[December 13, 2022]
"All teams, check in." Chief Chandler said into her radio while actively observing all of the monitors in front of her.
Despite the numerous amount of times she's been inside this thing, the brunette woman will never get used to being stuck inside of the station's mobile command center. Which was basically just an armored truck and camper combination that was loaded up with all sorts of tech and communications equipment that made the place feel unreasonably cramped. But alas, such were the burdens of being a Station Chief. And as much as the woman wanted to be out there with everyone else, she needed to remain here to properly coordinate her people when the party got started.
"Team One, all of us are in position and ready to go." Robin was the first to answer.
The Chief then shifted her gaze to the monitor that was linked to the body camera that the Vice-Captain of the APS was wearing. Through it, she had a decent view of the warehouse and the surrounding area. Along with the semi-blurry images of a few low-level Iznana grunts standing near the front entrance.
"Team Two, we're all good over here, Boss!" Sebastian answered next. The bearded man, along with Maria, were in the parking lot in front of Mikayla Dempsey's laundromat. The place had just closed a few minutes ago, but the lights were still on. Meaning that the 'bone magic' user was still inside and in the process of closing the place down.
"This is Team Three." Skylar said calmly. "We've already spotted our girl. We're maintaining a steady distance."
Skylar and Cyrus's monitor showed that they were on the same street as the garage that Hannah and her main flunkies frequently visited. Although the place wasn't in plain view, the Chief knew that they were in the right spot. And the fact that they already confirmed that Hannah was in there was an added bonus.
The woman's eyes then shifted to the next monitor, the one displaying the view from inside one of their vehicles via Ayako's body camera. She and Valerie had been tailing their target for the last couple of hours as Aaron Donovan moved through the western part of the city.
Ayako was the next to speak. "Team Four, ready to go! Currently tailing our target. It looks like he's on his way to the meeting spot."
"Thank you, everyone." Chief Chandler replied with a stern face.
As of right now, everything was in place. And the fact that she had just received confirmation from Chief Dunbar that Deputy Chief MacNamara and his people were already in place to strike their target made her a bit less nervous than she was before. All of their targets were present and accounted for, and she already gave both the Police Chief and the Sheriff a heads-up to keep their people out of the areas that they would be hitting. Which meant that once she gave everyone the green light, there would be no unwanted interruptions once they got started.
That, and she had a little bit of additional help to disable all of the nearby surveillance cameras for good measure.
Chief Chanlder checked her watch one last time before letting out a heavy sigh. It was now or never. And the longer she waited to kick things off, the more likely it was that all of their targets would come together. So, without any reason to delay the inevitable, the woman pressed a few buttons on her keyboard before once again grabbing her radio and speaking into it.
"All teams, the operation begins now. Engage your targets at your own discretion."
'Well…it's out of my hands now.' The woman thought to herself as she proceeded to get ready for the chaos that was about to unfold in front of her eyes. 'Break a leg, everyone.'
-(o)-
[Team Three, Iznana Garage, A Few Miles Outside of the City]
"Alright, showtime!" Skylar said with a smile before standing up and stretching out his limbs. The 'earth magic' user had already donned his signature ski mask, which meant that he was fully in "mission mode" from this point forward.
"Indeed, it is…." Cyrus replied with a cold expression on his face.
This was it, the moment he had been waiting on for the better part of two months. All of the training, pain, anxiousness, and lies that he's had to deal with up until this point had finally come to a head. In just a few short moments, he was going to confront the woman who had violated him and orchestrated the death of his best friend. And before the night was over, Hannah Donovan was no longer going to be a part of this world.
The young 'tree magic' user took a moment to check his gear one last time before he and his partner made their approach.
Just like everyone else who was taking part in the operation, they had forgone their usual suits and ties and instead donned a set of military-style tactical gear, the kind one would usually see being worn by SWAT officers or soldiers on a mission. The entire ensemble was all black, topped off with a specially made tactical vest that could stop a high-caliber sniper round if necessary, and a pair of boots that somehow completely silenced their footsteps. However, there were a few key accouterments that both sorcerers decided to add to their uniforms to help them out with their mission.
For starters, instead of his usual single pouch, Cyrus was carrying three pouches full of seeds. One of which was filled with a few handfuls of acorns that were already pre-prepped with his mana for rapid deployment.
As for Skylar, the 'earth magic' user was sporting what was commonly known as his mobile armor. A device that was, in short, a piece of equipment that looked like a multi-sectioned shield made of incredibly durable metals that the senior agent could remotely control thanks to the stone rods that were inside each section. From what Cyrus knew, many 'earth magic' users used this kind of equipment to increase their overall range and lethality. And judging by how dangerous the thing looked, he could tell that it was meant for offense just as much as it was defense.
The two were also armed with their own pistols, plus a few spare sets of magazines for good measure. Usually, such a thing was never really a necessity for someone like Cyrus since crytids could only be killed by using mana. But, since their opponent for the night was a human, it could prove to be useful in the situation called for it.
Not that Cyrus ever planned for things to go that far. After all, he was planning on making Hannah suffer for as long as he possibly could as payback for what she did to him.
"I know I probably should've asked you this before…" Sklyar suddenly sent a quick glance toward Cyrus as the two slowly approached the garage. "But are you planning on killing this chick? Our orders are to try and take her in alive, but I just want to know what I'm about to walk into."
Cyrus briefly paused for a moment before letting out a short sigh and nodding his head. "I am."
"Fine with me." The senior agent shrugged a bit too casually for his liking. "I'll let you take the lead since you have a bone to pick with this lady. But I'll be close by just in case."
"T-thank you."
And with that, the two agents continued their approach. The moment they got within range of the garage, they could feel Hannah's mana signature moving around the bottom level, but never straying too far in one direction or the other. But that quickly changed when they felt her begin to move upward toward the ground level.
Cyrus proceeded to let out one final breath before his green eyes shifted to orange. And after shaking off the last bit of his nerves, the young man confidently planted himself in front of the garage's front entrance before activating his mana and firing off a mana burst that blew the thing off its hinges.
'Alright, let's do this!'
"And what the hell is this?!" A familiar voice said with no short amount of ire in its tone as the smoke began to clear. A voice that immediately sent a cold shiver down Cyrus's spine.
-(o)-
[Team Two, Spin-City Laundry]
The neon sign outside Spin-City Laundry flickered as the last of the sunlight faded beyond the horizon. The hum of the washers had gone still. The rhythm of the dryers had been silenced. And rows of silver machines, lined like soldiers at parade rest, reflected the thin shafts of fluorescent light that still worked. But even now, the faint fumes of assorted detergents could still be smelt by those who possessed enhanced senses, such as Maria and Sebastian.
As the raven-haired teen stood merely a few yards away from the shop's entrance, she couldn't help the sense of anxiety that was slowly overtaking her with each passing second. For a quick moment, she placed her hand on her pistol to reaffirm that she had it with her. And after, double-checked to make sure that all of her companions were ready to go at a moment's notice.
Behind Maria, Sebastian stood only a few steps away. The senior agent already had one of his companions, Porthos, ready to go in case things went sideways. And judging by the eerie feeling that he was getting, he knew that such a thing was all but inevitable.
The two DPA agents offered the other one a final glance before a silent nod between them. And once they were finally ready to move forward with their mission, they slowly began making their way toward the door.
Fortunately for Maria and Sebastian, Mikayla still had yet to lock the door after turning the lights off. Which allowed them to enter the premises without any trouble, and once they were firmly inside the building, they were immediately met with the sight of the person that they were here to retrieve. She was currently standing behind the counter with a stack of money in her hands while a song was playing on her phone.
"Uhh…hello?" The curly-haired brunette looked at the two agents with a confused expression on her face. However, Maria was able to pick up on the subtle glance that Mikayla gave toward their uniforms. "Can I help you guys?"
Sebastian, who had no interest in playing the stupid game under these circumstances, got right down to business. "Mikayla Dempsey, Agent Sebastian Conley, and Maria Ortega of the Department of Paranormal Activities. You are under arrest for your involvement as a member of a terrorist organization."
"What do you mean?" The 'bone magic' user tried to feign ignorance. "I'm sorry, I'm not exactly following what you're saying here."
"Don't play dumb, little girl. We already have all the proof that we need. We've also got your buddies tagged and are about to raid that little hideout of yours out in Concord."
For a long moment, Mikayla didn't move. Sebastain's words seemed to be enough to tell her that they had already figured her out. Whatever the woman was thinking in that moment might have been, Maria couldn't tell. However, one thing that the young 'beast magic' user did notice was how tense her body became. Along with her hand slowly moving towards a spot under the counter.
"I see…. So you guys were tracking us, huh?" Mikayla then said with a calm tone of voice. "I thought that Aaron was just being paranoid when he spotted that bird cryptid a week ago. But I guess I should've listened to him better."
"Put your hands when we can see them!" Maria then ordered the woman while simultaneously reaching for her pistol and calling out Ajax to help defend her. "Step away from the counter. And don't try to do anything crazy."
Unfortunately for the two agents, they were not quick enough to stop the Iznana operative from making the first move of the night. And without any warning, a bright flash and loud bang suddenly assaulted their senses.
-(o)-
[Team Four, West Charlotte]
"Well…here goes nothing!" Ayako said with a nervous smile after finally hearing the call over her communication device.
"Shit…." Valerie cursed in response.
After a slight bit of hesitation, the 'water magic' user cut off the headlights, pressed her foot down on the gas pedal, and proceeded to close the distance between them and Aaron Donovan's black sedan. The two had been covertly trailing the guy for the last few hours, and it was finally time for them to make their move. And as luck would have it, the call came in while they were on a quiet back road with no houses or other people in sight.
As the car got closer and closer to them, Valerie took a moment to steady herself. It was finally time for her to put all of the training she had been forcing herself through to good use. And who better to use it on than someone who would actually be a challenge for her?
The moment the two agents were close enough to sense Aaron's mana signature from within the car, Aayako opened the driver's side window, stuck her hand out, and proceeded to fire off a blue mana burst that hit the rear wheel of the car, causing it to begin swerving out of control until it came to an abrupt stop on the side of the road next to a ditch.
'That was kinda badass.' Valerie thought to herself after witnessing the kind of move that one would only normally see in some high-budget action movie from the 80s.
"Alright, showtime!" The 'water magic' then declared before slamming down the brake and opening her door, to which Valerie simply nodded before doing the same.
In less than a few seconds, the two agents were steadily approaching the now-inoperable car with weapons and magic at the ready. They both knew just how dangerous this guy was, and they weren't about to take any chances.
Just then, the driver's side door to the black sedan opened, and with a level of calm that they genuinely weren't expecting, Aaron stepped out of the vehicle looking as fresh as a summer daisy.
"And what the hell is your problem?" The stoic teen asked in a tone of voice similar to how Maria usually spoke. Now that Valerie thought about it, the two of them had a similar vibe about them. Except Aaron was way deeper into the whole "emo" thing than her friend was.
"Aaron Donovan!" Ayako shouted toward the man. "You are under arrest for your involvement in the terrorist organization known as Iznana! Surrender now, and we won't have to use force!"
'Wait…why does he look like my grandmother from this angle?' Valerie pondered after giving the other 'fire magic' user a hard look. The previous photos she had seen of the young man were all a bit blurry, and she barely remembered what his face actually looked like. But with the way that the nearby street light was hitting his face, she could start to see a familial resemblance in him.
Everything seemed to stop for a moment as Aaron took a second to think about what he wanted to say. But, apparently, after making up his mind, the young man finally decided to speak. "Did you people come here to die or something?"
"Is that a threat?" Valerie immediately questioned.
"No."
Both Ayako and Valerie then felt the man's mana begin to flare up as his eyes shifted from blue to orange. A tell-tale sign that he was getting ready to attack. They had both hoped that they wouldn't have to do this the hard way, but it seemed as though that possibility was firmly out of the window.
"I had a feeling that someone was spying on us. I guess I should've been more thorough in my checks. Oh well…I guess it doesn't matter now."
"Don't do anything stupid! We will shoot you!" Ayako commanded.
"Go ahead and try, bitch…."
Before either of the two agents could even blink, the area was engulfed in a torrent of purple flames that elegantly shimmered beneath the moonlight.