The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you. 

—David Foster Wallace

"I certainly hope you weren't getting attached to those minions of yours, Sato-sama. It would seem our ally was rather hard on them-- your healer perished, as well as the boy Obsidian, the Beat, and the walking grease fire." The voice was hard and cruel, different from the one before. Sakura kept her expression perfectly neutral, tightly repressing the scream of frustration that accompanied the news.

I FIND IT VERY TIRESOME THAT WE CANNOT OBLITERATE THIS INSECT OF AN INDIVIDUAL.

Wings, I think you and I are finally on the same page.

"You made a mistake there, prick," Sakura murmured. "Gave me a bit of hope that they'll find me. If Azazel didn't slaughter all of them, that means they stopped him. They can get information about my location-- no matter how cagey you were when you first got in contact, my ex-teammate's not stupid enough to destroy my note without reading it first. He knows I'm somewhere in Japan, and that's all my comrades need."

A chuckle, sadistic and...familiar?

"Only six are still alive. Pardon me if I refrain from trembling in terror."

"Those six heroes fought a Sentry and won," she shot back. "Asher's a Class Delta threat, easy. Not only did they win, but they haven't deserted the team-- after all, you would have rubbed that in my face even more so than the deaths themselves. All you're telling me is the team I handpicked is succeeding against odds they should never have had to face at all. I wish the fallen were alive. But I'm damn proud of the ones who survived, and I can trust they'll come for you shortly. If you're smart, you'll hope they get to you before I do."

The strangely familiar voice paused, as though taken aback.

Yeah! You tell him!

SAKURA SATO. JAPAN IS NOT A SMALL LOCATION, AND YOUR NOTE DID NOT SPECIFIC WHERE IN THE COUNTRY WE WOULD BE GOING.

She allowed herself the smallest hint of a smile. You're right, Zach. They have something better: Project Phoenix's metahuman databases. Do you remember a specific individual in Tokyo?

The harmless-crazy one? Ugh. That's my least favorite type of crazy.

"Perhaps they will come after all." The voice carried an edge of anger. "It matters little. I wonder, Sato-sama: how much have you told them about your history, your name? How much could they discover about your mysterious foes?"

Sakura's blood ran cold. The familiarity in the tone struck a chord in her memory. Footsteps approached, and the figure finally stepped out of the shadows and into the light.

"Tell me, o glorious leader, what do they know about the Empress's first Empire?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Requirements

-A successful interrogation got the following information from Azazel: the Empress has been captured and is being held somewhere in Japan, most likely Tokyo. This is a place to start, but the real kicker is this:

-A search of Project Phoenix's rejected candidates for membership reveals an interesting find: at a shrine in Tokyo, a confirmed metahuman works as a fortuneteller. They have only one ability, but it's a doozy: Ask them a question, and they'll respond correctly in the manner of oracles in the past. 

-Your tribute joins the others on a trip to Japan to get answers. Upon finding this fortuneteller, you may ask them up to three questions. The catch? For every question you ask them, they will ask a question which you must answer with perfect honesty. Fail to do so, and they won't provide you with any information.

Deaths: Two ballot kills, to be submitted with your entry. You will not receive scores this round, but your performance in this and the next round will determine who receives byes in the Semifinals.

Due Date: Saturday, December 9 at 10 PM EST