One {guardians only}

Smoke smoldered from between his fingers, raising his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug as the door went folding in on itself under Devin's weight. "We got in, didn't we?" They didn't have time to waste. Every second they let slip, the trail got colder. Ryan stepped inside over Devin's faceplanted ass, lilac gaze scorching over the ransacked apartment.

The member 'Sleepy' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'd20' : 2, 6

The door jarred as Devin rammed into it, causing him blink as he came to a complete stop. He opened his mouth, ready to say something when suddenly all the weight disappeared as the door suddenly crumbled. He let out a startled gasp as he suddenly tilted forward, having had all his weight being supported by the door as he hit the ground with a slightly loud thud. He grimaced as he heard Ryan speak up, watching as the man stepped over him as he pushed himself upright with a wince. "In or not, you could have put innocents in danger," he grumbled as he took in the apartment.

He was startled by how complete a mess it was. It was ransacked, had the other masked protesters attempt to destroy all evidence the moment they had killed their own man? He shook his head in awe of the destruction, carefully stepping around the mess to allow Montare and Lihn to step into the mess. His gaze shifted over to one of the broken doors, pushing past it and into the bathroom to see what kind of state it was in.

The member 'Honey Badger' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'd20' : 13, 5

Childish as it was, she was practically sulking. The one time where it actually mattered for her to work with the older guardians, she just had to mess up. Palms sweaty (whether it was from the subdued flames or not, Linh wasn't sure), her figure flinched back when Devin slammed right onto the ground. With the ghosts ignoring her, she couldn't ask for what the room looked like. Judging from the way the others were stepping around the area, it didn't seem organized. A musty and rotten smell filled her nostrils, bearing some sort of resemblance to the back alleys of her home country.

Being handheld by the others to walk around wasn't exactly her idea of providing useful support, so as she carefully took her first step past the disintegrated door, Linh manifested a cane with the lingering phantasmal energy. Tap, tap, tap. At least she wouldn't be completely dead-weight if the ghosts failed to answer her call again. Another failure, and she'd have to figure out a different way to investigate the traps to prevent people from being electrocuted or worse.

dice gods please have mercy on my soul

The member 'Echo' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'd20' : 8, 14

Trey walked up the apartment stairs. His white hair was in a frenzy and his breathing out of rhythm while his hand pulled his weight up the stair railings. The metal bender had gotten caught up in a conversation with some other guardians on campus, and it was already late when he remembered he had an investigation this morning. Trey made it to the top step taking in a few extra deep breaths before entering.

The door was nothing but a pile of ash on the floor. 'What happened here..?' Trey stepped over the pile, standing behind the familiar guardians. "Sorry I'm late. Have we found anything out yet?" His blue eyes traced the messy room trying to pick out any detail.

The member 'Binder' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'd20' : 7, 15

Ryan only saw the absolute mess of the room. Wow, that definitely was a picture on the wall, or wow. Look at that trash spread across the ground. His step narrowly avoiding a shattered glass on the ground. Other than that, he saw nothing. Suddenly, a pop filled the room, and a mini explosion sends Ryan flying back into the main room. A trail of smoke comes from behind the door followed by a whirling sound and a click.

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As Devin pushed into the room, it was easily in the same state as the main room. Piles of clothes were torn from the closet, the bed was unmade, and the mattress was pushed off the bed frame. However, to Devin, it was quite difficult to see anything important through the mess.

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Shockingly, another ghost answered the call, carefully, they pointed out each of the traps in the room, most in the trash, but also within larger furniture. The ghost frowned, floating back to help Linh navigate the room to each of the traps.
ooc; Echou, For your next turn you get to roll 2 d20 for whatever you want to do and I will take the highest number for your roll.

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Trey stepped in, seeing the mess of the room. He managed to pick out what looked like a camera within the debris of the tv. A small red light blinked slowly. With a turn of his head, he spotted yet another smaller one within a picture on the wall.

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ooc; as a side note, remember that other characters do not know what the others spot unless that character points it out. As such, Ryan, Devin and Linh do not notice the cameras. Only until Devin points it out or they make a good perception roll--same with Linh and the traps in the main room. Luckily yall passed those lol. Except Ryan. good job ryan

After recovering from being electrocuted by the door that, despite putting up far more of a fight than it had any right to, was now considerably worse off, Montare followed the other Guardians into the ransacked apartment, shadowed by his guardsmen. As he walked into the main room of the apartment, he started to look around before his attention was drawn to the sound of an explosion followed by Ryan flying back into the room. Without a word Montare headed over to that same room, signalling with his hand for his guards to stay back as he tried to cautiously enter the room, hopefully managing to find the trap and avoid it before he set it off as well.

The member 'Mount' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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#1 'd20' : 7

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#2 'd20' : 17

praise the sun, her pleas were answered this time

Her own smile followed the ghost's with each passing trap pointed out to her. The cult Blank were much more cautious than she anticipated, laying out a spring in major positions that were difficult to overlook in a thorough investigation. "Please be careful around the trash and the larger pieces of the... the ferbeture...?" Linh's voice began confidently, wavering once she failed to remember how exactly the word was pronounced. She just had to flub over longer English words now, didn't she? "I-I meant furniture." It was quieter and softer than she would've liked, but hopefully the others managed to hear her over their own investigations and the wary steps she took to avoid the traps pointed out to her-- Never mind, Ryan was blown back by an explosion.

Linh winced a bit, concentrating on her posture so that it wouldn't unbalance her and make her fall into a landmine by accident. "Are you alright, anh?"

The member 'Echo' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'd20' : 19, 6

Right off the bat, there wasn't anything of notice in the room he was in. It was a complete mess, and it would take time to dig through all of the loose clothing and the bed that was thrown from its frame. He shook his head with a sigh. He tilted his head as Linh's spoke up. Stay away from trash and furniture, huh? He frowned, casting a wary eye toward the mattress as he took a soft step toward it... That was when a explosion caused him to jump, peering out of the room only to see Ryan laid flat on his back from an sudden but small explosion. "You good?" he called out, although he didn't wait for an answer as he turned his attention to the mess of a room and started to carefully make his way toward the bed frame. He leaned down, gently running his fingers across the bottom of the frame. There had to be a reason the bed was thrown aside like that, and hopefully whoever had torn up the place hadn't bothered to fully check down here.

The member 'Honey Badger' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'd20' : 15

Trey scanned the room, looking for anything out of place. His eyes fell upon a small red blinking light of a camera, spotting another one attached to a picture on the wall. "Hey, uh, guys. Seems we aren't the only ones looking for something." Trey reached out his hand, his power tingling at the tips of his fingers as the metal cameras were revealed from their hiding and floated in the middle of the room. The metal bender slowly closed his fist crushing the lens of the cameras so they didn't have visual anymore. His light blue eyes darted around the room searching for any more of the spying cams that could be watching them.

The member 'Binder' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'd20' : 19

Montare stepped into the room and was greeted with a similar sight to what Ryan saw, however noting a small safe with dents in it, maybe some scratches. The bed was off its frame, and a small picture was hung on the wall, seemingly untouched. On the far left side a window was open-- a curtain slowly drifting in the cooling autumn wind.Another pop resounded, yet no explosion came from it, with another hiss the mechanism died leaving only a failing trail of smoke.

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The ghost continued to do her best helping Linh around, once she was certain Linh knew where the traps were, she offered the woman a smile before vanishing. Her job was done, and every trap had been pointed out by the ghost.
(Linh no longer has an advantage on her rolls.)

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Devin spotted immediately a safe on its side in the shadow of the frame. dents lined the door, and scratches adorned the lock. It seemed there was an attempt to unlock it, yet failed. Below the combination, there is a small hole for there a key could fit. It too seemed scratched beyond repair. Yet possibly salvageable? Under the bed further was halfway attempted traps, which did not look active. As if they ran out of time?

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The small cameras cluttered to the ground--feedback interrupted then stopped as they were crushed. As hard as Trey could look--there was none to be seen.

His eyes glimmered as he spotted the safe, before pausing at the seemingly inactive traps. But there was an exictement in him, shadowy energy flickering across his arms at the pure sudden surge of energy of finding something in this mess. "I found something!" he shouted over his shoulder, standing up as he dusted off his legs."Its a safe - it looks like they tried to get into it but failed. The whole thing is pretty damaged but I am sure somebody can get it open..." he shook his head as he allowed his voice to die down, the dark energy condensing along his arms as he carefully reached for the safe. Even if the traps looked inactive, it was better safe than sorry.

Gripping the dented safe, he took in a deep breath as he did his best to shift into a better position for leverage. If they could get it out of the apartment and to Commander Stein, certainly he could use his gift to open it or at least somebody else under him could...Hopefully without triggering any traps that perhaps was on the inside...This could be the key to answer everything seeing how whoever trashed this apartment clearly wanted in. With a burst of his demonic might, Devin tugged at the safe - hoping that it wasn't trapped or super heavy so he could get it out of this apartment and into a safer area.

The member 'Honey Badger' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'd20' : 17

This was not his day. Ryan kept his feet, but the force and fierceness of the blast sent him staggering hard into a wall, teeth clenched in silent pain. Red rays rose off his skin, yellow and blue flames lifting from his palms like a popping gas stove to reflect his irritation. Otherwise, Ryan kept himself together, brushing at his coat, deciding that he didn't like this kid. A ringing lifted in his ears, and he had to blink away white splotches in his vision. He'd been through worse explosions.

yeah shit guys im totally okay no need to rush over or anything

He filtered into the room after the others, more cautiously this time, lips turning in distaste toward the cameras crumpled up in the center of the floor. They knew this conspiracy was bigger than one college student, but to what scale? Ryan put a buffer zone between himself and Scary Devin as he wrenched at the old, dented safe. "Hey. We still have a key. And it wasn't for the door." He produced it from his sleeve, holding it out for someone to grab, because he wasn't going to take it to Scary Devin himself.

Devin paused as Ryan spoke up, turning his glowing gaze to him only to frown sharply when he realized that the guardian wasn't daring to approach him. "Seriously?" he growled, shaking his head as he lowered the safe to the ground, picking a safe spot from traps before he stormed over toward the guardian and snatched the key. Heading back, he knelt down as he stuck the key into the hole - praying that it worked as he turned it and pulled at the door of the battered safe to see what was inside.

Ryan held his breath, but the key slid neatly into the lock, and the battered safe coughed open without any further resistance. After seeing the rest of the bachelor pad, he almost wasn't sure what to expect. Besides the five hundred or so rounds of ammunition, it was mostly filled with papers; stacks of folders; boring stuff like old electric bills, transcripts from Liberi and Benedicite, a copy of an outdated resume. He flipped one of the envelopes open and hand-written letters and old family pictures slipped out, fluttering to the floor around his soot-caked boots like falling leaves.

Norman Carter, first day at a blank public school.

Norman Carter's mom in an ugly Christmas sweater.

Norman Carter stooped low, arm slung around a younger boy's shoulder, with the same shaggy brown hair and lean cheeks. They were both smiling.

Norman Carter and a young woman his age, curtains of dark hair falling around her shoulders.

There were newspaper and magazine clippings nestled in the spine of the folders. Official Guardian reports. A ripped out page from a street tabloid he didn't even recognize, The Blank Pages, too cheap for color ink or clean-cut paper, but certainly not "blank." The page in question was signed off with an alias or some kind of screen name—HYPERMNESTRA—and it opened up with these words:

The death of 9 year old James Carter is not an accident. It's murder. And the Guardians are covering it up.

On the back of the page was a hand-drawn map.

Devin sighed in relief as the door swung open, allowing himself to stand up as Ryan swooped in to check out what was in the safe. He brushed past the guardian, heading toward the entrance of the room as he peeked out at the others who were still standing around. "We got the safe open - Ryan is checking out the content now," he explained to the others as he allowed his demonic energy to fade away, the shadows peeling away and vaporizing like mist off of his body.

He glanced over back at Ryan and the pictures and letters that had fallen to the floor. "Got anything good there?" he questioned as he headed back, scooping up the picture of their shooter next to a young boy - a brother no doubt from how much their appearance were similar. His heart ached slightly, questioning how Norman's family had to be dealing with their lost, to learn their son did such a terrible thing and paid a bloody price for it.  That thought lingered until he peered at the folder that Ryan was staring at, noticing the message that caused his blood to run cold.

"James Carter..." he repeated the name, his mind struggling to remember if he had heard of the boy's death before. The details escaped him as he mused it over, his gaze flickering back to the picture in his hand - of the two boys captured in a happy moment that was now lost forever to the cold bitterness of death. "Revenge...Of course," he mused, shaking his head. One could do unforgivable things in the name of revenge - Devin didn't dare to linger on the thoughts of what he could - what he would do - to protect those he called family. There was a blossom of pity for the late Norman as he tucked away that train of thought.

His gaze snapped back at Ryan, about to say something when the map on the back of the page caught his attention. He peered over at it, tucking the picture he was holding safely into the pocket of his jacket. "A map...If we can figure out where this goes, it might be an important lead." He glanced down at the papers that were scattered around them, leaning down to pick up another photo - this one being of Norman's mother in a Christmas sweater. "If you guys want to try to follow the map, I can take the rest of the evidence from the safe back to be checked over in more detail - but anybody is free to join me but I doubt it will be exicting. I may also see if I can find the file on James' death - figure out what exactly happened to that poor boy..."