[63: The Red Means I Love You]
(A few days later)
"Take a look at the clothes released by Dragoon Hero Ryukyu! These are releasing this month, so make sure to grab them before they all go!" The news anchor announced before going on to the next news section.
Eleanor switched the TV to a different channel. The same. The only coverage left that was relevant to her was the explosion of the Shie Hassaikai compound. The files were left behind in the endless 24/7 news cycle. The news hadn't found a suspect, and the current narrative was that the compound blew up due to illegal actions gone wrong by Shie Hassaikai.
"The news has already stopped talking about the files?" Lady Nagant asked as she came up behind Eleanor.
"Of course they did. I didn't release anything too drastic. There were more black bars covering the pages than actual words. But it's fine. And do you really think the commission isn't trying to run some kind of damage control, even if it's minor for now? They probably slipped a few notes to some news stations to make sure it doesn't get too big. It's not hard to suppress or censor news or cause some kind of distraction to take people's attention away," Eleanor said.
"Yeah, they'd do that," Lady Nagant said.
Eleanor and Lady Nagant had finally found a base of operations, though temporary, since Eleanor had a plan for a true base of operations later, and also somewhere to sleep. It was another rundown and abandoned building. On the outside, at least. The building had an underground section that was made functional with a bit of hard work and Eleanor's drones. And after "strategically transferring equipment to another location," they had a simple setup. Simple in terms of living; not so simple in terms of equipment.
What stood out was Eleanor's large setup of monitors, computers, TVs, and other tech. This was Eleanor's information-gathering machine. Combined with her drones, she could use public surveillance tech like cameras, people's phones, and other devices that had a type of connection to conduct mass surveillance over a large area to find whoever she needed or gather whatever evidence she needed. And there were also the cyber warfare capabilities. She had to "strategically transfer" a lot of parts for this.
As for Lady Nagant, although she didn't really need it, she had guns. A high-powered .50 cal sniper rifle and some handguns. Those were also "strategically transferred." Better to have them just in case anything happens.
"So, about this team, Eleanor. It's just you and me for now, and I don't think we'll get any heroes on our side," Lady Nagant said.
"We'll have to rely on some unsavory individuals, Kaina. Criminals and villains, so to speak. But I already have some people in mind. People with quirks we can use," Eleanor said as she started typing on a keyboard. The surveillance started, the monitors switching rapidly as it searched through the city.
"You don't mean the League of Villains, do you?" Kaina said.
"No, of course not. They're in a very weak spot, and I'm not making a group like them with so much people; I'm looking for a couple of people. And Due to some things I did, they are nowhere near where they're supposed to be. Which means that any people who would've joined them are free for us to hunt down. We'll start with this one." A portrait of a blonde-haired girl with a creepy smile appeared on a monitor. "She may look a bit unstable, but her quirk is very valuable. And all we need to do is just open the door for her."
"She's a teenager; looks like she should still be in high school," Kaina said as she observed the portrait.
"Well, she was supposed to. She went on a spree of murders.The only thing saving her from the death penalty is her age. Because she's was a minor and under 18 when she commited the most of her crimes, the maximum sentence under Japanese law is life imprisonment with hard labor. Of course, that's if we went with the standard court system," Eleanor said as she watched the monitors on the screen sync and change rapidly. Various recognition scans were being conducted on thousands of people per second.
This continued for some time before there was finally a match found. A ping alerted them. The monitors synced to produce a live feed from a cloaked drone in the sky. The drone automatically tracked her.
"There she is, Kaina," Eleanor said.
"So how are we doing this?" Kaina asked.
"We're going to have to approach her. Do you want to provide overwatch or something?" Eleanor looked back at Kaina as she asked the question.
"Do I need to? Just use one of your drones," Kaina said.
"True, but there's nothing wrong with a human being there as well. And it'll help us get experience working together on missions we may have to go out and do. Get your sniper rifle and get ready to move out, and with real bullets, not your hair, it'll be harder to identify you," Eleanor said.
/\\//\\//\
Kaina was set up on the roof of a nearby building, watching Eleanor through the scope. Their target was in an alley, leaning over a dead body. Their smile was wide, and their eyes were narrowed as if in delight. 'How can she possibly be a person for this team Eleanor is putting together?' Kaina asked herself. She saw how the target seemed obsessed with the blood, licking it and tasting it. 'A strange fascination…infatuation? A lunatic. A complete psychological obsession with drinking blood; that's plain to see,' Kaina observed. 'How is Eleanor going to bring this person to her side?'
She could only observe, though she was ready to shoot if she needed to.
Eleanor approached the target in the alley; a cloaked drone hidden away oversaw them. She could never be too careful, especially at a time like this.
As she got closer, the target finally noticed her. When she saw her, her face lit up with a big smile. "Oh, wow, you're so pretty!" She exclaimed, putting her hands on her cheeks as she got excited. "You must have delicious blood, right?"
"Himiko Toga. Did I interrupt you in the middle of something?" Eleanor looked at the dead body. "You seem to be in the middle of…drinking."
"I'm sure you have better tasting blood compared to this one! Can I try some blood? I just want a taste." Himiko slowly walked to Eleanor, leaving behind the previous dead body.
"You want to taste my blood? Is that how you're supposed to greet new people and maybe a friend?" Eleanor asked.
"You look pretty, but I've always heard it's the inside that counts. And my insides are red, and yours are too. That's something in common, isn't it?" Himiko's smile grew even wider, if that was even possible.
"Well, all friends usually have something in common that makes them friends in the first place. Our insides being red is maybe on of the things we have in common. Maybe we can find other things we agree on? What do you think, Himiko? Do you want a friend? Maybe a few friends?"
"A friend? Could we have a lot of fun?"
"Oh, yes, we'd have a lot of fun. We do things that are similar to what you like to do already. You'd fit right in. And we could use someone like you. We're a small group, but we're close," Eleanor said.
"Could I drink their blood as well? If they're friends, they'll help, right?"
"Maybe. Just explain why you like blood so much, and they might agree. Make a good impression, and it'll go well. You know, we can help you. Your quirk is one of the things that makes you who you are. Everyone is a multifaceted and complex being that needs time to be understood. And we can provide that. This is part of you, Himiko. Let us teach you how to handle it," Eleanor said.
For a small moment, Himiko's smile fractured before she put it back on. She grew even more fascinated with Eleanor. "I'll join! I feel like it'll be fun!"
"Welcome aboard, Himiko." Eleanor smiled a bit.
(A/N: Vampire Get!)