Brockton Bay city approximately six months after the infamous locker incident.

The interior of the docks area.

A random old rotting warehouse.

Out of the countless number of warehouses that hadn't been used since the golden age of Brockton Bay's seafaring trade days, only one of the storage facilities stood out as genuinely being unique amongst them as it was the only building within the confusing maze-like interior of the innermost section of the docks. That had brand new scaffolding surrounding it. Along with hundreds of black as night coloured tarps covering every single window preventing anyone from seeing whatever was inside of the warehouse. What was even more interesting about the old warehouse was that Aegis the current leader of the local wards team and Vista the longest-serving member of the junior hero team were currently standing right before the only entrance that leads into the building.

"Wow, this place sure looks like it has seen better days." Vista the space warping heroine offhandedly commented about the ruined state of the old storage facility truly the warehouse looked mere days away from clasping upon itself. Even the scaffolding currently surrounding the rotting building only seemed to be slowing down the inevitable destructive end of the warehouse.

"It certainly does look that way." Aegis agreed with his younger though must more experienced teammate. "Either way, we still need to go inside to continue our investigation on what has happened to the dockworkers' leader." The reminder as to why, they were at, the warehouse in, the first place caused both heroes, too. Grimace in discomfort. As Danny Hebert leader of the Union had suddenly and without warning vanished off the face of the earth around two weeks ago, which had caused Director Piggot to immediately began an investigation into the matter. A smart decision since without the Union's help key systems that helped keep the city running would surely stop working altogether like the sewer network, building maintenance and other vital things that could only be repaired or be done by the Union.

To make matters even worse. The protectorate hadn't found a single clue as to the whereabouts of Danny Hebert during those two weeks. The only thing that the local heroes had truly learned during the investigation was that Danny, for some unknown reason, had taken his daughter out of the hospital after only spending two full days admitted there. And that the whole Union was surprisingly tight-lipped about where their leader currently was located. Needless to say that the lacklustre results didn't amuse the Director. It was only thanks to Armsmaster's hacking into the Union's computer systems that they had managed to discover the warehouse's existence and that it was the last known place that Danny had visited before disappearing.

"Well, we better get inside and investigate before Piggot decides to call us for an update." Calmly said Aegis knowing full well that the Director would want to know as soon as possible if Danny Hebert was inside the warehouse. Not that he could blame his superior for wanting to get this whole issue sorted out as there were plenty of problems springing up ever since the union leader's disappearance. What with the Empire 88 and the ABB currently having a small turf war against each other and the Merchants deciding to suddenly turn violent to anyone who wasn't apart of their gang. Though why the drug sellers had become so violent wasn't known the only thing that the protectorate knew was that the sudden violence began ruffly five months ago.

Vista nodded in agreement since she would rather avoid getting on Piggot's bad side at the moment especially since the women were rather easily angered these days what with the whole gang war going on which placed a tremendous amount of stress upon the local Director's shoulders. It didn't help that the mayor kept calling to demand that Piggot fix the whole problem while he and his subordinates didn't do anything to help protect the city from the raging turf war between Brockton's two most powerful gangs.

"Right let's do this," said Vista in a professional tone. At the same time, she and Aegis both grabbed ahold of the closed heavy metal sliding door of the warehouse. After a moment to make sure that they had a good enough grip on the door the two wards giving a great heave causing the metal door to slid open with a nasty sounding screech of metal upon metal. Making the two heroes wince at the sound but thankfully it didn't last very long as Vista and Aegis managed to completely slide the door open allowing light to pour into the warehouse.

"Wow, this place needs a good cleaning." Bluntly stated Vista while studying the layout of the warehouse the old storage facility looked like it hadn't been used for years what with the insane levels of dust coating the floor and old rotting crates that littered the area. Truly the space warping heroine couldn't understand why the leader of the dockworkers union would ever come to this place. It was evident to anyone with a pair of working eyes that the warehouse was standing on its last legs and couldn't be saved or used for anything except for being taken apart to make room for something else. Yet the Union's leadership had come here nonetheless, and from the Union's computer system Danny Hebert had frequently been visiting this warehouse for the past six months.

"Yeah, it sure does." Replied Aegis while stepping into the warehouse's interior. "Anyway let's search the warehouse, after all, there are not that many places that Mr Hebert can be." Which was something that Aegis was thankful for since the Director had been very clear that the two of them were to search the warehouse from top to bottom leaving no stone unturned in their quest to find the union leader though even if they didn't find him here, it would at least cross off one location from their search list.

Knowing that time was of the essence the duo split off from each other and began searching the warehouse for Danny Hebert with Aegis taking a look through the only work office of the building which nestled near the rightmost corner of the storage facility. In contrast, Vista searched around the main storage area, which made it easier thanks to her space warping powers. After an hour of searching the whole building from top to bottom, the two wards rejoined at the centre of the warehouse which strangely enough was empty of anything of real value.

"Well, did you find anything?" Aegis asked his green armoured companion only to receive a shake of her head in the negative.

"Nope this place is empty" answered Vista who huffed in annoyance at not having found the Union's leader which she knew would piss off Piggot since the women wanted this whole mess cleaned up before it could get any worse.

Aegis couldn't help sighing in resignation since they hadn't found Mr Hebert here. Still, at least the protectorate could now say that he wasn't here though the wards team leader knew that the Director was sure to interrogate the Union about why the man had frequently been coming to this warehouse for the past six months.

"Yeah, let's just get out of here and report to the Director," Aegis said in a tired tone while turning to head towards the entrance to the warehouse only to step on a hidden switch on the floor causing apart of the flooring to rise reviling an elevator, which resembled those used in mine shafts. Needless to say that the two wards were beyond surprised to see the elevator's sudden appearance. Unlike the warehouse, the elevator looked to be well maintained and was free of any kind of dust meaning that it must have been used often for there to be little to no dust gathering upon its surface.

"I am so not getting on that thing." Vista bluntly told her team leader after a moment of silence had passed since the elevator's reviling. She didn't know just where that elevator went. Still, every instinct that had allowed the space warping heroine to survive the dangerous trials of being a hero were telling her to stay as far away from that elevator as was physically possible. Vista was going to listen to them because that once unhidden entrance was giving her the creeps.

Aegis for his part stared incredulously at his teammate ", but Vista Mr Hebert could very well be down there" he tried to reason with his comrade only to receive a glare in response from the heroine. However, it was hidden thanks to the green visor that covered her equally green eyes from view.

"I don't care if he is down there Aegis" replied Vista while hurriedly walking towards the exit "haven't you seen how horror movies work?" She questioned her leader still not turning back to look at him. "The evil monster always hides down in the dark hidden lair patiently waiting to kill unsuspecting teenagers who stupidly wounded into its home." After a few more steps, Vista had finally made it to the exit. "Besides we should tell the Director about this before going down there" turning around to face Aegis she pointed a single finger at him "plus I'm way too cute to die by the hands of a monster" that last part earned her a deadpan look from Aegis in response.

Though annoyed by Vista's refusal to entire the elevator Aegis could understand why she didn't want to go down into the unknown, after all, they both didn't know what was waiting down there. Even worse the union leader may very well be wherever the elevator shaft leads to meaning the duo had to check at least to see if that was indeed the case. However, the real trick was getting Vista to go with him thankfully Aegis had a sure-fire way to getting his teammate to come along through the ward leader knew that he was going to feel slightly guilty about using this method against Vista. Still, it was the only way to receive her help in exploring what lay below the elevator.

"That's too bad Vista!" Aegis called out to his teammate while entering the elevator. "I'm sure that Gallant and the others would have been highly impressed by us solving the case before they did but oh well." He secretly smiled when he saw that Vista had paused halfway through the exit knowing full well about her massive crush on Gallant which was all he needed to get the space warping heroine on board with his plan to investigate the elevator.

"3…2…1" Aegis smugly counted down within his mind when he had finished counting down to zero the space surrounding him suddenly warped before Vista appeared right inside the elevator a blank expression upon her face as she patiently waited for him to press the descend button.

"We'll stay ten minutes down there," Vista told Aegis in a no-nonsense tone of voice. "If we can't find Mr Hebert then we immediately return to the surface to inform Director Piggot about the elevator and everything else we might find." Aegis quickly nodded his head since he didn't want to push his luck when it came to Vista the younger ward likely already figured out that he had used her crush against her. Honestly, Aegis didn't want to end up like Clockblocker that one time when the time-powered hero had piss Vista off to the point where she had trapped the clock themed hero into a continuously warping space. Though at the time it had been highly amusing to watch Clockblocker pass the same corridor three times in the past four hours with him not even noticing what was happening.

"Fair enough" was all Aegis had to say about the matter before pressing the decedent button, causing the elevator to start descending into the darkness.

Five minutes later.

"Finally I thought that we would never get to the end of this damned elevator shaft," grumbly said Vista while existing the aforementioned elevator. While being followed shortly by Aegis who was too busy surveying the place that they had found themselves in to respond to his friend's comment about the slowness of the elevator, however, he had to agree that the elevator had been mind-numbingly slow. Honestly, the elevators back at the Rig were faster then the one they had just taken on the bright side at least this elevator didn't have elevator music blasting away at you while riding it a plus in his book if anything else.

"This defiantly wasn't in the floor plans that Armsmaster had us look over." Aegis grimly noted while taking in the grey hallway that stretched out before the two of them. It was only a single corridor with plenty of light shining down from the lightbulbs hanging above but for some strange reason this hidden underground place gave Aegis an uneasy feeling like something was watching both him and Vista.

"No, it defiantly wasn't." Responded Vista who began walking down the hallway "we should keep our guard up while down here" she wouldn't say it out loud but much like Aegis the underground base that they had stumbled upon was casing the heroine to feel unnerved and slightly paranoid.

Aegis grunted in agreement whilst following Vista deeper into the underground base. "Right let's make it quick then." The two Parahumans silently made their way through the corridor as they went the duo swiftly came to realize that no other sound except for their armoured boots hitting the floor could be heard echoing throughout the hallway. It was rather eerily walking through this place without any other signs of life except their own it was like life had just decided to abandon the underground base completely.

"Okay, I'm I the only one between the two of us that is being crept out by this place," Vista whispered to Aegis as they continued to walk through the corridor. The underground base was just unnerving and the longer they walked through the base, the more sure that Vista became that coming down here had been a mistake on their part.

"Trust me it isn't just you who finds this place creepy." Replied Aegis while keeping a lookout for anything suspicious. Because the most critical thing that Armsmaster had taught the wards was that when in an unfamiliar environment, you should never let your guard down. Even when the fighting stops always keep focused until you were either at the Rig or home where it was indeed safe to relax your guard. Aegis was going to take those words of wisdom to heart in this situation, especially since neither one of them knew if there, was anything else down here beside themselves.

"Oh good at least it's not just me" Vista deadpanned and after a few more minutes of tense walking the two wards had come upon a T junction.

"Great" sarcastically spat Vista as she glared at the two separate paths that laid out before them "so which path should we take Aegis?" The space warping heroine asked her leader who was staring at the junction in deep thought, no doubt trying to weigh the various pros and cons that may lay within each separate path.

"I think we should take the right path" Aegis answered after a few seconds of mental contemplation though honestly he didn't know which way they should take. Still, a gut feeling was telling him to go right and without any idea of just what was down here the leader of the wards had quickly decided to trust his gut instinct since it had saved his life on more than one occasion.

Vista seemed to think about it for a split second before nodding in agreement. "Well if you say so then lead the way, fearless leader." With a new path now set the two heroes continued their search for Danny Hebert. After a few minutes of silent walking the wards found themselves within a circler room with the path they had just come from being the only entrance. And the only thing residing within the room was a single computer terminal which to the surprise of both Parahumans was already turned on its screen glowing a luminescent green colour.

"Well this certainly isn't ominous" sarcastically whispered Vista while scanning the room for anything that might be a trap of some kind only to find pale white walls with huge metallic cable lines jetting out randomly throughout the whole room with some of them connecting with the terminal rest at the centre of the circler room.

"You'll get no arguments from me on this one Vista." Whispered back Aegis before slowly making his way towards the terminal taking extra care as he proceeded because he seriously didn't want to set off a trap or worse an alarm. Though thankfully after a few minutes of careful walking across the circler room, the leader of the wards had finally reached the terminal once there Aegis quickly started typing upon the terminal's keyboard. To his surprise, the terminal was already logged into. Though who had been using the terminal before would properly remain a mystery since there wasn't anyone else within the circler room beside him and Vista.

"So what does it say?" Quietly asked Vista after using her warping ability to cross the distance between them so that she could stand by Aegis's side while the hero in question just smiled at his friend while continuing to type into the terminal.

"Not much," Aegis whispered back in answer before returning his attention towards the terminal. "It's an access terminal for this places security system." He swiftly typed a few commands into the terminal which brought up a new window upon the screen. "We've got access to every single security camera. Best of all whoever designed the system had made sure that everything down here was being recorded and stored within the main computer system most likely so they could later view everything that was going on down here." Aegis gestured with his left hand for Vista to take a look for herself. Upon staring at the screen, she saw the window which held video recordings with dates stamped upon them telling the heroic duo just when they were taken, and best of all it was already orderly placed in geographical order.

"Wow, I didn't know you were so good with computers Aegis" complimented Vista while moving the mouse of the terminal towards the first-ever recording that the security system had taken.

Aegis smiled bashfully at the compliment while scratching the back of his red-coloured helmet. "I'm usually not though thankfully Kid Win has been teaching me a thing or two about computers when we both have some downtime." He explained before frowning at the terminal. "We're even luckier that someone else was using this terminal before we showed up because while I know my way around a computer thanks to Kid I'm no were good enough to heck any type of security system." Speaking of the terminal's previous user, Aegis was worried about what had happened to them since they were still logged in when the two of them had stumbled across it.

"Remind me to thank Kid when we get back to the Rig" replied Vista while clicking upon the video recording she desired to watch. After a few heartbeats, a new window appeared that quickly started to play the recording for both heroes to watch.

Security footage 001

20:30 pm

Approximately Six Months Ago.

The scene on the video footage showed the elevator entrance to the underground base shockingly to the viewing heroes the hallway filled with over twenty dockworkers from the Union. And leading them was none other than the person who they have been trying to locate for the past two weeks now Danny Hebert. However, the man in question looked horrible with thick black circulars around his eyes a sure sign as any that he wasn't getting any proper sleep. Worse still his clothes looked barely washed with multiple stains of unknown kinds randomly splattered across his form but as bad as he appeared the union leader had a gleam within his eyes that showed an inner strength that wasn't to be underestimated.

"Alright guys lets get this place up to code" Danny ordered in a loud authoritative tone receiving positive responses from his workers who immediately went to work repairing the old underground base.

"Quite impressive how you can so easily light a flame of loyalty inside the hearts of your men Mr Hebert." A calm, sophisticated voice called from inside the elevator sending an icy chill down the spines of the two heroes when they heard it through the heroic duo didn't focus on that for long because the footage showed a bald man of African descent calmly walking out of the elevator. He wore a clean white lab coat with a nice pair of dress shoes, pants and a classic white sweater vest he also had a smile that many would easily consider charming. Still, to Aegis and Vista, it just made them both feel disturbingly ill they couldn't figure out why the man's smile had that effect on them. If Danny was also feeling the same way as the viewing heroes were then he was hiding it astonishingly well as he turned to face the unknown man with a tired smiled upon his haggard face.

"Ah, Dr Stone I'm so glad that you could join us" Vista and Aegis ears perked up in interest at hearing that the man that caused both heroes to feel unnerved was a doctor.

Speaking of Dr Stone, he was smiling that unnerving smile of his within the footage while reaching out with his hand for a friendly handshake. "Please, Mr Hebert just call me Isaac being called Dr Stone makes me feel so cold and unapproachable." Issac reqested while the two wards suddenly thought that name sounded ominously familiar. The doctor released a laugh that properly meant to sound joyful, but to Aegis and especially Vista it just sounded cold and wrong like the man in the footage didn't know how to act or sound like a normal human being. "Anyway, I take it that my patients are ready to be transported to the laboratory?" The question caught the attention of the two wards who wondered just what kind of poor unfortunate people had been unlucky enough to become this Isaac Stone guy's patients.

Danny just continued to smile while taking Isaac's hand into a firm handshake. "Very well Isaac it is then." The union leader agreed and after a mere few seconds of handshaking, the leader of the Union retracted his hand way from Isaac's. "As for your question about transporting the patients, then the answer is yes, you can bring them down to the lab." The answer that Danny gave must have been one that Isaac wanted to hear because he gave a taken a breathtaking smile that stretched from ear to ear. An action that Vista seriously wanted the man on the footage to stop doing since it made her want to throw up her lunch just by seeing it.

"Splendid I'll bring them down now!" Isaac exclaimed far too happily for both heroes tastes before he walked into the elevator. After Aegis fast-forwarded the videotape by a couple of minutes, Dr Isaac returned though this time he had brought company which comprised a group of four unconscious not to mention healthy-looking men who were heavily strapped down onto hospital-grade gurneys the four patients were wheeled past Danny and deeper into the underground base by men who were also with the Union which made Aegis question within his mind just how many people within the Union knew about this place and what was happening down here.

As for Danny, the union leader just ignored the four unconscious men who had just been wheeled by as he seemed to be far more interested in something remaining within the elevator. "Isaac, are you sure that you can cure my daughter with the help of such a small amount of men and four test subjects?" The union leader asked softly to the doctor causing the two watching heroes to feel a dark sense of foreboding at the mere mention of test subjects. It was now clearly apparent that they had stumbled across something far worse than just an important man going missing.

Isaac placed a reassuring hand upon Danny's shoulder while gesturing with his other free hand for whoever else was within the elevator to come out. "Of course Mr Hebert even with such low number of helpers I can confidently say that your child will be cured though how long that will take is still hard to say since I've only gotten a visual look at her condition." As the doctor was talking to Danny Vista and Aegis saw the last patient within the elevator being wheeled out, both heroes immediately recoiled at the sight of Taylor Hebert coming into the view of the security cameras. The poor unconscious girl like the four men before she was strapped into a gurney thought this one was specially modified to have a see-through plastic dome covering it. Which helped to contain the hundreds of strangest light brown insects that Vista and Aegis had ever seen before. The bugs in question weren't doing anything harmful to the girl they were trapped with if anything they seemed to be rather docile as they gently crawled all over the leader of the Union's daughter.

As his daughter was wheeled past Danny released a sad sigh "I hope so. Otherwise, Taylor may have to spend the rest of her life within that dome" the oldest living Hebert grimaced showing that he didn't want that to be the outcome for his only child.

Isaac reassuringly patted Danny's shoulder. "Don't worry, Mr Hebert I'll do everything within my power to prevent such an outcome from happening." It was only the knowledge that this was a recording that prevented Vista from screaming bullshit because the vibes she was getting from the doctor were telling the heroine that the man should never be trusted. "Though I have to admit that I'm impressed that you've found me such a well-hidden place to work on Taylor without any possible way for interruptions." Isaac removed his hand from Danny's shoulder while sending the union leader a curious look "did you and your men build this place?" The inquiry caused Danny to chuckle while shaking his head in the negative.

"No, it was a rich businessman who previously owned the warehouse above us had this underground bunker secretly built by contractors who didn't live with the city after Levitation's first appearance," Danny explained. Which helped solved the mystery as to why the underground bunker wasn't within the blueprints that Armsmaster had Vista and Aegis go over before going to investigate the warehouse. "Though the guy dead in a gang attack four months after completion. The only reason that I even know about this bunker existence is that one of those contractors had bought quite a few pieces of construction equipment from the Union and had us discreetly deliver it to the warehouse."

The smile that Isaac gave Danny after explaining about the origin of the bunker was downright bone-chilling. "Well, that poor man's loss is our gain." The doctor happily commented on their luck at acquiring such a secluded location. "Anyway, I should get going to the laboratory after all your daughter won't cure herself." Releasing a chuckle of merriment, the doctor walked past the union leader and disappeared into the darkness leaving behind the oldest living Hebert who just sighed tiredly before entering the elevator, which swiftly returned to the surface.

Footage End.

A heavy silence fell upon the circular room as both heroes quietly tried to come to terms with what they have discovered.

It was only six minutes after watching the security footage that Aegis decided to say something. "At least we can tell director Piggot that we've found out what Mr Hebert has been up to for the past six months," the ward leader told Vista trying to lighten the depressive atmosphere that was filling the room. Unfortunately, he failed if the glare that the heroine was sending him was any indication.

"Oh, I'm sure Piggy's is going to be so happy to find out that the leader of the dockworkers union is allowing experiments to be performed upon his daughter. And four innocent men rather than being kidnapped or killed by one of the gangs like we all assumed had happened to the guy." Aegis winced at Vista's venomous reply honestly the longest-serving ward looked livid not that he could blame her. Since what they had both just witnessed on the security footage wasn't exactly the most pleasant thing to watch even if it was just a recording.

"Yeah, Piggot's defiantly gonna be pissed when we tell her." Grimly agreed Aegis knowing full well that the Director was properly going to go apocalyptic when he reported about what he and Vista had discovered within the underground bunker the fact that the situation involved illegal experiments being done upon four normal humans and one Parahuman was sure to send Piggot onto a bloody warpath and quit frankly Aegis wouldn't feel the least bit sorry for the people responsible for this horror show when the Director finally got her hands on them.

Vista sighed, not looking forward to being interrogated by the Director when they got back to the Rig. Which the two heroes knew was going to happen the moment they informed the overweight women about what the union leader has been doing for the past six months. "Well if we're leaving now then we should at least bring something back for Piggy." Reaching into a hidden compartment within her green-coloured armour after a few seconds of fishing around, she pulled out a flash drive from the compartment and tossed it at Aegis who quickly caught it.

"Right we can't return to the Rig without at least getting a souvenir of this wonderful place" Aegis joked while plugging the flash drive into the terminal.

Vista amusedly rolled her eyes at Aegis's attempt at humour. "Please Aegis this place isn't wonderful after all it doesn't even have a gift shop" the heroine responded with a joke of her own while watching Aegis begin downloading everything he could from the terminal.

A chuckle escaped Aegis's lips upon hearing Vista's little joke about the bunker's lack of gift shops.

Anyway, a full three minutes swiftly went by before Aegis was finished downloading everything that he could from the terminal. Once the download was complete Aegis removed the flash drive tossing it back to Vista, who returned the drive to her hidden armoured compartment. To keep it safe while transporting it back to the Rig, for Armsmaster to later analysis the valuable data that was now stored within it.

"Welp we better get out of here and inform Director Piggot about our little discovery" calmly said Aegis receiving a nod from Vista though before the heroes could turn away from the terminal to leave the room a familiar voice that suddenly spoke up from behind the crime-fighting duo.

"Leaving so soon?" Aegis and Vista spun upon the balls of their feet to swiftly turn towards the only entrance into the room where much to their slowly amounting horror stood none other than Dr Isaac Stone who looked highly amused and unworried about their presence. Which set off alarm bells within the heroes minds since the only reason the man would be so calm as if he had some way of defeating them before they became a threat to his life.

The doctor took a step forward, causing the two heroes to take one back in response "it would be a shame if you two left" Isaac continued. At the same time, his icy blue eyes seemed to be staring directly into their very souls mentally picking apart what made them who they were as not only heroes but also as individuals needless to say that they didn't like how those eyes stared at them. The next words that left Dr Stone's lips caused a shiver of dread to travel down their spines because even though the words were juvenile and light-hearted the way, he said them had a much more sinister undertone.

"After all you two fine young crime fighters haven't visited our gift shop yet."