The Street Race
After many weeks of useless searching for any possible lead on Null, the criminals set their sights on a criminal known as Redline, a part-time street racer and part-time illegal vehicle part dealer. As far as criminals go, Redline isn't remotely the most connected figure in Malheur, but they were truly running out options. Regardless, the team formulated their plan while learning about the racing finalists:
- REDLINE, who drove a souped up two-door sports car, blood red with pearlescent black paint, with red LEDs running along the sides of the car. License plate: XLR8.
- DIESEL, who drove the only truck of the race, that being a lifted dark brass truck that was on the borderline for being considered a tank. License plate: R04DH0G.
- ANTIQUE, a Scarlesian who drove a modded retro Scarlesian hot rod. At a first glance, she seems to have put more funds into appearance over performance, yet time and again she proves her racing prowess. License plate: H0PP3D UP.
- DUI, known for his dirty, life-threatening tactics on the road. His car has been destroyed and given replacement parts so many times that no component of the original modded-to-shit sedan remains. License plate: 4CARPILEUP.
- MOUSEY, who drove the only motorcycle of the race, that being a matte black and purple bike with no lights other than the headlight. Her bike is known to make almost no noise at all, allowing her to be as quiet as a mouse. License plate: 4N0NYM0U5E.
The criminals took their positions, and while the cars passed through a blind spot in the course, the
Witch fired her magic at Redline's front tire, which was so effective to the point of the entire car flipping forward and skidding upside-down across the subway tunnel. On the brink of death,
Mara was able to resuscitate him before kidnapping his unconscious body and taking him to a secondary location (the same forest in which they murdered a married police officer expecting a daughter). With the
Witch's interrogation tactics, the group discovered that Redline carried absolutely 0 information of value. Instead of putting him down like an injured horse, the criminals instead dropped him off on the side of the road where he would hopefully be hospitalized.
Back Home
Exhausted at another fruitless mission, the group returned to an apartment ruined by an unwatched minotaur calf. A few minutes later, Ren began to receive to following texts from the number 0000.
- I KNOW YOU ARE LOOKING FOR US.
- CHOOSE YOUR NEXT ACTIONS VERY CAREFULLY.
- THERE IS A REASON WE CONTACTED ONLY YOU.
- YOU AND I HAVE A SHARED ENEMY.
- YOU ARE BEING LIED TO.
- COME TO THE ADDRESS IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH.
- IF YOU WISH TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS, I RECOMMEND OMITTING THE FACT THAT YOU ARE BEING LIED TO.
- DO NOT GIVE THE LIARS THE GIFT OF FORESIGHT.
- THEY WILL ONLY USE YOUR TRUST TO FURTHER THEIR LIE.
- COME TO THE ADDRESS IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH.
She then receives a phone call, in which a monotone text-to-speech voice reads out an address in Valland City's upper residential district. She receives one final text:
- PLAN WHATEVER YOU WISH. WE ARE ALWAYS ONE STEP AHEAD.
Ren decides to tell the group about the address, but leaves out certain details exactly as the sender advised. And with Ren lying to the group for the first time, the criminals set out, each one of them a liar.
Self-Destruction
The group decided to split up, with
Mara,
Nora, and Venus in a nearby location with the minotaur while
Ren took on the conversation alone. In this cold, unused house, a black-haired woman sat on a rocking chair, in a room only illuminated by the parallel beams of moonlight peeking through the window shades. After a bomb threat, the woman introduced herself as Eleanor. Unbeknownst to the rest of the group,
Ren and Eleanor continued a secret conversation while Eleanor created a false recording to feed into the group's earpieces.
During this hidden conversation,
Nora and Venus, unbeknownst to the group, received messages from their respective organizations. At the very same time,
Ren heard shocking information from Eleanor.
Jinx's ruse was over.
In a matter of minutes, the group had turned on itself, with
Jinx and Venus attempting escape,
Nora completing the mission by preventing
Jinx from doing so, and the
Witch being forcibly injected by Null's unknown serum. The
Witch was then teleported to a nearby city block, where she unknowingly murdered 19 civilians with her enhanced powers. When the smoke cleared, the
Witch was unconscious,
Jinx and Venus in cuffs,
Ren surrounded by squad cars, and
Nora secretly escorted from the area.
What was once a bonded team of criminals had been reduced to nothing.
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