Since coming back to Oak Erebus was getting reacquainted with old connections. One in specific was a man he’d never quite liked. However, the money was impeccably good. There was no denying cash, not in the streets. Erebus would do whatever he was asked, if it meant dissecting humans as long as his payload was a hefty wholesome. And to his knowledge, the wolf was getting paid an extreme amount for this new mission. So much so in fact, that he was excited to be getting back into the game. A dastardly crime syndicate like Grimoire Heart was the perfect call in for Mabuz. Erebus happened to be on free agent work until he was called to the arc for another attack on a guild or city. Hargeon Town it was if he remembered correctly was the next or the last place there to be one. Erebus just got home from that port town and was getting comfortable making money in Oak again. So it was no trouble at all to think about things unless they were directly linked to this.

“Alright Mabuz-- let’s see what I got to do out here.”

Erebus made his way into a warehouse building, stretching about two hundred feet across. Inside of this structure, was Mabuz’s secretive laboratory. Vials and concoctions were everywhere. As well as undesirable codes and papers strung all over the place in the center of the room. Mabuz was rushing around. Apparently something was getting him rustled up. Guess this mission was going to be kind of interesting after all. Mabuz was a shorter man than the lcan, with glasses covering his sunken face. He had dried lips, and greasy grey hair tied in the back like a pony tail. A white lab coat was thrown over Mabuz’s shoulders. He wore brown pants and a blue shirt. His clothes seemed too big for his body, but Erebus never paid too much detail to anything like that. In Erebus’s case he wore a brown jacket thrown over a white long sleeve and some black pants to cover his boots. Traditional clothes, if you will. The man took steps forward which echoed and reverted back to his ears in the mostly empty warehouse. Erebus tucked his hands to his pockets. Stern as per usual when on the job-- he then nodded upward. Mabuzz was still busy. He was gathering what looked like blueprints together.

Hmm…

“Mabuz. You called me in? Fill me in, what’s up.” Stephan turned to make ees contact from beyond his glasses, a glare hit them from the lights above. Many bugs swarmed around the bright lights. Coupled with the chilliness in here, Erebus could only assume Mabuz was going through an even more unhealthy phase than normal. He was a mad scientist though, they don’t just get better. Matter of fact, they get worse with time. Mabuz made for a walk forth.

“Strategist! Oh hasn’t it been awhile. So good to see you, young man.”

“I guess. Let’s get on with the mission at hand please.”

“Oooh. Feisty as ever I see. Okay then. This is what you’ll be getting yourself into. I have devised a device capable of pushing a serum I once was testing on you into the beasties at the local zoo. It’ll put them into an uncontrollable rage. The disaster and chaos will be more than enough to suffice attention before I market the White Claudia. You’re job will involv breaking in and injecting the beasties. Okay? I have blueprints here, please examine for yourself. You are the master STrategist after all young man!” Mabuz grabbed a whole string of papers and pushed potions into the floor to lay them out. He then began to run his bony finger across the many lines. Erebus stepped around the table to take a better look.

“You’re getting into some deep shit with this.”

“Indeedy.”

“Count me in.”

“Excellent.”

“I’ll enter around the back here then. Seems like you coordinated the area pretty decently, very well. I’ll be exiting then. It’s time to get the show rolling.” Mabuz began to laugh. Erebus grabbed the mapped blueprint and the object off the table. Tucking the syringe into his jacket. The blueprint folded up and was stuck under his belt on his backside. Erebus exited out the room he entered and left for the opposite side of Oak Town. Knowing well that the zoo would be open today. It was surprisingly dawn earlier and now the sun was curling up the sky. This mission would take place during day time. The walk gave Erebus time to hype himself up as per usual.

Erebus would use this money to obtain more strength and would fulfil his dream of defeating mages. Perhaps even killing one eventually. His powers had taken him a little beyond normal man, but losing his gears definitely caused his powers to decline. He had no idea how he’d come back from such a disaster. What item could tip the scales for him? He’d need something extra special. Something maniacal. Very well. His hunger for power was returning. That settles it, he’d definitely get another and do this the right way. From the bottom again. The boy’s lips tilts into a smile. His step took a deeper stride, and he launched faster. His speed accelerating. He darted past dogs, and people on the streets. Cars passing by. All of it. The zoo was in the distance, the great warrior felt a call to his original self returning. He dodged the lines standing by for tickets and sprinted out of the eyes of the guards. They didn’t seem too keen on their jobs anyways. Chances are not many criminals targeted the zoo in specifically. Well. that changed today-- when Erebus would fuck up the whole program.

After a decent amount of searching. The red door was located. However, it was locked. So Erebus had to enter his lycan state, granting him superhuman strength. He began to rapidly pound the door handle until it broke off and allowed entrance. Inside of the room, he quickly pressed in forward. Looking for his first objective albeit, he wasn’t positive what that entailed right now. “I wasn’t noticed coming in though. That’s good. Means I won’t have to worry about all that. I can just keep up my pace, and be out of here in the next hour or so maybe.”

The walls were white like a cloudy white-- almost grey. The floors were stone, dirty. They took little care of the back areas, he supposed. There’s probably roaches in the walls or even worse. Rats. However, that was none of Erebus’s concerns or businesses.He was here to cause mayhem. Not just usual, break into your home mayhem either. Deaths, injuries-- we’re talking real, sublime, casualties. The thought made Erebus’s black heart pitch a cry of laughter as his feet swamped the floor and he searched the zoo. The blueprints were removed from his jacket. Eyes skimmed the pages like cars race on tracks. His attention bouncing from one end to another wildly.

The blueprints were working like a charm. Each hallway was clearly found and accessed accordingly. On top of that, Erebus had no trouble dodging most of the cameras. Easily knocking them out before they displayed his face. How’d he do this you might ask? He found a spray paint can laying around inside one of the boxes on the easy wing nearby his entrance in the south side of the zoo. The spray paint was black, and was nearly a full can when located. The smell of the paint was intoxicating, and the bottle required shaking every now and again, however eventually it paid off and he was right where he needed to be. Unseen for the most part.

Strategist skipped a skip forward, using the shadows as much as possible. He walked even further into the building and to his luck; noticed a staff member busy with his own job and completely off guard and ignorant towards Erebus’ presence. So oblivious in fact, that someone has infiltrated the zoo and is about to brutally murder him. Erebus leapt from the dark-- snapping the man’s neck softly. He had assassinated the innocent dweller, next he stripped the target down to his underwear. Pulled him behind some boxes, and occupied a new identity to get further into the zoo itself. Since he clearly looked like he was apart of the staff team; nobody would question his role in the zoo anymore. Everything was now pretty solid and set into stone. Erebus took the clipboard and continued his expedition after the animals he’d harass with toxins and shots. The body should stink for at least a few days, by that time it wouldn’t matter anyways. The deed would have been done. Erebus had worn gloves too. He couldn’t be traced.

The smooth criminal’s eyes looked at doors, he shook his head. The fake glasses on his face being pressed up loosely. They wouldn’t hurt his vision. Erebus was superhuman, with superhuman abilities to ignore things that would hinder his physical powers. Whatever. Nearby Erebus spotted the door, but noticed a pass-key requirement. Shit. He hadn’t found on on this piece of trash guy he killed. He had no choice but to pace in front of the door, until another person came along.

Which he did, thankfully he didn’t need to wait a hundred years. Somebody came along not long afterwards. After reaching this door I mean. This here locked door, which needed a pass key. A card of some kind. Like shit, this was just a zoo right? Why did things have to require security clearance… Didn’t make a lick of sense. Ah well though, that’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes. A member of the establishments staff finally arrived. He had an arched brow and definitely didn’t seem happy to find a ‘member’ of the zoo’s team standing around doing nothing.

“What the hell is this? Go in…”

“Oh I, well you see I left my pass key and it’s kinda required to go through, beginner’s mistake. Hey could you let me use yours? I… Need to check on the animal’s blood sugar levels. Can’t have any diabetic monkeys, we’d get sued ya know?”

“... Okay. Whatever.”

The staff member unlocked the door and turned around to leave.

“Hurry up, people are already here this morning. The animals are to be released after you’ve done your thing or what have you.”

“Thanks.”

Erebus went inside with the clipboard, ditching it when the footsteps down the hall diminished. He then tossed off the lab coat and removed his syringe. He began pressing it into the bodies of the beasts and animals. Creating the concoction for terror within their poor souls. Their eyes would dilate and they’d fall limp for a moment. Erebus was informed before he left that the serum takes about half an hour to take hold. These animals, at least for the moment, were absolutely fine. But they’d kill later. They’d do some wild shit. Better believe that.

Erebus left the cage doors open and a clear exit as he grabbed his clothings. The walk back to his motel was done with careless stride. Erebus threw on some shades and a sparkle came off his gleaming white teeth.

Later that day, the animals were reported to have broken from their cellars and gone crazy. Two children dead and another twelve casualties. Mabuz was off his marbles, his white claudia had finally been perfected. It had done the impossible. Caused a riot of beasts to run rampant. Whatever that vial was selling for, Erebus wanted no part. His strength was controlled. Uncontrolled strength was, for better or worse. Exactly what transpired at the zoo. Absolute chaos. But whatever, the agent of Grimoire couldn’t be bothered by such dumb intricacies. Instead he awaited his money to arrive by phone call. When it did, he carried on to the next stunning sequence. Retrieval. The missions just kept stacking up here in Oak. It was great. He’d have to do more to be sated.

Erebus came inside to collect his earnings, for the surprise of the building being completely destroyed. His payout was doubled. Erebus counted from the first dollar to the last. Two hundred thousand, his biggest check yet. Damn, the money smelt great. Erebus couldn't remember which he liked more. A girl’s body, or the brisk feeling of cash pressed between his pockets.

“Thanks for the reward Stephan. I can’t tell you how much a pleasure it is to do business with ya. Pay me more like this next time. Yeah? Hahaha.”

The tall criminal exited in the way he came.

2119/2100

WC Reductions:
Adventurer -20%
Grimoire -10%