realitywerks.com forums

[Diamond]

Diamond's Crusade Continues
Several Raids Again Occur Throughout Several Cities As The Search For Katrina Visitor Continues

Terra Volta Raid Siezes $100M Worth Of Illegal Weapons And Military Equipment
Associated Press
Sunday October 4th, 2009



Factory fire burns as a Diamond continues to fight Sky Raiders through Power Plant Zone

Paragon City Police and Longbow officials are reporting that a raid into the Terra Volta Power Plant Zone has destroyed about $100 million dollars worth of illegal weapons and stolen military surplus equipment that was intended for sale on the black market. The raid was reported to have been lead by Heroine of the City "The Valiant Dazzling Diamond" and fellow Templar Fire Cat.

Police and Longbow were able to contain and secure the area after the heroines' departure before allowing fire fighters in to control the blaze.

P.C.P.D. Detective Andrew Shepard said several arrests of Sky Raider suspects were made. The stockpiles of military grade munitions were seized. The seizure is reportily a large cache of High Tech energy weapons and explosives.

This raid follows another also led by the crusading heroine last week. During which the heroine and authorities seized several crates of the illegal drug known as Superdyne and several dozen crates of illegal medical supplies and surgery equipment in Steel Canyon believe bound for the black market in Sharkshead.


Diamond's Star Rises Over Sharkshead Island



A Massive Explosion From Diamond Lights up the night sky over the warehouse district in Sharkshead


SHARKSHEAD ISLAND, ETOILE ISLANDS - A witness and several R.I.P police officers say the heroine 'The Valiant Dazzling Diamond” was responsible for an attack on a large warehouse complex on their island. The warehouse has been reported as a large illegal lab and warehouse run by yet another renegade Crey group.

The attack early Sunday morning was the fourth on Crey and Malta military supplies on Sharkshead in as many days.

A police officer on the site of the numerous arrests says he witnessed the lone heroine enter the warehouse and engage the mercenary forces stationed inside. She then turned her attack onto the supplies as well, which then set off a series of explosions which destroyed the warehouse.

No civilian nor resident casualties have been reported. Though R.I.P. officals are denouncing the attack as illegal and outside of her 'juristiction.



Diamond Strikes In Long Island




A blast of the heroine's powers destroys an illegal smuggling dock


LONG ISLAND, NY - Noted Paragon City Heroine Diamond is said to have attacked a suspected secret base operated by the Malta Group. The mercenary operatives were said to be running guns and illegal medical supplies.

New York State Police said the heroine attacked the underground site in the early hours of Monday morning. Multiple barrages of her energy were fired prior to her entry to the underground facility after which local witnesses reported several under ground explosions that shook the ground.

It has been reported some two dozen members of the high tech mercenary group were injured during their arrest. Several children and other adults that were being held at the base were also recovered.

Detective Denise Holden told MSNBC that Longbow had previously reported that though this was a possible 'slavery ring' as well. Shuttling captives to locations unknown for any price. So far the suspected criminal groups involved point to both 'The Family' and quite possibly to Crey Pharmaceuticals.

Detective Holden was unable to officially confirm any New York State Police involvement in the investigation. However FBI and Longbow were also on sight after the Heroine led attack.

Diamond's large scale attacks and warrant raids on 'Villains' resources have long become common place these last few months. The Heroine has maintained her ongoing campaign to increase the pressure on the 'villain' community in order to gain information on the whereabouts of missing Templar Katrina Visitor. Katrina, a noted child heroine has been missing for some moths now.

Diamond has been quoted numerous times as hoping such raids will lead to more and more pressure on anyone who may be aiding Neurosculptor in her flight with the young heroine.

The elusive villainess and her cohorts are currently on the run and still believed to be holding the youngest heroine of the Templars of the Abbey.

Diamond was once again unavailable for comment but when a fellow heroine was asked if she thought her attacks and arrests would continue or even escalate her response was simply "You bet your life honey, Kara is totally committed to bringing Katrina home. We are not going to stop until the little one is given back to her family, safe and sound"

Any information concerning the child's whereabouts are to be turned over to the authorities and those responsible will face justice.

Fire Cat, who is also a member of the Templars of the Abbey went on to add "Any criminal who is helping this witch has to know we just aren't going anywhere and these raids will continue. She wanted a war and now she has one."

"Katrina is coming home!"
_________________
Chris : “The old man was right, only the farmers won. We lost. We'll always lose.”

[Diamond]

The cold night air whipped around her softly glowing blue fields, the gentle blue sheath that covered her like a second skin. Small particles of dust causing the casing to sparkle as the dust dances over it's layer. Her hair wafting in the chilling breeze as she stares out towards the isles...

Towards her and the child she has stolen...

I can see
when you stay low nothing happens
Does it feel right ?

She clenches her fists tightly as she hears the countdown begin for her support flight of Longbow Eagles. Their restrained jet engines purring like chained hornets behind her the lightly tossing deck.

Late at night
things I thought I put behind me
haunt my mind

She closes her eyes, and briefly allows her mind to wander back to another time, another place. A place of warmth, a place of security, a place where she had once felt safe....just felt like Kara...

I just know there's no escape now
once it sets it's eyes on you
but I won't run, have to stare it in the eye

"Launch! All Eagles!" The command and control officer's voice cries out over her earpiece, shattering a once warm vision of her past. Beside her a figure arises up from below decks. His dark blue costume almost meshing with the shadows of the storm filled night.

He looks to her and smirks "Ready Boss Ma'am?"

Stand my ground, I won't give in
No more denying, I gotta face it
Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside
If I don't make it, someone else will
Stand My Ground

With renewed resolve she nods and takes to the air on her gift of energy, like a silent ghostly blue missile she tears over the dark seas towards tonight's list of targets. Pressure, destruction, arrests and more interrogations.

All for Katrina

It's all around
getting stronger, coming closer
into my world

Like most nights, the battles blur into one long montage after another of resistance, arrogance and then submission. Agents of Arachnos or Crey or some other criminal organization fall alongside the Longbow Agents sent to aid her in their own self serving missions. Bill, Molly, Izzy, RJ, Dani...

I can feel
that it's time for me to face it
can I take it?

She stands in front of another ruined structure, faded in time now burning from her own assault. Longbow agents rifling through their records. She sighs, some hostages freed yet no child.

No Katrina...no evidence she was here and no further word on the street.

Though this might just be the ending
of the life I held so dear
but I won't run, there's no turning back from here

She looks up to the night sky, money issued to informants, bribes to the Rogue Island Police Force, shake downs across three continents and she still is no closer to finding her ward.

Yet she will not stop, she knows this, she can feel it in her core. She will set the Rogue Islands on fire if the child is hurt, or never returned.

She swears it to herself as Bill approaches with some more warrants.

Stand my ground, I won't give in
No more denying, I gotta face it
Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside
If I don't make it, someone else will
Stand My Ground

Another montage, another battle. Another night and another week and another month. Burning buildings, wounded and killed, agents and criminals. She sees each and everyone of them each night she returns home to close her eyes.

"Kara" Bill tried once softly. "it's been months, you haven't done anything else but this...maybe.."

"To do what?" she answered without turning to look at him.

"Let someone else try for a bit....let this go"

When she did turn to meet his gaze, he was able to tell her answer instantly.

All I know for sure is I'm trying
I will always stand my ground

"Again, another possible lead?" Shocktrooper just shakes her head as she listens to Molly's report.

"No Dani" Kara says as she enters the briefing room "...another chance to bring our littlest one home."

Stand my ground, I won't give in (I won't give in)
I won't give up (I won't give up)
no more denying, I got to face it
won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside
if I don't make it, someone else will

The cold night air whipped around her softly glowing blue fields, the gentle blue sheath that covered her like a second skin. Small particles of dust causing the casing to sparkle as the dust dances over it's layer. Her hair wafting in the chilling breeze as she stares out towards the isles...

Stand my ground, I won't give in
No more denying, I gotta face it
Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside
If I don't make it, someone else will
Stand My Ground.

Towards her and the child she has stolen...
_________________
Chris : “The old man was right, only the farmers won. We lost. We'll always lose.”

[Diamond]

A single streak of light broke the darkness surrounding the grand ship. Looming out of the black like a dark mountain rising from the shifting surface of an equally black sea, the giant aircraft carrier sailed ahead in the middle of her escort vessels. Her massive decks lit only by the occasional twin sparks of light burning brightly from its fighters launching or arriving, dancing over the deck of their mother ship, much like protective children.

Kara banked and turned as she aimed for the deck of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. She had been instructed to meet with the in theater U.S. Navy commander since her Longbow operations and efforts to find Katrina had crossed over with some of their operations here in the Atlantic. A courtesy call she reminded herself. This was hardly her first meeting with such a high ranked military officer, yet she knew such meetings did not always go well. It was hard to let someone with a great deal of responsibility and power know you were about to play in their sandbox...and not necessarily by their rules.

As she approached she keyed her comm to the Navy's frequency. “Air Boss Seven One Alpha, this is Lima Bravo Zero One, cross-decking from the Lima Bravo Special Service Vessel Liberty to Task Force Flag. Requesting approach and landing clearance.”

“Lima Bravo Zero One, we are involved in a fixed wing recovery at this time. Hold off on station off our starboard quarter and stay alert for descending traffic. You are next to land.”

Kara grinned at the casualness of the sailor's voice. Meta-humans had become so routine for the military since the second world war, that she was being treated as nothing more than yet another approaching aircraft to the controller. She only paused long enough to remind herself that starboard was the right side of the massive ship and port to its left. She illuminated her energy fields to a bright blueish hue as she brought herself to a stop, in an effort to let inbound planes know exactly where she was as she slowly followed the carrier as it cut its way through the night.

She turned to look behind her over her left shoulder as the noise of a single engine screamed out of the dark. A single F/A 18 Super Hornet was in the approach path, riding the invisible single beam of the Fresnell lamp down to the carrier's deck. The pilot had lowered the landing gear and tail hook, the graceful plane's flaps all fully extended now. The plane seemed to float hesitatingly out of the sky as if unwilling to give up the freedom of its flight. Then as the flattop came into full vision, the true perspective of the landing became visible to Kara. The last few seconds of the jet's descent became a flashing blur of speed and streaking lights, climaxing with the puff of smoke that marked the impact of its tires with the deck of the carrier on anti-skid.

“Lima Bravo Zero One, this is Air Boss Seven One Alpha. You are cleared to complete cross-decking. Be advised you will be positioned on Spot Three. Watch for your deck controller.”

“Roger Air Boss Seven One Alpha, Lima Bravo Zero One arriving.”

Kara floated down the last thousand yards with a effortless grace, remaining brightly illuminated as she scanned the starboard quarter for her controller. A twin pair of glowing flash bars guided her down to the bright dot of the helicopter landing pad to which she received an approving nod from her controller as she dropped down lightly to the deck of his carrier. He escorted her to a hatch at the base of the huge island that held the command tower for the carrier.

There she was met by a marine orderly.

“Diamond?” he yelled over the clamor of the flight deck. “Admiral Tallman sends his compliments and requests I escort you to his cabin Ma'am.”

Kara nodded and smiled “Very well” she yelled back “Lead on marine”

She followed him into the island structure. As she passed through the hatchway and down into the bowels of the ship, she nodded a greeting or offered a warm smile to any of the sailors or marines who passed them. She had been around the military up in the shard or standing beside them against the Rikti to know any visitor meant a break in their usual routine. Normally a welcome break as it appeared to be tonight. Her escort came up short before a hatch and turned to her “Admiral Tallman is inside Ma'am” with that her opened the hatch and let her in.

The Lincoln's Flag Quarter's were that curious mix of luxury and utility unique to such habitations. Golden oak wall panels and navy blue carpeting challenged an overhead cluttered with cable clusters and insulated duct-work. The large combined office and sitting room was furnished with a comfortable yet masculine looking couch and chair set done in dark brown leather. The two officers occupying the cabin came to their feet as she was ushered within.

“Diamond reporting on station, sir” Kara said smoothly as she congratulated herself at remembering the proper arriving comment. She had every intention at paying heed to the numerous traditions of her navy hosts. They had earned such respect long ago in her opinion, no matter how this meeting went, she told herself.

“You hold an honorary rank of lieutenant don't you Diamond? “ The man with stars on his collar said to her with a crisp formal tone to his voice. “According to your file, what we can see of it that is. You were awarded that for your work with the U.N. Peace-keepers in the Shadow Shard.”

She nodded “Yes sir, that is correct, the Expeditionary Force. It is an army rank sir, First Lieutenant” she tried to remember her navy rank conversions and failing that she took a guess “So...Lieutenant junior grade for the navy?”

He smiled a little at her attempt and nodded “Correct, well then Lieutenant Welcome aboard”. The Admiral was a solid man carrying only a little middle-aged weight. His dark hair was thinning and his rather narrow brown eyes shone with a mixture of humor and shrewd intelligence. When he shook gloved hand after their exchange of salutes, there was a slight bow and a touch of old Georgia courtesy to his manner. There was also a faint smile on his face. He seemed to recognize her attempts to pay heed to traditions that did not bound her.

“Lieutenant, this is my chief of staff, Command Nolan Walker” Kara herself noted he was trying to reign her in already with his repeated use of her honorary rank, yet she smiled sweetly as she noted his firm handshake and returned it, equally firm. She turned to nod to Commander Walker and noticed he was essentially a colorless man. He had gray eyes and pale skin providing no contrast for his graying blond hair. As Kara shook his hand she could feel adversarial sparks jump between them. She couldn't quite tell if it was because she was a woman or because she was somehow a threat to his Admiral's command or his own position. Regardless she smiled sweetly as they exchanged handshakes.

“Like, a Pleasure to meet you, Commander Walker.” She said with a level tone to her voice.

Tallman gestured Kara into one of the cabin's chairs, taking the couch for himself. Walker it seemed preferred to stand, leaning back across the edge of the desk.

“I'm glad we've finally gotten a chance to meet face to face Lieutenant” the Admiral said. “I've heard a lot about you and the work you have done for the military. Not to mention your recent work throughout the Etole Island theater.”

“I hope it has all been favorable, sir” Kara replied politely.

“It has from our intelligence people. They report the work you have done has given them a lot of pretty good stuff on the islands. Many of your reports and the follow up stuff Longbow allows the military to see has provided us with invaluable data.”

Kara nodded “Thank you, sir, though intelligence gathering is not exactly my purpose nor my current goal for my operations. However I guess you could say I've been lucky so far. The Longbow agents and those agents from our government that collate it do most of that kind of work”

The Admiral shrugged. “Its on your watch Lieutenant, and you do the legwork. I am very sorry however about the status of this young girl that you are looking for. Of course anything that the navy can do to aid you in those efforts, within our mission parameters, we will do.”

Kara smiled genuinely at that offer, appreciating it for its value. She could tell the Admiral meant that as a father. If he could help he would, parameters or not. Though she could feel the beginning of a power struggle coming she was beginning to like this Admiral.

“Thank you sir, and if I need such I help it is good to know it is there, I am quite intent in bringing her home alive and safe to her parents.”

The Admiral nodded and looked to Walker for just a moment before adding “Yes I am quite aware of who the Visitor girl's parents are and what they have done for National Security. However like you said for this op they are just parents and this is their daughter. The Navy is equally intent in helping in anyway we are able to”

The Admiral leaned back letting his left arm drape over the back edge of the couch “In fact that brings me to the point of our little meeting Lieutenant, just how many more times do you think that you will need to go into Etole island territorial waters?”

Kara's eyes narrowed a little, so that was the catch here. “Well with all respect Admiral, like its very hard for me to say. My operations are bent at providing pressure on anyone ...well on any organization that may be providing aid to Neurosculptor, the woman who took little Katrina. She is, as the latest intelligence reports hiding on the islands.” she shrugged politely “I am not going to stop meeting with contacts and those willing or unwilling to give up information on her, nor strike at possible leads that may hold the whereabouts of where this woman is in hiding...so I guess we'll just have to see how the situation develops”

“We've just received the post action report on this last so called insertion of yours, Diamond” Commander Walker interjected. “Frankly there are certain aspects of it that concern the hell out of us. Your battle with that shadow thing and it's robot nearly got one of our SIGINT ships caught in the middle of a firefight”

Kara smirked a little at the mention of their stealth ship, whose mission of gather signal intelligence on Lord Recluse's offshore operations drew too near her battle on the docks of Port Oaks. She was just as surprised as the villain's crew to find the ship there. She did all she could to allow the ship to depart and made certain her opponents were delivered to Longbow so they wouldn't divulge just how close a US Naval ship had been in Etole Island waters.

“I agree, it was a tight situation but I was able to coordinate with your ship's captain to allow it to disengage safely, you so have to keep in mind that ship was in no way listed as being in the area when Longbow and I so planned the mission Admiral..I mean..”

It was Tallmen 's turn to smirk a little “A drawback of course of the stealth doctrine Lieutenant. The mission was classified.”

Kara nodded “Like a classic case of the left hand and right hand keeping secrets. However your ship got away with all hands and no one knows it was there. So far I've not had any other conflicts with your deployments Admiral.”

Walker snapped at her from the desk “'So far' being the operative phrase here, Diamond” he shook his head clearly annoyed now. “What happens next time you have to insert yourself on those islands, I mean by this time they have to almost expect you”

Kara looked right at him, her eyes locking with his “They so haven't caught me yet Commander.”

“It is a point of concern though, Lieutenant” Admiral Tallman said. “We are operating right on the edge of the territorial waters of a rogue power. A highly volatile government, and it wouldn't take too much to tip them over the edge.”

Kara nodded and conceded that point “I so understand that Admiral” She had been through something like this before in her dealings with the military. She could sense the trap, so she deciding to bring up a few of her own big guns. “Just as I am so sure Admiral Roughead is aware as well, when he and I last met and discussed what I needed to do out here”

She watched as Tallman's eyes flickered over to his chief of staff momentarily at her name dropping the Chief of Naval Operations. Kara grinned and thought to herself. These two were running 'good cop, bad cop' on her. The loop of the trap would be coming for her shortly; she needed to be ready to duck out from under it.

“The problem is that your operations and that Longbow ship you work off of are not the only American vessels out here, “ Walker said pushing the point “that and these villain organizations and Lord Recluse's military are not going to be worried about American chains of command. If you hit a tripwire over there, or piss off the wrong person, it could be one of our ships that gets tagged for retaliation.”

“As I said Commander” Kara's voice was polite with an edge of ice on it now. “Do you have any suggestions about how we should address it?”

Before Walker got a chance to answer that, the good cop took over.

“We think we do, Lieutenant,” The Admiral said smoothly picking up the line of their conversation. “Now, your operations are strictly Longbow's baby, but since we are both sharing the theater command out here, I would like to establish a set of liaison protocols. Our Intel people are already working together routinely and doing a good job of it. We ought to be doing the same thing /operationally/. It just makes good sense for said right hand to know what the left hand is doing.”

Ahh, there it is, Kara thought. It was very subtly and politely worded, but the literal translation was still: Hey lady this is my sandbox and you, by God, better start playing by my rules.

Kara smiled sweetly. “Like that does sound very reasonable, sir. However I do not think I have the authority to amend my agreed upon operational parameters to such an extent. I so think that the best call would be for you to contact the office of the CNO directly and work up a set of protocols though them.”

Literal translation: Bug off! You're not my boss and we both know it.

Kara awaited the follow-up. Commander Walker straightened angrily at the desk but before he could speak, Tallman caught him with a slight shake of his head.

“You are right Lieutenant.” he replied quietly. “That would be the best and most proper way to handle this. We will look into it” He rose to his feet and extended his hand to her. “I expect you will be wanting to get back to your ship here presently and continue with your search. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

Kara stood up as well and accepted his handshake. “It is so the same for me, sir. I appreciate the opportunity to meet the people I am working /with/ face-to-face.”

“It does promote understanding, Lieutenant.”






After Diamond had departed, Admiral Tallman and his chief of staff worked through a well-established ritual. Commander Walker drew two mugs of strong Navy coffee setting them on the Admiral's desk, while the Admiral unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk and removed a contraband bottle. Opening the fifth of bonded Kentucky bourbon, the senior officer poured a carefully metered ounce into each cup.

Resealing the bottle, Tallman restored it to its hiding place and returned his attention to his aide. “Well, what do you think?”

“I think she is a rogue and a glory hound, and I think in the end she is going to be a lot of trouble.”

Tallman chuckled briefly. “Now, don't you go and hold anything back on me Nolan. “ The Admiral shook his head “What's your real opinion son?”

“I was being serious, sir. Diamond is a loose cannon, and a loose cannon with an attitude.” He said darkly. “She is thinking only about this child and nothing else, This is something we definitely do not need out here right now.”

“Yeah I might buy in on the attitude. But then, that is not entirely a bad thing Nolan.” The Admiral took his first experimental sip of his laced drink. “I have worked with Metas who have worked with the Navy side by side for many years now. They are like fighter pilots. “ He chuckled to himself. “They are no damn good unless they are driven, professional and just a little bit cocky.”

“The girl is also a risk taker, sir”

“That is also in their job description Nolan, Just as long as her risks are calculated. Let's face it. Maybe she is nosing into our territory, but she is also coming across with some of the best tactical intel we have gotten in some time about Etole Island operations. Not to mention it never hurts to have a big gun like her in and around to protect our ships should such an eventuality arise.”

The Admiral tilted his chair back “Besides the CNO seems to trust her, and he does not impress easily. Maybe we should just let this ride and see what happens.”

“But...but sir, we do not have a handle on this woman!” Walker said with no small degree of shock.

“That may not necessarily be a bad thing, either. If something blows up because of her, well she is Longbow's baby. If we don't have any operational linkage, we can just pass it off on them. If she keeps doing things right, hell, it's going to be happening in our own backyard, and we'll catch the glow off of it.”

Walker frowned and reached for his coffee mug. “Well I still don't like it, sir.”

“Maintain an even keel, son. We'll just give the lady all the rope she wants. She'll either hang herself with it, or she'll bring it back wrapped around something real pretty.”
_________________
Chris : “The old man was right, only the farmers won. We lost. We'll always lose.”

[Ersatzkopf]

Machine guns held casual, careless, a deterrent imagined, illusory, hoisted over the shoulder or dangling one-handed at the quite unready. This is how they prowl the docks, these dogs on two legs. From time to time, one or another even ducks into a corner to mark his territory in the moonlight. Blundering. Arrogant.

Men.

“Back door secure, Sister Evadne,” whispers the oracle in her ear, a report answered as gloved fingers rise to press against the disc at her throat. “Good. We are go in five,” their commander tells the modern amazons waiting in the shadows surrounding Pier 7, legs that ran the Chariot Race in record time sending her dashing across the pavement.

Four.

The necessity of surprise makes of mercy an unfortunately necessary expedient at this stage in the operation – the first Marcone guard dies well before his body crumples over in her wake, one narrow wound alone left to mark the passing of a daughter of Artemis.

Three.

Two.

Pleased by this first, flawless kill, the Goddess favors her on the next – a lucky turn at the last brings the first victim's companion round to face her, a split second of gratifyingly wide-eyed shock seen before Evadne's leaping momentum takes him full in the chest, the knife's tip fighting up through a pierced gut, striving to reach the point marked by her knee where it bears the hapless goon down.

One.

Muffled, whimpering gurgles against the gloved palm across his mouth are soon drowned out by gunfire, as is the warrior-woman's mockingly, triumphantly melodramatic, “Shhh, shhhh...” First come the bursts of automatic terror, desperate volleys into darkness, as though the noise alone might drive off that which such scattershot futility could never hope to strike. These are not her sister's weapons, that is not their song. No, they answer with staccato bursts, controlled, precise fire that stills the dock in half a minute, an eternity in which their haughty leader claims three more of her own on the way to a door behind which lights wink out as the trapped beasts make preparations for their final stand.

“Clear,” is what the oracle tells her it is, an assessment quickly repeated by Myrine and Lampedo, the last two team leaders.

Impatient for their doom, the trapped mobsters hurl useless lead through shattering windows as she once again touches her throat. “Beta, flashbangs,” is the order given and shortly confirmed by the cluster of bangs that reverberate against the inside of metal siding where her back is pressed. “Beta, go. Alpha, Gamma, in five.”

Already dazed by the grenades, the Marcones barely even struggle as Beta team swings down from the skylight, leaving nothing for their latecoming sisters who vault in through the windows. A quick flurry of hand signals sends pairs to watch the seized perimeter while Evadne, crouching, asks, “How many?”

Asteria points to each prisoner in turn. “Three,” she reports of those already being bound and gagged, before a final flick of the finger marks one whose age and quality of attire single out. “And him, of course.”

Impotent rage sputters from under a balding pate. “Who ARE ya crazy bitches?! Wh-what d'ya WANT??” wonders the gangster, clearly unaccustomed to being obeyed. To getting the sort of answers he will soon be giving.

“Information,” explains the black-clad commando.

He scoffs, nearly spits. “Yeah, usually people just PAY for that kinda thing 'round here, lady.”

“Oh, you will, Edward,” she assures him. “A young girl, and the one called Neurosculptor, who took her. Tell me what you know of them.”

A sneer on his scarred, wrinkled mug. “If ya know my name, lady,” comes the retort of one too long used to the words of Men carrying far, far too much weight. “Then ya know I'm a Made man. I don't gotta tell ya NOTHING.”

“Made,” repeats Evadne. “Yes, I'm sure the Goddess will be most pleased with your blood.”

Bravado collapses into uncertainty, into fear more naked. “M-my blood...?”

“Show him, sisters!” is the exhultant command that sees the first wriggling captive dragged rough and rude to the middle of the warehouse. To the shattered glass beneath the ruined skylight, where the Goddess might better see their work most sacred.

Edward Falchetti would have talked after the first sacrifice. In fact, he tried to, had to be gagged lest his yowling poison their prayers to divine Aeginaea, but She DID seem to find his blood pleasing, in the end, for the Goddess blessed her maidens with an untroubled journey back to the Amphitrite. Indeed, it would be another hour before the Family first heard about the grisly, ritualistic mutilation and murder of one of its top lieutenants in the Isles.

**

Easy on the eyes is what that master of understatement, Kinsley, would've called the woman on the red Ninja ZX... what was that? -10R? 14? A beautiful bike, to be sure, but it had nothing on the rider. Short, spikey blonde hair, bronze skin right out of a swimsuit calendar... and those leathers! All but painted onto legs tone and muscled enough to do all SORTS of the things you had to pay really good money just to WATCH in St. Martial – or so the reports said, was his understanding. Agent Whitaker, he had absolutely no firsthand knowledge of that sort of business, no sir and/or ma'am. Still, in the immortal words of Craig Jones and Smokey: dayyum!

And then this loser Jacoby is the one she rides up here and gives a note to? There was more justice down in Port Oakes.

“Who's your girlfriend, Kyle?” wonders the smirking Whitaker as he strolls across the checkpoint to plant an elbow in the lucky agent's upper arm. “And does she have a sister? Hell, a cousin? Second cousin? I am not gonna be picky about THAT gene pool...”

Weary indulgence drags long-suffering eyes up to the gray skies over Nerva. “Jeez, Chris, sure you're wearing the right uniform? Wouldn't be more at home in something spider-y?”

A shake of the head, a dismissive scoff. “Nah, their dental plan sucks. Seriously man, what was that about?”

“I really don't know,” admits Jacoby holding up a parchment envelope. “She said this was for Diamond, and to tell her that, uhh... 'That Olympus has heard her prayers'?” He shrugs.

“Prayers, huh?” says Whitaker as the motorcycle and its vision of a rider disappear down the causeway, back towards the southern quarters of the archipelago. “Damn man, I might just have to convert.”

((The contents of the envelope, the exact information therein, are left up to the folks more involved in the plot to use if they so desire. I hope nobody minds my little interjection here, I'm not trying to derail anything or force my own story in, just seemed like a way I could tangentially involve some redside stuff I've been working on.))

[Diamond]

Diamond's Crusade Continues
Several Raids Again Occur Throughout Several Cities As The Search For Katrina Visitor Continues


Paragon City Police Bust Freakshow 'Chop Shop'



PPD SWAT Officers lead away 'disarmed' Freakshow Gang member

TALOS ISLAND -- Channel 2 Action News was the the only news station on the scene as Paragon City Police said they caught members of a cybernetic chop shop ring in the act of 'stripping' a medical shipment reported stolen by Crey Pharmaceuticals.

Members of Paragon City's Cybernetic Theft Task Force said they not only found the stolen shipment Magnum in a shipyard area used to strip cars but they also found the stolen tow trucks the thieves used to steal the shipment.

Working with the task force, the heroine Diamond arrested fifty Freakshow gang members on the scene. When Channel 2 reporter Tom Jones asked one the Freakshow if they were members of a cybernetic theft ring, he angrily replied, "If you don't get that camera out of my face." at which point he was smacked behind his head and led off to the police by the rather annoyed superwoman.

Diamond said the security tracking software hidden within the cargo alerted the PPD to the whereabouts of the stolen shipment. When officers arrived they also found a Freak Show Leader calling himself 'Magnumz', who was at the scene of a raid on a suspected child kidnapping ring.

Police went on to say the leader was heavily questioned by Diamond following the raid.


Diamond Detains 82 In 'Ops Noda'



Police arrest 'Knives' Leader following her group's surrender


PEREGRINE ISLAND -- Eighty two heavily armed women of foreign nationalities were detained in a massive sweep during a police led raid by the Valiant Dazzling Diamond, codenamed "Ops Noda" by PPD SWAT operatives.

Department of Homeland Security Department Chief Daniel Marks said the women, who entered the country on social visit passes, were believed involved with various illegal paramilitary operations within the borders of the United States.

He said the tips from Diamond prior to the raid estimated a force of approximately 'company strength' of the female mercenaries known as the 'Knives of Artemis'. The raid itself began at 0200 hrs and continued for over and hour as they attempted to 'resist arrest'. The Heroine was able to subdue and eventually round up the mercenaries and bring them in.

The raid also uncovered a massive weapons cache and several million dollars in cash. The Knives leadership was questioned by the heroine several hours following their arrest., he added.


Heroine Strikes At Illegal Rocket Base



Launch Pad and Rocket facilities burn out of control during heroine's attack

NERVA ARCHIPELAGO, ETOLE ISLANDS - The Valiant Dazzling Diamond once again struck the Rogue Islands. Her target this time was an illegal rocket Launching facility that was suspected for launching illegal satellites and death rays into orbit for the highest bidder. The attack is believed to have devastated the launch tower and several key bunkers to its operation. Arachnos Ground forces attempted to repel the attack and were unable to stop the bases destruction. This marks the second time this base was marked for destruction by the raiding heroine in her attempt to pressure Villains for information to locate missing child and heroine 'Spooky Child'.

Destroyed along with the facility this time was an ATLAS type X launch vehicle and a payload suspected as belonging to the Malta Operations Group, estimated to be in the hundreds of millions.

The direct nature of the illegal payload was not made available at this time. Though an unofficial source at the State Department said it was believed to have had anti satellite laser capabilities for use in corporate and international espionage. Also located among the wreckage was several suspected 'mind control' systems suspected belonging to Nemesis himself.

"As before our facilities remain intact, there were no casualties to our troops," Major Andrew Bukara, Arachnos spokesman for their Joint Military Task Force told Reuters news agency as he tried to downplay the damage down by her attack. "We should be up and running in no time"

Longbow and U.S. Navy Intelligence sources disagree with this assesment calling the facility a 'total write off' due to the tremendous damages caused by the devestating attack.
_________________
Chris : “The old man was right, only the farmers won. We lost. We'll always lose.”

[Diamond]

She sat in the darkened office, staring intently at the screen before her. The face from the criminal file always grinned back at her, mocked her, laughed at her failure. She barely noticed the flickering of the other files and leads as they flashed rapidly over the screen. She ignored the many faces of the other issued warrants. For her there was only the one.

The face that haunted her.

She saw that face everywhere. Countless times during her numerous and relentless raids she had led over the last year or so, she had almost started running after some innocent bystander because she thought she had seen it. When she closed her eyes to erase the images, it floated before her, haughty, confident, mocking. The face was with her wherever she went. She could not escape it.

She didn't want to.

That face had almost become her obsession, her reason for existence since Katrina's disappearance. She must find this woman; she would find her. And then...then she would reclaim her dignity, her honor. She would not fail again. Failure was her deepest dread, her own personal nightmare.

She would never admit it, though she suspected a couple of people she worked with knew. It was such an intrinsic part of her now, such a core element of her being, that it was difficult not to notice. She wondered vaguely if it had anything to do with her lack of a true social life. Something so many seemed to be concerned about, not that it would help to suddenly involve herself in one these days.

She took a sip of her now cold coffee, grimaced, and continued her musing. She was not proud of having failed at being as social as she had once been. She wished she were able to love and commit to another person, and not just her 'job'. However fate and her choices had left her little choice. The core of all of them it would seem appeared to be a fear of failure.

She was so deathly afraid of, not rejection, exactly, but the idea of not being sufficient. So often since her powers emerged it had been the case. For one such reason, She simply would not allow herself to get too close to anyone any more. She had friends, sure, but no one who really knew her beyond the force of justice facade she put on. No one she could confide in with her deepest secrets. Her deepest reason beyond such a fear of failure had been known to only a few, a few no longer really around, nor were likely to remember.

She didn't know if she had really wanted to be social, or if she even remembered how to be anymore. It had been so long since she had done anything beyond taking care of her daughter, seeing that she had been cared for before once more donning her costume and continuing with her hunt for Spooky Child. How much time could she really devote to someone else?Let alone a collection of friends to go out...to drink...to share...to dance, when she had a lost child to find. Her little ward taken from school by the villainess Neurosculptor. A psychopathic ex neurosurgeon bend on getting revenge on her best friend Lucianna Addo.

Eventually her passion for the hunt had consumed her life, making her more Diamond these days than she had ever been Kara Reynolds-Dengo. She had regretted the loss of social contact with many of her friends, but she soon found she was not really sad. Though she had been close with many of them, she had her 'crusade' to save little Katrina to fill the void as they moved on to other things in their own lives. That was how it was with most of the people in her life.

There was only one person she truly missed.

She was, in her eyes, perfect. Smart, funny, sweet, tough, and beautiful, they had found each other not soon after Kara had joined the New Porter Institute. Kara smirked softly as she remembered the awkward attraction.. She had loved her intensity and confidence, something Kara had been lacking at the time. It was a difficult time back then for them both. She was the only one who had ever been able to safely touch her after one of the most traumatic experiences of her early career as a hero. Her time with her had been the best of her life, and she had never wanted it to end.

But it had.

Perhaps time had made the memories of their time together more pleasant, it hardly mattered to her. She had undergone many problems when they were together, the one that stuck the most with Kara had been her failure to solve any of them. Even when they were parted she had tried so hard to be supportive, to stand by her as she was assaulted by the Crey Experiment she had been subjected to. Battle after battle, Kara had fought to solve the disease spawned from Hammidon that was consuming the one true person in her life. To no avail however and eventually that failure lead to their complete separation.

Unable to end her pain, and now no longer to stand beside her, Kara had been left to imagine the depth of her failure. Beginning with the night she froze, confronted by the one thing she had dreamed off, she froze and missed an opportunity that eventually lead to more heartbreak. More pain caused by a failure of hers.

She had tried to save her and failed.

She vanished soon after her stay in a New York Hospital, a last ditch effort to stem the disease the Crey had infected her with. Much like little Katrina had vanished. How could she accept failure now? She thought as she continued to stare at the screen.

She heard the elevator doors hiss open and glanced up. Her breath caught and her eyes, which had been so tired lately, widened. An old fear resurfacing, feeling cornered and alone. Attempting to remain casual as she fought the fear that still gripped her heart, she turned back to the computer screen. Some scars never go away, she thought as she fought to remain calm.

"Thought you, Kevin and Bill were going for Chinese."

"Yeah. I, uh, forgot something." Her friend, Sapphire Rose, or Nancy said as she searched her desk. Kara nodded as she continued to stare at the screen.

"You sure you don't want to come?" Nancy said hopefully.

Kara looked up and over to Nancy. Her friend seemed genuinely concerned. For a moment, Kara considered it, Luci and Bill's advice fought a battle against her own will, but in the end her 'work' called to her, taunting her, daring her to fail once more. She returned her gaze once more to the monitor as she simply replied. "No, thanks."

"Okay hon." Nancy didn't appear to want to go. "Well, see you tomorrow night then?." She then turned and walked slowly back to the elevators.

"'Night, Katerina," Kara called absently.

Nancy paused and looked back, confused. "Nancy, Kara" she corrected.

Kara blinked and looked up again. "Sorry?"

"Nancy, not Katerina," she repeated.

"Oh, right. Sorry," She apologized and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'm just tired sweetie."

"Are you sure?"

Kara nodded and then looked back at the computer screen "Yeah..I'm like fine, just need to finish up and get home to little Phil"

"All right" Nancy muttered unconvinced and more than a little concerned. "Tell her hi for me...and see you tomorrow." with that she entered the elevators and left Kara to her work in the darkened 'bullpen'.

Alone again, Kara chastised herself for calling Nancy that. She supposed it was just an honest mistake; he had been thinking about Katerina and.....well 'her'. Nancy, Bill and Kevin were still rookies in their own way. Younger heroes she had taken it upon herself to look after. In a very real sense she was terrified of letting them down too each night, wanting to protect them as much as work beside them.

She had a little one to find, to bring home to the parents that also searched for her every night. In a way Kara almost regretted never really letting Nancy, Kevin or even Bill inside, letting them know about her fears and one time hopes. Yet they had become almost tools in her hunt for the littlest Templar. Almost everyone in her life had become such a role, assets to be relied on, not expendable mind you, but assets none the less. Whether like RJ who looked after her daughter Philomela, or Luci who searched for Kat on the west coast, Bill and his team who aided her raids, Molly and Dani who had become much the same as the others. it wasn't that she hadn't appreciated their efforts, it was just what had to be done until Katrina could be brought home.

She had failed someone she loved once, she would not, could not fail again.

She was determined to sacrifice all she had to find her little ward, and yet in the dark when she was all alone it kept coming back to haunt her. Her fear of failure, her deepest nightmare. She would wish things were different, wishing she were different, yet knowing she could not change.

Not now.

She sat in the darkened office, staring intently at the screen before her. The villainess' face grinned back at her, mocked her, laughed at her failure. She barely noticed the flickering of the other reports and leads as they flashed rapidly over the screen. She ignored the many faces of the other issued warrants. For her there was only the one. The face that haunted her.

She would not fail Katerina, she would not fail this child.

Like she had failed someone else.
_________________
Chris : “The old man was right, only the farmers won. We lost. We'll always lose.”