Bad Moon Rising [Stenson/Hau]

[Vaitris]

Hau squinted out the dusty window, trying to determine if anything had changed at the white house down the street. At this hour of the night it was difficult to tell, the road was shadowy and still and this particular house seemed to have been placed as far from any street lights as possible. At first glance, it looked like every other home in the neighborhood. Plain and boxy, its white paint heavily chipped and faded. The front porch slumped tiredly, the lawn was overgrown, and weeds poured out of the cracks in the front walk. There was a detached garage to one side choked by a ring of ragged bushes. The only thing attaching it to the house was a weather-beaten fence with a rusty chain link gate. All in all, it was very ordinary.

Hau knew better though, this house was different. He'd smelled it damn near a mile away, the scent of blood and death. Realistically, there were several relatively innocent reasons that could be, but he had his suspicions. It was just a matter of confirming them. So he'd settled in to watch. Keeping track of who came in and out, trying not to give into his rising dread when he saw people enter but not leave. He couldn't be there observing around the clock, there were several hiding places within view of the house but none that would be secure day and night. Except the empty house he'd found down the street. It was under renovation, or had been at one time, but no one was there now. The kitsune camped out in an upstairs bedroom, trying to make as much use of his limited view as possible.

Sometimes he hid out under the white house's sagging porch, listening, investigating everything that passed the front door. It was hard to ignore the many packages that left the house. He'd smelled drugs and weapons, formaldehyde and bleach. But nothing that could validate his suspicions. It took several long frustrating weeks before he finally broke down and placed an order with the black market seller he'd believed to be working there, the very same one who had listed the blue kitsune tail that had drawn Hau to Wathais in the first place. It had been a bitter challenge to pick something he could identify by scent only but wouldn't require someone's death to obtain and yet the simple act still left him feeling dirty afterwards. But when he discovered his order leaving the house only a few days later the satisfaction was indescribable. He'd found them at last.

Now he had to do something about it. He couldn't think of anything else. These people were a danger to every supernatural they came in contact with. There was no telling how many they had lured in, killed, and sent back out in boxes. And all in the course of business. It didn't matter to them. Every snide comment or crude joke he heard just added to the kitsune's outrage. He couldn't let this continue, not if he wanted to live with himself.

The next step was obvious. As much as he wanted to do something about it himself, he knew this was a matter for the WDSA. Hau grabbed his phone with a shaking hand, scrolling through his short list of contacts till he found the one he wanted. A tiny part of him felt guilty for calling so late but it was quickly eclipsed by a boiling combination of fury and shame for waiting so long to take any action. He paced restlessly as the phone rang once, then twice, feeling the edge of it bite into his palm.

[Pearl Dragon]

Stenson set his spoon down in the bowl of soup he was eating. It was a hearty beef and vegetable soup, still warm and nearly finished. His phone, which had lit up on the counter, was now ringing and buzzing for his attention. With a yawn, Stenson stood up and made his way to the phone. It was odd, this time at night, for someone to be calling. However, lucky for them, Stenson was more nocturnal than anything lately and had been up for hours now. The caller I.D. was simply a number, not yet saved to his device although it looked familiar. Perhaps it was someone he'd given his number to and had neglected to put their number in as well?

Stenson tapped the answer button, and made his way back to his soup.

"Hello? Stenson Jones, may I ask who's calling?" He answered in a formal tone, scooping up a chunk of beef and broth.  On the other end he could almost hear what sounded like hushed panting breaths.  Stenson felt a momentary spike of concern as he listened for a reply.

[Vaitris]

Hau's pacing abruptly ceased. The voice on the other end of the line somehow came as a surprise and, for just a moment, the unfamiliarity in the words made him fear he had made a mistake. Clearing his throat, the kitsune mustered a response. “It's Hau.  This... it’s probably going to sound crazy but I’ve found this house. The people inside, they’re killing supers.”

He hadn't said those words out loud before and they sent a little shiver down his spine. Compulsively, he returned to the window, the floor creaking beneath his feet. Glaring out at the white house, he didn't see any change since the last time he'd looked but somehow that made him feel more anxious. “I’ve been watching them for a while. I can’t… they can’t … someone needs to do something. They’re dangerous, they need to be stopped. The WDSA needs to get down here. Right now. Before something else happens.” The words spilled out of him, less eloquent than he'd hoped.

[Pearl Dragon]

"-the people inside, they're killing supers."

The spoon in Stenson's hand dropped halfway between the bowl and his mouth with glassy clang of metal against porcelain. A small splash of hot broth struck his hand, the bite of heat going completely unnoticed by the officer. Hau continued to speak fast on the other end about "watching them" and "WDSA needs to get down here" as Stenson stood quickly from his chair. The moment Hau took a breath, Stenson cut in.

"Where are you? Are you safe? Do NOT go near the area." He said, his tone now taking a sharp, authoritative edge. On the inside, Stenson's mind was suddenly engulfed in questions. Primarily, his concern was Hau's safety and involvement. Had these people seen him, was the young man making assumptions, what had he witnessed, how much had he witnessed, what did the WDSA have on this situation already, was this perhaps part of an ongoing investigation that Hau stumbled upon, and the list went on as Stenson rushed to gather his gear.

"I need to know a location, but I need you stay put."

[Vaitris]

"Do NOT go near the area."

Hau felt his jaw clench, surprised to find the officer's words immediately stirring up anger. He knew that Stenson was only reciting protocol and that it was born out of an abundance of caution but Hau seethed at the idea of holding himself back. What if someone was in there? What if their time was running out? What if the seconds counted and he should be moving now instead of waiting on the phone? He knew - he knew - that the instruction was sound but the thoughts continued to dig their way beneath his skin. These people had gotten hold of a kitsune before, he had proof of that. Perhaps they'd even killed the poor thing in that very house. What if they had another? What if they were blue? What if they were family?

What if, what if, what if.

In the end he didn't say anything and this new anger quietly threaded itself into the rest of his fury.

An address? Hau's mind blanked. What was the name of the road even? He hurried back to the window, eyes automatically landing on the white house. It didn't have an address listed anywhere on it, at least none that he could see from here. Ripping his gaze away, he scanned the other homes on the street, searching for anything to give Stenson. Haloed in a porchlight across the way hung a few battered plastics numbers. Hau read them into the phone, recalling the name of the street halfway through his recitation and haphazardly adding it.

"That's not the house itself." He clarified hastily. "It's the one next door. I don't know the exact address." He should, he really should, but he didn't. He was such an idiot. The kitsune sucked in a breath, an obvious attempt to steady himself. It was doing little, though, based on the way the fingers of his free hand were restlessly clenching and unclenching. "How long till you can get here?"

[Pearl Dragon]

A pause stretched after Stenson finished speaking, and he listened intently for Hau's answer. He didn't blame the youth, it didn't sound like he was in familiar territory despite having been scoping out wherever he was for a while.

Finally, Hau's voice broke through the speaker again, reading off a hasty address. From memory, judging by the uncertainty in Hau's voice. "That's not the house itself. It's the one next door. I don't know the exact address. How long till you can get here?"

Stenson was already mapping out his route to the street in his mind. It wasn't far, from his estimate.

"About 15 minutes, but others may be there sooner. Just....stay put, don't go outside and don't approach the house. I'm putting you on hold, you'll hear a tone in a minute but keep the phone on."

Stenson pressed the hold button and began dialing another number. If anyone could help with a call like this, both with a force and with stealth, it was Cassius. A ringtone started up through the speaker. He continued to ready himself as he waited, and began reporting the incident almost as soon as the other line answered, giving the address and situation as quickly as he could.

[jarahamee]

Cassius leaned heavily against his desk. Paperwork was hardly his favorite part of the job, but he had found it was the most essential to thoroughness, and to making sure that people could neither misinterpret, nor ignore evidence and a good investigation. Indeed, he thought that thoroughness and good groundwork was the foundation of an appropriate investigation agency.

He paused, staring at the form, engrossed in its details as he tried to sort out how best to explain the Tyrone incident, when the Alert number on his phone began to ring. Someone needed his assistance. It was probably an investigation that required a K-9 unit.

And then he heard what Stenson had to say. He knew better than to interrupt until after the Silver Badge was done, but it was a lot and fast. Was this true? Killing Supers? How big was this ring? Was this kid really seeing something like this happening in front of him, or was this a Rear Window sort of deal going on?

“Agent Jones, I will be on my way with a Firesquad shortly. I will meet you there personally in civilian clothes two houses down. We want to avoid tipping them off for as long as possible.”

Cassius put down his pen and paperwork. He called in his Fire-squad, telling them to come but keep their distance, and avoid approaching until he gave the signal. Anything too obvious might start a cascade of events that could not be reversed.

And then he changed quickly, put on his casual boots, and jogged past the WDSA personnel towards his motorcycle parking spot. At least a life of transformation made him good at a fast change. He adjusted his biking gloves and sped off towards his destination, listening to radio chatter as he made his way over.

If this was true, it could be big.

[Vaitris]

The phone beeped, indicating he was on hold. Hau resumed his pacing, passing back and forth in front of the window but his gaze was wandering, focus turned inward. Then as he crossed the window yet again, he froze, the fox in him at full attention. He squinted out at the white house. Something was wrong, something had changed. There was a panicky moment where Hau just wasn’t sure what was different, then he spotted it. The back porchlight was on.

What did it mean? Without even thinking he was downstairs and peeking out the front door of his squat, one hand still gripping the phone, the other in his pocket and wrapped around the black knit hat he’d been using to keep his hair concealed. He couldn’t see any better from down here but the street was still dark and quiet, it would be a small matter to steal across the road and take a little look like he had so many times before. But he’d been told to stay put. The phone in his ear gave another languid and unhurried beep, he was still on hold. A little whine escaped him.

Fifteen minutes… he could be in and out in that span.

Finger shaking as he ended the call, he shoved the hat over his head, tucking his hair so none of the bright blue ends showed. Then he hustled across the street and snuck into the backyard of the house next door to his target, the very same address he had just given to Stenson. The owner of this property was a hoarder. Both the front and back yards were conveniently heaped with debris of all kinds – boxes, boards, broken down lawn equipment, and more. It was crowded and dirty and smelled overwhelmingly of vermin but it provided excellent cover for approaching the white house, as long as no one happened to be watching from the second story windows. Hau hadn’t seen any lights on up there so far. And he had been through this way so many times already that he didn’t need anything more than the moonlight to see by.

The only downside to this approach was that the detached garage obscured any good view of the white house’s backyard. Lucky for Hau, he didn’t need to see that because it was immediately apparent what else was new with this situation. There was a vehicle parked in the narrow alley behind the white house that he'd never seen there before, its engine ticking loudly as it cooled in the night air.

[Pearl Dragon]

"Roger that" was Stenson's quick reply before ending the call. He didn't want to hold the gold badge up, especially if he needed to start organizing a squad. In the meantime, Stenson focused on his own preparations.

A stealth job required an ordinary disguise. He knew and agreed on that, for certain. Nearby, Stenson's usual police uniform and gear hung, ready and available for any emergency situation, although Stenson strode right past it. He did grab his vest, slipping that on over a thin t-shirt before heading to the closet. Inside, he pulled out a thick sweater and pair of dark khakis. He pulled the sweater over his head, covering the vest and followed them up with the pants. Stopping by a stand-up mirror, he inspected himself to be sure the outfit was the right choice. The thick sweater covered the vest nicely, making him seem more ready for cooler weather rather than a police raid. The khakis were also baggy enough to allow him to carry necessary equipment discretely and easily. His gun he placed into a shoulder holster, slinging that snuggly onto his torso before covering that as well with a light jacket. Overall, he was incredibly ordinary.

Glancing at the clock, he noted only 5 minutes passing to prepare. Excellent. He lifted his phone again and hit the hold button, bringing it to his ear to greet Hau once more but was dismayed to hear a dead tone.

"Awe, kid. You hung up on me." He murmured to himself, but did not try and dial Hau back. He didn't know the young man's situation at that moment, and nothing sells you out faster in a dangerous situation than an obnoxious ring tone going off. Instead, he stowed his phone in a pocket and headed out.

Stenson got into his car and backed quickly out of his driveway. His car was quiet, its engine humming methodically as he coasted smoothly out into the night. Its sleek black, unmarked form slipped unanimously along each street, keeping just above the speed limit. When he reached his destination, he shut his headlights off and pulled quietly into an open spot along the curb before killing the engine. There he waited, not getting out too soon in favor of scanning the area where he was. The house itself was rather simple looking, white in color, and a back porchlight on in the back. He wondered at this, who could be out back at this hour? He also thought he saw a whisp of exhaust smoke somewhere in the back as well, as if a vehicle were idling there somewhere.  Unfortunately his near-sighted vision made it hard to confirm, even with glasses on.  The lights overall seemed somewhat divided, perhaps even headlights mixed with the porchlights? Stenson tapped a finger on his steering wheel, thinking. All the while, Hau's whereabouts were still nagging at him. He hoped the young man had stayed out of sight...

Just then, a bike appeared in his rearview mirror. It looked like Cassius had finally arrived as well.

[jarahamee]

The gold badge noticed that Stenson had already arrived and made to park next to him. They were far away enough it would not seem too suspicious. Cassius kicked the stand of his motorcycle out and killed the engine, shoving the keys in one pocket of his jeans. He took his helmet off and hung it down onto the handles of his bike before walking to the door to greet Agent Jones with barely contained excitement.

‘No smiling now, there are lives a stake.’

But he couldn’t help but feel the thrill of the hunt singing in his heart. His mind said no, but his body said yes. At least his face did not reflect his emotional state besides its ordinary, rather-disturbing half-smile.

He gestured to Stenson with a simple curl of his fingers, and then slipped down to avoid being in view. The man was wearing a motorcycle jacket, boots and a pair of jeans, which amplified his ordinarily tough-guy appearance and transformed him into a convincing biker. It was unusual to see him so dressed down but apparently this was whatever he considered appropriate civilian clothing. A t-shirt peeked out of the top of the jacket. So, no bullet-proof vest then. He had either forgotten or taken that civilian business all the way.

His dark eyes travelled over the contours of the site. They would have to case the place quickly before making any kind of plan of attack. Hopefully before being noticed. He wished that the rest of his firesquad was here as quickly as he had been, but knew that it was an unlikely outcome. And of course, too many approaching the house at once was going to be a mistake. It was best to approach with just the two of them, and have the others waiting in case things went poorly.

He slid the stungun up his sleeve. He had a gun with live ammo on his person just in case the situation called for it, but only if absolutely necessary. Who knew, this could be a false alarm, it was a kid who called them after all.

Cassius suddenly wished he had decided to wear less tight pants. It made fitting the stun batons in the pockets a little more awkward.

“See anything?”

He whispered harshly.

[Vaitris]

Hau shuffled uncertainly, attention jumping quickly from the car to the house and back again. What should he do? Should he do anything? He wasn't even supposed to be here. That pressing need to fix this somehow, someway, weighed heavily on him. Maybe the car's license number, if Stenson could run that it might provide some useful information. The plates weren't readable from this distance, but Hau wouldn't have to go too far to see them. The yard, which had so far been a boon to him, was now an obstacle. Between him and the-

The creak of door hinges cut through his thoughts and Hau ducked down, locked into place like a rabbit under a predator's gaze. He was afraid to look, to move, to breathe. There was a murmur of voices, muffled enough he couldn't make out words, but most definitely coming from the rear of the white house. A cry, shrill and feminine, startled a full body twitch from him and he nearly toppled a rotting board from the precarious heap next to him. The sound was followed up by a riotous, drunken giggle from the same person and more unintelligible talking. The door squeaked and cracked hard against the frame as it fell closed.

That was not a voice the kitsune was familiar with, and by now he knew the regular inhabitants of the white house by sound alone. A victim? A late-night catch lured here after last call at some bar? Biting his tongue, he abandoned his plan and crept back the way he had come, carefully rounding the yard and coming back towards the street. He spotted the car immediately, sitting dark and imposing at the curb, it hadn’t been there before. Hau felt a small spark of recognition, but it was immediately buried by doubt when he saw the motorcycle next to it.

Stenson had mentioned others arriving, and it didn’t feel like coincidence that these vehicles were here now. Flushing with anger at himself for hesitating, he hurried over to the car, cutting his attention between it and the white house but everything remained quiet. He bent low and knocked on the passenger side window, the sound as sharp and as quick as his racing heart. “Stenson,” he hissed quietly and urgently. “They took someone in there.”

[Pearl Dragon]

At Cassius' gesture, Stenson lowered his window and leaned one arm against the door to talk.

"See anything?" the gold badge asked, to which Stenson simple lifted his chin a little towards the house.

"Yeah," he replied, voice low, "Something in the backyard. There's a porchlight, and perhaps another light source. Might also be some exhaust, I'm thinking there's a vehicle back there too but uh..." Stenson lifted his glasses slightly before setting them back in place, "It's a little hard for me to tell. We might need to get closer to tell for sure."

With the window down, Stenson thought he heard a female voice. His arms stiffened slightly at the sound, and his attention zeroed in once again on the backyard. "You hear that?" Stenson asked, voice now even lower. As he asked that, another loud laugh of some sort, sounding a bit too loud and perhaps under some sort of influence could be heard. A door slammed, perhaps a screen door. There was activity now.

Stenson leaned forward, unbuckling his seatbelt. When a knock suddenly came at his passenger side window opposite of himself and Cassius, Stenson felt a jolt of surprise although outwardly it was only apparent in how quickly his gaze snapped towards the sound. A flood of relief washed over him as he caught sight of Hau.

"Stenson, they took someone in there." Came Hau's muffled voice, and Stenson rolled up his driver's side window. He opened the door and got out to stand beside Cassius.

"Hau! I'm glad you're ok, come here." He whispered over the car towards the kitsune. "Cassius, this is Hau. He's our call-in. Hau....I need you to stay here. If someone's inside, we'll find them, we have folks on the way if they're not already here."

[jarahamee]

Cassius looked at Hau and nodded, before looking the kid over. Blue hair, some kind of canine super, or at least that was what he thought after a brief glance. He made a soft breath huff sound and nodded. He would have to wear his friendliest expression now, and try to be diplomatic here. They probably did not have much time. He addressed Hau, softening his cruel face into something that approached an empathetic expression;

“I’m Agent Lucidus. There are others that will be here soon to help, but we’re going in, don’t worry. You can even stay in the van while we investigate.”

He paused, listening, alert. If they had hostages, they might not have much time. Any procrastination might get someone killed, but so could too hasty of an intervention. He looked back towards the house, straining his hears for any more sounds. He paused, uncertain, and then looked over at Agent Jones with the hyperintensity he often embodied.

“ We should case the yard, figure out how many are outside and inside, and try to find out what room the hostages are in.”

He looked back towards his motorcycle, and Stenson knew that he was considering transforming. It was likely fortunate he did no such thing, for that would have likely involved some public nudity. Instead, he’d be using his human eyes and his human muscles to defeat his foes.

Remember not to be noticed.

Reminded the Beast. While he was not the stealthiest, it was important not to be seen until he was prepared for the confrontation.

With that, he dropped his head and slunk forward, taking great pains to avoid being seen by anyone in the house or yard. He’d be using his other senses and some brief glances through the fence to try to judge the situation. He made no use of his flashlight. Unknown lights would tip off even people with poor observation.

[Vaitris]

Hau hurried around the car, guilt gnawing harder at him. "Sorry, I saw the light, I had to go look." His voice was just on the edge of a whisper, words quick and worried.

He turned to greet Cassius – Agent Lucidus – eyes immediately landing on the scar that twisted his mouth. When Hau managed to look past that to the rest of the man he was hit by a vague sense of familiarity. There was something about the agent that reminded him of his uncle, some facet of his appearance or his demeanor, but it made him want to like the man more despite his intensity. The kitsune nodded, fidgeting restlessly, barely holding himself back from just blurting everything he knew about the situation. Much of it was useless, his own subjective fears and assumptions, but there were pearls of evidence there and teasing the important information from the mess would take more time and concentration than he possessed right now.

He watched Agent Lucidus depart, concern boiling over. "But-!" He started, overwhelmed by all the things he wanted to say at once. He looked to Stenson. "You're going in now, right? Knock on the door. Or, or break it down. Tell them who you are." Anything to stop these people from doing whatever it was they planned to do. It hit him again that he shouldn't have waited so long to tell someone, should have gone with his gut instinct to begin with. Anything that happened now, that was on him.

The white house was fairly quiet, muffled voices could still be heard from within, though how many was hard to distinguish. Most of the windows on the first floor were lit, but all had curtains drawn and so didn't provide much detail about the inside. The second story was dark and seemingly lifeless. There were a few wells dug out along the foundation to accommodate some small windows into the cellar. These were dark as well, but whether that was due to lack of light or the heavy curtains inside it was hard to say.

If the agent dared to venture through either of the neighboring yards to get around to the back of the house, he'd notice that the rear porch light remained on and a man stood in clear view beneath it. With a lit cigarette in one hand and his phone in the other, it was clear he was not out there to keep any sort of watch.

[Pearl Dragon]

Stenson watched Cassius go, and turned back to Hau who was obviously visibly stressed by the entire predicament. "You're going in now, right? Knock on the door. Or, or break it down. Tell them who you are." The kitsune asked, to which Stenson held up a hand and nodded.

"Shhh. Yes, all of that, but we can't just barge in right off the bat. We need to assess the situation, make sure these people aren't just going to start harming any victims in their possession if the law suddenly starts breaking down their doors. We need to get a lay of the land, and if it comes down to it, use force. I want you to stay low, stay out of danger, can you do that?"

Stenson waited for Hau's word before looking back towards the house. Cassius was already hooded and walking carefully past fences surrounding the neighboring yards. Stenson would probably take a similar approach, following a few paces behind Cassius both to back him up and also check for anything the other might miss as he made his way towards the house. With a, hopefully, reassuring thumbs up, Stenson also pulled the hood of his jacket up over his head and pushed both hands into his pockets so that he wasn't tempted to move his arms and cause any sound. Keeping to the other side of the street, Stenson avoided walking under the streetlamps and walked with brief glances around and at the house. He was just a pedestrian, if anyone caught sight of him, or so he hoped he seemed. Still, he wanted to be sure they were indeed alone out here, before approaching the house. Cassius might approach from one side, and he the other. As the white house slowly drifted past him on the other side of the street, Stenson continued on until he had passed at least one more house. Then, giving the area one more scan, he moved across the street and headed back towards the house. He was headed for the front corner, a direction of approach that kept him, for the most part, away from direct line of sight by any of the windows. Although, the windows seemed blocked anyway, but that was only on the first floor. Who knew what the second floor windows concealed, and as he approached he noticed there were basement windows as well.