Chapter 48 - Black Signal

Training Hall

Lorna walks in, others were inside doing various things.

She spotted Peter Brook doing some tech stuff at a corner, she walks toward him.

"Hey," Lorna said smiling.

"Hey Lorna I didn't think you would come in today, are you feeling okay?" he asked as concern flushed his features.

"Am fine Peter, really it was just a scratch" Lorna said taking a seat next to him.

"So V-ghouls huh?!" Peter said putting some metals together with a screwdriver.

"Yeah at least now we know ghouls aren't just ghouls," Lorna said rolling her eyes.

Peter chuckles at her antics.

"So what are you working on," Lorna said interested in what he was doing.

"What I specialize on, making gadgets, I think of an upgrade to hunt ghouls and then I ask permission for production," he said firmly.

"That's cool Peter" she comments.

"Well you should also have what you are good at," he said.

"I think am good in the field with combat references" she shrugs.

"Well everyone in the agency is good at that, I meant what makes you unique," he said facing her. Lorna's smile slowly faded at the question.

"I guess I haven't found that out yet," she said puzzled. That thought hasn't occurred to her yet. She wondered what makes her unique.

"You see this" Peter said handling her a bullet, it had a gold substance inside like it was moving.

"Wow! It's different from the rest" Lorna said assessing it.

"It's a prototype am working on not fully developed, if it does, it will be a great weapon against the black ghoul," he said.

She faces him with shaky eyes. Peter got her message.

"Yes Lorna our bullets don't have much effect on the black ghoul, maybe this one will," Peter said certainly.

Lorna's eyes drift to the bullet.

"Is he that powerful?!"

"It's been three years since the attack on the agency, we had an agent, the ghoul killer, and he also didn't stand a chance against him. And after that he's been bringing down our branches throughout the country, of course, he's powerful" he said.

"Then there must be a weakness right?" Lorna said with hope.

"Someone like that doesn't have a weakness," he said certainly.

Lorna gulps hard.

"The Captain is your aunt, isn't she? You should know the ghoul killer, I was a fan of his, and it's too bad he's dead" he said. 

"I was adopted by the captain years ago when my parents died. I lived in New Orleans before coming to Los Angeles for my agency training. I never met the ghoul killer just heard about him" she said firmly.

Peter blinks about asking something. 

"Lorna, the captain wants to see you," Mia said walking towards them.

"See you later Peter," Lorna said standing up.

Peter smiles nodding.

***

Thirtieth Floor

Lorna walks into Barbra's office, heading toward her table taking a seat. Barbra faced the window standing, her arms folded.

"How are you feeling dear, I heard about the incident," Barbra asked facing her.

"Am fine Aunt, it was nothing much, just a scratch" Lorna said.

"You were lucky it was just a scratch, you would have ended up dead" she reasons. 

"Well, I didn't" Lorna shrugs.

Barbra sighs sitting down, she shifts a file to Lorna.

"Welcome to the Fox team, I guess I should have said that earlier. This is your partner's details" Barbra said. Lorna opened the file.

"Jesse Landon" Lorna said smiling knowing they will get along just fine. It was a start she was looking forward to.

***

Tenth Floor

Lorna walks into the medium hall, with the office table in rows and lines, this was the Fox team office. The upstairs was Chase's office secluded just for him. As the unit leader.

"Hey, partner," Jesse said in a high pitch voice dramatically as she waved at her. Lorna laughs at her antics as she walks toward their work table, she took a seat.

"You're officially a member," Jesse said. Lorna smiles.

"Thanks, Jesse," Lorna said feeling lively.

Jesse just brightens her mood ever since she came to this city, she was grateful.

"Well go ahead set up your table, agent Lorna," Jesse said handling her a medium size box. 

***

Section Eleven 

The Black Lotus 

Late at night, Iris walks along the hall, she heads towards her uncle's office, knowing he won't be there by this hour. She looks around making sure no one was around, she walks Inside shutting the door reaching for the transparent air computers, taking her seat in front of the operating system, the plugin a headset, her eyes scanning through the computers as she moved her hand on the transparent operator.

"Checking signal, trace beginning for Liam O'Brien," the computer said.

'For two years now, I have been searching for you, Liam'. She thought. 'Please, please let there be a match'. She thought with hope. Liam was untraceable like he didn't exist but yet on the radar. It was strange. For two years she has been tracing him secretly, hoping one day she will get through. But only met with failure, but she won't give up that easily.

"Signal found".

Iris froze when she heard the computer, she finally did it. Iris smiles as tears forms in her eyes. 

"Liam". The tears fell, she cleaned it as she listened carefully to the comm.

His location wasn't found but maybe she could contact his organization, it was nearly impossible but she had to try, everything depended on it. She heard static sounds.

"Come in?" she said but nothing only static.

"Please come in, do anyone copy?"

Still nothing. Iris sighs.

"This is Iris Lake from the black lotus" she began.

"I know this is the Silver-lining contact line. Please if there's anyone there" the tears fell as she sobs.

"Liam!" she cried.

"Please if you're there, we need you, Liam, I have been trying to track you for years now and I finally got through so please answer me" she sobs, only static sounds.

"Please come back, the city is in more danger as it is, the V-ghoul's they are destroying everything, only you can stop them Liam so please" she cleans her tears with trembling hands.

"We need you, Liam. I need you" she buried her hands in her face.

It was like she was talking to herself, she felt lost, confused. She sighs leaning on her chair.

"Please just answer".

She waited but nothing, the static sound dying down. 'It's no use'. She thought with shaky eyes. She reaches for her headset about to take it off. 

"Iris". 

She froze as her eyes widen when she heard her name. The voice, it was his, it was him.

"Liam".