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In the temporary head quarters of
the Idranal Research Security -IRS for short- Raven was looking at the
security cameras of the firm's latest job. Raven, at 37 was the oldest
man in the team. He had long raven black hair that flowed over his
shoulders down his back. Sitting in one of the rolling chairs in front of
the computer decks at the reception area of the large research building,
it hung down toward the floor over the back of the seat. Raven's hair was
always the first thing people noticed. It seemed to glow a strange kind of
deep blue at all times. It couldn't be lit up by sunlight, nor darkened by
the dark of night. In the grey diffuse reflecting light of the grey walls
it seemed to radiate even more than usual.
Raven turned around his chair, stopping briskly after 90 degrees. He stood
up, went closer to the screen and tapped his fingers on the control board.
The rest of Raven was pure Motor Maniac. Like the Terminator -an action
classic he enjoyed- he was about 1,80 metres high, he wasn't as big as the
actor, but his muscles were well developed. Like the actor Raven was
always dressed in black leather and black rayban sunglasses.
"Ilandra." Raven said, "The bunny has painted the
egg."
"Do you have to use those silly metaphors?" Ilandra asked.
Raven thought of the short lean woman he knew so well. She had long blond
hair, though not as long as his was, that she kept in a pony tail. She was
about 1, 60 metres tall and a martial arts expert. By looking at her you
would never suspect she was so strong and fast. Many men had already
mistaken her for a secretary though she was in fact the creator of the
team.
"As long as you give me the lead of the projects I will use
them."
Ilandra sighed… "I should fire you for them."
"But where would you find anyone else as stereotype as me?"
"You may look stereotype at first sight, but I know now you aren't at
all."
That was true. Though he looked like a big mean fighting machine he had no
special fighting skills at all. His special abilities lay elsewhere. There
was only one person in the team that knew about his little secret. Only
one who knew how he always managed to spy on people unseen and get out of
any dire situation: Ovianskina.
"What kind of metaphors would you like then?" he asked.
"Stuff like 'The eagle has landed'" Ilandra suggested.
"Way to cliché… besides it's Easter. I like chocolate eggs."
Raven said and grinned.
"I give up…" Ilandra said, "I see him entering."
Raven checked his screens and saw that the thief was walking toward one of
the fire exits, still visibly carrying the priceless object he had stolen.
The prototype of a molecular transformer. A device that if used correctly
could transform dust to water and evaporate unwanted mountain ridges. It
would make colonies so much easier to adapt. Of course it could also, when
used for bad, evaporate whole planets and devour humans whole, leaving
nothing but some smoke. That was probably what the thief was going to use it for.
"Ovi?" Raven asked.
"Yes?"
"He's coming your way, Ilandra is on his tail."
"Good." She said and went quiet.
Raven and Ovianskina had sometimes been loosely involved with each other.
That was how she had found out about his little secret. He was still
grateful she hadn't told anyone else in the team. Shapeshifters had the
bad reputation to be as shifty with which side they were on as with their
appearance. It was a reputation Raven had been fighting all his life. At
one moment, Raven couldn't remember when, he had just given up the truth.
It had brought him nothing but trouble.
Lantessama
Isle
Cy
DragonStake - Darkling
Dawn
Credits:
Backgrounds compiled with images found on Google