Maelstrom

Nine

[res nullius]

Mark checked his phone for what seemed to be the umpteenth time , growing more frustrated by the minute. Rainier's gala would begin any minute, officially opening his search window, and Adhara was nowhere to be found.

Biting back a scathing curse in Ancient Greek, Mark stuffed his phone into his jean pocket and leant back against the light-pole. Standing on the corner of 59th and 5th, he looked just like any other young man weaving their way down New York's busiest street on a balmy, late spring evening. Lights illuminated the night, subverting the element of surprise that Mark and Adhara would need on their mission.

Mark sighed, turning his attention to the north, where the spotlights piercing the night indicated Rainier's gala at the Met. He glanced to the south, where the tip of the Empire State Building flickered with its glowing lights. He glanced before him to see two luminous violet eyes pierce the night—

"Would you relax?" Adhara snapped as Mark stumbled off the light-pole in shock.

Mark shot the daughter of Nemesis a look, a hand over his rapidly-beating heart. "Don't do that!"

Adhara merely quirked a defined brow, tired. She was dressed for an investigation, save the stylish heeled boots that would do them no favors in the stealth department. She raised a hand to her hip, where Mark caught glimpse of her NYPD badge clipped to her belt. "Can we go or are you going to continue faking a heart attack?"

Mark took a deep breath, readjusting the collar of his leather jacket. "Let's go," He managed, and the duo headed south on 5th avenue, towards the Empire State Building.

"So, remind me exactly what this mission consists of," Adhara asked as they reached the end of a block and waited for the light to change.

"Scope out Rainier's campaign headquarters and penthouse, and try to find anything incriminating," Mark responded as they started across the street.

Adhara made a face. "Incriminating of Rainier or incriminating of Menoetious?"

A chill spider-walked down Mark's spine at the Titan's name. Names held power in their world, and with a war so close on the horizon, maybe it'd be safer to avoid invoking them.

"Yeah," Mark cleared his throat, his voice gruff. "We need to find something incriminating of Rainier to be Menoetious."

"Easy enough," Adhara glanced at him quickly, before returning her focus to the streets full of pedestrians before them. "What happens if he's not Menoetious? Don't you only have a few days until this grace period is over?"

Of course, there was a possibility Adhara's questions had underlying truth to them, but Mark knew that he couldn't dwell on that. Rainier had to be Menoetious. There was no other option.

"Rainier's too shady not to be Menoetious," Mark confirmed as they crossed another street. "If he isn't, it's a slim possibility."

Adhara seemed to perk up at that. "Well, I know all about possibility."

Mark opened his mouth to fire back a witty retort, but they'd reached Rainier's campaign office. However, they couldn't go in, because despite Dale's intel reports, the building was not empty as she had told him it would be.

Adhara frowned, her violet eyes reflecting the lights from inside the campaign office. "Are we supposed to infiltrate it too?"

"No," Mark raised a hand to his ear, turning on his comms. "Dale, the campaign office isn't empty."