2.46 Ready?

It's raining lightly when they come to the door. 5 in total, but only 1 leader. 

Romeo was in the middle of a squad training exercise with the rookies when the order was given. 

Hit up the base. He didn't need to ask which one. None of them bothered to change out of their exercise clothes. William, no longer a rookie, was on patrol. He dropped everything to come here and help. 

Maybe now the empire would crumble. 

Deathly quiet. 

It remains this way when the team enters the house, quiet and efficient. Romeo wordlessly points at the entrances, motioning for the team to cover the entirety of the small property. 

William is the first to enter... 

...an empty garage. 

Michael storms into the bathroom... 

...only to find a leaky shower. 

Bianca finds no signs of life upstairs. 

She sighs, frustration colouring her features. 

"Clear," she calls down tersely. 

Bart blinks, surprised. 

"What should we do, Rake?" 

Romeo wipes a hand exasperatedly over his face. 

They got away. 

"Canvass the house. I'll call forensics." And the Chief of Police. 

He wishes it could be a happy call. 

***

The small band of co-workers celebrates their escape across town. 

Only Elvira glances down at Morrigan's booted heel as it emerges from the water. Her boss has an abundance of strange habits. Everyone else is simply used to them. 

"So tell me, did you enjoy betraying your little boyfriend to get us here?" Valdimir says teasingly. 

"He's not my boyfriend, Vlad," Tula replies with an eye roll, "He's just my source inside." 

"Oooh, cold. And you don't care for him at all?" Vladimir probes. 

Tula shrugs, "Whether or not I do isn't any of your business; I used his boss's information to get us out of there safely. I think that's all that matters." 

"I bet you're just jealous- I'm the only one who gets to get laid for this job," Tula brags. 

Vladimir rolls his eyes and taps his wedding ring, "It might not be for the job, but I definitely get laid."

Elvira sighs and closes her eyes in frustration, "Not for much longer if you keep talking like that, honey." 

Vladimir grins apologetically at his wife, "I always make it worth your while though, don't I?" 

"Well this is all good and fun," Morrigan interrupts, "But can we get going soon? The hot water's going to ruin my boots." She makes a pouting face at her cheap leather heels. 

No one dares point out that she doesn't need to wear them in the hot tub. 

Tula glances at Michael who's passed out in a chaise lounge chair. 

"Maybe we should let him sleep his headache off first. I don't want to figure out if Michael's the grumpy kind when he's interrupted from his nap." 

Morrigan grunts, "I suppose we can't over-exert him. Tonight has been most tiring for him." Accomplishing his usual... duties... in addition to mentally tracking the police once they entered the neighborhood has drained the vampire. Tula suspects that once he wakes up, he'll be voraciously thirsty as well. 

"Well, now that I've saved our asses, do I get real assignments now?" Tula asks flatly. 

Vladimir and Elvira share a glance. This young, frail human certainly is bold. 

Morrigan shrugs, evidently basking in the warmth of the water, "Sure. We'll discuss it once Michael rejoins us." 

Minutes before the club closes, Michael wakes up. The group gets changed and heads outside, only for Morrigan to stop dead in her tracks. 

"You might have saved us," she hisses at Tula, "But we've also lost our base because of you. I expect you to make this up to me." 

Tula knows better than to point out that the base compared to the team is easily replaceable. "Give me the chance, and I will." 

Morrigan's intense anger is quickly replaced by a look of tranquility. "Good. I'm quite tired myself, so I filled Michael in on the details of your next task," she taps her temple, indicating that she and Michael had this exchange telepathically, "He'll brief you on your way home. Can't have our hero...unguarded, can we?" 

Tula smiles vacantly, pretending not to notice the implicit threat, "I suppose not. Good night, Morrigan." 

Once they've walked a few blocks, Tula slows to a stop. 

"Look, my feet are killing me. Can we stop somewhere and talk about this?" 

Michael nods imperceptibly. He doesn't move, so Tula assumes that this random sidewalk will suffice for their discussion. 

"You were recruited for your charm and interpersonal skills," Michael deadpans, "And now you must use them." 

Tula grins, "Go on..." 

And whatever her mission will be, Tula is certain about two things; 

She is ready for this. 

She is ready for anything.

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AN: So I was gone for a while. I got severe writer's block for this story and wasn't sure how to continue. I've always had a rough plan but not fine details. Now that I have some of those figured out, I should be able to pick up from where I left off. 

Some random asides, I haven't played a sim with the insane trait for a while, I forgot about the weird outfit changing they do.

Vladimir and Elvira are married in my save and I didn't feel like writing around that. A husband and wife villain team, sure, why not?