The Shadow Man

Thirteen

Cracks in the cement indicate extreme blunt force.
Probably where he landed after being thrown from the building.
It's still undecided wether he fell or he jumped. A fall from this height, even for a Nolite of his caliber, definitely could've done some damage.
"He was wearing armor. His assailant threw him from that building.
Down here is where he made his last stand. Right over there."
I say, pointing at a damaged section of the street.
"The assailant was careful, and skilled.
The cameras for 3 blocks on either side have been destroyed, and the street lights show signs of Nolite tampering.
He was here."
The girl approaches me.
"Do you know where they took him?"
She asks.
I look down at the cracks in the cement, the burn marks left behind by a Nolite energy attack.
Tracking the battle as I do.
I notice a long slice in the ground, one that ends abruptly.
"What is this?"
I ask.
Jackson Rone walks towards me, peering down at the strange indent in the ground.
"I don't know."
He crouches down to get a better look.
"It's at least 8 inches deep. I don't know of anything that could do that. Maybe a special drill bit but, nothing even close to that thin exists for that purpose."
I place my hands together, connecting both halves of the staff. I twirl it in the air for a moment giving it time to change, before bringing it down into the crack.
"It's a perfect fit."
He gasps.
I pull it until reaches the end.
"It's a clean cut, your Nolite did this.
Something must have pulled him in that direction and he did this in defiance. Whatever did this to him, is immensely powerful."
I turn to the girl.
"They took him that way."
I say, pointing to the east.
She looks in the direction of my index finger with eyes wide open and red from crying.
"I am certain he is alive."
I say.
She turns to me.
"How can you know that?"
"Because they took him. They probably need him for something."
She takes comfort in that.
"So, lets go find him."
Says Rone.
I turn to him.
"You know where he is, don't you?"
Asks Kree.
Rone turns to him.
"A pulse fires off from the Crucibles every 8 hours. I wasn't sure how accurate our readings were."
He replies.
Kree aggressively walks towards him.
"We have til tomorrow night to find him and come up with a plan to break him out and walk away alive. Do you think this is a game?!"
He shouts.
"Would you rather run to the site and find out he's not there, and that we waisted more time?" He asks.
"So you put all our lives in the tracking skills of that man?"
He asks pointing at me.
The girl looks just as angry as Kree.
"That man, is our only link to Donnie. If anyone can find him, it's him."
"I am Empowered."
Says the girl.
Rone looks at her in disbelief.
The Empowered are hunted in this world, they are seen as insane and extremely dangerous due to their unique abilities granted to them by the Catalyst Virus brought about by the opening of the Nolite Crucibles.
If she is one of them, this could endanger us all.
"Can you find him?"
He finally asks.
She shivers a bit as a strong east wind blows.
"Yes. But if I do, that creature will destroy him, and all of us with him. We need to find another way to locate him."
She says.
Kree turns to me.
"Do you truly believe he was taken in that direction?"
He asks.
They all look to me.
"I am sure of it. Why do you ask?"
He turns to Rone, than to Finley.
"I think I know where they took him."
He says.
"Where?"
"They took him back to the SCO headquarters."
The SCO was a secret organization tasked with creating powerful weapons and beings in the hopes of protecting the Earth should it ever need saving.
This goal was ultimately reached early last year when Nolite Crucibles opened releasing millions of G'hunawae, as well as a legion of banished acolytes.
"So, who's up to go back to where this all started?"
Asks Rone.
I step forward.
A large man in a hood steps forward.
I don't trust men in hoods.
Kree steps forward.
Finley does as well as Xander.
"Someone needs to stay and look after Alice."
Says Rone.
"I'm going with you."
She says.
"Ally, Donnie would kill me if he knew I brought you along." 
His words seem to discourage her from joining us.
"I'll stay with her."
Says Finley.
"The rest of us will head to the SCO, tomorrow."
"What now?"
Asks Xander.
"For now, we plan, and then we get some sleep."