Board Thread:Role Plays/@comment-25389303-20160708180726/@comment-5999656-20160711183307

Zanipher and her remaining researchers were racing through the forest, clearing in leaps and bounds the area they had so slowly been traversing just minutes before. But when she turned to see how Hector was doing, she was met with a jarring surprise. He was nowhere to be found.

Did he stay back to fight?!

Foolish. Utterly and completely contradictory to what he had told her to do just before. A martyr's ploy that would only create a further setback for Zanipher, especially since she was in no position to go back and rescue him.

''When he told us to run, what did that mean? ''

It can't have been, "Leave me behind". And given his distaste towards Smiler, it seemed unlikely that it was a fake out for him to rejoin the faction stationed here. Unless they had been working together... unlikely, but not impossible. One thing was clear: she wouldn't be able to reacquire Hector anytime today. But to leave him in their clutches, especially if they weren't co-conspirators, was dangerously dismissive.

As for the two of her men they'd managed to capture: mere novices. Elementary recruits to the Syndicate, who were so lowly that they hadn't yet been informed of the Syndicate's relationship with the Dragons. An elite member would never have been taken so easily. So once she got back, what the first things she had to do?

''Notify the other Dragons immediately. Place the network on high alert.''

And then?

''Send a message to the families of the fallen. My condolences for your loss.''

And then?

The small team reached their vehicles, which were parked with miniature manned turrets on the hoods in case there were any followers. But there were none. As they quickly got in and drove off, the sound of distant bombardment could be heard over the forest.

"Madam, we appear to have escaped the range of their fire. Master's Realm has already been notified of the incident since we borrowed their aircraft. I'm the process of sending out notifications to the other factions in the network." The man looked up. "Shall I send out a message to the trained killers as well? Nightshade, The Spectrum, the Realm, we could even approach the ANGELs with a request. And the freelancers, of course. And we could compile arms from - "

Zanipher was looking at him. Her mask was off, revealing dark red eyes that seemed to perpetually convey the message: I'm not impressed.

"You forget that the Dragons only turn to war as a last resort. See if you can find their IP address. Scour ShadowNet. We could drop letters over their base if there's no way of getting through with technology, now that we have a clear radius of their location. I'll write a message offering a meeting with their leader. A single chance for compromise."

She'd been too lax with taunting Smiler back there. After a string of recent successes with forging alliances, her mindset had been one of smug satisfaction in the security of her figurative throne. She would have to revert to a more alert attitude. One that was serious, not overbearing, and beyond all unprovokable.