...For Services Rendered(IC)

[Supercape]

Synth stopped, examining the pavement.

"Curious" she replied, crouching down and trailing her hand through the dust and dirt.

Ms. Synth? she pondered to herself in another part of her brain. She wasn't completely technically female, in the same way that she wasn't completely technically human. But it was close enough. She didn't really know what that comment meant, but it seemed somewhat overly formal.

She flashed the King of Suits a quick smile.

"Synth will do. No need for formalities..." she said with what she hoped was a friendly manner.

She took a few steps in and almost bumped into the railing around the pit, but she never lost her footing.

"Careful here, this leads down" she called back. She gave the ladder a little pull, and it seemed strong enough.

"As does our journey, I think!" she added, proceeding to descend.

[Thunder King]

"I think I'll trust my own powers..." Voltage said, lifting slightly off of the ground. "The facility is quite old, and I don't trust that ladder much. If anyone else has the same distrust I do, say the word and I will teleport one of you at a time down."

He did not trust this place, something didn't feel right. Still, he didn't want this to turn into a massive ninja base. Ninjas were like termites. Better get rid of them before they tear the whole place down.

[Ari]

GM

As the four descended in their own fashions, it soon became obvious that the tunnel was all but freshly-made. Instead of the dankness, rot and decay that would have followed a forgotten urban cavern like this, there was a dryness in the air, with long marks on the concrete around them that were still sharp, the iron and coper ladder was at first a little grimy, but became cleaner and cleaner as they went down, not to mention the total absence of any insect or animal life to be seen or heard anywhere. One thing that was odd was the light. A steady orange and yellow glow gradually illumianted their surroundings, cast as they eventually found(about half-way down and two minutes in) by sheltered burning lamps that gave no smoke at all. THe place took on an odd, cinnamon-like smell, and long tapestries showing various kinds of swords began to decorate the walls of the long tunnel.

When at last the four heroes arrived at the bottom, they found themselves on a deeply-carpeted floor a dimly-lit, darkly ornamented(mostly grinning heads made of bronze) series of long, narrow tunnels about 8ft. high and 3ft. across, wooden walls with a myriad of small horizontal slits for windows into other dizzying passages, a faint noise of the city above, and otherwise near-total silence. A red insignia of the Japanese word '鉄' marked each passage, though each was made slightly differently...

[Supercape]

"Thats...Japanese...isn't it?" asked Synth, pointing to the symbols. She was far from certain, but she remembered some books she had read about the caligraphy when she was learning to read.

"Anyone speak it? I don't..." she smiled, looking at the other heroes down here with her.

She was deeply uncomfortable down here. She preferred open spaces, after being cooped up whilst she was "Grown". She remembered the fields of snow and ice that looked so beautiful.

Also, this place was ripe for an ambush.

"It's a death trap down here..." she commented. "We need to press forward...."

[Ari]

"I do not, M-I mean, Synth" Marceau said, quickly correcting his wording as he recalled that she had preferred he just say her name. "I do not speak or read that language(Though I probably could learn it fairly quickly if I had to), I have heard about a recent immigration of ninjas to this country, many of them from a clan called the 'Bloody Halls'. If these are our unwitting hosts, then it would explain why I stopped hearing any reports of their movements, and why they got more centralized around one area: they must have been funding the excavation and furnishing of this base." he glanced at the others, adding "They only got away with a few minor magical trinkets and a wallet or so, usually they were stopped and driven off without their loot"

Nodding vigorously at Synth's observation about the ambush-ready layout, he agreed roundly with her "Yes, if you have no objection I suggest Spitfire goes first, then me, Voltage flying above just in case, and you bring up the rear. You do have eyes on the back of your head Mz., after all." he said almost grinning outright. The speed with which he readied the guantlets belied his jovial speeech though.

[Supercape]

Synth nodded, but crunched her nose.

"I'd keep your eyes everywhere" she answered "I can smell something...steel, and humans. Several of them. Smells the same as those men back there..." she explained, thumbing her way behind them.

"Seems we haven't cleared the nest yet..."

With a moments concentration, a bud appeared on the back of her neck, opening up to reveal another piercing blue eye.

"Ill keep my eyes open..." she said.

[Thunder King]

If Voltage were unnerved by Synth's unusual abilities, he made no sign. After all, superheroes were all a bit atypical, it came with the line of work.

"Excellent idea..." he said, glancing at King of Suits. He nodded gravely to Synth. "They may be expecting us if they don't hear back from their allies in the bank soon. I'm afraid my eyes aren't that great, but, with the torch, I think we'll be good for sight."

He decided to fly as high as he could. Then he made a mental note; build some form of night-vision apparatus into his costume...might be helpful.