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Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzzt!

One could argue that alarms were one of this century's most useful tools, others would argue it was the biggest pain in the a**. A reminder that we all had obligations to attend to in the real world. As if we didn't have enough of those already. But people like Fiona did not allow themselves to be held to a schedule or the sound of an alarm. So what the hell was that damn buzzing noise!? A hungover, disgruntled Fiona reached out her hand from her face down position on her couch towards the small end table where her phone lied. "Uggghhhh..." Fiona groaned as she looked at the caller ID through half open eyelids. Unrecognized number. Not that she had many saved numbers in her phone to begin with.Her circle was small. So small, that it only included herself and the pizza joint down the street. Fiona grudgingly answered the phone with her usual early morning snark. "What?!"

"Is this private investigator, Fiona G'wandoya?" A woman inquired from the other end of the phone.

Fiona wanted to restrain herself from being a complete and total a*****e, but oh well. "I'm just gonna assume you know the answer already if you have this number. Do I owe you money or something?" Fiona was sitting upright at this point, clenching the bridge of her nose as a raging, cheap whiskey induced headache came on. She just hoped this phone call wasn't about her rather rowdy night at the bar a couple weeks ago. She broke some s**t, beat the hell out of a piece of s**t, before taking a s**t somewhere she shouldn't have.

"Um, well..." Distinct chatter could be heard in the background between the woman and a male voice. "We were told you could possibly help us with a case involving our daughter." The woman sounded like she was on the verge of tears at this point causing Fiona, an advocate against the mushy stuff, to quickly change the subject.

"Stop by my office around 3 today and we can talk further." Fiona looked around at the mess of her loft and figured that would give her ample time to make it look presentable.

"Thank you so much! We'll be there in 15 minutes." Fiona's eyes widened as she hung up the phone and looked at the time. It was already 2:45 in the afternoon. Talk about wasting the day away. Fiona sat with her face inside her palms before accepting the fact that she needed to look halfway professional before they got here. This day was already turning into one big, fat "<******** you".

Fiona collected her clothes off of the ground while on the way to the washer. Then she proceeded to collect the trash scattered through out the loft, specifically, the trash near her grand desk. That's where all the magic happened. And where most of her liquor was stored. Fiona straightened up the files on the desk, removing some empty bottles and stray pieces of paper, before tying up the trash bag and heading out the door to the trash room. Fiona stepped on the elevator and leaned against the wall as she rode down. This elevator always made her think. Like why did those two choose her to solve this case? The police department might have directed them to her since she had stuck her nose in enough of their cases to build a rep for herself. Every case she took on she solved it. So her merits had been earned. But at the same time she didn't necessarily have the best working relationship with the city's police force. Mostly because she exposed a lot of them for cheating on their wives, indulging in corrupt police work, among other things. It was all part of the job though. Fiona just hoped this case was worth the trouble. It was rare when she got cases directed from the police department themselves. Usually those were the ones she made the most money off of. Other times it was just that the police department was too preoccupied with cases they believed to be more important and passed it off to her thinking it would be a waste of time. Ding! The elevator opened up to the first floor and Fiona proceeded to drop of her trash. She stepped back on and rode her way up to her apartment.

Instead of glamorizing herself up like any normal professional would, Fiona resorted to a simple gray tank top and some form fitting jeans. Hell, at least she cleaned up her place a bit. Fiona sat down behind her desk in the ripped leather chair she always claimed she would get fixed. Almost on cue, there was a knock at the door. "Come in." Fiona beckoned. A couple in there mid 40s, white, upper middle class, and retired passed through the entry way. Fiona waved her hand for them to sit at the two mismatched chairs sitting in front of her desk as she pulled out a bottle of scotch and two glasses from her desk drawer.

"Oh, no thank you. It's kinda early for that, don't you think?" The man responded causing Fiona to raise an eyebrow. Not that she cared that they turned down her offer. More for her.

"I suppose if you're catholic or something." Fiona shrugged before taking a swig of the scotch and putting the two glasses away. "Anyway, what exactly is the situation with your daughter, Mr and Mrs...?" She inquired with her pen and notepad ready.

"Delorean. Well...we haven't heard from Gina or seen her in the past few months. She's attending Metropolis University currently and her roommate says she just disappeared." The woman began sobbing. Fiona was about to pat her on the shoulder but decided against it.

"Did Gina have a boyfriend or significant other that you know of?" Fiona was asking them baseline questions to get a feel for what the true nature of this dilemma might be. It could turnout that Gina was just being rebellious due to the influence of some guy she thought she loved, yata yata, bullshit. Or was just being rebellious for the hell of it and went on a road trip. Again, bullshit.

"She had two over the course of this year that we know of. But to our understanding Gina wasn't seeing anyone upon her disappearance." The father added.

So, this was a missing person's case. Chances were that the couple had filed a missing person's report already and the police went through their paces only to conclude that the girl dead just to end the case. Which could be likely if someone in her life, whether she realized it or not, had a motive to kill. The couple's pestering of the police is probably what led them to Fiona's doorstep. Now they were her problem. She would help in any manner she could even if all this led to the same or more concrete conclusion. Free money never hurt of course. "Let me check a few things out and see where it leads. I do charge by the hour, and I do charge for overtime. I'll contact you when the job is done." Fiona extended her hand for them to shake. The couple did so, thanking her multiple times for her assistance, before leaving.

Fiona slouched back in her chair. She contemplated where to start with this case. She had a few pieces to work with, but surely she would be covering bases that the detective before her already hit. Her results could be different though. Here's what she knew: Gina Delorean went missing about 3 months ago, no trace and no indicators that she may still be living, possible foul play due to past relationships, and a roommate who had to know more about the potential situation. Fiona would start with the roommate. First, she needed to delve into some background work using her favorite hacker. "Jonesy! I need a favor." She stated with the glee that only came when someone owed you something.

"Oh boy...what criminal act do you want me to commit now???" Jonesy was a famous hacker in the dark etches of the net who Fiona helped out of a bind involving some potential terrorists a few years ago. That was a story for another time. Now he helped her out by getting her information that she would normally have to cause commotion getting. His methods were less messy.

"I need you to access the Metropolis Police Departments records of reported missing person's within the last 3 months and cross reference it with a report on Gina Delorean. Any similarities such as a sudden disappearance, age, or even where they lived should help." Fiona hung up before he could provide any rebuttal and threw on her brown leather jacket and some brown boots. It was time to pay Metropolis University a little visit.

------------------Gina Delorean's old dorm---------------------

"Did Gina have any guy friends? A friend who was more than a friend maybe?" Fiona poked around through Gina's old closet while chatting with her roommate Kathy. Based off the rather glamorous clothing choices in her wardrobe, Fiona doubted the girl would just leave what seemed to be a privileged life.

"There was this one guy. I saw maybe once or twice, but he was like a real downer, ya know? He seemed into her but they were always just chatting when he came over. So, I don't know how serious it really was, just like I told the cops." Kathy added with arms crossed and bubblegum popping.

Fiona walked over to the vanity in the girl's bathroom. Part of her wondered how far the police got into looking for this mystery guy. Obviously her parents didn't know about him. Which meant he was the bad boy type. Or just the type Gina wanted to keep under wraps. Fiona's eyes grazed over the array of make up, lotion and generic cold medicines lying around the sink until one bottle caught her eye. It was a prescription bottle for lisnopril, a medicine used to lower high blood pressure. But the pill inside didn't match the label. "Did Gina have a prescription for this?" Fiona waved the bottle at Kathy.

"Hm...I don't know. I didn't really notice until after she left. Usually the bottle was always refilled after a few weeks, so I guessed it was something her doctor gave her." Kathy replied honestly.

Fiona took the purple pill out of the bottle and examined it. This definitely wasn't blood pressure medicine. It wasn't even something she was familiar with. What it was though, was her first lead. "Thanks for your time, Kathy. I'll be taking this with me." With that, Fiona was gone.

--------------Back at the Loft---------------

"What??!" Fiona stated flabbergasted as Jonesy riddled off some information to her.

"Yeah, it seems like there were about ten other missing person's reports filed around the same time as Gina's. The majority of them women with only one being a male, all between the ages of 20 and 22. One of the girls was actually found, but was dead. She had an unknown substance in her bloodstream caused by what the medical examiner likened to a shot of adrenaline." Jonesy continued with what may expose this case as something much larger than she thought. "Get this; according to some chat forums I found through the dark web, there is a new drug called itych that has made it's way to Metropolis and has been described as having the same effect. Maybe that's what your purple pill is."

Fiona wasn't one to follow hunches. She liked facts that were set in stone. Although he provided her with a connection between a prior victim and Gina, she now needed to follow the trail being left by this new street drug. "If it's a drug that travels and didn't originate here, maybe we can follow a paper trail from it's original location. Maybe search through the system for unregistered shipments by water ways?" It was a thin connection that tied the drug and Gina together since it may not be the cause of her disappearance but it was a good place to start.

"One step ahead of you. There's a shipment of undocumented goods arriving tonight at the port through a small company, Dotan LLC. One of their trucks is to be picking it up around 11pm." And here she was thinking this case was going to be easy. Looks like she was embarking on a case that needed more than just Fiona G'wandoya. It needed the Butterfly. Fiona thank the hacker for his work before prepping herself for a little visit to the Metropolis shipping piers.

------------At the Docks-------------

Fiona laid flat on one of the large shipping containers as she watched the docks from afar. So far everything was looking normal. A few of the workers could be seen closing up shop. One of them seemed to be the manager or director of the operation. Everyone at this point was leaving, and only he remained as noted by the sole light in the small, very small office building near the main dock. Still, very normal. He could be finishing up some last minute paperwork or making a weekly schedule for his employees. Or sleeping. Hell, she didn't know his life! Fiona was almost prepared to call it a fluke before she heard a small freighter heading towards the main dock. She squinted her eyes so that she could see the writing on the side of the vessel. Dotan LLC. Now this is where things get interesting. The director came out of the little building and stopped at the pier where he awaited the ship to dock.

Fiona used this as her opportunity to move in closer. She leaped and vaulted from one shipping container to the next to close the distance. Fiona dropped down behind a stack of wooden palates. Coffee hued orbs peered around the corner as a small bridge was extended onto the pier. She could hear the director verbalizing instructions to someone as feet rhythmically maneuvered down the little bridge. Soon the individuals the director was calling to came into view. Four men dressed in black suits and automated weapons strewn across their backs, were helping to lift a few crates down to the director. With the machine guns they had at their disposal, she doubted they were simply security for a shipment of Iphones. Fiona quickly dashed towards the men clad in black. She barrel vaulted over a stack of shorter palates with her legs extended, and smashed right into the director's side.

Her twin tonfas extended upon reflex as she focused her attention of the confused men in black. She twirled her tonfa with lightning speed right into the back of the first man's head. A loud crunch could be heard as the weapon met his skull. The other three, four more appearing on the deck of boat, dropped the crates and began firing, Fiona darted toward the nearest shipping container as bullets began flying. Her heart was racing as she heard bullets bouncing off the steel medium between her and the assailants. Fiona reached for the 9mm pistol attached to her thigh, only then realizing a bullet had grazed her lower leg. A flesh wound at best. It wasn't enough to slow her down, that's for sure. She loaded her weapon and prepared for a gun fight. The Butterfly was shaking her head at her original idea of how easy this case would be. She sure had a knack for getting herself royally screwed. "Note to self: ******** me!"

The scent of gunpowder lingered in the air around the female vigilante. Mocha orbs drifted to the containers near her. Fresh bullets had pierced into them, creating small crater like dents. Dark skid marks against the sides of the containers reminded her of her own flesh wound. A hand traveled down to apply pressure onto it. It wasn't enough to kill her; still, it hurt like hell. Fiona had gotten herself into pretty sticky positions before but this one took the cake. Normally, she would have got the jump on her enemy so that she could avoid being backed into a corner like an alley cat. The vigilante tried to find a pattern in the rate in which the men fired and reloaded so that she could retaliate. She held the pistol with both hands, back against the metal crate, as she mustered the courage to move. One wrong step and she was as good as dead. Right now she was literally living on a prayer that something would turn the tide in her favor. Fiona leaped from one metal barrier to the one nearest to her firing off some rounds mid leap. Skillfully she hit the ground and rolled into position behind her new cover. Without missing a beat, Fiona leaned over the corner and fired some more. She ducked back behind her cover as the men fired back. "Dammit!" She cursed under her breath. Just as all was beginning to seem bleak, a silver lining made itself known. A bullet of light seemed to take out one of the guards, drawing the attention of the rest of them. Fiona's brows crunched together in confusion. Her head peeped around the corner of the metallic shipping container that had served as her shield. Who else was here?! They were neither friend nor foe, but at the moment their enemy was the same as hers. Groans could be heard from the docks and more shuffling. Soon there was no more flying bullets coming her way. "There really is a God!" She proclaimed as she heard the sound of gunfire come to a complete halt. Now was her chance.

Fiona bolted at breakneck speed from her position behind the shipping container towards the four remaining guards. She was upon them before they could aim their weapons at her. With a swift, downward sweeping motion towards the first guards leg, she crippled him then extended her tonfa directly into his face. Another came at her with a series of kicks and punches. Fiona bobbed and weaved through his attacks before latching onto his fist. She pulled him in close to thrust her elbow into his jaw. The other two started to open fire during what they thought was an opportunity. Fiona used the man as a human shield to absorb the bullets they sprayed upon her. "I'm the terminator, b***h!" Fiona ran forward with her human shield and pushed him right into one of her assailants. Her right leg swung in a sideways arc to knock the automated weapon out of the final attackers hands. She then brought her left leg around to strike him in his side. His movements were quicker than the others and he locked her leg as it came around. Fiona pushed off with her right foot to jump towards her aggressor who held her leg. She locked her right leg around his neck, loosening his grasp of her left leg. With it now free, both legs locked around his neck, and Fiona straddling his shoulders, she used her weight to pull them backwards as if she were about to do a back flip. As she came around her hands extended to the ground to hold herself and her legs unlocked themselves to send the man flying into a pile of wooden crates behind them. A loud crash could be heard as the man smashed into his new wooden bed. Fiona breathed heavily as she stood up. What a mess they had made! Thankfully, she didn't have to be the one to deal with this mess in the morning or pay for the damaged goods.

One of the downed men showed signs of life, much to Fiona's pleasure. A smirk crossed her lips as she walked over to the man. He was trying to reach for his gun. Fiona brought the heel of her foot down hard on his hand, twisting it to increase his pain. "Yeah buddy, let's keep our hands where I can see them, shall we?" She teased. The fighter had sheathed her tonfas back to their holsters on the back of her waist. Now her gun of choice was back in her hands pointed towards a new target. "What's in the crate, bud?" Fiona questioned. <******** you!" The man spat at her in obvious anger.

Fiona tilted her head with frown strewn across her face. Without even batting an eyelash, Fiona shot the man in his lower back. He unearthed a gut wrenching scream as the pain became to real to bear. "Yeah, that's not what I asked you." The man was crying at this point. He should have just answered the question the first time. A lesson learned, that's for damn sure. "I got all night, but the next time you give me lip, I'm going to show you that there is a brain in that peanut you call a head. What's in the crate?!" Watching him squirm underneath her heel was so satisfying it made her body shiver. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to just kill him now. In all honesty she knew what was in the crates on this ship, and if she didn't, she could find out for herself. The only thing keeping this insect alive was that he knew the suppliers.

"It's ITYCH, a recereational drug, for fun and s**t..." Fiona fired another round into his leg. The man screamed once more as the pain intensified all over. "WHY DID YOU SHOOT!?!?!" He cried out.

"My finger slipped." She shrugged nonchalantly. Obvious lie, but moving on. "Who's your supplier and where can I find him?" Fiona leaned in close with the gun pressed against his forehead to show that she was not bluffing about painting the docks red with his brain.

"I-I d-d-don't know," Fiona's gun cocked back causing the man to jump."I'm just a low level guy. I've never met the suppliers in person, only the dealers I'm delivering to.....They work really closely with the head of a gang in Chinatown, um, his name is, erm...." Fiona pressed the gun harder against his head. "Shen the Mogui! He is-----" Bang! It looked as if his mouth was still trying to form words as the life left his eyes.

Fiona rose up from her hovered position over the deceased foot soldier. Her gun was now pointed towards a new target. Not to say she wasn't a believer in a higher power but she was sure her sudden turn around was the work of someone in the physical realm. She held her weapon aimed true in the direction of some bodies farther off. "You know I'd like to thank you, whoever you are. Let's come out with our hands up, so you don't end up like our chatty friend over here." Fiona beckoned to this potential ally or potential foe. Fiona rarely met other vigilantes. At least, street level vigilantes. She had run into members of the Justice League before but they were typically focused on what they deemed the "real world problems". So part of her had already developed some respect for whoever her savior was. Then again, if it really was a higher power that had helped her this would be hella awkward to speak about in the afterlife.

So normally when you want to thank someone you get a much warmer response. A knife to the hand was nothing short of inhospitable. Her gun was sent skittering across the deck when the blade of light made contact with her hand. Pain wrote itself across her face and it took all her strength not to lose her composure. “Neat trick. You do parties?!” Her sarcasm thicker than ever. Fiona clutched her hand as the searing pain pulsed to an eventual halt. She examined her hand, rotating it back forth to discern what exactly he did to her. Fiona hadn’t ran into a gifted hero in a while. It was both terrifying and gratifying. No matter the power he possessed, Fiona would still beat his a**. The vigilante gazed at her superpowered counterpart, reading him and assessing him. His sculptured frame, luscious accent and ebony skin were enough to make any woo any woman. Thankfully, she wasn’t just any woman.

“Somehow I doubt that. Apology NOT accepted.” Her eyebrows arched skeptically at him. For some odd reason she could feel him viewing her as an enemy. Which was not exactly an unwarranted feeling. Her methods could be a little more….colorful, when compared to her peers but it got the job done as proven here. When he mentioned her scoring itych she burst out laughing. “Do I look like a junkie to you?!” She remembered the silver flask in her coat pocket and scoffed at the idea. “You know what, don’t answer that.” Fiona maneuvered over to stray crate and leaned on it. She pulled the silver flask from her pocket to take a deep swig from it. The amber liquid then found its way to the wound on her thigh to sterilize it. A sigh of relief escaped her parted lips as the sting of alcohol against the open wound faded.

Naturally, she had been contemplating why it was that this vigilante was following the same lead as her. That, and he seemed to have more knowledge over the subject. Something that would be of use to her down the road. Her head tilted to the side while coffee hued orbs stayed transfixed on Zoarell. Neither friend nor foe, she just couldn’t let him go yet. To be fair, she would divulge her reasons first, if only the bare minimum to get him to realize they were on the same side. Or so she assumed. “I’m a private investigator following the trace of a young woman who went missing a couple weeks ago. She was in possession of this drug,” Fiona fished through her jacket pocket for the oddly colored pill discovered in Gina Delorean’s room, holding it out in her palm for Zoarell to see. ”We’re on the same side, chuck. That means we can be of use to one another.” Fiona pushed herself off of the crate to stand assured in front of Zoarell. He was much taller than her but being short never made her feel any less like a badass. She stated her piece, now it was his turn. “Anything you’d like to share?” Fiona asked open endedly.

The current lead was that a man nicknamed Shen the Mogui(chinese for dragon), was a personal contact for the true suppliers of itych and their head distributor. All they both knew was that he was in based in chinatown. Where exactly was the one thing she forgot to ask before she blew out the snitch’s brains. A minor setback, if anything. Fiona could get Jonesy to run a search on the codename, hopefully something tangible to this case would should show up. She whipped out her phone while listening to Zoarell to shoot Jonesy a text. She looked back at her fellow vigilante. ”As lovely as it is out here on the pier tonight, let’s continue this in my office.” Lovely wasn’t the right word to describe the wooden boards that were now stained rose red. An uncharacteristic chuckle fell from her lips at the thought of her trying to be professional in reference to her office. “Unless you still don’t trust me, which means you can have fun looking for Shen without anymore leads; the type I can extract.” She waved a finger at him as if she knew something he didn’t. Which, of course, she did. Jonesy would have what she needed as soon as she got back to her apartment. With that, the chatenuese turned on her heels to grab her gun before departing from the port.

------------To Fiona’s loft-----------

Knowing he would follow, Fiona left the door open as she stepped through the entry way into her home. It was still quite the mess. The atmosphere seemed to be completely composed of various alcohols with just enough oxygen to support life. “Make yourself comfortable. It’s gonna be a long night. Scotch?!” The butterfly removed her jacket and tossed it over the rolly chair by her desk. One by one she placed her weapons on the desk; knives, both tonfa, and her pistol. Fiona plopped down at the desk and opened her laptop. Jonesy was feeding her bits of information already. Fiona skimmed over most of it before pouring two glasses of scotch. “The name Roxxon Corporation mean anything to you?” Fiona made her inquiry while downing the glass of scotch. Nothing tasted better than glass of liquid gold after s**t hit the fan.

Fiona reflected back on what led her to this point. The case was supposed to be a simple one: retrace the steps of the victim to discover her dead or alive. As always, this intricacies of the situation grew substantially over the course of a few hours. Now with evidence provided by her fellow vigilante, Fiona may have to come to terms with the idea that her Jane Doe was already dead. What would she tell the girl's parents? Fiona was so certain that a happier ending would be in store for them. She was dead wrong. The realization hit her like an uppercut to the gut. Her eyes clenched tightly as her mind try to fight off the remorse. There was no time for feeling sorry for the family nor was their time to revel in what she would forever believe was her fault, for not getting to the young girl soon enough. Fiona poured herself more scotch into the glass, filling it almost to the rim. She downed the entire thing and swallowed hard. A heavy sigh released itself from her now loosened posture. It was going to be a long night, and even longer week. This case had no end in sight, and now there were variables that stepped out of her normal jurisdiction of 'crime'.

"Dark chi, huh?" Fiona remarked about the energy that this drug enabled it's users, or victims rather, to manipulate. s**t just got really weird. "If only these kids had a thing for knives instead of a lethal drug, maybe we wouldn't be sitting here now." Her sarcastic tone made the thought come across as humorous but reminded them both of the severity and magnitude of the situation. Fiona lifted one of her knives and ran her fingertips across the blade, her coffee hued orbs traveling the length of it as she did before gazing up at Zoarell. "A mysterious drug ends up in my city along with a vigilante who knows it a little too well," Her tone bordered on accusing at this point as she continued," And most would call that a coincidence. I don't believe in coincidences." Fiona placed the knife back in her kit and poured another glass of scotch. Fiona may have still been concerned that Zoarell was the reason this problem was occurring in her city, but he was right: this s**t was smooth.

The Butterfly removed the mask that adorned her face. Underneath the mask was Fiona G'wandoya, notorious PI. Whether this gesture was meant to instill trust between the two vigilantes was yet to be seen since she never was good at making friends. But there was also no reason to hide in her own home. Fiona leaned forward with scotch in hand, taking a sip before divulging the info she scored on Roxxon's rather shady dealings. "Well get this: one of Roxxon's largest shareholders is a man named Shen Tiang. There's no real records of him but his accounts current actions align with recent trails of sex trafficking. That Dotan shipment we encountered today was just one of many that he has funded through Roxxon, and he ain't just shipping drugs." Yuck. The idea of such renowned corporation endorsing human trafficking was absolutely disgusting and only served as a reminder of the extent of human evil.

"We'll never get into their headquarters without security clearance. So, we'll be hunting the Devil first." Fiona referenced Shen by his street name. Only now was she understanding how accurate that title was.

This man was using people, women specifically, to act as sex slaves.How that related to the Itych was yet to be seen. What was obvious was that Roxxon funded and covered up Shen's dealings and in turn he was supporting the mastermind behind this drug. It was sickening. Fiona was reminded of the night she was attacked. A night that is forever etched into the crevices of her mind no matter how far she tries to push into the abyss of forget. Shen was like many of the men who found themselves on the opposite end of her tonfa: evil.

Her gaze became glassy as the alcohol finally began to take affect on her. The feeling of relaxation came with relaxed inhibitions. She stayed transfixed on the glass of scotch in her hand as she spoke to Zoarell. "I'm not an ex-cop; morality issues and whatnot." The statement seemed out of place, but it was in reference to Zoarell's earlier question at the docks. "I wanted to be a lawyer once. Uphold justice, balance its scales, and all that bullshit." Her grip tightened on the glass as her eyes sparked with anger.

The vigilante she had become was not the result of some higher calling nor was it for selfless reasons. It was because she had a wicked thirst for revenge that was never sated even after killing her attacker. Now she wanted, no needed, to continue killing those who willingly chose to perpetrate acts of violence. The Butterfly was an avenger. Maybe not the charming superhero the city wanted but the justice it needed. Yes, technically, she was a killer. But her means justified the end provided. Her glassy gaze traveled slowly upwards to fall upon Zoarell.

"A man stole the innocence I once had, and in turn I stole his life. No man will ever touch me again, that's for damn sure." Fiona stated fiercely before downing her third glass of scotch.

The young woman rose to her feet and wiggled her pants free from the curves of her hips, allowing them to fall into a pool around her. Fiona sashayed without a care towards her closet. "Shen has a nightclub in Chinatown known for leaving it's patrons with a little more. Let's pay it a visit, hm?" She teased as her mood shifted to a more sunny state. Fiona pulled off her tank top, leaving her in just panties and a bra. Fiona was never a shy girl, that much was obvious. She pulled her hair up into a tight bun atop her head. Her eyes siphoned through the clothing in the closet for a form fitting black dress. It had been a while since she had done any undercover work. But tonight would prove if she still had some acting chops. Her body slipped into the dress and exposed the uninjured thigh through a open slit.

"Be a team player, and zip me up?" Fiona beckoned to Zoarell.

After he zipped her up, Fiona would go back into the closet to slip on some black heels. She then proceeded to fish through the closet once more for something for Zoarell. A blazer and some jeans were what came up from her search. "These belonged to my older brother. Your about his size, and more handsome, so logically it should fit everything you got going on." Playful energy and Fiona rarely married so well. But in the current moment they tangoed seamlessly.

"Don't be shy, slick." Fiona motioned for him to hurry and put on the clothes so that they could make their first headway into what was becoming like a suicide mission. At least they'd look good doing it, right?

A feeling of deja vu or overwhelming familiarity washed over the P.I. as Zoarell countered with a compliment of his own. Her hand caressed the back of her neck as she tried to think of a response that didn't let him know she appreciated his words. "Flattery will get you know where with me, remember that!" She cut him a mischievous smirk that belied her original intent. In the midst of all this scotch induced chatter, Fiona had only just now registered how terrible the two of them had been with their introductions. Though this was normal for her. It was rarity that she ever held a conversation longer than a few minutes with someone unless they were a client. She had one friend in this city and that was it. Was she a loner? Not really, but she damn sure wasn't fighting tooth and nail to attain companionship. In her line of work there wasn't much room for such things. But he was like her: a vigilante. If anyone deserved her respect, it would be him. He was out here fighting the real criminals unlike the so-called heroes of the Justice League. That, and the fact that they were about to go kick some a** together warranted him the right to know her name.

"Fiona. On the street though, they call me the Butterfly." She stated with her eyes downcast in thought.

The name came from nowhere in particular. Sometimes she thinks it's because of the butterfly emblem on the end of her tonfas. Then again the name could be something these fools on the streets came up with to belittle her. Either way, it has stuck with her since she started this gig. It has grown to develop new meaning for her. Her metamorphosis from a weak caterpillar into the strong, beautiful butterfly she is now is accurately described by her new title. "You?" Fiona inquired for his name as she brushed off some lingering fuzzies from the shoulders of his blazer. "You're giving my brother waaaay too much credit." An uncharacteristic chuckle fell from her lips at the thought of her older brother. Oh, this night would make for a perfect dinner story.

"I prefer the Bonnie and Clyde method of operation." She lifted her dress ever so slight to strap her gun to the concealed thigh along with her throwing blades. She was ready for the physical altercation that was sure to come with the territory they were entering. She held her little hand purse underneath her arm and headed for the door. "Let's blow this popsicle stand!"

-------------------------------------Essex Nightclub-------------------------------------

Loud, chest thumping bass and music erupted from the inside of the night club. And that was just what you could hear from the outside. Many celebrities and even governing officials spent a night or two here at Shen's humble abode, relishing in all he had to offer. No, she wasn't referring to their array of specialty cocktails and bar bites. Fiona locked arms with Zoa so they would blend in as a couple upon entering the establishment. The bouncers opened the doors to what could only be described as Fiona's literal purgatory. She was surrounded by corrupt individuals on either side. Members of the Mexican cartel sipped bourbon with members of the governor's cabinet. The irony was not lost on her. They were not her priority at the moment. Finding Shen, and getting answers from him was the main priority. Fiona tugged Zoa in the direction of an open table off centered from the dance floor.

"See anything of interest?" Fiona's eyes were taking in every little detail, searching for something out of the ordinary. Everything seemed innocent when you weren't looking for the evil. The building they were in had a very high ceiling yet there was no balcony level inside of this club. Why is that? Fiona's eye began a more serialized sweep of the interior. Bouncers were placed at various ends of the large club. Every post had one bouncer, including the VIP sections. The exception to this was a stairwell behind the DJ's stage that had a red rope blocking it off with two bouncers guarding it. Fiona gently nudged Zoa and nodded to the peculiar stairway leading to an unknown upstairs level. Every now and then the bouncers would open the pathway to certain patrons. Men, specifically. All of them fit into a specific stereotype, one that didn't involve having boobs for starters. "That's not suspicious at all, hm?" Fiona hissed while snagging a shot off of one of the servers trays. She needed something strong that 1800 to get through tonight.

"Let's ask around before we attempt to approach them. Maybe someone can give us a clue as to what goes on upstairs." Fiona was more certain that Zoarell would gather the information with ease since he was a male entering a male targeted business. But only time would tell. Fiona had busted some rings like this one before, just not on such a grand scale. Sometimes the women would be auctioned off, other times they are just tied to rooms for men to come in and do as they please, then leave. Either way it was disgusting and only part 1 of operation itych. Fiona downed the shot and stood up briskly. "Take this." She handed Zoa a tiny, clear ear piece that would allow them to communicate with one another while separated. A gift from her hacker friend. "If you happen to clearance to the upstairs level I'll find a different way up. Or..." Fiona could feel the presence of a deep seated glare. Her eyes cut over her shoulder at one of the VIP sections. An asian man with dragon tattoo adorning his chest was eyeing her hungrily. Unfortunately for him, the predator was about to become the prey.

Fiona took a deep breath then set off into the crowd like a tiger on the prowl.

Shen was in her sights. The man who could quite possibly be the key to wrapping this case up with a happy ending. To be completely honest, Fiona wasn't expecting to find him so soon. Normally the head of a crime syndicate kept themselves elusive, making appearances only when necessary. But, this was was a necessary time. Shen Tiang was acting as an accomplice in the thick stew of s**t Roxxon corporation was brewing. An american company no less! Engaging in illegal acts that bordered on terrorism. Using the drug as a mental inhibitor on young girls was just for shits and giggles. If Zoa was correct, and this dark chi could grant individuals power, then this was only the beginning of something much worse. Fiona downed the rest of her cocktail as she found herself in front of the devil himself.

"So what's a girl got to do to get VIP access?" The girly inflection and glee that resonated in her voice made her literally wanna puke.

Shen glanced up from his nestled position in the bosom of some other woman next to him. Shen's white button up was open enough to expose his chiseled pecs and signature tattoo. A gold chain adorned his neck and highlighted the similarly colored watch on his wrist. His eyes were shielded by the dark shades that adorned them, but the way his lips curled at the corners into a smirk indicated that Fiona had gotten his attention. The devil waved his female companions off, turning the VIP section into a more intimate setting.

"I've got time to spare for a nubian beauty like yourself. Where have you been all my life exactly?!" Shen was putting on all the charm for Fiona. He patted the open space on the couch next to him for her to sit.

"Funny, I was about to say the same to you, handsome!" The playful wink she sent his way belied her physical desire to beat him senseless. This wasn't her first time undercover, so she knew how to maintain an act against her own moral values. The two bouncers lifted the red rope that had blocked her access to now allow her in. Fiona sashayed over to Shen and made herself comfortable.

Shen extended his arm around her much to her dismay, but maintained a smile despite her stomach doing somersaults. And not the “lovey-dovey 13 year old crush” somersaults. “A girl like you shouldn’t be out tonight alone.” Shen purred against her neck causing Fiona to chuckle. Not because she was tickled but lowkey wanted to burst out laughing at Shen’s advances. He snapped his fingers at one of the bottle girls carrying shots on her tray. “To new friends….or lovers.” Shen chuckled while Fiona downed the shot like a parched animal. She would need about 100 shots of patron before she ever classified him as either of those things.

“I hear you can really show a girl a good time. If you’re up for a challenge, that is.” Smooth as avocado on toast! Fiona needed to expedite this whole op to the best of her ability. She wanted to get Shen comfortable enough to separate himself from his guards.

“Oh…follow me then, you sly vixen.” Shen barked something in mandarin to his guards and they parted like the red sea. Shen took Fiona by the hand and led her near the mysterious door that Zoarell had just got clearance to. But instead of going through the door, the two of them made a detour around the corner to another door. Fiona’s eyes cut over her shoulder to see how far back Shen guards were. They hadn’t followed them duo up here but stayed by the other secluded door.

Fiona trailed behind Shen as he opened the door to a loft like room with a single bed in the center of it and a rectangular glass table. Ha, that’s cute. Fiona thought sarcastically as she heard Shen close and lock the door behind him. It was then that her mind froze. His breath brushed against the back of her neck causing her own to become bated. Chills went up her spine as she felt his hands clutch her waist. If he thought he was getting lucky tonight, he was dead wrong.

“This is what you wanted, right?” Shen hissed. There were things she promised herself she would never be again, and a weak woman was one of those things. She was always in control. Always.

The fear she had initially felt quickly diminished as she jolted her elbow back crashing into his face. Shen’s sunglasses flew off his face as he stumbled backwards in shock. Fiona didn’t stop there. She swung her leg up in a roundhouse towards his head. Shen surprised her when he blocked her attack then proceeded to punch the wind from her gut. “Agh!” Fiona gasped for air to replace what had left her diaphragm seconds earlier. She had no time to react as Shen took the back of his hand and slapped her with the fullness of his might. Fiona flew to the floor from the strike. Shen then grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up against the nearby wall.

“Who the hell are you?!” Shen growled through clenched teeth. “Answer me!” He tightened his grip, threatening to choke her out as her breathing became increasingly impaired.

Fiona used her lower body strength to her advantage and lifted her legs up over his outstretched arm to lock him into place while loosening his grip on her throat. Shen wasn’t going to let her go so easily. He lifted her into the air while she was wrapped around his arm and slammed her to the ground. Fiona’s world went fuzzy for a few moments. Shen was now straddling her, both hands around her neck. His eyes had taken on a dark purple hue that only personified his evil and revealed his use of the street drug they were trying to get rid of. Fiona could feel the world darkening around her. Was this to be her end?

Then she heard Zoa’s voice on the other end of her earpiece. It was in that moment that she remembered who the ******** she was.

Fiona kneed Shen dead in his loins enticing a groan from him that weakened his grip enough for her to swipe his hands off of her. Fiona jabbed him right under the chin with an open palm before skillfully rolling from out underneath him. The butterfly raised her hands up as she stood grounded in battle stance. Fiona quickly brought a hand to her ear. “If you count the seven fingers he had around my throat, then yes, I got his number...Keep in mind I’m saying seven, cause he’s about to lose three.” Her response to Zoa was only meant to rouse her opponent. Shen came charging at her, throwing a quick flurry of quick punches and leaping round house. Fiona knocked away the first couple punches, dodged the last and then held her arms up in an X to stop the blow of the kick. Shen jutted his other leg out in a straight strike to her center. Fiona was forced back over the glass table. The vigilante rolled back into a standing position then cartwheeled back over the table, her feet meeting Shen’s face on the way over. Fiona followed up with a closed fist strike then two open palmed strikes to his chest. Shen was not easily shaken by the mixed combo and proceeded to swing his leg up at her. Fiona countered by bringing her opposite leg up. Their legs crashed together like a dissonant chord, reflecting their equal prowess in combat. Shen spun around bring his other leg around in a lethal spin kick. Fiona quickly duck and swiped her outstretched leg at his feet to throw his legs out from under him. Shen came crashing down hard, and instead of following up with more combative strikes, Fiona unsheathed the gun strapped to her thigh.

“Don’t you ******** move! Fiona snapped. Her 9mm pistol was locked dead on her target. If it weren’t for his current worth to her mission, he would have already bit the bullet. Damn, maybe she was just as trigger happy as Zoa said she was. “You’re fault for bringing your fists to a gunfight. Brains over brawns; which do you think you’re lacking, hm?” Guys will fall for anything in a skirt. Every. Single. Time. Fiona adjusted her communicator, altering its setting so that now Zoa could hear her conversation with Shen.

“What do you want, you crazy b***h!?” Shen hissed through clenched teeth.

“You’d think a gun barely three feet from blowing your brains out would n** that sass in the bud.” The butterfly positioned herself comfortably on the bed with her legs crossed, gun still directed at Shen. “Gina Delorean; you seen her around lately?” Fiona removed a picture of the young girl from her bosom and flashed it to Shen. She wasn’t expecting an immediate response from the gangster. The detective had played this game of cat and mouse many times, so this was nothing new. “I bet money that you do. I am right, aren’t I? You have her and some other girls, probably, hooked on that new street drug so that they’re damn near begging you to trick them out, huh?!” It was taking everything in her not to just pull the trigger and cut her losses now.

Shen chuckled at Fiona’s assumption of his activities here. “You don’t even know what itych is really for, do you?” He laughed even louder this time. Shen leaned against the wall behind him, legs crossed in comfortability. ”It’s the key to the next war. Soldiers who can tap into energies unseen by the human eye; can you imagine it?” His eyes looked downcast in contemplation as he continued. ”But, I have no real interest in fighting wars. I just like getting what I want. Itych has many properties that make it useful when I’m trying to provide goods to my clients.”

”And by goods you mean sex slaves, you b*****d.” Fiona grunted unamused by his choice of entrepreneurship.

”The only thing their slaves to, is the drug pumping through their veins. They’ll do anything for the next hit.” His wide grin only served to further antagonize the heroine.

”That doesn’t explain why a prestigious company like Roxxon is supporting a glorified pimp. Care to elaborate?” She waved the gun at him in annoyance for him to get to the root of his part in all this.

”Roxxon has had their hand in illegal trade of all sorts for years, and with individuals shadier than me. A company with their kind of power has to make a deal with the devil eventually.” A heartier laugh bellowed from the asian gangster. ”The rich stay richer by controlling the cities they reside in. Roxxon is no different. Only now, they’ve got something and someone who can grant them that control they so desperately seek.”

Fiona’s face construed itself in confusion as she was left to analyze his words. Roxxon had dealt in illegal business before. That meant officials from the company were actively gaining riches and power off of the misery of others. Creating, or supporting the creation of a drug that people couldn’t resist, only brought in more capital. But selling the drug as a weapon? That meant something entirely different. It meant someone in the Roxxon corporation was twisted enough to use lethal force to exert their control while allowing crime syndicates like Shen’s to continue polluting the city. Not only that, but if money was a factor, Roxxon would be willing to sell this super drug to the highest bidder; friend or foe, terrorist or anarchist. Fiona’s lips parted as she tried to put the pieces together in her like the detective she was. A prominent leader of the Triad was being supported by a multi-billion dollar company to continue the spread of this drug for illegal activities. Furthermore, the drug had benefits that weren’t solely for getting high. It allowed some of its users to tap into their chi, effectively turning normal people into weapons. The financial support: Roxxon. The distributors: Shen and other gang leaders. The third member of this triangle, the mastermind, was missing. An unknown variable wanted Roxxon’s support in creating a disease, and needed individuals like Shen to spread the infection. To what end? World domination? Shen was only aware of the piece of the plan that was relevant to him, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t met with this mysterious benefactor or key players in Roxxon.

“Zoa, take note of any men you see partaking in Shen’s….festivities. And look for Gina.” Fiona gagged at the thought of what might be happening to the young girl, but at least her rescue was in sight. “Let’s cut the s**t: I know you’ve been to Roxxon’s headquarters here in the city, and that means you have access I require.” Somewhere in the company files would be a trail to follow. A trail that would lead them to the composer of this twisted symphony. Fiona waved the gun at Shen again in expectation of a key or divulging of some secret code. Shen reached into his left pocket to reveal a key card labeled ‘Roxxon Prime Associate’. Fiona stood up to grab the card from him.

“If you thought fighting me was a challenge then I suggest you say your goodbyes. Even if you make it inside of that building, you won’t be leaving alive. That much I can assure you.” Shen teased.

Fiona took a deep breath. A deep exhalation followed. The butterfly raised her gun so that it was level with Shen’s head. Her warm chocolate orbs stared like daggers at the triad leader. “I appreciate your candor.” Bang!

One less scumbag to clean off of the streets.

There was a 95% chance that his guards closest to this corridor of the club would have heard the gunshot and soon be on her a** like flies on s**t. So she needed to think fast so that her and Zoa could make it out of here alive. “Zoa, free as many of those girls as you can. I had a little….altercation with Shen. So discretion is not much of a concern right now.” Fiona checked the magazine on her gun as the sound of footsteps echoed outside the door.

“It’s playtime boys!” Well, for her at least.

The butterfly had gotten herself into a precarious position this time around. It was becoming an unecessary habit. But, damn if she didn’t love the thrill of it. Not only that, but she had completely snagged these thugs by their nut sacks without having to bat an eyelash. Well, maybe she had to bat a few to get Shen to let his guard down. Now that b*****d was in a much more hellish place than the one he left. His henchmen would soon follow like the sheep that they were.

Fiona pressed her ear to the door as the footsteps grew even closer. “2…no, 3.” The out of sync steps equated to three individuals. One was heavily armed by the sound of it, while the other two came to the party as lightweights. Big mistake on their part. Fiona’s eyes swooped across the room as she try to deduct the best plan of action. There was only one light that illuminated the entire room. Take that out, and she limited their immediate sight to only what could be touched by the hallway light. The butterfly slowly backed away from the door and pressed herself up against the furthest wall from the door. When the lights went out, she’d be shrouded in darkness. Fiona held her breath and pointed her 9mm towards the cieling light. The sound of the door knob turning caused her heart to reflexively slow itself. The door opened, and she exhaled.

Pssshing!

Just like that: the bullet shattered the glass light above the room and left everything in darkness. The men quickly fired straight ahead before reassessing the situation and attempting to adjust their eyes to the new terrain. The lead with the large rifle signaled the other two to move to the side of the room that Fiona resided in. Keeping her breath low and steady, Fiona reached under her dress to remove the twin knives she had attached to her thigh. Without any warning, Fiona tossed the two blades directly at the throats of the two guards as soon as they neared her side of the room. The two men gurgled on their own blood before dropping to the floor with a thud. Fiona snatched one of her blades out of the closest victims’ neck before aiming her gun at the rifleman on the otherside. He spun around with confusion as a pool of blood began to trail its way into the light of the hallway.

”What the----” Fiona’s gun rudely interrupted his moment of realization with a piercing shot to the skull.

Fiona attached her gun back to her thigh. The knife should suffice from here on. From the sounds coming from Zoa’s end, the charade was surely over. Fiona rolled her neck and shoulders in preparation for the intense workout she was about to receive from laying these goons out. Fiona gripped the small slit in her dress with both hands and ripped it. She would need all the mobility she could get. As she learned during her training, an enemy with automated weapons is only dangerous to you if you have no way of out-manuevering them. The south african beckoned to Zoa as she heard him initiate a playful childhood game.

“Polo---it’s gonna take a lot more than this to clip my wings.” Fiona stated with a smirk crossing her lips. She made her way down the long hallway, away from the room where now four dead bodies lay. Her goal now was to get to Zoarell and Gina, and get the hell out of here.

The butterfly peeped her head around the corner to make sure no guards were coming up the stairs. Fiona clinged to the wall as she descended down the steps, club music becoming increasingly louder as she drew closer to the dance floor. Bright neon lights strobed across her skin as walked into the crowd off club-goers. They were all still dancing, completely oblivious to the chaos occurring behind literal closed doors. ‘Let’s change that, shall we?’ Fiona’s brown orbs locked with the two guards blocking what might as well be the gates of hell. They didn’t even know they had been made; that’s what made this moment all the more satisfying. Fiona unsheathed her pistol and raised it into the air. “Game on, you lousy sacks of s**t!” She fired a few rounds into the cieling, striking enough fear in the civilians to stir them into a frenzy. Now she had the cover she needed to waltz right into the exclusive section of the club.

“STOP RIGHT THERE!” The two guards yelled to her as she was making her way through the crowd. “We’ve got a situation here in the club...Shen, do you copy?!” Oops, guess someone didn’t relay the message that ole shenny boy was dead. Not that it mattered. Soon these two would be right there with him.

The two goons seemed to have no concern for human life because they immediately began to fire their automatic rifles into the crowd of innocents with the intention of clipping her. Fiona darted, ducked and weaved as the sound of bullets flew overhead. Bottles of alcohol could be heard shattering to pieces as bullets riddled the bar. Which, ironically, was about to become her cover. Fiona lept over the bar and used it as temporary refuge. The goons were wild and dumb. Eventually they’d have to reload. As if on cue, the bullets stopped.

“Hmph, I suppose it is my turn?!” Fiona bounced up and immediately locked on to the two guards fiddling with their cartridges. After a few clean rounds, the two men were looking like the bottles behind her. Her eyes caught sight of a broken bottle of jim beam, and winced. “They have no respect.” Fiona shook her head in disgust over the waste. She lept over the bar counter and made a dash towards Zoa’s location now that the door was unguarded.

Before she could even open the door, girls were bursting through. Some crying, some laughing, others reminding her of herself after it happened. Fiona searched the faces of the girls for Gina’s. When the last girl darted past her she ran towards Zoa, who was laying waste to some of the thugs.

“Where’s Gina?!” Fiona placed a hand on his shoulder and searched his eyes for an answer she felt she already knew. Brown orbs caught sight of an open room with a body sprawled on it: Gina’s body. Hot tears welled in her eyes and her grip on Zoa’s shoulder tightened. Part of her wanted to blame herself for not getting to Gina sooner, another part wanted to cry, and the other was trying to figure out how the hell she was supposed to tell the girl’s parents what had happened to her. Fiona would never know what it felt like to lose a child, and she definitely never wanted to. Her heart was heavy but her rage was heavier. Footsteps from the dancefloor seemed to be making their way into this...other world that resided in the club. Fiona turned around and pressed her back against Zoarell’s.

“Let’s give them hell.” Her accent was laced with a vice gripping coldness that disguised the pain she was feeling.

Two goons appeared in the entry way. Fiona didn’t even think as she rushed the gangsters. She pistol whipped the first one dead in the face dazing him temporarily. The other stepped in and engaged Fiona in hand to hand. Her legs flew upwards in quick succession that the goon instinctively blocked. As her feet touched the ground again, she spun on her right heel, bringing her left leg over like a whip into the goons side. He latched onto her leg and swung her up against the wall, causing her to drop her weapons. It was then that she felt his cold hands clutch her by the throat. “Agh... “ Fiona’s hands reached up to grip his wrist. He smirked at the vigilante at what he saw as a futile attempt at escape. Her grip tightened enough for her to use his arm like a pull up beam to swing her lower body up over it. Fiona’s legs wrapped around his arm like a monkey in a banana tree. Using the full force of her body, Fiona swung him over to the ground and twisted his arm with a hard snap. The goon screamed in agony as the other finally recovered.

“Humor me.” Fiona beckoned the second assailant with a waving motion. She had enough in this can of whoop a** for everybody to partake in. The man charged her, swinging wildly. Fiona bobbed and weaved with even more ease than before; benefits of them all using a relatively similar style of combat. She ducked a wild over head punch, and as she rose, she swung her knife in a wide arc. Hot blood splattered onto her cheeks as her knife went clean through the man’s jugular. The hate she felt in this moment had reached its tipping point. Fiona looked over at the goon with one less arm still squirming on the ground now soaked with the blood of his comrade.

“Please!!!” The man cried out in mercy. A mercy she was not prepared to show him. Fiona’s pupils dilated as she remembered flashes of a time where she begged for the same thing. What was she shown instead: the cruelty that is human nature. Now that is what she would allow him to experience.

Fiona ran over to the man and stood over him, knife upraised. She came down hard in his chest; over and over again. And again. And again. She didn’t want to stop. Even as tears streamed down her face and mixed with the blood of this thug, she didn’t want to stop. Fiona felt as if she had finally lost all the composure she had left. And you know what? She liked that more than she would ever care to admit.