Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Somewhere in an undisclosed location…

At first darkness, deep and silent.

Then came blinding light, its source a massive screen taking up the upper back wall of a huge room, towering windows covered by thick curtains at its side, bodyguards against the outside world.

Static dominated the screen for a second before it settled to reveal a bright blue background displaying an insignia: a golden chalice tipped to the side and dripping a liquid of the same color against yet another white background, the insignia’s thick circular border also gold.

No one batted an eye.

Then again, who dare would in the Head Director’s presence?

The screen now revealed the waiting occupants (or at least their silhouettes).

Four individuals sat behind an absurdly high bench, the kind where a courtroom’s judge would sit, their faces and forms hidden in shadow due to the screen’s illumination from behind. Some lounged back in their seats while others leaned forward on the tabletop.

Only the seat in the raised center lacked an occupant, the screen directly above it compensating.

“It’s taken some time, but I believe you’re finally ready,” a deep distorted voice announced from the TV. “My apologies that Dr. Steyn couldn’t join us. I need her expertise for a secret project of ours, one still in the woodworks. However, that project still needs plenty of…resources before it can get off the ground, and while our own troops have been doing an adequate job gathering them, there are certain places that require a more…forceful hand.”

Far below, four figures of varying sizes stood silent and at attention, the TV’s light reflected off the black visors of their helmets.

 The sound of sifting leather emitted from the screen, the indication of someone readjusting themselves in a chair.

“That’s where you come in. We need your strength, your cunning. Only with your help can we help the world achieve its destiny. Only with our help can you achieve the justice you deserve.”

A second symbol flashed into view to the left of the first on the screen: a circular, white-bordered badge depicting a stylized yellow sunrise over a green field and against a red and orange sky.

“DAWN is who denies you of it. Their grip on the world and its creatures is strong and far, but you are the hammers that will help us break down their precious prison. You are the heroes that will herald a new era of peace.”

Once again, sounds of shifting leather followed but this time with the sound of light grunts and bones creaking.

One could practically see the Head Director standing tall.

“You are the flames that will burn this gilded illusion of a world to the ground so that a better one may follow, so that the loss of your kind is not in vain. You are Revenants, and you will...”

The Director purposely let his words linger, expecting a response.

The four helmeted figures below answered in unison and without hesitation, their voices strong and loud.

“Seek, destroy, avenge.”

“Forgive an old man and his hearing,” the Director crooned, “could you repeat that?”

“Seek. Destroy. Avenge,” the Revenants restated, voices louder.

The Director asked again, only now with bite. “Repeat that?”

“Seek. Destroy. Avenge.”

“You will WHAT?!” the Director now thundered.

“SEEK! DESTROY! AVENGE!” the Revenants screamed in kind, their rage palpable.

A faint chuckle followed. “Good. Dr. Kabore, go with them please.”

One of the creatures seated high above, a crocodile judging by the snout, nodded and stood up, proceeding to make her way down the steps hidden behind the bench.

“She and our troops will escort you to your bunker. I think you kids will find it a little more comfortable than that medical bay you’ve been holed up in. Your first mission will be in Thailand. Kabore will brief you on the details along the way. Dismissed.”

The Revenants saluted and about-faced to march in line after the crocodile once she passed by them.

The group’s steps faded into the darkness.

Chapter Text

March 24, 2011

Director Peggy Scratch did not understand the report at first.

She’d sent her CLADE agents on a simple mission: investigate a series of mysterious disappearances involving the endangered dholes in Thailand. Rule out some possible causes.

Yet when the agents came back wide-eyed and rattled, some even hyperventilating when pressed for questions, to say Scratch had been concerned would be an understatement.

Especially when she read the submitted report.

Four figures in red and black, faces hidden by demonic-looking helmets, popping out of nowhere and strongarming away the dholes the agents had been questioning. The agents themselves had tried their best to intervene, only to get either get tranquilized or pressure-pointed for their troubles.

Thankfully, no one sustained any lasting injuries, although that fact still didn’t resolve the issue of the disappearance, let alone the identity of those strange thieves.

However, one of the agents did manage to overhear one of the thieves utter a certain name into their walky-talky.

Ambrosia.

Scratch had gone silent, stone-faced, before nodding and calmly dismissing the agents with advice to see the counselors about scheduling some therapy sessions. Sorely needed therapy sessions.

Only once all the agents left her office did Scratch allow the firm façade to fall.

She massaged her temples with closed eyes and a tired sigh before reaching for her office phone and dialing her assistant, who thankfully did not take long to answer.

“Yes, could you send word to the other Board members please? We may have a situation on our hands.”

XXX

April 5, 2011

Today started off well enough for Agent Snow Sr.

Wake up, shower, drop his son Sam at the babysitter’s place, get some breakfast from the local café (a simple raspberry Danish with a medium mocha latte), report to HQ for today’s mission, and pleasantly chat away the three-hour flight to the scenic Alaskan coastline.

The mission wasn’t anything strenuous either: help out the locals – feral and sapient alike – recover from an especially egregious coastal storm, a task that boiled down to cleanup and patching up any injured. The only grueling part was helping gather the bodies of those not fortunate enough to survive, but thankfully those had been few and handled by the locals and volunteers before forensics could arrive.

Sure, the presence of GAMMA agents – the combat folks from CLADE’s sister division – for bodyguarding the area had him a bit on edge but surely nothing to worry about.

Then the screams started.

At first, the snow leopard hadn’t been sure what was going on.

He only saw people either running away, screaming in fright, or (in the case of agents like him) running towards the commotion in an attempt to get any endangered civilians and wildlife to safety.

All of a sudden, smoke permeated the whole area, and Snow couldn’t see a thing. Just silhouettes of people dashing all over. The feline did his best to help keep things calm while directing folks to shelter.

But then something in the distance caught the corner of his eye.

Two huge hulking figures – a bear and a lion, judging by their body shapes – only their silhouettes visible, the refracted sunlight giving them a wispy effect like ghosts.

And they were trouncing the GAMMA agents like they were nothing!

Whether dodging the agents’ blows and weapons, even – once all the civilians and non-GAMMA agents had cleared out – the bullets and tranquilizer darts or dishing out their own moves, the pair of brutes moved like lightning through the artificial fog, movements near impossible to track.

Be it the bear lashing out with some chained weapon or the lion punching the ground to send agents flying with the resultant tremors!

The cries of pain and sounds of breaking bones haunted the snow leopard to his core.

Yet before Snow Sr. could move to leave, the fog cleared, and the figures had vanished along with most of the GAMMA agents.

Leaving the snow leopard in a stupor as to what the hell just happened.

XXX

June 20, 2011

The North Wind hadn’t been as prepared as they hoped.

The team had been on their way to assist a pod of belugas trapped by icebergs north of Greenland.

“Sir,” a female Russian snow owl spoke up, “I’ve located the belugas. They’re just below us.”

“Very good,” replied the British wolf leader with a satisfied nod, hands on the steering wheel. “Let’s bring her in for a landing then—”

“Wait,” the owl suddenly interrupted in a suspicious tone, holding a wing up. The white bird was narrowing her eyes down at something on the console.

The hulking polar bear behind her cast a concerned gaze at his avian teammate. “Is something wrong, Eva?”

Eva tapped a feather against a new blip on the radar – and it was nearing the North Wind fast. “There’s something coming up on us from behind.”

A tiny harp seal seated behind the wolf cocked his round head in confusion. “Ya sure? Cuz I don’t see anybody on the cameras.”

Not even the rearview ones.

“Maybe they’re approaching from the sea below?” the polar bear suggested.

The wolf cupped his chin with a suspicious hum. His team hadn’t been notified of other agents coming to this location.

Then a bad possibility crossed his mind, and he frowned, eyes darkening.

“We’d best hurry to those belugas first and help them.” The wolf returned his hands to the wheel. “Engaging afterburners.”

Except when he hit the switch to do exactly that, nothing happened. The wolf furrowed his brow in confusion and flipped the switch back off and then on again.

And then again. And again.

“What in the…”

Then out of nowhere, the ship plummeted into a tailspin!

And then a corkscrew and a loop de loop!

“EEE-VA!” shouted the wolf leader in a tone that tried to come off as commanding but kept wavering from the unexplained aerial maneuvers. “STA-TUS RE-PORT!”

“The ship’s engines aren’t responding, sir!” the Russian female owl responded in an urgent tone. “The computers as well!”

“GAH, WE’RE GONNA DIE!” a tiny harp seal on the left screamed. “WE’RE GONNA DIIIIE!”

“Corporal!” the wolf shouted, shooting his icy blue eyes to the polar bear. “Ready the –”

Then suddenly the ship righted itself, much to the North Wind’s confusion.

“Parachutes?” the wolf finished in a baffled tone. For a moment, all the polar creatures gazed about their ship, half-expecting an encore performance.

What in the dickens just happened?

Before anyone could ponder further, a soft gasp drew everyone’s attention to Eva.

“They’re gone.”

Corporal blinked. “Who is gone?”

Eva, her usually stoic face full of shock and dismay, slid herself out of the way so the others could see.

Aside from the North Wind themselves, the radar reported nothing.

“The belugas. They’re just…gone.”

XXX

August 5, 2011

Captain Barnacles already knew.

He already knew the moment he spotted those figures in red and black – just as the reports described – chasing those poor eels through the Atlantic waters in their subs, that he and his crew would be in for a new sort of tussle.

The newly appointed captain also knew that he had no intention of letting these thugs have their way.

“Tweak, ready the lift.”

Chapter Text

8:32 AM

Booting…

Please wait.

Process complete.

Please log in.

Click click-click-click click.

Username: GummiGoob03

Password: ****************

Identity confirmed. Welcome back, Circe.

Click.

Accessing Documents…

File Name: Enemy Logs

Click.

Menu > Open

ENTRY #1: DAWN

Defenders of Animals, Wayfarers of Nature

Environmental worldwide agency established in the early 20^th century in response to rising extinction rates and natural disasters and to provide aid, recovery, and protection to all creatures (allegedly). Also charts out the natural world, perhaps a means of beating its corporate rivals to new potential resources. Sometimes it pokes its nose into political and economic affairs, likely to monopolize power on the global stage.

Led by a Head Executive and comprises of six branches – CLADE, TRAIL, WARN, GAMMA, The Four Winds, and the Octonauts – each governed by a subordinate Director. Together they form a Board that plans out all of DAWN’s schemes.

Definite Final Boss material.

ENTRY #2: CLADE

Covert League of Animal Detective Experts

Where all of DAWN’s newbies go. Sends its agents all over the place to sniff around for stuff in nature to mess with so they can set up issues for DAWN to fix and seem like heroes. Most of them graduate to join the other branches for bigger and better things, but some seem to double back later on.

Rejects maybe?

Not too hard to overpower, although some agents are tougher than others. Better to play by ear.

ENTRY #3: The Four Winds

Does so-called land- and air-based rescues for creatures in need. Further divided into four sub-groups that each focus on a specific category of biomes. North Wind, polar; East, temperate forests; South, deserts and other dry not-cold places; and East, jungles.

Way to be even more complicated.

What to look out for depends on which Wind we’re trying to break (heh, break wind), but usually the North Wind is easiest since they tend to rely on their tech way more than the others. Easy pickings for me.

But the other Winds’ leaders are all a little older and experienced, not to mention more old school. Always best to consult Athena and Boss first before engaging them.

ENTRY #4: WARN

Worldwide Animal Relay Network

DAWN’s intelligence network (i.e. the snitches). Reports everything and anything they can sniff out to the other branches. Also has a bunch of scientists that poke around nature alongside CLADE agents, probably to find stuff to falsify and fearmonger about.

Pretty sure they’d all go down in a heartbeat, but they’re always a good source of info to spy on, so it’s best to lay low and eavesdrop around them.

ENTRY #5: TRAIL

Technological Research, Advancement, and Innovation League

The tech nerds of DAWN. Comes up with all the fancy gadgets everyone else in the organization uses (not that those toys can compare to what I’ve got, of course). Also has a ton of doctors on file (maybe out of blackmail) to keep their little agents patched up.

Can’t be all that good at fighting, which is probably a good reason why most of them are always at either home base or their own bases where security’s super-tight. Always good hacking practice.

ENTRY #6: GAMMA

Guardians Against Mistreatment and Manipulation of Animals

The “black ops” of DAWN (aka the badasses). Handles all the dangerous stuff that the other branches are too wimpy to handle. Even lets in criminals who supposedly want to turn a new leaf. Seems like a serious liability but hey it seems to be working for GAMMA so far.

So yeah, do not take these guys lightly. They’ve got the most combat experience and least reason to hold back. They’re not impossible, though, since Boss is pretty good at cooking up workarounds against these guys.

ENTRY #7: Octonauts

The only branch of DAWN that’s full on about ocean life. It used to be called Oceanic Affairs but didn’t have much going for it besides a few agents taking some boats and small subs out to sea. A while back, though, it got a massive reboot with a new crew. Got a cool-looking sub too.

We haven’t had a chance to get up close and personal yet so no telling how any of them hold up in a fight, but they seem to be more the research and rescue types judging by what my spy-cams captured. Don’t seem too tough for the others to handle.

That’s probably why those guys always challenge us to a race instead, see who can get to the creatures first. Can’t lie, those fancy subs of theirs can really move.

No surprise. According to some DAWN live feeds I snooped on, these guys got some technical whiz on board, one that always finds a way to one-up me and my tech.

One of these days I’ll put that so-called genius in their place.

Beep, beep! Beep, beep!

Chat Notifications (1)

Click-click.

Opening R-Messenger…

One message from King-of-Flame at 8:25 AM.

King-Of-Flame: Hey. You get the brief this morning?

GummiGoob03 is typing…

GummiGoob03: You mean about the new mission, yeah? Yep! Almost done updating the enemy logs like you asked too.

King-Of-Flame is typing…

King-Of-Flame: Good. Get done whatever you need before evening. We’ll be heading off to Okinawa a little before noon tomorrow. We should arrive sometime after nightfall.

GummiGoob03: Aww, with no time to enjoy the beach? Lame.

King-Of-Flame: Revenants have no room for leisure. You know this.

GummiGoob03: I know, I know. XP

King-Of-Flame: It’ll be a long flight so make sure you get to bed early.

GummiGoob03: Got it. BTW, what’s our target this time? Kabore wasn’t exactly specific in the brief.

King-Of-Flame: The Octonauts.

GummiGoob03: Seriamente? Man, been a while, huh?

King-Of-Flame: Yep. Seems those guys are searching for the same specimens Ambrosia currently needs. We’ll be underwater for this one so make sure the R-Venger is prepped for undersea travel.

GummiGoob03: You got it!

King-Of-Flame: Good. And Circe?

GummiGoob03: Yeah?

King-Of-Flame: Make sure that update for your hacking gear is in order too. We’re going the saboteur route on this one.

GummiGoob03: Ah, sabotage. My favorite word <3

King-Of-Flame: Better yet, see if you can’t bust out that new vehicle you’ve been working on while you’re at it. It’s been a while since we’ve seen our little marine friends, so I wanna REALLY surprise them.

GummiGoob03: You had me at “surprise”, jefe. I’m tired of those dinky subs Ambrosia always loans us anyway. Anything else?

King-Of-Flame: No, that’s all. Typhon, signing off.

GummiGoob03: WAIT!

King-Of-Flame: ?

GummiGoob03: There’s something important I forgot to say.

King-Of-Flame: What is it?

GummiGoob03: Morning! :D

King-Of-Flame: …

King-Of-Flame: Morning.