The Raven's Basilisk

Bits of sparks fizzled angrily as they touched down on another concrete floor, here the porous gray darkening with sweat. The lingering glow casting a senseless series of shadows that lasted just as long as the spell had. Orange lights reaching up in long cut squares and divided bars to illuminate nothing more than that same darkening gray. Blackness returning to the room to greet its two new visitors, a voice echoing slightly as Izime asked Cradle to remove the unwanted owner.

"Little light please Cradle?" Izime's voice cut through the blackness just a moment before the blue glow provided by Cradles eyes spread over the 'room' Izime had selected. It had possibly been a junction room at one point then stripped. Now the hollowed remains of cable boxes and pipe inlets were all that remained, giving rats the only access to the sealed room. It had once reached by its operators through a reinforced steel door. Now that thick steel door had been rendered inoperable due to rust and the settling of the sewer over time.

That or sealed intentionally, seeing as there was technically one resident though the overly large skeleton hardly added anything to the atmosphere of the room. The handle for the massive locking gear on this side was wrenched as if someone had tried to tear it off, the main culprit being said skeleton. Thick slats like tiny bits of slate were rusting, peeling away as the seasons cycled through. Now wet and slick with the winter humidity that combated the warmer Voltham sewers.

Izime carefully set down the guitar case in the darkness behind him, it was a soft case after all and the abandoned room was concrete. Turning to move both Cradle's light and him, Izime tried to locate his target using Cradle's flashlight vision. His search a bit difficult with all the industrial leftovers on the walls Izime instead looked up.

"Let's see..." Izime whispered as he glanced at the lights on the ceiling, eyes following the sealed pipe cable protector until he found a switch on the wall. Clicking it a few times to no effect Izime sighed, disappointed he'd even considered the notion. "Dead. No surprise there."

Turning towards a shelf along the wall Izime pulled a small box down, rummaging through while Cradle hopped off his shoulder to provide better lighting. The soft muttering of 'battery' filling the gaps between the occasional drip as both man and crow searched the box. Finally locating one of the incredibly handy portable power bricks, Izime checked the bar on the side finding it partially full.

The tiny things were probably the most versatile and best-selling tool Izime had discovered so far. A simple battery, well simple to use that was. How exactly it managed to be absolutely universal in both powering other things and re-charging itself was still a mystery. Still Izime didn't plan to look a gift horse in the mouth, these weren't his physics nor were they his laws of energy conservation. He'd take all cheezy sci-fi he could get already having suffered from the bullshit laws that ruled his home.

"Thank god for advanced alien technology." Grumbling though it was happily Izime took the small square device and twisted the dial on the front, frowning as nothing happened, he quickly gave it a hard tap on the shelf next to him. Two counter rotating sets of teeth appearing and whirring to life as it finally activated. The sharp edges slightly hooked to not just sheer but snag at cables and other electronics, a tiny inlet sliding open to accept nearly any connection or power.

"Like I said," Izime grunted as he slammed the power brick onto the protective cover just above the light switch holding it there as it worked away. Letting the teeth eat through and pull in each cable inside, individually sorting connections through whatever tech-voodoo that made the device operate. Finally seeming to have pulled in enough to lock from the tension four arms shot out clamping into the wall.

"Thank god for advanced alien..." Izime sucked in a breath before giving the switch a final flick, shouting as the lights finally activated. Looking at Cradle he finished the excitement spreading, "technology baby!"

Cradle giving its own caw of excitement and flicking its blue lights off as the room was finally lit fully. Exposing a simple room with their companion of a overly large skeleton in the corner. Along the far wall a few rows of shelves holding a couple boxes, against the closer a spring bed with no mattress or cushion. Their closeness and position having formed the oddly layered shadows from before.

Izime nodded as he looked back towards the broken door, the duffel bags dropping. Joining a stash of other supplies that he'd prepared beforehand. The other goods were just odds and ends of gear that might be handy. A few smoke bombs, various electronic diversions, as well as some handy signal decoys all lay near some less well intention-ed gear. The duffels he'd brought with him now had a few quilts and blankets to make the bed a more comfortable, along with some RAM sticks for Cradle to munch on. He'd not wanted damp bedding or Cradles food to start corroding away while stored in Voltham. Fresh memory cheaper to buy than letting the raven have at the tech they might snag in Voltham, so keeping some good RAM around was just good sense.

The boxes on the shelves were full of some nicer prizes he had stashed after scavenging the battlefields of actual heroes. A few spare gate-rings, a stash of those power bricks, a few grappling guns and ropes from Dark Night. Then a tiny yarn ball of prototype metal webbing, and collection of actual guns from Voltham's P.D. and goons.

Another more complex box was locked tightly as it held few tubes of very questionable nanites along with Izime's scavenging outfit. The nanites were sealed in a weird clear liquid Cradle had produced after fighting off the infection they had given it. Izime didn't know where the raven had caught them but he kept them just so the unknown critters couldn't wander. The outfit was there to keep it safe and as added padding for those delicate tubes.

Izime pulled the locked box down and opened it, the hiss of its vacuum seal breaking filling the room. Reaching in he carefully unwrapped the tubes to take the items that had been in with them, it was time to start gearing up.

The heavy and long yellow raincoat wasn't exactly the best get-up for sneaking around but Izime wasn't trying to catch a round because he was the dark figure in the alley. Replacing it would be difficult, those yellow suits from FazzPazz's insane time traveling rival were hard as fuck to find. Truly a bit of top tier legendary kit considering it was both friction-less and highly visible. High vis was probably the better feature of the coat honestly.

Ideally Izime would show up after the actual fight went down and before the heroes or their crews could come and clean-up. More than once though the loot had been tempting enough to risk jumping in mid-showdown. That really upped the risk factor, the occasional close call where Izime had even resorted to playing the scared civilian just long enough to disappear. Those alone had convinced him that being highly visible was in his best interest. The incidents of narrowly avoided shots and not so well avoided sharp objects had decreased sharply after creating the high-vis coat. Along with that was a pair of higher end combat pants, bulletproof vest and civilian gasmask.

The inlaid Kevlar in the pants was an added layer of protection. The cargo pockets were a necessity, to handy for snagging the odd Dark-a-rang or alien techno-bauble. Their Kevlar weave was only really useful against thrown objects, not even really stopping a good thrust, beyond that the built-in padding kept his knees safe from the odd bump or badly timed snap.

The vest was self-explanatory. Bad guys used guns, and the really bad guys could punch a bullet towards things intentionally. So, a bulletproof vest was just entry level protection for the mere mortal man. The rest Izime relied on his own senses enhanced by Cradles bond to aid him in snapping out of the situation.

The gas mask was useful for when the police inevitably showed up and started tear-gassed everything into oblivion. Though like the vest far less handy against the concoctions Villains could produce. Izime usually tried to keep those contained, usually far too dangerous to sell. Though the few that he did were very profitable in the right circles. Everyone needed a little pick-me up, even if it was a psychosis inducing gas.

Taking the scavenging outfit Izime placed each item on the shelf and resealed the box. The boxes lid clasping with a hiss as it began to vacuum itself closed. Izime nodded as he considered it the best protection he could offer the delicate tubes. Finally spinning the dial to reset the lock as the interior bars slid into position.

Glancing at the various watches on his arm Izime located the one etched with the Dark Night logo. The whole city of Voltham leaning into its capitalist roots and hocking the touristy thing which now had its two arms indicating 8pm. Well, it was a little later but there was still a bit of down time possible, Izime planning to make the most of it.

"I'll give you some..." Izime walked over to one of duffel bags and unzipped it, rummaging before pulling out a few silicon rectangles. Holding them up Izime took a look at the printing on the sides of the stick reading as he asked, "DDR-4 if you go out and scout?"

Watching as Cradle nodded its head excitedly, catching one of the sticks in its beak. Grasping it in its talon and tearing a few chips off greedily before flapping over to one of the shelves. Resting the stick down among a few other already picked over pieces that had all been gathered into the once empty corner of a shelf. The raven tucking the once shiny, now scratched stick into its newly made nest.

"I'll set an alarm for three hours." Izime nodded towards the door pulling out a beaten looking flip-phone, watching as Cradle began to separate into smaller nanite structures. The otherworldly technology slipping through the tiny, rusted gaps in the steel door as Cradle left to scout the skies above Voltham. Izime turning towards the power brick on the wall, taking a quick measure of that small blinking light bar on the side that indicated the energy drain.

Odds were the device would either power the light for a day or for the bulb's entire lifetime. Either way Izime wasn't going to risk it burning out, his supply was limited after all. Flicking the switch, he felt his way along the shelf, carefully avoiding the box of parts he had left on the ground. Finding the bed using the dim light, Izime tossed the duffel full of blankets onto it before pulling some out at random which flicked out. Letting them fall at random in the dark before tossing himself on-top with a groan. The meager bed already a thousand times more comfortable than the usual cardboard he and Wesson made do with.

Looking down at the service-less cellphone Izime set an alarm for three hours and laid-back waiting for sleep to take him. Eleven P.M. sounding like prime time for Voltham's finest filth, and with Cradle monitoring for hot spots of action ahead of time tonight could be very profitable. Wesson and Shya wouldn't need to worry about a hotel just over the winter, he could get them an apartment if he kept this up.

Hell, maybe tonight he'd even find a cool mask to complete his outfit, though not a lot went with bright yellow. Maybe he was better off with the big-eyed gas mask... Izime slipped into dreams of redesigning his outfit.

 ~~Outside Above Voltham's Sky~~

Cradle glanced down at the city of Voltham through the cloud layers, watching as the light of the sun withdrew its warmth. A view made possible by its sensors sweeping with an absurd level of detail. At an altitude usually reserved for a different kind of Blackbird the raven was performing much the same duty as the old S.R.-71, only to a far greater degree. Eyes glancing down, zooming with a capability that would have seemed impossible to any who'd believed in the limitations of earthly technology.

Pinging and highlighting the individual antenna that were scanning with what it had decided was Dark Nights spectrum. The Blane Enterprise funded towers checking for nearly any kind of signal, though its attempts were pitiable. The meager signals reflecting uselessly or being absorbed, the returning data obfuscated with false information. There were few in the universe that could rival Cradle, Blane's attempts a laughingstock when compared to the truly living technology.

Cradle cocking its head, considered whether it should preen itself first or eat when it got home. The work it was doing deserved a good meal, but its pride was being stroked as each sweep from Blane failed to detect it. Deciding it would first relay all the information it had collected to its nest program. The fleshy sentient known as Izime was of course not its actual creator, but Cradle had registered Izime as its admin user happily all the same. The man's choices had brought it life and so was granted loyalty and instinctual protection. Cradles biological instincts combining with technological controls in its tech brain to grant Izime alone usage of the advanced tech-raven.

First report, then preen because it was doing such a good job, finally eat, and then it would be work time for Izime. Cradle's subroutines checking the microseconds that had ticked by, between the last scan and the predicted next one and when Izime would awake. Another sweep passed over as Cradle returned to its own monitoring, its attention locking onto the same thing Dark Nights sensors had or would if they had its range.

"Work! Work! Work!" Cradle cawed excitedly, confident neither Blane's sensors nor their target could pick up its joyful cries at this range.

Cradle sending a small digital marker to pin itself onto the Thessians signature before sending a direct update Izime even though he was still sleeping. The notification would wait until he woke, the data in Cradles thoughts patiently waiting for Izime to parse through later. The raven began adjusting their mutual projections for tonight alone in the meantime. Flying hero's meant big fights, big fights mean big money, big money meant better RAM. Food was flying in directly below Cradle, enough for a whole week if not the month!

 ~~ Still Above Voltham, Just Not Above It's Sky ~~

That light lavender blur streaked below Cradle and above the smog ridden tops of Volthams industrial sector. Halting midair the blur clearing as the wash from the above mach flight crashing against a white cape and sterling silver suit. The outfit unadorned aside from the smallest details, the silver not being a cloth but scales that provided its wearer with ample protection. The crack of the air breaking over a slim, super-strengthened body only served to disturb the long fringe strip of white hair. Strands of it fluttering against shaved sides, catching on the ridges that lined stripped ears, a hand with similar purple and blue mottling reached up to brush it away. Red eyes glancing at the crime riddled streets Volthamite's called home, the dark city a contrast to her own home.

Miss Psyis was Centropolis' psychic alien heroine and had only flown here to assist her fellow heroes in Voltham. Her gaze working across the city as she let her mind wander further across the crime festering alleys below. Reaching out to see and sense, thin white brows furrowed in effort. Lighter blue lips pursing. The odd itch that had tickled at her mind having gone moments ago already. An unknown but oddly natural feeling sensation, so much so it could have simply been a trick of her own imagination.

There wasn't anything there, but she swore there had been something, a passing hiccup in her mind. Perhaps just an odd fluxuation in her powers as she'd admittedly been distracted. Psyis running her eyes back over the city as she tried to catch the slipping dream of whatever had passed just a moment ago. The thessian crossing her arms in frustration, Psyis upset that her own thoughts had been elsewhere. Concerned with things she'd sworn to already let go, she hadn't and so she had missed it.

Whatever it was, if it had even been real to begin with considering how odd the sensation had been. Not a human thought but something else, like her own powers had passed through a fun-house mirror and come back all distorted. Though learning her own powers as a solitary thessian had been a bit difficult. As such Psyis only had the information she'd gleaned stumbling through with her own self-discovery about what her powers felt like and were capable of.

The most solid conclusion she had at the moment was it was either imaginary or inhuman, her mind leaning towards the former. After an entire lifetime being raised on Earth as the last living Thessian Psyis knew what human thoughts felt like. They were a blast of white noise, an unfiltered constant chatter most times a cold shouldering blankness during the rare moments of self awareness.

This had been a different feeling, Psyis could recall that at least. Not the white noise she was used to hearing and so fast like a switch had been flicked. A blank or blip that had warped through her powers, not silencing them but more akin to the thing her computer did when the internet was dropping. It was just the whole thing was over and gone before she had even pulled her mind away from stupid issues. Finally realizing something had passed handfuls of seconds afterwards, that inattention and time confusing Psyis now.

Was it an actual thing and not her own brain messing around? Psyis considered reaching even further but decided against it as she looked at the sitting sun. The issue wasn't worth digging into, not right now at least. Especially considering it might have just been a self inflicted problem between idle thoughts and her own powers. There was only so long until she needed to meet the Dark Duo and time was currently at a premium.

FearForm was apparently preparing to make some moves involving civilians with the help of The Quiz. With both of the other hero's being tied up handling the actual fighting, Dark Squire had called Miss Psyis to run crowd control.

At least it wasn't for another terrible date this time.

Psyis shook the thought from her head, instead focusing on keeping her psychic awareness at its maximum while she flew on. Chastising her own wandering mind for wandering back to the same thoughts that had distracted her in the first place. That was the entire reason she had missed the blip or whatever it was. The air cracking as she left once again, mind and heart refocusing on her coming objectives and not the nonsense that might happen between completing them. Building and streets once again passing in a blur, Psyis enjoying the warmth the protective bubble that mach flight formed.

Those apartment tower complexes and spires of business empires slowly clearing away, the land rising to give way to the mountains that had limited Voltham's sprawling growth westward. One arm lowering as Psyis began to slow, dropping down from the darkening sky in a graceful arch. The rush Psyis felt passing as she felt a familiar mind, already standing outside and waiting on her. Silver form passing over the carefully landscaped and trimmed trees of the property, Psyis looked down seeing a young man standing outside waving up at her enthusiastically.

The thessian biting at the inside of her lip as she tried to not read into the thoughts and emotions that were spilling off of Steven Blane as he stood waiting for her on the balcony. Enthusiasm was the term Psyis decided she was going to stick with, not sharing in any of the same hopes and desires that washed upwards towards her. Hope? To patch things up? To fix things? Desire? Stevens thoughts already running over her and violating places she'd once given him.

Patch up what, there was nothing left of the mistake they'd once been. Fix what, she'd done nothing wrong simply not wanted to feel the way Steven had. Desire? Psyis chewed a bit harder at that, having went round and round again with the human over her thessian needs. Steven was full of desires sure for her sure. Control was one of those she'd discovered underneath the more physical connections humans built in favor of her own species mental bonds. Psyis hovering for a brief moment looking down at the human that just hadn't worked out for her, they'd never work for one another.

Steven never changed, still that tough biker guy mentality that only hid a hurt angry boy that never gotten over being abandoned. A piece of eye candy was all that was left, his broad shoulders stretching the leather jacket he was wearing. Muscular form filling out those denim jeans in all the right places. Steven was a sweetly coated piece of hard candy, and just like candy he was bad for her. Psyis finding she'd been decieved by that surface, the filling being nothing but angry nights and yelling. That man turning into a boy that just didn't want help, they'd just wanted to be mad.

"Hey there Sweetie Psy," Steven tucked his hand back inside his paneled biker jacker, it wasn't all that warm but what did that matter. He was Dark Squire what was a little cold when you were partnered and mentored by Dark Night.

Blane's billionaire playboy persona having rubbed off on his protege as well, Steven braving the chill in a skintight shirt and open leather jacket. Steven knew he looked damned good, even Psyis had given a slight pause. The second glance tempting him to use the term of affection he'd once granted her, though her reaction told Steven it'd been a step too far.

"Steven, I've told you not to call me that anymore," Psyis came down a bit hard, her landing soft compared to the tone of her words as she continued to warn Steven. She'd known this would happen but she'd expected to at least have a single goon in handcuffs before the constantly cowled man started in on her. "Can I have five minutes without you trying to drag us back months ago to when you didn't fuck up?"

Purple fading a bit to blue as the thessians anger flared out quickly, her own good consiounse reminding her that it'd been her choice to involve herself with this at all. In the first place, now or ever it was something she'd signed up for. Even if the personal relationships weren't necessarily a part of that, keeping the peace in the League was.

"My bad," Steven held his hands up, the false surrender simply a bait towards and argument. No, Steven corrected himself a talk the two needed to finish so they could end this extended break between them. "Didn't realize you were strictly business now."

"Says the man that never takes his ma-" Psyis bit back her words as the eager spark in Stevens eyes lit up turning her head way, cursing at herself inside. Knowing she had only stepped onto a landmine by opening her mouth, the flood of chatter pouring out of him now only confirmed that.

The white noise going a thousand senseless noisy directions as Stevens imagination overrode any 'no' she could ever give him. Talking about their past, acknowledging anything Steven ever said about them only opened the door for him to haunt her mind and heart all that much longer. An irritating poltergeist of an Ex that was able to reach out to her through various means, work, their past, and his very thoughts. Even it seemed her future as Psyis knew taking issue with Steven would on irk Dark Night himself, her senior member on League Savior.

"See you can't help yourself Psyis because this isn't over yet," A smirk cut across Stevens face, Psyis reaction simply confirming that she'd not been able to let go of their relationship. Hoping instead he could finally convince her that this was just another step, a growing pain as her little bond with him had deepened. "That's how relationships work there are ups and downs in them. Issues we're supposed to work through together not abandon half way."

"Steven you're still treating me like a mission," The Thessian lowered her head, white hair spilling over the right side of her purpling face. A reflection of her growing irritabilityp at Steven's refusal to ever not discuss this, treating her like she was something left undone. They'd already run their course, Psyis trying to remind him of that now. "We're not an objective to be completed, I-I'm not treating our arguments like some task that just comes with our relationship anymore, I'm done with that. Sometimes things just don't work out, were one of those."

"Whether its right now or forever I can't tell so don't bother asking." Red eyes glancing through greens as Psyis answered the easily read emotions of the upset Steven. Sighing a bit as she'd already explained this months ago, before the whole problem had begun spilling out from under that black haired head. "Yes its you at least for me, you are the problem and gods only know if you'll change the reasons why."

Psyis refusing to look away, knowing her words had likely touched a nerve. The sounds of the november wind passing through the barest rustle of trimmed trees proved that thought right. Stevens jacket groaning as he tried to muscle down the emotional turmoil Psyis' words had riled inside of him. Several further arguments forming but falling short of escaping the mans mouth as he instead just bluntly tried to refute Psyis' for once again stonewalling him.

"Still have all the answers don't you." Steven crossed his arms realizing Psyis had pulled the questions from his own mind. The methods of security Stan had taught him failing, Steven adjusted his tactics filling his mind with their shared past, "I know I'm not perfect but what we had was special Psyis, I want us back."

"It was Steven, I'm glad we had it," Psyis looked out towards the trees, wondering if Steven would have been better off without the same carefully manicured appearance. That had been what had fooled her in the first place after all, turning her eyes back towards the talking deception in front of her, "but I'm not here to talk about us."

"Yea, I know." Steven nodded along dumbly, zero intent to actually let the chance disappear while Psyis was around. It wasn't like he could fly down to Centropolis to talk about them, though the idea had crossed his mind before. Instead of recalling how many times hed thought of opening the hatch and taking the Dark-Jet Steven kept his thoughts on the balcony door. "Lets get out of the cold. Stan's in the cavern but we've got time to grab a bite if Jenkins has made anything, if not we can whip something up really quick."

"OK," Psyis agreed tentatively not wanting to already start causing issues with her co-worker for the next foreseeable period. Quickly adding in an addendum as Steven's ideas washed over her. "I'm not that hungry though so just a quick snack."

Both giving a slight shiver as they stepped into the expensive and now geothermally warmed mansion the Blane's had once built. The family keeping the property through generations of mantainance long enough the land had earn the mansion the title of Manor. Recognition for the lifetimes the family had dedicated itself to Voltham, either through business or heroism, sometimes a combination of both. Those effort paying off as the sitting room around her even smelled rich, the aromas of aged and stained wood, aged rows of books, and the slightest hint of pomp.

Red eyes glancing across the sitting room its only exit towards the hall, one direction bringing her closer to her real objective. The other would keep the peace a bit longer even if it was insulting to her. As well as misleading as Steven was just to dense to accept her decision, her giving way was only ever going to be seen as him gaining ground back with her. Not as Psyis simply accepting Steven's childish intentions so he didn't throw a fit or cause an incident during a mission.

"Eat something," Steven refuted blocking Psyis from heading towards the grandfather clock that held the entrance to the Dark Cavern. Extending his arms towards the kitchens where he knew Jenkins hadn't prepared anything at Steven's own request, "You know its not good to go on a mission hungry."

Steven smiled warmly gesturing with the extended and blocking arm down the beautifully carpeted hall. Finally dropping his arm as Psyis walked down towards the kitchens, stepping in quickly along side her. The moment reminding him for a second of when they'd both been in the Young Saviors, hanging out while she'd still been learning her powers. Cooking again was something Steven could use to rekindle those old feeling, glad that Psyis had listened to him. It was best for the man to take the lead in a relationship after all.

Psyis didn't bother saying anything else as Steven once again shoved her words aside only caring about what he thought, wishing she couldn't read his thoughts. Slipping past him careful not to appear to intimate, though judging by his flaring emotions the attempt had failed. Steven's attempts at chivalry and care falling short as the psychic could read fully into his depths of control. Not for the first time wishing she'd just been an average human woman, unaware and blissfully ignorant of Steven's hidden darkness.

Maybe someday she'd find someone different?