HEROES ARE THE PAST.

dispatch's  shroud  by  ninja.

[5hroud]

𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐃 from adhoc's dispatch. private,  highly selective, headcanon heavy &  multiverse. 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽  𝙱𝚈  𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙹𝙰. she  /  her  ( 27. )   british.   established  november 16th, 2025. read my rules! triggering  content  present  &  tagged. you do not need to have knowledge of dispatch to interact.

𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐃. find ask prompts here / playlist / sideblog / pinterest / development hub. please read this before interacting.

[jngal]

#resistvance. read rules before following. 𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐗 𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 from half-life 2 and half-life: alyx. private, selective, multiverse & headcanon heavy. 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽  𝙱𝚈  𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙹𝙰. personals do not reblog. 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐃.

[schattenmagier]

The vigilante just raised a brow at that. Suuuuuure. Impressed. That sounded a tiny bit different a moment ago to her and Schatten wasn't even trying to hide that she didn't believed him at all. His men also seemed a tiny bit relucant to agree there. And while the woman didn't knew who he was, she at least heard about the sdn before.

" Vell, zhanks~ I do believe I am not to bad at fighting either~ And nah, I don't have anything to do vith zhat hero agency. "

Lilli almost mentioned that she also went a little easy on his men, given that she hadn't even tried to go for a kill, but kept that to herself for now. She will just let him think that he has the upper hand. That she is helpless here in front of him. A lot of people sure do let their guard down when they think they have the advantage.

" Oh? Vho says I am looking for someone? "

The vigilante asked instead of answering, with her perfect pokerface never changing. Though she did tilt her head a little to the side. Oh, he's smart. Or it had been just a lucky guess. She wasn't going to discuss her little revenge mission with some villain she just met though. Actually Schatten had never discussed it with anyone before. Besides, there is still the possibility that he is in contact with NULL.

" Perhaps my intention vas simply to see how many guys I can take on vith only my fists and feet, Mister Mask~ "

Just a hint of that she can do way more than hand to hand combat.

[5hroud]

it's fascinating, when someone thinks they're in control. thinks they can escape at any given moment. thinks they have the upper hand. this woman had challenged his lowest fighters, his most incapable goons and she thinks she's skilled because of it. well, she's not the worst fighter he's seen, but she's no blonde blazer. his unseen lips quirk upwards in amusement at the thought, though it isn't betrayed in his tone. " i say you are, " shroud asserts calmly. " wasn't that clear? " his men give a chuckle, silenced when he glances at them.

          " i say you fight with purpose. been there, done that, " he states. " i know exactly what i'm looking at. you might think you have me fooled, but you don't know me. " doesn't know how smart he is. or how prepared he is to end this tomfoolery here and now. a hand reaches behind himself and his pistol is pulled out. not the one he's saving for mechaman. a different one. and he aims it directly at her head.

he doesn't tell her that he has his own little trick up his sleeve, prediction. knows exactly what she's going to do and when. " mister mask doesn't have much patience, " he tells her. " if you're not fighting for someone, you're of no use to me. and if you're of no use to me, you're of no use to the world. "

[5hroud]

#5hroud. read  rules  before  following. 𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐃 from adhoc's dispatch. private,  highly selective, headcanon heavy &  multiverse. 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽  𝙱𝚈  𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙹𝙰. personals  do  not  reblog. 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐃.

[necromaidens]

SHE NODS HER THANKS AND REACH FOR HER BAG , rustling through it until she pulled out a lollipop . she had several in a bowl on her desk in her office back at sdn --- she always offered anyone who came to get healed one afterwards . out of habit , she offered one to him without really thinking about it . she blinks , staring at her hand before looking up at him .

plump lips press together , brows furrowing for a moment before she releases a breath , " i . . . forgive you . . . " gaze lowers for a moment so that she could unwrap the sweet and place it between glossed lips . she began to fold the wrapper neatly , bending angles slowly into the shape of a origami star .

" my abilities are not as impressive as others i have seen . . . " her words are spoken slow , " i work with so many that are far more impressive than myself . . . " she looks up at him with his question and she thinks about her answer for a moment , " heroes like the ones at sdn do all that they can to take care of us ; the people . . . blonde blazer and all the teams . . . but . . . who takes care of them ? i figured this is how i can bring about a good change in the world . . . by helping those that help us . "

she did not want to mention her family ; the belladonna house --- the necromancer family as some have called them . a family had hail from french nobility for centuries that had a power to raise and control the dead be passed down the bloodline . death fuels her family . they thrive off of it . she did not wish to be apart of it though that same power shares the veins of her healing powers .

[5hroud]

the lollipop is eyed curiously, a low chuckle leaving him. a single shake of his head is enough to signal a no. this woman is far more gentle than anything he'd ever come across. it makes him wonder what makes her tick. what gets underneath her skin and grinds her gears. no one is innocent. no one's closet is free of skeletons. i forgive you. a smile, then. hidden behind his mask. does she hold a grudge? secretly a rage festering within her chest. he scans her facial features, more and more intrigued as time passes.

his expression falters at the mention of blonde blazer. " those... heroes are stuck in the past, " shroud states, leaning back in his seat. he still doesn't let his guard down, though. " doesn't that frighten you? the world staying the very same. forever. " he considers her closely. " on the surface, they help. sure. but underneath, there's no control. it's all chaos. heroes barely holding themselves together, in a changing world that needs more... you must be exhausted, " shroud notes. it simply confirms it, for him. that the heroes of sdn are so frail they need others to piece them back together after every fight.

          " you're satisfied because you don't know what more could be available to you. " could she be tempted to pursue helping him, instead? " you know, you could bring about so much more good if you were just given the chance. does that interest you? "

[5hroud]

@laesarus said: " it's been said that keeping secrets can make us sick. " from sol. [ prompt. ]

and it all comes down to that, doesn't it? a sickness. a rotting. a delusion. whether it be heroes wearing themselves down to the bone, attempting to prevent it, or criminals spreading it like a disease... uncontrollable. vast. rampant. elliot grimaces behind his mask at the thought of such unmanageable chaos. pretending everything's fine while the world slowly eats away at itself. no. he has no intention of standing by. the heroes have had their turn.

          " have you seen the state of things? " he asks her. " everything is sickening. nobody comes out unscathed. " not even him. the responsibility is heavy on his shoulders. the demand from constantly wanting criminals exhausting. he tries his best to uphold an intimidating figure, but he is frail in so many ways. prison turned him into a rat. scrambling and scuttling around, searching for sustenance. he's never regained the strength he used to have.

no one said crime was a healthy lifestyle to live, however. " what's worse is keeping secrets that could help change the world for the better. " despite his low affect, his tone is verging on accusatory. " you know what i'm talking about. " her powers. so exceptional, so intense, they hold the potential to create great change. if harnessed correctly.

[5hroud]

@black0rchid said: " i'm not here to judge you. " from zoé. [ prompt. ]

elliot leans back against the bench he's seated on. his hood covers his face, recently repaired by healing hands, and his fingers grip his knees tightly. he'd allowed himself to get sucked into a deep conversation with a stranger, a woman, although she'd initiated it. about the state of the city now shroud was gone, how criminals had become less fearful of consequences... it creates this familiar sinking feeling, the same he'd felt every time robbie robertson had turned him down for a role in the brave brigade. failure. disappointment. elliot frowns to himself and shakes his head.

          " i was stubborn, " he tells her. " overconfident. " imagines the confession must be pretty damn cryptic coming from a total stranger. expects her to express confusion, to question him. instead, she says, i'm not here to judge you, and his brows lift in surprise. then, he laughs. a huff of amusement. " you would if you knew the truth, " elliot says, avoidant of her intense gaze. that he is shroud. she most certainly would judge him after learning that. he has no doubt in his mind. " some things are better left unsaid, though. "

and he'll stand by that. especially given the police are after him still. the last thing he needs is to be returned to prison. to that hell hole. he grits his teeth. it's isolating, so very isolating to be in his position. no one to really turn to, a fall from grace so damning it's left him entirely helpless. well, as helpless as he'll allow himself to be. " you wouldn't understand. "

[rpstartersinc]

* 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋: 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐄𝐏. 𝟕-𝟗.

feel free to change pronouns / wording! spoilers ahead!

— " when you look out this window, what do you see? " — " you didn't get those bruises at work. " — " i went for a walk, i'm having trouble sleeping. " — " i'm just dealing with some things, and obviously not very well. " — " you have been tamping down trauma for so long, you can't even see when it's bubbling up inside of you and threatens to ruin everything good you have. " — " you give me your word and then you pull this shit? " — " cops ain't gonna do nothing about it. " — " you've been causing a lot of chaos. " — " if you're looking for attention, there are other ways. " — " are you asking for my permission, or my help? " — " no one knows i'm there. " — " all i ever wanted to be was an artist. " — " you've unlocked something in me. " — " you're not listening to me. " — " becoming your true self can be scary. " — " we can't hide from ourselves. " — " it's only when we embrace who we are, we can truly be free. " — " now there are no more secrets between us. " — " there's only one question on your mind right now. 'can i make it to the door in time?' " — " we're a team here, and hiding things from one another isn't gonna get us anywhere. " — " don't fucking call me that! " — " you understand who i am. " — " please don't hurt me. " — " don't you care about all the people you killed? " — " do you feel nothing? " — " anybody who needs a mask is a coward. " — " are you actually threatening me? " — " it wasn't a nightmare? " — " i killed him. " — " you didn't have a choice. " — " i'm not supposed to be here. " — " you deserve to be happy. " — " i killed him, do you have any idea what that felt like? " — " they're just these underdeveloped boys, hiding behind masks, trying to make it look like something more sophisticated. " — " i saved me. " — " i promised you i wouldn't kill him. " — " why would you keep all this from me? " — " if i cannot be with you, i cannot be. " — " i won't say anything. " — " i promise i won't ever leave you again. " — " excessive methods work. " — " i should be seen. " — " my voice should be heard. " — " this whole thing is not my fault. " — " i'm not here to judge you. " — " i barely recognise you, what is going on? " — " we're not serving justice here, we're babysitting chaos. " — " may you always remember to forget the things that make you sad, but never forget to remember the things that make you glad. " — " i didn't think you'd show. " — " i don't want your respect. " — " that's what good men do, right? defend their worst enemies. " — " i don't trust you for a second. " — " you know we're not exactly cool right now? " — " did you come alone? " — " turns out you're not the only one wearing chanel number five. " — " oh my god, you're not even listening to me, are you? " — " we should speak truth to power. " — " try not to draw too much attention. " — " it's been said that keeping secrets can make us sick. " — " you will pay for what you did. " — " you are the very best at this type of thing. " — " i think it's better i come back once you've had some rest. " — " you watch your back. " — " you're pretty much the last person i expected to find here. " — " power goes out, you got nothing to make a goddamn pot of coffee in this house. " — " is that a new costume? what do they call you now, nightgown man? " — " aftershave and a haircut, that all for me? " — " thought this wasn't your fight. " — " i'm not sure i want that kind of help. " — " do what you gotta do. " — " you can't help yourself, can you? " — " you're a goddamn liability every time. " — " nothing in this world a good cup of coffee can't fix. " — " i don't believe you don't care. " — " you sound like you're jealous. " — " i'm glad you're back. " — " just trying to survive. " — " it's an honour to meet you. " — " i'm a big admirer of your work. " — " you think you know my pain? " — " you will not survive. is that what you want? " — " my mistake was thinking i was immune to the darkness. " — " i let the dark power me. " — " i wanted to kill him. "

[rpstartersinc]

* 𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐎: 𝐒𝟏.

feel free to change pronouns / wording!

" i don't want to insult your artistic talent, but this is awful. "

" no messing about. are you serious? "

" what goes on in your head? "

" you tell me two days ago you're going out for a beer, you only come home now without calling, without letting me know in any way. "

" you know what's great? sleep is great. "

" all day yesterday i didn't call her once, just like you said. "

" i am gonna solve this case. "

" are you lying for your own personal gain? "

" you did nothing wrong. "

" who takes a knife with them to a fucking disco? "

" you can crash here too if you want. "

" i was never here, understood? "

" i was following orders. "

" you think i'm guilty. "

" i only wanted to be good enough for you. "

" i have thought about it, for [ number ] years now. "

" don't be like him. just leave it all behind you. "

" i didn't think i'd ever see you again. "

" destruction isn't negative. "

" you have to destroy things to build something new. "

" you'll sleep by me, don't like being alone. "

" you don't stand a chance against them. "

" does that mean we're a team? "

" i know who you are, and i know what you do. "

" if you kill him, that is murder. "

" elimination of a traitor, not murder. "

" when your back's against the wall, you have to think strategically. "

" do you know who you're talking to? do you know what i can do to you? "

" i'm not interested in money. "

" without money, you are nothing. "

" loss is always painful. "

" money alone doesn't make you happy. "

" what have i got to lose? "

" that's taking the law into your own hands, you can't do that. "

" if you're caught now, you'll go to jail for the rest of you life, is that what you want to happen? "

" i do really fucking care about what happens to you. "

" do you think you'll get away with all this? "

" i'll hunt you, and i will put you in prison for it. that's who i am. "

" you're really cute. "

" don't underestimate me. "

" we both don't like being underestimated. "

" you're totally free now and you should take advantage of that. "

" the world is so beautiful, in spite of all the chaos. "

" do you know that i'm not scared of you? "

" are you spying on me now? "

" i don't lie to you all the time. "

" i protect people. that's my job. "

" for once in your life why can't you just be proud of me? "

" you don't always have to understand everything that a person does. "

" maybe today i spontaneously decided to do something different. "

" that's so childish, what you're doing right now. "

" is he gone? "

" i don't think he saw us. "

" i'd like to talk to you. "

" if you shoot someone, there is a way to do it properly, and i know just how to do it. "

" stop lying to me. "

" i never wanted to hurt anybody. "

" i can see you've got a good heart. "

" you have to be strong now. "

" i didn't mean to. "

" calm down. "

" he fired at me. "

" you had no other choice. "

" you can't compare them, the past and the present. "

" i love you, and i'm extremely worried about you. "

" i don't want anything to happen to you. "

" did you want to kill me?! "

" i don't work with professional killers. "

" by the way, i just saved your life. "

" you know i love you. "

" why don't you pick up the phone when i call you? "

" when we work together, then we follow my rules, alright? "

" my rule is you don't kill any more people. that is not okay. "

" we were never friends, but now it's just us. "

" there is no 'us'. "

" this is all your fault. "

" you were pretty lucky, the doctor's say not to be alarmed but all the same, you need to rest, okay? "

" what do you think i am, a mass murderer? "

" i killed a human being. "

" was it your first time? "

" he got what he deserved, don't worry about it. "

" shit, you've got a fucking machine gun in the kitchen cupboard! "

" you promised me before that there'd be no more killing. "

" killing doesn't get you anywhere. killing... kills... people. "

" you shot me! you actually shot me! "

" it's not good when feelings come into play. "

" are you threatening me? "

" you were always so fucking arrogant. "

" i don't like sleeping on my own. "

" i thought i'd lost you. "

" you should get some sleep. "

" that was actually the worst thing for me, the day i could no longer remember her smell. "

" it's not just about what you want. "

" i'm caught up in this just as much as you are. "

" if it wasn't for me, you'd be dead. "

" this was the first decision i've ever made for myself. "

" can i come in? i don't have anywhere else to go. "

" you're a fucking traitor. "

" i have killed people because of you. "

[5hroud]

cleared out my inbox, going to reblog some prompts.

[snkts]

Things have been tense around here lately. Something in the air’s felt… Off. Like the world's tilted just a bit, and he hasn't quite figured out the new angle yet. It’s not the best way to put it, but it’s the best he comes up with. 

It bothers him. 

He tries to keep it in the back of his mind as he goes about his work. He doesn’t let it slow him down. Weird feeling or no, people need to be saved. Fires need to be put out. The world keeps spinning. 

No rest for the wicked. 

So, enter his work with the SDN. This mission in particular. Raiding a Blighted Brigade storehouse without plunging the entire city into war. Sure, he could do that. … And then they told him they were assigning him a partner. A partner? Why the fuck did they think he needed a partner? At least the guy knew his way around - but that set off a different set of alarm bells. Best keep an eye on him. 

“I got it.” He replies, claws shooting out from between his knuckles. “Just stay ready to move.” He lunges. It’s a reminder of how slow humans are more than anything else. Feint left, push off the back foot, claw down. A spray of red that he wipes from his face with one hand. 

“Alright, where is the goddamn thing? We’re not gonna have much longer ‘til they send someone with actual powers.”

[5hroud]

elliot can't decide what he'd do if he were armed. alert the blight brigade to the wolverine's presence and get him captured? shoot his partner in the head? shoot himself in the head? there's an ever-festering urge to escape. to regain control. he doesn't know how he's coping without it. taking each day as it comes... eli's never been like that, though. always proactive, always planning. it's like a vital limb has been removed from him and he's debilitated beyond comprehension.

and there's no sympathy from sdn, either. naturally, he'd never expected it. but they're cold and expectant of him. like a dog trained for only one thing. the sudden smell of blood occupies his nose and his mind threatens to become shark-like in the frenzy of it. he hasn't killed in a while. he swallows thickly, still pressed tight to the wall, struggling to draw himself out of his thoughts. he can hear a gun sound out, isn't sure if he imagines it or not, five shots exactly. looks at the body before them and sees him. fucking robbie robertson. the look of betrayal in his eyes. that feeling again... animosity. the urge.

          " nobody said anything about killing, " elliot says stiffly. perhaps that's just how the wolverine works when it comes to bad guys. sdn had made no promises. he finds his hands beginning to shake, clenching them tightly.

[5hroud]

#5hroud. read  rules  before  following. 𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐃 from adhoc's dispatch. private,  highly selective, headcanon heavy &  multiverse. 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽  𝙱𝚈  𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙹𝙰. personals  do  not  reblog. 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐃.

[5hroud]

where to find ninja:

@/5hroud - shroud from dispatch. primary. @/0azrae7 - ghost from call of duty. primary. @/shellrage - raphael from teenage mutant ninja turtles. primary. @/souleech - egregore oc. primary. @/m1ssng - private investigator oc. primary. @/black0rchid - four muse crime genre oc multimuse. primary. @/1esshuman - oc multimuse. primary. @/muertemorbo - mara from call of duty warzone. secondary. @/one00six - the prototype from poppy playtime. secondary. @/one18eight - catnap from poppy playtime. secondary. @/doggedpride - deputy rook from far cry 5. secondary. @/5tings - bumblebee from the tyran movies. secondary. @/scornpion - valeria from call of duty. ( currently low activity. ) secondary. @/asocialconduct - low activity canon multimuse. secondary.

[echodolia]

Say her name, say her name. Even through the crackle of a mask, over the shortwave of a radio or two, offered on the back-end of disrespect aimed plain at her tell-tale heart...? She still shivered to hear it.

❝ Can't keep a good monster down for long. I've enjoyed my time in the underworld, but I do miss the sun on my face. ❞

The wind at her back. The freedom of choice that came when a girl had No Gods, No Masters! Just a voice in her ear telling her to 'fire', and a buzz in her pocket when the zeroes started piling up. She missed that. Needed that. CRAVED IT! So stop teasing her along. She's not a pretty beggar.

She drew a slumped-over body closer to her seated position, adjusting her feet on the poor loser's back while she considered. Someone thought very highly of themselves. Couldn't be 'the guy who can predict the future' without sipping his own kool-aid, could he?

❝ Want me to slip psychic triggers in the minds of all the higher-ups, so they pass out when you play a tone over the tannoy? Want me to bring you DNA samples of everyone I've met here; update those ... no doubt meticulously curated archives of yours? ❞

She hesitates for a moment. There's a thought crossing her mind about revealing that she knows he's got an inside man already. Much as she tried to hide it, Emilia could tell that the girl she knew now was a bit heavier in the mid-section than the bitch she'd known before. Could be exactly the revelation she needed to get in...

Could also see Courtney beheaded or imprisoned for being so 'sloppy' as to get caught by the nosiest bitch (half-)alive. Decisions, decisions.

❝ I'm prepared to do it all, and more. However do you want me, boss? However do you need me? ❞

[5hroud]

however do you need me? a question that burns him. searing irritation. he needs nothing. it's her that needs him. begging for a place, verbally on her hands and knees... " i imagine it gets lonely, leeching off the simple lives of others. " blood sucking has never been a social activity. hence why his villains often play their games alone.

shroud has shown them that there's much more to life than being a parasite. but he supposes one has to start somewhere, no? just as he had. just as elliot had. shroud grimaces at the thought. " perhaps i can show you something more. " rephrases it, as though he is helping her and not vice versa. she is the desperate one. the needy one. the helpless one. " something... more fulfilling. something to give you purpose. " a pause.

          " that's what you want, isn't it? to be more than a tool. " he licks his lips, flexing his fingers thoughtfully. he requests that she meet him. face to face. so that he may see her in all her pathetic glory. " come alone, " he tells her. " then, we'll see what i can do for you. "

[warwaited]

He's gotta be joking with that. She knows he doesn't joke (at least, not about things like this, when his voice is as hard as flint and he's proclaiming bluntly that he doesn't care in the slightest about what he's speaking on) and that's still her first instinct when his mouth opens and he breaks down everything that she'd said to a fantasy. It was on her that she believed him when he said he saw potential in her. She shouldn't have been so naive. What a load of crap! She SHOULD kill him! She should do the whole city- no, the whole WORLD a big favour, put her hands around his neck again and just-

"It's not your fault you lied about being my friend and I believed you?" Xue speaks through the tears, quietly willing them to stop on their own but accepting that they probably won't. She really wishes she could just... not let any of this get to her. Even when she despises the guy she has to admit that Shroud is really good at keeping his head above water.

"You don't even know what a real freakin' fight is. I just-" She shakes her head, steps back, and looks up and down the street. No Blighted members around... she almost wishes some more would show up. Xue's trying to reaffirm her decision to swear off killing after everything that happened at SDN Torrance, but she could live with letting someone die. It's not to be, though, and after her half-finished thought tumbles into the silent abyss, she takes her earbuds out, makes sure he sees her putting them in, and gestures brusquely for him to follow.

[5hroud]

elliot chuckles at that. " i never said i was your friend, kid. " and it's said in such a frank way, phrased to make her second guess herself. " that's on you. " his shoulders roll as he further composes himself after the choking he'd received. " it's certainly not my fault you believed that. " it means he did a good job of deceiving her. what was intended, happened. so naturally and freely it's almost a form of art. impressive, ego-inducing.

his chin lifts as he studies her tears. " ask yourself what those tears are for. really. are you disappointed? hurt? embarrassed? i trained you to be stronger than all of those emotions. yet you stand here babbling, whimpering, like a wounded dog. " he scoffs behind the mask. " if anyone should be disappointed here, it's me. " elliot considers her gesturing for him to follow and, with a beat of hesitation, he does.

[nightmdic-a]

Some of her own assistance’s advice rings in her head - you shouldn’t help everyone. Now? Now she’s helping someone running from police; certainly, she’s not a fan of them, but she doesn’t exactly want them to come knocking on her door.

“Change it for the better, right?”

[5hroud]

elliot exhales heavily. " naturally. " or so he believes, at least. " i thought if i could control evil, i could bring order to the chaos. " he gestures to the implant in the side of his head. " with this. " he huffs, rubbing a palm over his forehead.

          " i've no doubt you've seen the red ring around with them. " elliot lifts his gaze to look at her. " i only had the best of intentions. " which doesn't explain why the police are out looking for him. " and it was taken from me. "

[wxtchfxre]

A smirk almost comes to Emma's face. 'Sounds like you need better heroes' is rich from the man in the cell. Still, she doesn't say that, she just raises a brow. And when he tries to egg her on, draw her out, she doesn't go for the bait; what, does she look like an idiot? If she was an idiot, she wouldn't have been hot on his trail so often.

She lays the folder on the nearby table, opening it. "Well, I thought you might be a little rusty given how many slip-ups you've had lately." Bait of her own, now. "So I needed to get your head back in the game." She motions to the folder, and as Shroud brushes past her, small lime-hued sparks fizzle at the edges of his coat. A warning of what she could do, what she would do to him if he tried to mess around too much.

"I'm shocked they let you out of your cell." She murmurs, before tracing her fingers on the papers in the folder. "Cassandra is their online moniker and the one they go by the most. Very anti-super activist type, complaining that the American government should round up all the supers and put a tight leash on them. They've left a winged ouroboros symbol as their calling card, and they attempted to make the kidnapping scene look like a major fight took place there. Our first tip off was that no one attempted to contact the police; our second tip off was the way in which they conducted the kidnapping."

"According to the kidnapping victims, they came into the house having already known the passcode through the front door without having ever seen it before. They knew precisely what the murder victim was going to say before they said it, as well as how the kidnapping victims would react with perfect clarity. They attempted to dispose of the kidnapping victims by leaving them inside a burning house, which is where we were able to rescue the kidnapping victims from. We found the homicide victim at a separate location. At all the locations, there was graffiti of a winged ouroboros on a wall. So unless they're trying to co-opt symbology to throw us off..." Emma shrugs.

[5hroud]

when his coat begins to gently burn, he narrows his eyes behind his mask. his tone is flat. " i don't appreciate that, " elliot gestures to her, generally referring to her powers. he approaches the table, ensuring to keep a distance between them this time, and his attention falls on the paperwork. as he listens, he nods along. " they're attempting to mask their crime scenes. conceal their presence. interesting... " and yet, they mark them, too. curious.

he's seen villains like that before. people who don't want the credit. or who want to remain passive aggressive instead of full blown aggressive. can't imagine their intentions, however. why be an activist and hide your face? indeed, he himself wears a mask but the people know who he is. he hides from nobody.

          " they're afraid. their power is in hiding. can't silence what you can't find, right? " it's the only way he can make sense of it. " so the family was held in the burning building, occupying law enforcement, giving the killer time to take out the super? " he clarifies, turning his head in her direction. " how was the homicide victim located? who discovered them? "