VILLAINS: Heart Of Man

Warning Cresent

Would be hard to say Magnus woke up this morning since he hardly slept after a terrible  night to mark the end of his suspension, with red tired eyes he stood before the mirror sluggishly drawing down the shaving stick across his face.

Two hours later Magnus shows up at his precinct looking the best he could under the hazardous circumstances, no surprise he had forgotten his coat in his trailer, his home and did not realize it because the heater in the car was on full blast. The ground was icy and where it wasn't it was covered in thick snow so he couldn't hasten his steps into the office, nothing could save him now, nothing but nonchalant attitude, zero zeal, un-bothered spirit and extreme reluctance to resume which he currently had in abundance. Heck they could suspend him again, sh*t! They should just do him a favor and fire him and end this misery.

The broad man heaved his way through the deathtrap of black ice, smashing them with each step along the parking space. No emotions on his face but a slight frown, after ignoring greetings from his fellow officers the others got the message and thought it would be best to leave him alone. All except one. Azel leaning against the entrance with a big smile on his face starts to applaud as Magnus approached, he raises his hands up but Magnus reluctantly returns the hi-5 gesture.

"Good to have u back boss" Azeal says in a low tone Following closely behind Magnus who turns to enter his old office but noticed his name placard had been replaced with another "clearly I didn't get the memo" he mutters but Azel pats him on d back saying "you're still boss to me". Magnus moves on looking around the office until he spots a clean empty table in a cubicle behind a poster with different pictures on it and he recognizes the first picture, a lady - the Lady in the red robe.

" you don't need this, come with me let's go check out a distress call" Azeal pulls Magnus by the shoulder

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Mira wakes up slightly dizzy with little or no recollections of the night before, all she remembers is reluctantly taking this shots after been pressured by the rest of the gang. She remembers holding the shot glass which was slightly bigger than the average sized tumbler, she remembers the blue flames dancing out of the cup swimming within its contents, she remembers bringing it up close to her face she doesn't remember opening her mouth but she certainly remembers taking it down, the heat aggressively and forcefully plunging down her unready throat. She also remembers hearing the glass smash as she slammed it on the table and squinting her eyes as if to muster up the strength to contain and suppress the pain she doesn't remember her eyes opening not until now.

A slight mourn comes from behind her and it's all too familiar, she takes a sit in front of her mirror leans back and crosses her legs and arms watching her bed from the mirror as a figure rolls off from under the sheets. He was fully clothed even with his shoes on. He moves for the exit and she turns the other way to avoid seeing his face but soon noticed he just stands at the door looking at her.

With a deep sigh she says "Thank you. Even though I meant what I said the last time".

As if that was all he wanted to hear he walks away closing the door gently.

Shortly after her main door squeaks open excepting it was him making his way out only to feel a sudden gust of wind from the swinging of her room door, blowing her already untidy hair accompanied by a forceful jab at her double-hung window as it cranked and open, the hinges crack, slide and give way to the sliding panes.

Mira struggles to understand and comprehend what exactly was going on. Sluggishly recovering from the slap of wind from the swung door, before the noisy deafening clash of wood and chains from the window and the final onslaught from winters cold engulfing the room. Within the mist of the chaos and her still slow booting brain something sticks out, her name flowing within the mess, a voice calling out to her in the dizzy spell and as soon as she recognizes the voice her pupils grow larger.

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Charles sits at the window in the living room of the Eden retirement home, part of him anxiously waiting for Jinnie to return and the other waiting to see his two daughters. His first daughter had travelled out on official duties his second tried to come every other day but they both knew she couldn't keep up, today would make it two weeks since her last visit. Its not that she didn't like visiting and its not like she didn't love him, she just had a tendency to get carried away with living the life and with big sister out of town whose going to stop her now, certainly not this man on a wheel chair.

A tree branch stretched over the fence from outside the compound but this branch was high, above all the other trees in the Eden compound. At the tip of this branch sat a big fat robin with its red breast, it would stay there all day come sun come snow but would leave by night fall. Charles thought it was odd for a bird to remain here in the snow at least he was sure they migrate. Just like every other day the bird was there before sunrise weirdly watching over the compound.

A black SUV drives in with Rose and Reznov inside, Rose was the first and oldest person in Eden, she returned from spending the week with her son. From the back sit a woman in an all white pant suit steps out and helps Rose down from the car and Reznov helps them up the stairs. Charles remembers the woman in white from the TV, she is running for mayor and so far the polls haven't been in her favor.

Rose stops as she got to the final flight of stairs, she turns back and looks up to the over extended branch, the robin tucks its head beneath its wings but then decides to fly away which was odd because the bird never left that branch during the day as far as Charles can tell. The care takers come out to receive Rose but they know the drill, she only allows to be helped up the stairs and she will walk the rest, she exchange hugs with her son and the politician and in a few minutes the Compound was empty and Charles had the living room and the outside view to himself, just before the bird returned.

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Magnus and Azeal get to the out skirt of the city and pull up into a back alley. The sun had return to this side of town, chasing the snow into watery retreat. On both sides of the alley are high risings rented out as council flats, abandoned council flats. The area was mostly deserted at this time of the year for some reason this side of the city always has it the worst. Maybe because it sits on the back of a mountain or because it stands between the north wind and the city so it gets hit with the blizzard first before acting as a wind breaker. This unfortunate combination made the area less desirable and as a result driving down rent and thus becoming a rural suburb and a haven for low lifes.

Azeal takes the lead with Magnus treading behind still deciding if he rather sit in the car than do this, although protocol says no officer should check out a spot alone but then again Azeal wasn't just any officer he was a big boy, he could take care of himself.

As they turn behind the tall building they walk into an all white backyard garden, like the snow had retreated to take cover behind the building or someone had shoved up snow into high flat leveled hips.

What ever it was Magnus wasn't going any further "There is nothing here, I am going back to the car." But Azel grabs him by the arm and directs his gaze to the garden. In a corner buried beneath the snow the outline of an SUV sticks out, Magnus recognizes it. Even in the dark he recognizes the blacked out Armada.

They trail their way through the snow and dig a trench around the car, just enough to get the doors open. Azeal pulls at the handle with no luck, tries a few more times but nothing. Fueled by the frustrating futile effort he gives one last pull and whole door comes off. He looks at Magnus with a puzzled look on his face, Magnus returned a look that says he really can't be bothered. So Azeal proceeds to drop the door on the side.  In the front seat two operatives sit still, pale to the bone with ice. Their identity would be oblivious to the naked eyes but their name tags give them away. Azeal looks at Magnus who stood next to him one more time but Magnus doesn't return the look, instead he faces up, staring into the building and so does Azeal.  A figure stands by a slightly opened circular window , peeking out, just half of her face exposed but her white hair flows in the wind. The red light behind her beams off the wall behind her and reflects out of the  c-shaped pane opened at jar.