on the entire table!"

Adri laughed too, knowing he had been defeated in this verbal skirmish. "Whatever, man. It was my birthday, give me a break."

Just then, Marcy came back with the list and handed it to Remy. "Thanks again," she said to him then turned her attention onto Liv. "You going with him? Make sure he doesn't drop another moped again."

"Oh sorry, the lights in the tunnel were running out since all the Fulmen Prods were asleep, so it was pretty dark and I accidentally dropped it," Remy replied with a straight face. In reality, he was still a little tipsy when he rode the moped back to base after Adrian's birthday even though they had slept for a few hours at a nearby motel to sober up. With a pounding headache, groggy brain, and leftover alcohol in his blood, he had accidentally dropped the moped on it's side a few minutes after starting.

"Suuuure," Marcy crossed her arms, giving Remy a look that clearly meant she didn't believe anything he said.

"Well, you ready to go?" Remy asked Liv, turning the group's attention back onto the errand and away from their illegal night out. When she gave an affirmative answer, he stood up and said goodbye to Adrian and Marcy then headed down the stairs to the tunnels. He pulled out one of the standard black 150cc mopeds and grabbed a helmet hanging off the wall. He swung a leg over the leather seat, clasped his helmet together, and put his visor down to protect his face. The engine roared to life, accompanied by bright headlights.

"Hop on," he told Liv, scooting forward on the seat to make room for her in the back. Once he felt her secured behind him, he twisted the acceleration throttle and the moped lurched forwards, racing into the dark tunnels ahead of them. The dim lights operated by Fulmen Prods were enough to light the way, but he mainly relied on his muscle memory, as he had ridden through these tunnels too many times to count. He was aware of Liv's body pressed up against his back.

"You wanna see how fast we can go?" Remy shouted back at Liv above the deafening wind. As he gave the throttle some more juice, the engine roared louder and they picked up more speed. Although he knew that the 150cc engine could technically reach a top speed of 60 mph, he would really need to push the engine to get that fast. And he would also be going 20 miles over the tunnels' recommended speed limit of 40 mph. Luckily, however, there weren't many other Griffins out on the road this morning. The tunnels were also pretty straight and did not have many curves, allowing them to easily gain speed. He gradually twisted the throttle until they were hovering at 58 mph.

The wind howled in his ears and he let out a deep sigh, taking in the smell of the tunnel air and feeling the sharp breeze against his skin. Remy swore he could fly through the wind forever. He was completely focused on the present moment. This feeling was what had fueled his love for dirt biking and mopeding from a young age. When he briefly closed his eyes, the Aqua Prod felt as if he would grow wings and take off into the wind at any moment. He was alive.

After they made the second right turn into the Vulturnous division, Remy slowed to a halt and parked their moped near the tunnel exit, keeping it hidden underground. They emerged from behind an unsuspecting warehouse and began to walk south towards the mechanic shops of Vulturnous. He turned to the young Ignis Prodigium next to him. "You seem to be settling in well," he commented on how smoothly Liv had fit into their friend group over the past few months since she joined. He was careful not to mention the Gryphus name anywhere outside the bunker. "How've you been dealing with the transition?" Remy asked her. He knew that sometimes new Griffins had difficulty adjusting to life within the insurgency group and being apart from their families, so he wanted to check in on her as a good leader should. But he had also come to care for her as a friend over the past few months and genuinely wanted to make sure she was doing well.
 
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liv eione
time of day: morning --- location: tunnels en route to vulturnous; mason's motos --- interactions: adrian, remy
One of the landmark events during her time in the Gryphus so far had to be Adrian's birthday party–not the one at the base, but the secret one they’d snuck out for. It’d been quite meaningful that she’d been invited when there were many others who hadn’t been, and she’d milked it for all it was worth. There was nothing like a shared secret that drew people together, after all. So it was with great satisfaction that she leaned in conspiring as Remy scolded the floppy-haired Ventus Prod of his antics on his birthday.

“Didn’t he literally barrel into you?” Adrian asked her in response, attempting to shift the subject of blame towards his best friend. As she laughed and nodded, he turned back to Remy. “Well you almost killed her!” he reminded him, but that only seemed to make the Aqua Prod laugh as well.

“It was only a few scrapes and bruises, wasn’t it?” he prompted, an amused twinkle in his gaze. They’d both found it extremely funny even then, laughing their heads off as they lay sprawled and sore at the base of the concrete steps, heedless of the way their equally drunk friends were trying to pull them to their feet. Or well, equally drunk when it came to Remy. She’d only been pretending to be smashed, but she’d been unprepared for the young man to come careening into her as they rushed out into the night.

“Oh yeah. Don’t worry, it’ll take more than one guy crashing into me to kill me,” she said humorously, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Of course, they didn’t know just how true it was in her case. A fully-fledged Specter, especially a Hand, was nothing less than a trained killer. Still, caution was always warranted. As much as they lived up to the name, they weren’t incorporeal ghosts–they were still just flesh and blood.

She smiled and nodded at Marcy as they got ready to leave, promising that she’d make sure that Remy took good care of his moped this time, playing along with Remy’s little fabricated excuse. She couldn’t help but be a little eager–she had caught the chance to spend some time with the young Gryphus leader, just the two of them. For all of their interactions in the months prior, they’d all occurred within the circle of friends. If she played her cards right today, she could further the agenda along.

With that goal adding a spring to her step, she was quick to agree when Remy offered to let her ride with him. She drove well enough–that was a point in her training, but she wasn’t about to let this chance pass by her. Strapping on her supposedly ill-fitting helmet, she eased herself onto the seat behind him, holding on as the moped came to life. As they sped along the tunnels–tunnels she’d be quite surprised by, when she’d first seen them–he briefly craned his back at her with a question.

“You wanna see how fast we can go?” he shouted–a perfect opportunity to win some points.

“Impress me!” she yelled back, a carefree kind of laugh catching at her throat–and then immediately regretted her words as Remy hit the throttle. It wasn’t that she was afraid of speed or even death, but if they got into a crash and she died here, without having completed her mission and for literally no good reason… Well, it was going to be the most unthinkably ridiculous thing in the world. A catastrophic failure. Newly awash with the chilling thought, she couldn’t help but cling tighter to his back, trying not to clench her teeth too hard. It didn’t help that she had zero control over this moped; all she could do was hope that he was a capable driver. She couldn’t die here. Not yet. Project Phoenix, the Spectare’s plans–it was all riding on her shoulders. She couldn’t die in some stupid tunnel because of a stupid joyride to boost some stupid boy’s ego!

Despite all of her buzzing thoughts, she was still able to notice just how at peace Remy seemed to be. No tension, or even a sense of daredevil recklessness. Instead of whooping and yelling, as one might expect from a daring kid, he only exhaled as if he could finally breathe, the air shuddering out of his lungs in a rush that she could feel, being pressed against his back. He exuded a sense of calm, strong enough to distract her from the knot in her stomach for a moment. He seemed…at home. How curious.

After a ride that felt like an eternity, Liv felt her own breath shudder out of her as they slowed to a stop. By the time they had their helmets off, there was no trace of apprehension left on her face, her expression and body language back to casual comfort. Rounding the back of the nondescript warehouse, she matched her pace to Remy’s as they began the trek on foot. The young man broke the silence before it grew awkward–a positive sign, in her opinion. “You seem to be settling in well,” he noted, “How’ve you been dealing with the transition?”

What leaderly concern! “Oh, you guys have been making it easy,” she deflected amiably. “Being away from family’s kinda hard, but everyone’s been super welcoming and quick to help me learn the ropes.” It was true–everyone seemed eager to let her into the fold, allowing her to sink into their lives so simply. Of course, she was doing her utmost to play the sort of character they would extend such generosity towards, but ‘Liv’ also wasn’t the type to draw attention to that. “Thanks for checking in, though,” she smiled, a hint of sweetness before it devolved back into something mischievous. “Well, I guess it’s only fair, seeing how you’re kinda the one who got me into this in the first place.” It didn’t seem to be common knowledge that they’d met in Lutum before she’d been recruited–perhaps because Remy’s intentions for being there that night wouldn’t have been exactly exemplary by the Circle’s standards. Another little secret to tie them together.

The walk to Mason’s Motos wasn’t far from the warehouse–a brisk ten minute walk at the most. Good thing too, since mopeds were the main mode of transport for the Griffins, especially from the base into Lutum. Once they entered the shop, Remy went off to speak to the workers, Marcy’s list in hand, while Liv wandered over to the wall of accessories to find a suitable helmet to replace her old one. Even then, she kept her hearing half-focused on the conversation between Remy and the clerk as she browsed the merchandise. Lifting a sleek black helmet off of the rack, she turned it over in her hands, coolly scrutinizing the way it reflected her face back at her, distorted and murky as a shadow. Shapeshifter.

Suddenly, movement caught her eye through the glass front of the store. Her gaze snapped up to see two scrawny teens being cornered by two patrols. They were grabbing for their backpack, even as the teenagers evaded. The patrols were speaking in scolding, stern tones, pointing back at some other place behind them, but the two scrappy youngsters–a boy and a girl, she realized–were having none of it, shouting back insults with the spiteful hot-headed rebellion of kids who didn’t know they were getting in too deep. She placed the helmet back, looking over the shelves to find her companion. “Hey, Remy,” she called. Her voice was calm, but her knowing gaze seemed to settle into mutual understanding. This wasn’t going to end well, unless they did something about it.

 
REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Morning -- Location: Mason's Motos > Alleyway -- Interactions: Liv, pair of teenagers, patrols
Remy was relieved to hear that Liv felt welcomed into the Griffins. It was, after all, his own doing that she was here so he felt an extra sense of responsibility for her happiness here. After their encounter in Lutum, he had reported to Cleo how Liv had cleverly evaded the military patrols and would be a promising Gryphus candidate. He was careful to omit his own involvement in the patrol chase. It would do him no good for the Circle to find out he had gone back to Auster, seeking revenge against his old neighbor. The Circle was already skeptical of his leadership abilities due to his young age and lack of experience, especially Cleo. He didn't need them thinking that he was too emotion driven or a poor role model for the other Griffins. "Glad to hear that. Well you let me know if that ever changes." He looked at her, smiling when he detected the mischief in her voice. "Yeah so you better not get into any trouble, or it'll be my fault," Remy warned her teasingly when she mentioned how he was the one who got her into Gryphus.

Soon, they arrived at Mason's Motos and they entered the familiar shop. "Hey Remy, how's it going?" One of the usual workers, Ellis, greeted the Gryphus leader. Remy was a common visitor to their shop, as he often customized and worked on his bikes in his free time. This moped shop was also a loyal Gryphus supporter, so Griffins would receive discounts on their products and services. In exchange, the Griffins offered protection against patrols and other criminals in the immediate area.

"Pretty good, Ellis, how 'bout yourself?" Remy smiled warmly.

"Can't complain. My wife just had a baby boy yesterday," he replied with a grin on his face. "No complications, either," he added with relief. Access to hospitals was difficult in Lutum and many couldn't afford the few healthcare facilities that did exist, so women often gave birth in the shelter of their own homes. As a result, many either knew or had heard of a woman passing away during childbirth due to unforeseen complications and lack of medical attention. Successfully having a baby was certainly something to celebrate around here.

"Congratulations, man! Next time I see you at Alpheus, your drink's on me," the Aqua Prod promised. He started to walk through the store in search of the parts on Marcy's shopping list. "Spark plug... oil.... muffler...." he muttered to himself, reading over the list and heading towards the back of the store.

Suddenly, Remy heard shouting from outside the store and he shifted his attention. He saw a pair of patrolmen cornering another pair of angry teenagers, who were shouting back insults in retaliation. They wore their rebellious fire like a badge of honor. Oh to be young and feel invincible, he thought. However, the situation escalated when one of the patrolmen took out his baton, clearly intending to use it as a weapon. Ellis and the other shop workers had also noticed the impending violence outside the store and they looked expectantly at Remy and Liv. They were aware of their underlying agreement: discounts in exchange for protection. After all, violence was never good for business.

"Hey Remy," he heard Liv call out to him from across the store. He looked over at her and their eyes met for a few seconds. They reached an unspoken, mutual understanding. Remy nodded at her then ran out the store towards the patrolmen and teenagers.

"Hey, what's going on here?" he called out as he approached the group. "Are my cousins here giving you trouble?" Remy asked the patrolmen and slung his arms around the two teenagers' shoulders as if they had known each other for years.

"Well you tell your cousins to give back the phones they stole from the shop down the street," the patrolmen with the baton said in a gruff voice.

"We didn't steal anything!" the teenage boy piped up.

"There must be some misunderstanding. They would never do that," Remy said. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Liv creeping out onto the balcony above the adjacent shop.

"Oh there's no misunderstanding. I'm quite familiar with these two. They've stolen from other stores before," the other patrolman objected.

"We've never stolen anything, you piece of shit," the teenage girl shouted back.

"You shut your dirty mouth," the patrolman responded to her, spitting on the ground near her feet.

"You better stay out of this unless you want to get hurt too," the first patrolman threatened Remy, pointing his baton at him.

"Hey I'm sure we can solve this without any violence," Remy responded, raising his hands up in the air to signal peace. The Aqua Prod looked above the patrolmen and locked eyes with Liv from the balcony. She had raised three of her fingers and began counting down. Once all her fingers were down, he shouted at the teenagers, "RUN!"

The three of them instantly turned around and started to sprint down an adjacent alley. At the same time, he heard a big boom behind him and the area instantly filled with smoke. The patrolmen began to cough and shout. "Get back here, you filthy thieves!" Remy covered his lower face with his hands to protect himself from the smoke and ran down the alleyway with the two teenagers close behind him. He heard the patrolmen trying to pursue them, but their voices sounded farther and farther away. He could only hope that Liv had managed to follow them without running into the patrols.
 
liv eione
time of day: morning --- location: mason's motos; alleys of vulturnus --- interactions: remy, two teens
With a nod, Remy ran out the front door to defuse the situation–but she didn’t follow. Talking pretty was only going to get them so far in this situation–they were going to need a way out. Ignoring the strange looks that Ellis and his workers gave her, she instead ran towards the back of the store, down further out into the garage area. “Uh,” one of the workers began to speak up as she began to rummage through the things lying around, perhaps intending to stop her, but Ellis shook his head.

“Use what you need,” he nodded. She only spared him a fleeting glance and smile in thanks, moving quickly as she snatched up a nearly empty bottle of beer, dumping the contents onto the floor and replacing it with a splatter of gasoline. Grabbing a dirty oily rag, she stuffed it into the bottle as she raced out the back door. She could hear the angry shouting bouncing up along the alleyway, along with the placating, cajoling tone Remy was using. She scrutinized the next door building for a moment, sizing it up. Tucking the bottle and filthy rag firmly under her chin, she swung herself up onto the fire escape, then towards the balcony hanging over the street–right above the commotion.

Keeping herself low, she peered over the balcony, waiting for the right moment. The teens unfortunately seemed to have no intent of even faking an apologetic stance, which did little to help Remy in his attempt of calming the conflict. Still, he raised his hands placatingly into the air as a patrol leveled a baton aggressively at him–and their eyes met. Perfect. Quickly, she held her fingers up, counting down calmly. He might not know what she was about to do, but she could only hope that he’d have his wits about him enough to understand that he needed to get out of there. Three. Two. A flame flickered to life on the end of the rag. One.

Now. “RUN!” he shouted, turning and ushering the teens down the opposite alleyway. The bottle careened through the air in the same second, smashing open on the ground below, right between the patrols and the three fleeing figures. As the gasoline sprayed into the air the fire roared to life–but simmered down quickly at her control, sacrificing explosive damage for thick, black smoke that filled the entire area. The patrolmen shouted in confusion, choking on the burning smoke, and from her vantage point she could see Remy and the teens disappearing into a side alley up ahead. Well done. She could picture Magister Scylla–that slow, stately smile, the quirk of her expertly drawn eyebrows she did whenever she’d impressed her. Of course, this wasn’t the time to be standing around patting herself on the back–she also needed to disappear from this scene.

Taking a few steps back towards the far end of the balcony, she went into a running start before she launched herself off of the railing, landing neatly on the next building’s low rooftop. Keeping the momentum, she continued criss-crossing the urban landscape towards the direction she’d seen the others go off towards, only coming to a stop as she heard the tell-tale scramble of multiple runners. Remy and the two kids were tucked away in an alley, catching their breaths. “Thanks, mister,” the boy began, sharing a youthful grin with his sister.

Unfortunately, the Aqua Prod didn’t seem to be in such a jovial mood. “What were you guys thinking? You don’t talk back to the patrols like that,” he told them, the set of his brow stern.

“But–” the girl began, only for her brother to elbow her. She made a face, clearly discontent with the situation, but kept quiet.

“They could seriously hurt you or arrest you,” Remy continued, obviously trying to hammer home how serious this could be, “You mean nothing to them, understand?”

Begrudgingly, the two teenagers shared a look, then nodded, hanging their heads. Before the atmosphere could be weighed down too much, however, Liv dropped down onto the dumpster from the roof above, causing them to give a start.

“Well, that was exciting,” she commented, exhaling in a huff as she hopped off of the metal bin, joining the trio. She looked to Remy with a knowing smile. “Snails, right?” she reminded him with a little shrug before she turned back to the scrawny youngsters. “Anyways. You two wanna tell us what you were doing that got the patrols on your back?” she prompted lightheartedly, keeping the mood casual.

“Did you guys really steal those phones?” Remy added, the tone of his voice much gentler and coaxing now.

For a few more moments there was silence as the two teens traded nervous looks. “Fine, yeah. So what?” the girl finally spat defensively, “We do what we gotta do to eat.”

“We don’t have anyone looking after us,” the boy explained. “Our parents aren’t…we don’t really have parents anymore. So we started stealing.”

“You can’t just sell swiped phones,” Liv interjected, raising a skeptical brow that would irk any teenager wanting to prove themselves. “Don’t they have a security lock in place specifically for that?”

It seemed to work. “That’s nothing to us,” the girl scoffed. “We do a whole sweep of the phones, upgrade the hardware. Turning cheap metal hardware to the pricy stuff’s a snap when we can–”

“June!” the boy hissed, and for the first time, the girl’s expression turned to fear, blanching white.

“You’re fine,” Liv was quick to reassure them, briefly pulling up the hem of her jacket sleeve to show them the mottled burns underneath. “That smoke didn’t come from nowhere. Both of you must be pretty skilled with your hands. Metalwork?”

Warily, the teenagers regarded them, but the boy spoke up. “Yeah,” he admitted.

“Well, that’s pretty impressive,” the young woman said, and this time, it was the older pair who traded meaningful looks. They were just the type that the bleeding hearts of Gryphus would want to take in–scrappy youngsters without a proper home and family–and from a purely pragmatic standpoint, useful.
 
REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Late morning -- Location: Vulturnous division -- Interactions: Liv, June, Jo
Remy's eyes were blazing with a fearful caution as he scolded the two teenagers for talking back to the patrols. The fact that one of the patrolmen had opted for his baton rather than his gun was a stroke of luck. The youngsters didn't realize how close to death they probably could have been.

A sudden clang turned his attention to his right and he saw Liv drop down onto the dumpster next to them. He breathed out a sigh of relief that she was safe too, even though he was confident she would be able to take care of herself. Still, it was relieving to see her in the flesh with no injuries. His stern face widened into a smile when Liv compared the patrols to snails, referencing their first patrol chase in Lutum. "The slowest snails," Remy replied with a knowing look.

As they began chatting with the pair of teenagers, he learned that they had lost their parents. Street orphans, he thought sadly. When Liv questioned their business process, the more hotheaded and impulsive girl accidentally implied that they had used Terra magic, specifically metal abilities, to rework the phones. The teenagers looked relieved when Liv showed her own scars, indicating that she was an Ignis Prod herself. The Aqua Prodigium also briefly rolled up his left sleeve to show the youngsters his Prod's Mark tattoo before hiding it again. Remy was surprised to see that Liv had so many burn marks on her forearm that he couldn't even really discern her Prod's Mark anymore. He knew that overusing Ignis magic could cause permanent scarring, but she must have really pushed herself to have that many scars. He wondered what had led her to such a desperate situation, but he didn't want to pry, especially not in front of the teenagers.

The Gryphus leader was quite surprised to hear that a pair of teenagers as young as them had managed to teach themselves how to manipulate the intricate metal workings of a phone. They were clearly intelligent, and the fact that they had survived for so long on the streets indicated that they did possess survival skills and resilience, despite how they acted with the patrols. Remy exchanged looks with Liv and he knew they were both thinking the same thing. The young Metal Prods would be a great addition to Gryphus. Not only would the Griffins benefit from their metalworking skills, but the base would also be a much safer home for the kids than the Lutum streets.

"That is pretty impressive," Remy echoed Liv then looked back at the teens. "What are your names?"

"I'm June," the girl responded. "This is my brother, Jo," She pointed at the boy, who nodded at them.

"Well, June and Jo. You two be careful. We're not judging you for stealing phones. We of all people understand that you have to do what you need to survive, but please don't instigate the patrols like that in the future. You're clearly a pair of smart kids, use your brains," Remy said, meeting their eyes.

Jo nodded while June crossed her arms and pouted. Her brother nudged her with his elbow and she let out a groan. "Fine, we'll be more careful," June promised reluctantly.

"Good," Remy was satisfied he had at least received a verbal reassurance. "Well, there's gonna be a flock of birds flying over soon. You should look closely at their wings, alright?" He winked at them. The Gryphus recruitment symbol was a single bird's wing, but he wasn't sure if the teenagers knew that.

June and Jo looked confused by his cryptic message, but they nodded anyway. "Thanks for the help. See ya!" They waved farewell and headed off in the opposite alleyway.

Once they disappeared from view, Remy looked over at Liv. "Well it's a good thing we were there. That situation could've gotten really out of hand," he said. "Great thinking with the smoke bomb. That was the perfect distraction," he added.

"We should probably head back. The patrols might still be in the area, so we shouldn't go back to Mason's Mopeds for a while. I'll tell Marcy she'll just have to make do without the parts." Remy began walking in the direction of the warehouse where they had parked their moped. "I feel bad for those kids. Losing your parents that early on is hard," he said in a solemn tone, thinking back to the loss of his own parents.

Liv gave him an empathetic look. "Yeah it is tough," she agreed and paused for a moment before continuing. "My parents aren't around anymore either, but at least I had my grandma to raise me. Those kids don't seem to have anyone."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Liv," Remy responded with a soft look in his eyes. "My mother got her hands cut off when I was a child. After she lost her magic, she lost her will to live and died soon after. But I still had my father for the rest of my teenage years and after he was gone, I had my sister, Rhea," he said quietly. A cold anger crossed his face at the thought of his sister's capture. "I'll get her back though," he stated as if it were a hard fact already carved into stone.
 
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liv eione
time of day: late morning --- location: alleys of vulturnus --- interactions: remy
The undercover agent watched the two skinny teenagers scurry off, never too far away from each other. That was how she had Ev had been during their trainee years–vastly different in temperament, but always together. Funny how things ended up. “Well it’s a good thing we were there. That situation could’ve gotten really out of hand,” she heard Remy say. “Great thinking with the smoke bomb. That was the perfect distraction.”

She turned her gaze from the receding figures of the twins, facing the young man with a smile. “Only cuz you held the fort down as long as you did,” she tossed back, making sure to add in the key statement: “We make a good team.”

Abandoning their original mission for coming to Vulturnus, the pair began to walk back to where they had left the moped. He seemed to be deep in thought–and luckily, he spoke up soon enough, remarking on how bad he felt for the two kids, losing their parents so young. There it was, the golden opportunity. Agreeing, she empathized with the teenagers, slipping in the fact that ‘Liv’ was an orphan as well. That detail did not go unnoticed by Remy, not at all.

With eyes filled with sympathy, he offered her heartfelt condolences–condolences offered for a complete fabrication. Then, going a step further, he started to share information, private, sensitive information. Of course, she already knew these details–of his mother’s amputation, her death not long after, his father’s death…and his sister’s capture. Still, she reacted as she should, meeting his sorrowful eyes like a mirror. What did surprise her, however, were his last words, spat up with anger and determination: “I’ll get her back, though.”

Get her back? As far as the word around the base, the Griffins seemed to consider Rhea dead and gone. Executed. And yet here he was, speaking as if he knew that she wasn’t. This needed to be investigated.

“Your mom, too, huh…” she muttered to herself, choosing to redirect the topic for the time being. She needed to breach this carefully, when it was on her terms, easier to control. Until then, she could toss him a bone. “Oh, sorry, I mean, I don’t even remember my mom, but my dad–they took his hands too, when I was ten,” she explained, acting as if she was slightly embarrassed to be caught fixating. Her voice softened, her gaze faraway as she recounted events that had never happened. “And he just–the fire in him died. He…he just started withering away. Lost himself. It wasn’t long after that he went charging at some patrols…” She trailed off briefly, glancing away as a hollow chuckle rattled in her throat. “I’m sure you can imagine what happened next.” She paused, letting the implication hang in the air–the tragic image of a broken father choosing to be shot to death rather than to keep living his miserable existence.

“I’m fine, really,” she added quickly, tucking her hair behind an ear. “Like I said, I had my grandma. But what’s not fine is that stories like ours aren’t even uncommon, y’know what I mean?” she looked to Remy, something like sober determination in her eyes.

“But you’re stronger than me. I’m not sure how I’d deal with losing the one last family member I had,” Liv started off again, appealing to the emotions that appeared to be running high to lay the foundation of her approach. “I’ve heard a little, about your sister, about her capture…” her words were halting, as if she was afraid to hurt his feelings or cross a line. “What do you think happened to her?”
 
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REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Late morning -- Location: Alleys of Vulturnous -- Interactions: Liv
Remy smiled in agreement when she commented how they were a good team. They had been on the same page throughout the entire incident from beginning to end, as if they could read each other's minds. They certainly made a good pair.

When Remy revealed what happened to his mother, Liv responded with a similar story. “Your mom, too, huh… Oh, sorry, I mean, I don’t even remember my mom, but my dad... they took his hands too, when I was ten.” The Aqua Prodigium noticed her softening tone and her gaze seemed lost in the distance. “And he just, the fire in him died. He…he just started withering away. Lost himself. It wasn’t long after that he went charging at some patrols… I’m sure you can imagine what happened next.”

Remy shuttered at the image of a man being shot to death in mid-air, his young daughter watching from a distance. Flashbacks of his own mother sitting in her dark bedroom all day, staring out the window, came back to him. "I know how you feel," Remy replied softly, as his mother's spirit had wilted the same way. "It goes to show just how much magic is truly a fundamental part of us. Once it's gone, it's like we lose the will to live," he noted quietly, his own head lost in thought. "I'm sorry you had to watch that happen to your father. I'm sure it was traumatic." He gave her a soft, empathetic look.

“I’m fine, really,” Liv added quickly. “Like I said, I had my grandma. But what’s not fine is that stories like ours aren’t even uncommon, y’know what I mean?” She looked at Remy with a sobering determination.

The Gryphus leader returned her look with the same level of conviction. "Pretty much everyone I know has lost someone they love. It's part of the Prod's suffering, I guess," Remy scoffed. "While the rich pigs in the Valorum districts get anything they want with a snap of their fingers, we're stuck in the dirty slums. As if we're not even people." Scorn and bitterness surfaced in his voice. "We're trying our best, but even that's not enough," he added, referring to the Gryphus mission.

“But you’re stronger than me. I’m not sure how I’d deal with losing the one last family member I had,” Liv responded. “I’ve heard a little, about your sister, about her capture…” She paused. “What do you think happened to her?”

Rhea's brother paused for a long moment. "I think she's still alive," he said with a tone of confidence. This was the one fact that he had never doubted. He stopped mentioning Rhea to the other Griffins after a couple of months. He recognized their looks of pity and tones of disbelief, even in Adrian. Remy knew that he was the only one who still held out hope that she was alive. "I think the government knew she was our leader and they bribed Mr. Flynn to trick her into a trap," he added. "Mr. Flynn was my old neighbor. He was the one whose house I was standing at when we met in Auster that first time," the Aqua Prod revealed. "I went there planning to seriously hurt him... but then you showed up. And thank Lux you did because I would never have forgiven myself if I had hurt him." Remy showed her a look of gratitude.

He gazed off into the distance for several long moments, letting the silence sit between them, before shifting his attention back onto her. "As for Rhea, they clearly knew who she was because they chose Mr. Flynn of all people as bait. That can't be a coincidence. And if they wanted to kill her, they could have ended her right then and there. But they didn't. They took her away and probably tortured her for information on us. The fact that the government hasn't come knocking on our doors yet means that she didn't give us up. And this means they're either still trying or they've killed her..."

His theories came rolling out like a floodgate opening. He had learned to hold his tongue about Rhea around the other Griffins because he could tell that it made him seem like a less fit leader. No one wanted to follow someone who was still thirsting for revenge and following their emotional grief. But Liv had trusted him to reveal her own vulnerabilities, and he felt safe around her. "But something in my gut says that she's still alive. I don't know how yet, but I'm going to do everything I can to bring her back," Remy vowed, looking deep into Liv's eyes.
 
liv eione
time of day: late morning --- location: alleys of vulturnus --- interactions: remy
Her story seemed to hit bullseye. The Aqua Prod’s demeanor was gentle, sympathetic–thoughtful. Her cover story had been specifically constructed to elicit this kind of response, but it was clear to see how easily he was swayed by this tactic. This would be useful information for the future, lest she run into some trouble.

His sober countenance, however, changed as he too spoke about how their tragic losses of loved ones were not at all rare in Lutum. Contempt sparked a live wire in his eyes as he spoke about the rich pigs in Valorum. She knew the type better than he’d ever know. The crystal chandeliers, polished by hand–the diamonds dripping off of her mother’s neck–the sleek limousines with chauffeurs. The music. The parties. The recitals. The dresses. It all felt so very long ago, so far away, but all at once too close, as if she’d find herself there if she closed her eyes a little too long. What stirred in her gut at the thought, however, was nothing as gentle as nostalgia or even homesickness. It was fear and despair, dark and cold as the pits of her mother’s eyes. Useless. Useless. Useless!

She reeled back from the memory just as she had from her mother’s ring-laden hand lashing out for a slap. This wasn’t the time. It would never be time, but especially not here, not now. She was in the middle of an interrogation, whether her subject knew it or not.

“I think she’s alive,” he declared. He sounded so sure, as it was the surest thing in the world. Based on what, exactly? She kept herself from raising her brows quizzically, instead maintaining a neutral but attentive expression. He was right, of course. Rhea Varick was indeed alive. But how did he know that? Was it just desperate hope? Delusion? Or…did he actually know more than he should–something that could compromise their mission?

That wouldn’t do, she thought darkly.

They had reached the warehouse, but caught up in the conversation, they only stood leaning against the back of the building, seemingly with zero intent of getting on the moped. There were more important things being spoken about. The young woman paid careful attention as Remy began to explain his theory, going all the way back to the Prod the Spectare had used as a trap. It’d been simple luck–either good or bad, it was hard to tell, still–that the weak-willed Prod had been a former neighbor of the Varicks. It certainly wouldn’t look that way to an outsider, however, and Remy clearly believed that ‘Mr. Flynn’ had sold her out. “Mr. Flynn was my old neighbor,” he explained, giving her information she already knew. “He was the one whose house I was standing at when we met in Auster that first time.”

“Mm,” she nodded, as if she was thinking back to what he had said. “You did mention revenge.”

“I went there planning to seriously hurt him…but then you showed up. And thank Lux you did because I would never have forgiven myself if I had hurt him,” he continued to confess, and she could hear the gratitude in his voice. It was…quaint, almost, that he balked so much at the thought of actually hurting someone. She didn’t understand that softness, not really. That was to be expected, however. She’d never understand, but she didn’t need to. She was a weapon, and weapons didn’t need salvation, forgiveness, or even a conscience.

Still, it was clear it mattered to him–and in that case, it was easy enough to play on that need to be a good person. “You know, you pretty much said the same exact thing the moment we were off the scene,” she reminded him, tilting her head to one side thoughtfully. “I’m not so sure I was the reason you didn’t do it. I think…once you’d even had a second of clarity, a break from the anger, you would’ve stopped yourself.” She gave him a gentle nudge in the arm. “You’ve got a good heart.”

He was quiet for a while longer, his gaze distant, perhaps thinking back to his sister. Sure enough, when he broke the silence, it was to return to the topic of his missing sister. “And if they wanted to kill her, they could have ended her right then and there. But they didn’t. They took her away and probably tortured her for information on us.” She nodded along slowly. It seemed that he’d simply been mulling everything over in his head, and had come to this conclusion on his own. He wasn’t stupid, that was one thing. His reasoning so far was rather solid…and mostly correct. “The fact that the government hasn’t come knocking on our doors yet means that she didn’t give us up.”

If only he knew. She was right here, right next to him. Rhea might not have given up the information the Spectare had so desperately wanted, no–but in the end, it hadn’t mattered. Perhaps, the most valuable thing she could have offered hadn’t been in her head at all, but in her blood, and now, that very power rushed through her veins, a part of her as any other Prod in Lutum. It was all terribly ironic to hear, veering on farce, but her mask didn’t budge. “And this means they’re either still trying or they’ve killed her…” he trailed off, something still in his eyes.

“But…?” she prompted quietly.

“But something in my gut says that she’s still alive,” he told her, meeting her gaze fiercely. “I don’t know how yet, but I’m going to do everything I can to bring her back.”

Those words weren’t empty, she could tell. The resolve in his voice was steely, the look in his eyes just as firm. A potential threat in the future, yes, one that warranted careful observation–but not yet an immediate threat that needed to be extinguished.

“I’ve never met your sister, but if she’s anything like you, or like what people say about her, then she must be a tough one. A survivor,” she replied encouragingly. There was a breath, a thought. “Y’know, if I knew there was even the slightest chance to get my dad back…” She turned away for a moment, looking out at the scenery as if with new eyes. “I’d do just about anything.” Liv met his eyes again, a small quirk playing at her lips. “So…when we come up with a plan to get her back…I call shotgun.”

She meant every word. If that day came–the day where this dormant threat came to fruition, she’d be right there to make sure it crashed and burned.
 
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REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Late morning -- Location: Warehouse above Vulturnous tunnels -- Interactions: Liv
When they reached the warehouse, Remy leaned against the back of the empty building. They were deep in conversation and he wasn't ready to return to the crowded Gryphus bunker just yet. He found himself enjoying getting to know Liv better and they had more in common than he originally thought.

“You know, you pretty much said the same exact thing the moment we were off the scene,” Liv reminded him when he expressed his guilt over Mr. Flynn. “I’m not so sure I was the reason you didn’t do it. I think…once you’d even had a second of clarity, a break from the anger, you would’ve stopped yourself."

Remy shrugged. "Maybe... I guess we'll never know what would've happened." He was more hesitant to agree. The Aqua Prod remembered how intense his vengeance had burned through him that day. "If I'm being honest, there was a part of me that had wanted to kill the old man at his very doorstep."

"You've got a good heart," the Ignis Prod added, nudging his arm.

"I try my best." He gave her a soft smile, looking in her eyes. "But having a good heart isn't enough to be a good leader," he added quietly, looking off into the alleyways. Still, Remy was surprised when his heart fluttered after hearing Liv's encouraging comment. It had been a long time since he felt the familiar nervous twirls in his stomach. The Gryphus leader quickly pushed the butterflies back into his buried emotional reserves. He didn't have the time or energy for nonsensical crushes. He had an insurgency to lead.

When Remy explained his theory surrounding Rhea's capture, Liv seemed to listen intently. It was certainly refreshing talking about his sister to someone who wasn't giving him that same pitying look. Like he was a naïve child who just needed some time before he too would learn the harsh realities of the world. “I’ve never met your sister, but if she’s anything like you, or like what people say about her, then she must be a tough one. A survivor,” Liv responded with encouragement.

"She was the toughest person I know," Remy said. "If anyone could lead a successful rebellion, it was her." As a young child, he had shared a room with Rhea and he remembered waking up in the middle of the night to see her trying to make bigger and bigger sparks when she first learned of her Fulmen abilities. They were never good enough for Rhea; she could always do better. When they moved to the Gryphus base, she would always have dark circles around her eyes, staying up late in the training room once again. Rhea was easily the best Fulmen Prod they had, and that wasn't even counting her Spacial abilities. "She was a cheater in dodgeball though," he cracked a smile. "Spacial Prod and all... it comes in handy." Dodgeball was the one time he ever saw his sister finally let loose. A strong competitive spirit, Rhea had dominated the dodgeball court and for once, winning this game was the only thing on her mind, all other pressures out the window.

“Y’know, if I knew there was even the slightest chance to get my dad back…” Liv looked away for a moment. “I’d do just about anything.” Liv met his eyes again. “So…when we come up with a plan to get her back…I call shotgun.”

"I appreciate it," Remy responded with a sincere light in his eyes, meeting her gaze. "Truly, I do. I'm so used to avoiding the subject of her capture with the others. It's nice being able to talk about it with someone," he said softly, the corners of his mouth lifting into a slight smile.

The Aqua Prod let out a deep breath and stared at a piece of plastic candy wrapper being tossed in the wind. His mind was churning, moving at a million miles an hour. His soft smile turned into a darker frown. "So what do you know about the Spectare? I think they're the ones who have her," he asked, looking back at Liv's face.
 
liv eione
time of day: late morning --- location: warehouse above tunnel entrance --- interactions: remy
He seemed touched by her words, but still demurred from taking all the credit. Humble, or just pretending to be? Either way, playing to a man’s ego rarely went sour. Still, she couldn’t help but take an almost approving note of his words: having a good heart isn’t enough to be a good leader. It would appear that there was more than just idealism in that head of his. It was true, of course–and in many ways, the Specter could’ve argued that having a good heart mattered very little in being a good leader.

Rhea Varick, on the other hand–she could see as a leader. “She was the toughest person I know,” he told her, his admiration for his sister apparent in the way he spoke of her. “If anyone could lead a successful rebellion, it was her.” Again, the agent silently agreed. She hadn’t quite been lying when she’d said that she had never met Rhea, but neither had she been entirely truthful. She’d read her profile, watched the interrogation tapes, seen a few live ones, even–albeit from the other side of a one-way glass. Rhea had never once faltered, never broken, her will refusing to succumb even if her body couldn’t keep up. She could respect that, regardless of the fact that they were on opposite sides. It wasn’t hard to imagine that if Rhea Varick hadn’t been a Prod and instead had been born in the Valorum Districts then relinquished to a Liberi Home, she would have made a fine Specter herself. Indeed, Rhea Varick had been a threat. It had been a strike of fortune that she of all people had been the one to be caught in a low-grade trap, but the Spectare were not the type to let such an opportunity go. Hubris was a vice, but it was also simply negligent.

There was nothing but sincerity in Remy’s gaze as he smiled at Liv, thanking her for her support, and she thought she could consider her objective for the day to be well-exceeding mere completion. “Hey, I’m always happy to listen,” she returned with another friendly smile of her own, and they fell into a thoughtful silence. This time, Liv did not bother to break it; she had her own observations to sort through. Discreetly, she watched the new Gryphus leader through her lashes. Would he prove to be as much of a threat as his predecessor? He certainly had the angry drive of his sister, though it did strike her as being less refined than his older sister’s. Inexperience, perhaps, or maybe he’d always been a little softer than her. How quickly he’d learn, however, was yet to be seen. It’d always been a part of the plan for her to get close as possible to the leadership of the Gryphus, but now it was clearly an imperative–

“So, what do you know about the Spectare?”

Everything came to a cold stop, her thoughts breaking off and swept over by a thick blanket of deadly calm. She turned to look at him, her face as smooth as a mask. “The Spectare?” she echoed, remembering to raise her brows up into what would appear to as casual surprise. All the while, she was keenly aware of the knife in her back pocket. It would be easy enough. Quick. Painless, a knife to the jugular vein. He’d be bleeding out in seconds.

“I think they’re the ones who have her,” he clarified.

She nodded. “Well, that would make sense,” she added musingly, pretending to give it some thought. Moving his body could be arranged, stashed in one of the steel drums laying about the warehouse until an acid bath could reduce him to soup. She knew Medea had the supplies. Meanwhile, she’d just have to make sure she was thoroughly injured and battered enough to sell a plausible story: the patrolmen had found them after they’d thought they had given them the slip. A tragic turn of events, a heroic sacrifice, perhaps.

“I mean–my grandma, she’s told me some…stories,” she began in a cautious tone, lowering her voice as she leaned closer to him. “She said one of her older cousins disappeared after he was suspected of passing out these flyers, decrying the regime.” She wondered if a gunshot wound to the arm would be convincing enough. There was a stash of weaponry in the center of Lutum, taped up under a grate. After that…smashing herself into a few walls would serve well enough, she thought. Bonus points for a dislocation or a fracture.

“My grandma was always so careful about what she said, even inside the house…but my dad, I don’t think he ever took them really seriously. I’ve wondered if that’s how he got caught using magic. I’ve asked my grandma, but she’s so tight-lipped about her thoughts,” Liv shook her head, a little wrinkle of frustration at her brow. “But…did you find something out? What have you heard?” she asked, careful to keep the right level of eagerness in her voice and expression–not too intense, just right. Did he know? Was he trying to fish for information? Had he known all along? Was he a salvageable risk, or an active threat to the mission that needed to be terminated immediately? She forced herself not to look at the vein spanning his neck, fixing her curious gaze onto his face instead, waiting like a coiled snake.
 
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REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Late morning -- Location: Alleys of Vulturnous -- Interactions: Liv
Remy saw Liv's eyebrows raise in surprise and he noticed she had tensed up a little. He knew that not many people spoke of the Spectare, especially in public, fearing that one wrong word would mean certain death. Even mentioning the Spectare name generally caused discomfort in others. It was easier to just pretend they didn't exist.

Liv agreed that the intelligence branch of the government would most likely be keeping Rhea and appeared to be thinking hard. He waited intently until she leaned in closer to him and spoke in a lowered voice. "I mean, my grandma. She’s told me some…stories. She said one of her older cousins disappeared after he was suspected of passing out these flyers, decrying the regime."

Remy nodded, his eyebrows furrowed with thought. Stories of people disappearing after criticizing the government was familiar to him. "I remember my old neighbor down the street also mysteriously disappeared one day. A week earlier, I had heard him talking to a few of his friends at the bar... about how Kato was just a corrupt politician who didn't know what he was doing. He was very drunk and very loud. Someone must've overheard him," the Aqua Prod recounted in a quiet voice. "You know what they say- even the trees have ears." He quickly glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was eavesdropping on them by the abandoned warehouse.

“My grandma was always so careful about what she said, even inside the house… but my dad, I don’t think he ever took them really seriously. I’ve wondered if that’s how he got caught using magic. I’ve asked my grandma, but she’s so tight-lipped about her thoughts,” Liv shook her head.

"Both my parents were very careful about what they said too. Especially after my mom died and my dad was in the process of forming..." Remy cut his sentence off abruptly, reluctant to mention the Gryphus name in public, even when they were alone. He gave Liv a knowing look so that she would understand the blank spot in his sentence. "That's when he and Dominic had to be the most careful. Everything they said was in code. They would spend hours in our basement whispering about their plans in the dark." He remembered waking up in the middle of the night and trying to eavesdrop on their hushed conversations, but the second his foot hit the staircase, all the whisperings would cease. They were nothing if not careful.

“But…did you find something out? What have you heard?” Liv asked, a curious look on her face.

Remy sighed with frustration and leaned back. "Not much, unfortunately. I've done some digging, but they certainly keep a tight lid on their organization," he said. "I've asked Timotheus, Dominic, and some of the older ones about them, but it's mostly just rumors too. They suspect the Spectare had a hand in Nevasca's Decree LII last year which makes sense." The Gryphus leader recalled his conversation with Elder Ramirus. Timotheus suspected that the Taxila faction had never attacked the Imperium task force and that it was really the Spectare who had plotted the attack in the darkness of the night. This resulted in more Imperium military troops entering Nevasca and ultimately the passing of Decree LII. In fact, the elderly man had even suspected that it was the Spectare who had poisoned their fish in the first place, but that was revealed to Remy in confidence. Even in the safety of the Gryphus bunker, there was a subconscious part of Timotheus that still feared his suspicions against the government, and especially the Spectare, being leaked.

He paused for a few moments before continuing. "The Spectare definitely seem to have the training and resources to kidnap Rhea and keep her imprisoned. I suspect their headquarters are located in Imperial City, but there are a million places in the city she could be," Remy said, feeling dejected. "We have a map of the capital that's kind of outdated in the reading room. I've studied it a bunch of times and a couple places stand out, but it's all just conjecture." In truth, he had never even stepped foot outside of Lutum and the Desert Wastes. He couldn't even begin to imagine what the Valorum districts or Imperial City was like. He had only heard rumors of their opulent lifestyle, living in the upper echelon of society.

"Well, I'll keep digging. Keep your ears open for me, will ya? Let me know if you learn anything useful," Remy met her eyes with a smile. "You can be like my personal Specter," he joked, letting out a chuckle. The thought of the kind-hearted girl standing before him as an evil bloodthirsty spy was an amusing image.
 
liv eione
time of day: late morning --- location: warehouse above tunnel entrance --- interactions: remy
“You know what they say–even the trees have ears,” Remy reminded her, his gaze shifting around them. She nodded, her expression uneasy. It was a fair saying, considering that the majority of Specters were Eyes–agents dispersed throughout the general population, from Lutum to the most elite Imperial City. It was an understandable precaution. After all, mutiny and unrest could start just about anywhere, even right underneath the nose of the government. It was the job of the Eyes to make sure nothing slipped through the net of surveillance, blended innocuously into the fabric of Imperium itself. Of course, that wasn’t to say that Eyes weren’t formidable in their own right. They had survived the training process just like her, leaving the program more than capable of complex operations and lethal force–Specters, through and through. More often than not, it was only the handful of final trials that separated Hands from Eyes.

She watched as the young man sighed, leaning against the warehouse a little more heavily. Frustration marred his brow. “Not much, unfortunately,” he began, unaware of just how fortunate he actually was. “I’ve done some digging, but they certainly keep a tight lid on their organization.” The undercover agent felt the pressure on her lungs loosen ever-so-slightly. It was to be expected; the Spectare was literally an intelligence organization. If they couldn’t control the flow of their own information, they would be an utter laughingstock on the international scale. He went on to explain that he’d asked some of the senior members of the Gryphus, including Dominic and the elderly priest Timotheus, but they couldn’t give him more than speculation and rumor. “They suspect the Spectare had a hand in Nevasca’s Decree LII last year, which makes sense,” he mused. This time, she was more than prepared.

“Wait, seriously?” she uttered, her eyes growing round. She looked around them again, then continued in hushed tones. “I mean…yeah, I guess that does make sense. It’s awfully convenient for them, right?” Slowly, she nodded, as if the information was causing puzzle pieces to fall into place–when in fact, she knew it to be the truth. She’d been part of the missions, both in the initial poisoning and in the lynch pin framing endeavor that had led to that very decree.

The fish poisoning, which had been called Operation Angler, had been her first top priority mission. Even now, she remembered the grueling stowaway journey and the painstaking care that had been placed into ensuring that no one saw them come or go. She’d barely been twenty, the youngest Specter assigned to the team, and the Spectare Primo herself had praised Cyra for her performance. True to her commendation, she had been chosen to return to Nevasca the year prior to carry out the brutal attack on their own military forces–Operation Blackout. As for that mission…well, there was no point in dwelling on the necessary sacrifices. Those soldiers had sworn to serve Imperium with their lives, just like her. It was simply the cost of running a regime, and she had more important things to focus on at the moment.

“That’s true,” Liv responded thoughtfully as he went on to theorize where the Spectare might be holding Rhea Varick. “The capital would make sense, but then again, what if it’s too obvious…?” she added the possibility, planting a seed of doubt into his mind. If this was the extent of his knowledge, then there was no reason to react with brute force–though she was sure now that she would have to keep a closer eye on him. Once she became one of his most trusted confidants, she’d be able to steer his thoughts and make sure he never strayed too close to the truth. In the meanwhile… “Yeah, I can see how this’ll be tough.” She let out a short exhale, shaking her head again, but she was quick to offer the dejected-looking young man an encouraging smile. “Chin up, though.”

He smiled back at her, the mood lightening up. “Well, I’ll keep digging. Keep your ears open for me, will ya? Let me know if you learn anything useful,” he asked of her, only to go on to joke, “You can be like my personal Specter.” She joined in as he chuckled, and this time, she didn’t have to try too hard to sound amused.

“Sir, yes sir,” she retorted with comical seriousness, straightening up and giving him a silly little salute. Grinning, she relaxed back into her casual stance. “Come on, let’s get back,” she said, jerking her head at the moped. “I’ll even be the one to give Marcy the bad news, if you want. She still owes me for the trauma she put me through on initiation night.”
 
REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Mid-day -- Location: Meeting room in Gryphus bunker -- Interactions: Gryphus Circle
The next Gryphus Circle meeting was a few days after Remy's encounter with June and Jo in Vulturnous. As soon as the clock hit noon, Remy walked into the meeting room on the main floor of the bunker. Although he wasn't a punctual person by nature, he made an extra effort to be on time for these meetings. He knew that the Circle's perception of him as a responsible leader was important. Caliban and Timotheus were already sitting in their usual chairs next to each other, early as always. There were six chairs surrounding a circular wooden table at the center of the room. Remy smiled at both of them and took his spot to the left of Caliban. "Good afternoon, Elder Ramirus," the Gryphus leader dipped his head slightly in respect towards Timotheus. "Hey Cal," Remy nodded at his old teacher.

Timotheus smiled back through his gray beard. "You look well, Remus."

"Sup Rem," Caliban greeted him casually.

The rest of the Gryphus Circle soon joined them. Tasia and Cleo came in next, usually entering these meetings together. They were Rhea's best friends and the three women had formed a tight friendship trio. Rhea's capture had seemed to draw the two Circle women even closer together, bonded over their lost friend. They took their seats to the right of Timotheus. Last to enter was Dominic who ran through the door in a hurry. Clearly, he had rushed to get to the meeting on time. He took the last empty seat in between Remy and Tasia.

"Alright, thanks for coming, everyone," Dominic opened up. He took the time to make eye contact with each of the other Circle members then turned to Caliban. "Cal, would you like to start us off?"

"Thanks, Dom," Caliban smiled and shifted his attention onto the rest of the Circle. "Elemental training has been going well. This week, Aeliana's daughter, Anshi, discovered her affinity for Aqua and her brother, Cyrus, decided on Fulmen." Aeliana was on the Recruitment Team for the Auster division.

"Wonderful, another Aqua Prodigium!" Tasia said happily. Their location by the desert meant that they could never have a shortage of Aqua Prods.

"Perhaps they'll learn to combine their elements and become an excellent pair of fighters together like Helvius and Fabius," Cleo wondered, referring to how they always dominated the Initiation fights.

"Or they'll come up with creative ways to help our community together," Timotheus objected, frowning at the idea of young teenagers using their magic for violence. "Filling up the water tanks could always be a little faster and I know there are still houses in Lutum without electricity."

Cleo's eyebrows furrowed. She didn't say anything in response, but her silence was clear. The younger Griffins were born into an age where using one's Prodigium skills for fighting purposes was simply a necessary survival skill. Timotheus was the oldest Griffin and the only one who could still remember what life was like before the Great Revolution, when the Prodigium had used their abilities to aid their communities.

Remy broke the silence before it grew awkward. "Anshi and Cyrus are a bright pair. I'm sure they'll learn quickly."

"Especially being trained by Cal," Dominic added and shifted his attention to the Head Recruiter. "Cleo, any updates on your end?"

"Recruitment has been going well. Nothing to note there." She paused for few moments. "However, a couple of my recruiters have heard from the locals that a few people they know have mysteriously disappeared."

"Could they have misspoken and someone overheard?" Caliban asked, questioning the Spectare's role in the disappearances.

"It's possible, but the locals said they didn't notice them saying anything negative about the government or doing anything unusual," Cleo replied. "The one thing they do have in common is that all the ones who have disappeared are people without any close family or friends. One was a homeless man and another was a pair of street orphans."

Remy instantly thought about June and Jo fending for themselves on the dangerous streets of Lutum. "Which divisions were they in?" he asked.

"One in Aquilo and one in Caurus," Cleo responded. The Gryphus leader breathed out a small sigh of relief when she didn't mention Vulturnous, although the teenagers could certainly be in any of the Lutum divisions.

"Well we should definitely keep our ears open and see if this escalates, but I'm not sure there's much we can do about it right now," Tasia said. "Maybe you can have your recruiters ask around and get some more information about the disappearances," she suggested to Cleo.

The Head Recruiter nodded. "I've asked the Recruitment Team to keep their eyes and ears peeled."

"And I shall pray to the Lux Libertas for protection of our fellow Prodigium in Lutum," Timotheus offered.

"Speaking of street orphans, me and Liv ran into a pair of them while we were at Mason's Motos a few days ago," Remy looked at Cleo. "They're Metal Prods who steal phones then rework the inner hardware to sell for a higher price. You should send your recruiters after them. They'd be a great addition to Gryphus and the bunker is certainly a much safer place for them, especially in light of the new disappearances."

"Metal Prods? You sure they're legit? How did you meet them exactly and get them to reveal that they were Prods?" Cleo asked, her eyes narrowing for more information.

"They got in trouble with a pair of patrolmen right outside Mason's Motos. It was escalating pretty fast and one of the patrols took out their baton to use against the girl," Remy recounted the story. "I got in between them and tried to deescalate the situation while Liv created a diversion by throwing down a smoke bomb. Once the smoke scattered, we booked it and lost them in the alleys. That's when they told us the patrols were after them because of the phones they had stolen. They taught themselves how to rework phones using Metal magic, which is pretty damn impressive for a pair of street kids."

"Hold on a sec. You got in between the patrols?" Cleo clarified, annoyance seeping into her voice. "That could've turned out really badly, especially if Liv's smoke bomb didn't hit in time. What if it had turned into a skirmish?"

"The kids needed help and we have an agreement with Mason's Motos," Remy replied, keeping his voice steady. "What was I supposed to do? Leave the kids to the mercy of the patrols and ruin business for one of our supporters?" He was careful to keep his face composed. The last thing he needed was the rest of the Circle seeing how riled up he was. As Cleo had been his older sister's best friend, she had never accepted Remy's leadership role in Gryphus. Unable to see him as a reckless, young boy, she took every chance to counter his decisions. Bonus points if it was in front of the Circle.

"Why didn't you help Liv with the distraction instead? It still would've given the kids the chance to get away. Why did you have to physically intervene yourself?" Cleo threw back.

"I thought the patrolman was going to attack the girl! I wasn't aggressive or anything. I just needed to buy Liv time to create the distraction. It all worked out, didn't it?" Remy let out a frustrated sigh.

"It worked out because you were lucky Liv's smoke bomb came in time. And now those patrolmen know your face. It was a reckless decision," Cleo locked eyes with Remy.

"I did what I thought was best, given the situation." The Gryphus leader returned her inflammatory gaze, the heated tension starting to fill the room.

Caliban cleared his throat, breaking their disagreement. "Well the important thing is that Remy and Liv made it out alright."

"We can't change what already happened. There's no point in arguing about it now," Dominic agreed, hoping to tame the flames. "The only thing we can do now is check up on the teenagers. See if they're a fit for Gryphus. What were their names?" he asked Remy.

"June and Jo." Remy paused for a few moments before reluctantly shifting his gaze back to Cleo. "June's the girl. She's sassy and has a temper. Her brother, Jo, is more cautious and calm." The more identifying information she had, the more likely the recruiters would be able to locate them.

Cleo's eyes were still narrowed with annoyance, but she nodded nonetheless. Despite their rivalry, neither of them wanted to cause a scene at the Circle meeting.

"So Tasia, what's been happening?" Dominic shifted the group's attention onto the house mother. The tension from Cleo and Remy still thickened the air.

"We're good on supplies. Marcy told me that since she couldn't get the parts she needed, we'll be short on mopeds for the next couple weeks until the dust settles and we can go back to Mason's Motos," Tasia reported. "So we should encourage people to pair up and only go into Lutum if necessary."

The rest of the Circle muttered their agreements and Dominic spoke up. "Also, the owner of Bread and Butter's cousin is sick. He's requesting extra water be delivered to their house this week." He looked over at Remy, who delegated the water deliveries amongst the Aqua Prodigium.

Remy nodded. "We can give Mason's Motos some extra water along the way. I know their bikes need some cleaning and hopefully it'll make up for whatever loss in business they experienced from the patrol incident."

"Anything else you want to discuss?" Dominic asked, looking at each of the Circle members. When no one spoke up, he clapped his hands together. "Alright, meeting adjourned! I'll see you all next week."

Cleo swiftly stood up and exited the room without speaking a word to anyone. Remy glared after her but held his tongue.

"Hey, don't let her get to you too much," Dominic said to the Gryphus leader when everyone else had left the room.

"I don't know why she has to challenge me on everything I do," he said with exasperation. "Just kidding, I do know. I'll never be as good as Rhea."

"Hey you know that's not true. It takes time to be a good leader. You just need some more experience," Dominic reassured him. "Besides, dealing with Cleo counts as experience. Being a good leader also means managing different personalities and dissenting opinions too."

Remy shrugged. "I guess. I just wish she'd cut me a break sometimes." He paused for a few moments before looking back at Dom. "Well, glad to have you on the Circle as always." He smiled.

Dominic smiled back at him. "Come on, let's grab some lunch. I'm starving."
 
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