Part Three

Vault’s plan against End-Ga was to strike each building, take all the software they found, take the money if found, and destroy all hardware. The money would be deposited into five different bank accounts, spread thin enough that it would not be suspected, and each account belonging to a different member.

The idea for the first hit was the one in Semretches. Vault wanted it to be a stealthy and silent job. This was to build up fear amongst the employees, and have a sort of symbolism about the team. The less they saw of Heavy Metal, the better. The mysterious attackers are always the unpredictable, because you don’t know when they will strike in the open.

And so Vault wanted to send Rynk and Chain in as a Mother-Daughter routine. They both refused for the reason of the previous encounter with the police. Vault argued that he and Plate could not go because they would get recognized as well. That left Neil. That is to say, Neil would most likely be able to either sneak in himself, or create disguises for whoever was going.

After contacting and arranging a meeting with Neil Wozer, Vault gathered the team up to have them practice on which roles whey would take, and the equipment they’d use. The equipment was incredibly hard to keep up with. There were the cloaking suits, which needed specific movement, motions, buttons pushed, wires connected, energy equalized so they didn’t overload, a source of light. There were the EMP’s which needed to be modified to certain ranges, placed in certain areas, timed perfectly to go off in a specific order. There were the tranquil gloves, which needed certain muscles flexed, and needed to have certain fingers pointed in certain directions. The only part that did not confuse Rynk were the com-links, which simply needed to be hooked up to one’s ear and cheek, then a button to press to talk.

“Okay, I’m not going to remember any of this.” Rynk finally interrupted. “You guys can discuss all that and just run me through stuff after I’m hooked up. Is there something else I could do in the meantime?”

Vault was noticeably irritated from being interrupted, and felt insulted by this notion. He quite enjoyed planning and explaining, even if Copper was helping. He started out tense, but it was Plate who called out “I don’t see why not. I could help learn ‘er some fighting moves, and practice her stealth.”

Vault knew this was just Plates way of showing that he was even a bit lost, and that he wanted to do something excited. “Well does anyone else find this confusing?” No one answered. “Alright, get going you two.”

Plate nodded and started out, motioning for Rynk to follow, and she did. They exited the Base and began climbing the side of a building near them. Rynk knew that Plate was not about to let her get to the top first; until she came along he was the best at climbing in the team, and considered the magnetism she used with her bones to be a sort of cheating.

And correctly so, as Rynk scaled the side of a stairway, she noticed Plate jumping and clinging and climbing upward, lunging and leaping as hard as he could to stay ahead. Rynk was deciding whether or not to get there first. On one hand if she let him, it would just boost his ego, and make him more competitive. If she didn’t he would probably get depressed or more competitive.

So it was left up to chance. Rynk continued upward, and found herself coming in second. She felt a tad bit upset with the results but it faded instantly. “Alright,” Plate waved on a bit, then turned to face Rynk, shaking his arms a bit to warm up. “first we have to practice your fighting obviously.”

“Obviously.” Rynk repeated with an air of sass, dropping her arms and loosening them in preparation.

Plate stepped forward, and made a somewhat slow frontal jab towards Rynk’s throat, just above her collar bone area, with his fingers stretched out forward. What Plate, and everyone else for that matter, seemed to forget, was that Rynk’s bones were different from theirs; her neck had a metal cup protecting it, a layered one, which was two and a half inches tall, covering most of her neck’s front, and adding another two on the back of her neck.

This was not a time to show off about superior bone-structures however. Rynk quickly pushed his hand upward, and swung her arm upward, aiming to give him a punch under the ribs. But she knew he would either counter or dodge. The reason Plate started out slow was only to get the fighting started; he knew that they could both go at faster paces.

The teen wolf slid to the left two feet (Rynk’s left), using his left hand to grab hold of Rynk’s attacking arm, and hold it in place for him to knee it in the bottom side of her shoulder joint. Rynk yanked herself sideways, causing her arm to go in a straight line, which caused Plate to miss his target. She took this opportunity to knee Plate in the face, which had to go forward with his jab.

Plate barely managed to move to the side to avoid the collision, causing the side of his cheek to get brushed by it. He still had her arm held though, and promptly squeezed hard and span around before throwing her into the air.

The lynx tried to move back to land on her feet, as she was positioned to fall face first, and ended up landing hard on her knees, forcing a small groan out from her. She got up, hissing, and began charging at Plate. Plate was ready.

When the Wolf was in range, Rynk jumped upward into a jump-kick position, but swung her arms around to hit him from both sides. Plate smirked, and quickly slide under her while she was at her highest. When she was beginning to fall back down, he spun around and front-kicked her at the base of her backside, sending her forward… and off the building.

The wolf did not realize they were so close to the edge. “Oh crud!!” Now not in the mood for fighting, Plate dove over the edge after Rynk, landing on an apartment balcony staircase. Rynk’s foot had gotten caught between a mangled structure right below him, and she was hanging off of it. By the looks of it, it was quite painful.

“Rynk, I’m sorry, I didn’t think you-“ Plate slapped himself and quickly made his way over, then pulled Rynk up, before freeing her leg.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Rynk somewhat fibbed as she faintly struggled. Plate ignored this and got her back to the top of the building, then sat her down.

“My Plate in Dining Armor.” Rynk rolled her eyes.

“Gratitude… that’d be nice.” Plate half-sighed, loosening his arms.

“You’re the reason I was stuck there to begin with!”

“Why are you so against me?” Plate asked sternly, stepping towards Rynk.

“I’m not agai-“

“You’ve been at my throat whenever I say something nice, and more so if I say something worse. Is it because I find you attractive? Is it because you think I’m just a pig or something? I’m not, I just like being nice to my friends, and if you haven’t noticed I’ve been trying everything, including acting like you, to make it so I didn’t always feel scratched every time you walk by!”

The lynx looked hurt, though more so because of realizing this than by Plate himself. “I’m… sorry, Plate.”

“Call me Art. I don’t call you DemonSteel.”

“… Art,” she continued with slight tension, “I’m just… not a very friendly person. I don’t like socializing, I’m not completely sure of people’s motives, and I’m not trustworthy… I just… I don’t mean to snap at you, it’s not your fault, I shouldn’t… get like that. I’ve just got things on my mind all the time, and it’s always bad things, the Hellborns, this country, stealing, so when someone tries to act casual with me, I have to stop myself from yelling ‘WHY AREN’T YOU HELPING TO FIX THIS WORLD’ every time.”

Now it was Art’s turn to pause for a moment, “It’s about your parents too, isn’t it?”

Instead of get angry, like Art expected, Rynk sighed, “That too… I mean, was my mom a banshee, and my dad a lynx, or the other way around? After I find that out, what next? They’re probably dead, and if they aren’t, they probably left me… but… it’s also that I just… feel so hypocritical.”

“Hypocrital? Why? I mean even if we were all just petty thugs, this whole thing technically helps the Hellborns, right?”

“Yeah and what am I doing to help?” Rynk sat down again, “I’m sitting around practicing to take out ONE building after what, a YEAR of planning? By which time three others are finished being built.”

Art sat next to her, nudging her shoulder a bit with a grin of humor, “Well we could always pull one of those cheesy run-away acts and become vigilantes.”

Rynk let out a small huffing chuckle, “If only. I guess that would work… but we’re not old enough. I mean, you might be, and you know how to work wires, and circuits, and guns. I just… have metal bones and big ears.”

“Last time I checked, metal bones are better than normal.” Art sighed, “Well I wasn’t actually serious about leaving, at least not at this time.” He looked down, losing the grin, “Dad, the others, if they didn’t kill us when they found us, they’d make sure we never left again. Or worse, turn you over to the cops.”

“So in the meantime… we break buildings and help avenge your Dad’s money problems.” Rynk sighed.

“You know, normal people might get offended.”

Rynk scoffed humorously, “You’re not normal people.”

Art nodded, “True, He flexed his arm a bit, “I am rather amazing.”

Rynk shoved him with a chuckle. “Well,” She got up, “do you still want to practice?”

“… Sure.”

Forty-Five minutes later the two were still sparring, now very tired out and perspiring, though not giving up on losing to the other. It was Nert who came up and found them, and having not knowing why they were fighting, promptly stood between them, shoved Rynk to the side a bit, and took hold of Plate’s arm.

“Hey!” Rynk hissed, quickly regaining her standing position. “We were practicing. You could just tell us to stop.”

“You… Oh.” Nert let go of Plate. “I thought that you-“

“You thought we were going to kill each other?” Plate looked at Nert almost in disbelief. Nert looked down a bit, feeling embarrassed.

“Anyway, we’re needed, c’mon!” Groggily, with some asleep arms and legs, the two followed Nert inside the building, which was abandoned. They noticed that Nert kicked the door open to go inside, which implied that he… climbed up himself? They had to admit he was fit, but it seemed strange for some reason that he would climb up, then have them walk down. Was it for their safety? If so, both Art and Rynk felt a bit babied.

Regardless, as soon as the three arrived back in the warehouse with the team, Copper noticed their condition, and gaped slightly, before nudging Vault, who was talking with Bert. He turned and saw for himself. His eyes widened slightly, but he retained his serious un-affected stare.

“You two were doing… what?” He asked, noting their tiredness.

“Sparring.” Art replied.

“For that long?” Vault asked in disbelief.

“What did you think we were doing?” Rynk asked, feeling left out.

“They’re fine, Chief.” Nert defended. “I saw them when I came to get ‘em. They were just fighting. I thought they were gonna kill each other when I saw how fierce they were clawing away. Surprised they aren’t torn up.”

“Well…” Vault took a moment to absorb this, still feeling a bit in disbelief, “alright but both of you need to shower. I’m not going to stand for any sweat stench. You two,” He pointed at them both, “will need showers, and after that we’ll discuss what each person’s role will be. But before we do,” He took a step back to face everyone and address them, “no one is knowing anything more than they need to. If someone is compromised, if questioned we don’t want anything getting spilled. Also depending on what role you play, they might let you off the hook and not make the connection, so make it seem as much as you can that it’s YOU and YOU alone who are doing it. Understood?” He didn’t wait for an answer, “glad to hear that, back in five. Anyone late, don’t be.”

Rynk got to the shower first, angering Plate, who assumed she would take ten minutes at least. She took one and a half thankfully, and dashed off to her room to change before he could even process the blur going behind him; so much so that it was not until two minutes later that he realized she had finished. When he did figure this out, he immediately dove to the shower room.

When the two walked back to the other Neil Wozer, looking dapper in his suit per usual, with his snake-like green eyes adding a sharpness to his appearance. His eyes did not make him look slimy or creepy, but still a bit dangerous if a describing word were needed to be used for his eyes. He stood next to Vault, explainin- arguing the plans over.

Neil instantly turned to face Rynk and Plate when he saw them, with a very friendly and almost giddy smile, which was a stressed scowl a moment ago when speaking with Vault. “And I finally meet the lovely lady while blabbering to the boss. My manners were never very good.” He walked over to them. “Lovely to meet you.” He nonchalantly bowed extending his left hand for a shake.

Rynk cautiously shook his hand, though she had to admit she was not feeling very uneasy around Neil. He seemed interesting to say the least. Quickly after, Neil turned to Plate, “And the other younger! You’re fourteen, yes?”

“Fifteen.” Plate sighed, feeling little.

“No no, don’t sigh.” Neil shook his head repeatedly. “The whole point of guessing your age wrong was so I could say you look seventeen. Regardless, any birthday coming up soon? And how old is your lady friend?”

“Thirteen…” Plate answered half-nervously.

“Good, that’s enough for me to know.” Neil walked back, observing Rynk a bit, “though I have to admit, I’ll probably be distracted by those ears often.”

Rynk almost hid a small smirk with a scoff-like chuckle breath at the remark. Neil turned to the others then back to the teenagers “So I was telling Vaulty the child and parent idea would go badly, and I’m even more right.” He faced Vault. “First I find out that they were noticed, then I find out that she’s part Hellborn, then I come here, and the two stick out like one of those bizarre characters you keep noticing in Where’s Waldo, except they’re MEANT to BE Waldo!”

Vault narrowed his eyes dully, “Plate isn’t the most distinctive, and I was assuming you’d have disguises for him, or are you not that good?”

Neil gave a disbelieving look to Vault, looked to the teenagers grinning, back to Vault, then walked between them, pointing at Vault giving him a sort of “just wait a moment” gesture. He waited a few seconds then said “I disguise this boy, and send him in as the Trojan Wolf, and you get suspicion already. A guard sees Parent and Child, and see it irregular in the slightest and poof!” He flew his arms out, “cover’s blown, mission over.”

“What parts are you planning to have me do anyway?” Plate questioned.

“Well I suggested tha-“

“You’d be with me.” Vault interrupted in a hostile-sounding tone. “We would sneak in, get into the middle of the building, Chain would deactivate all electronics, using the EMP’s we’d store in our outfits, then we would force our way to the front, with Nert, Bert, and Copper.”

“While… I get rid of the cops?” Rynk asked, feeling as if she had a stressful load on her back, and as if she did not believe that could be the plan.

“Basically.” He replied bluntly.

“… How?”

“Well I wouldn’t think you’d have trouble taking them out, metal bones, fighting skills, various flexibility.”

“Good gifts, you make her sound like a Swiss Army Knife!” Wozer exclaimed.

“They do sound similar.” Vault chuckled.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure the cops have weapons, and y’know, are prepared to handle people that are Hellborn… least of all someone who’s only part Hellborn.” Rynk noted. “The idea sounds all Adrenaline-Pumping in my head, but then we got pesky logic and the whole plan goes splat.”

“… Wordy little feline.” Neil observed, pausing between sentences, “Well that sounds fine, we could just have her go in, and blow it up, couldn’t we? Walk inside, need the bathroom, go to the bathroom, place explosives, leave. Then boom.”

“They have cameras in the bathroom, don’t they?” Copper chimed in.

“I certainly hope not!” Chain exclaimed, letting it be known that she was still in the room. “I don’t know what police station you’ve been in, but that’s just wrong.”

Copper chuckled at her retort, “What isn’t wrong in this country?” Chain looked annoyed at first but gradually her mouth curved to a humored smiley, and she rolled her eyes.

“Is it agreed?” Vault asked, reminding them of what they were going to do.

“Which one?” Neil asked, ruffling the fur beneath his chin, “Her going in with a bomb, or silently taking them out?”

“Well which do you prefer, Demon-steel?” Vault asked. Chain, Plate, and Neil gave him cringes when he spoke, puzzling him, “… Do you three have a problem with her choosing?”

“We have a problem with the name.” Chain corrected. “ ‘Demon-steel’ it’s long and dumb-sounding, not to mention insulting.”

“Agreed, you must get your… agents better nam-“ Vault interrupted Wozer with a growl, tensing his hands in irritation. “I do not want to waste time talking about names. But to avoid more of this mediocrity, what does RYNK want to do?”

This entire time Rynk had honestly zoned out until they started throwing around the ‘Demon-steel’ name, which would always make her nose scrunch up in disgust, but even then sometimes she did not even notice it happening. She thankfully heard the end of Vault’s sentence, and assumed correctly what the question was.

“I… guess the bomb idea? I can’t take them all out at once, and even if I could there’d be an alarm or something right?” She quickly thought up an idea to capitalize this notion, “That and if I do that, more attention will go to the police station, instead of End Ga.”

“But are you willing to kill?” Neil questioned out of nowhere. No one expected him to ask such a question. It rose some questions of their own, mainly if HE had killed anyone. He had planned a bit with them now, and after a good while of it, he was asking if she questioned this idea?

Rynk of course would not answer immediately. It was not something she could instantly say yes to, at least not at this point in her life. She was in a haze of confusion and anger, and she wished he had not asked. Vice a vi, she realized that had he not brought this up, she probably would only question this for herself right before the time came.

The question remained, and all eyes were on her, or Neil; would she kill? Chain assumed that she would not, and was glad for thinking as such. She did not want Rynk to become a killer, but stay a girl, without being corrupted more than she had. Plate thought in the same way; he knew that killing someone would change Rynk, or hurt her in some way, and he did not want to see her like that.

The only other person who did not want her to kill was Bert, who considered her much too young. He actually spoke his opinion about this to Nert quite often, ranting about how Vault was crazy and he should not be putting his son, or Rynk, in these situations. He and Nert were trained for this sort of thing; they were grown men that understood the world… Rynk was a confused hybrid, who lived between Hellborns, normal mobians, and the dark side of good and evil. It would not matter who someone was; if one were to see someone finally make that turn to the side of the wrong, there will always be some form of emotion. In this case, it was depression and disappointment. She could not say yes.

Everyone else thought it was best she kill; she had to learn sometime, and people would try to kill her in the future. She could fight well, and even shoot people, but never fatally would she do so. This was the breaking point, and if she were to hesitate at some point, she would be murdered, or someone else would be, or something would be ruined. In this case, their plans could be ruined. If she did not kill the police, they would arrive at End Ga, and everyone would either be captured, or have to escape and possibly disband. She could not say no.

What did Rynk want to do though? In her eyes, she truly did not want to kill anyone. She loved the thrill of action, and of overpowering her enemies, but to kill would mean to end someone, cut the wire that would connect their future to their present. She would be stopping them from starting a family, or seeing a child to college, or becoming president, or even saving the world by some miracle.

On the other hand… these were not people who deserved mercy. These were racists and hunted her kind down for slavery, extinction, or even to create weapons from their bones. She remembered how she tried to help the police Chief, and his thanks of trying to kill her. She doubted that he was still alive, but even then that was not her fault. She wanted nothing more than to rip at their faces, and bite until they stopped moving… for all the good she tried to do, all her optimism… they would still hate her. Why should she try?

“Does it look like there’s another option?” She finally answered. “I fail this, we all go down.” She scoffed softly, “Vault would probably hand me over or kill me, right?” She narrowed her eyes with a half-smirk at her leader, who gave no response in facial expression, though inside he was wondering how she came to the idea that he would do such a thing. At the same time however he did not deny that he might do something of the sort if not in his right mind, which something like this might put him in.

“A yes, now,” Wozer clapped his hands together, and rubbed them, “On to our Leader and his Pup.” Rynk put this out of her mind and interrupted, “Am I needed now?”

“… You can go.” Vault answered softly, nodding slowly to her. She nodded back and walked off.

Two days later…

“Ow… thi- OW! Real-ow… forget it.” Rynk tried to speak in between squeals of pain as Chain and Copper used multiple rectangular objects on her stripes, tattooing them in a sense to match her fur-color. Rynk normally would hate doing this as she loved her stripes, but thankfully they would revert after a day or even a couple of hours, which was why this was being done just outside the police station.

“You’ll get in, you’ll find where the bathroom is, you’ll go inside, then you’ll wait until we call you to come out.” Chain instructed. “Talk as little as possible and try to keep attention away from where you’re going.”

“What about my ears?” Rynk pointed, messing up Copper’s concentration on her stripes. He groaned, “Sorry,” She apologized, putting her arm back down as he got back to working on it.

Chain pulled over a capped-hat, with normal cat ears on the side of it, “Try on this Cheese-cutter.”

Rynk raised an eyebrow “That’s really what it’s called huh?...” She noted that her arms were still being worked on, “Can’t move my arms.”

“Right.” Chain moved Rynk’s ears down behind her head and shuffled the hat on to her head, over the base of her ears.

“Ow… what’s the point of that.” Rynk did not notice that Copper was now tattooing the second half of her arms, which had no feeling in them. Her squeal came from her ears being squished. “They’ll still see my ears at he back.”

“You’ll be wearing a hoodie, not over your head, that’d be too suspicious, but it should cover them well enough.”

“… Alright.” Rynk sighed, wincing from ears ears.

“Done.” Copper answered. He pulled over a mirror showing Rynk her temporary appearance. All her stripes were gone, and once she had on her hoodie, she would look like a normal pale clay-brown cat; that is, one with a backpack full of C4.