The first rays of morning light shone across the city, waking up the songbirds as they began to fly about and chirp. The various aromas of city living filled the air as residents exited their houses, beginning their commutes to work and all the frustrations it entails. In front of an unassuming gray building, Amara nursed a cup of coffee, savoring its taste as she watched others go about their morning routines.
"Am I safe to assume that I can talk to you after you've had your morning coffee?"
Amara turned and looked at a woman cautiously approaching her, cradling a baby bump. Amara chuckled.
"Yeah, I've chased off the gremlin that is the morning drowsiness. You're here earlier than normal though."
The woman nodded. "Had to drop Freddie off at work this morning. He got called in early due to some sort of research mishap so I've been up since…around three I believe? The little guy then decided to start trying to play the drums and was pushing against my stomach after I got back home, so I stayed up the rest of the morning until now. If I fall asleep while leading the meeting, be sure to shock me awake somehow."
Amara grinned and nodded. "I think I could arrange that, Evra." She spoke menacingly, a mischievous expression plastered on her face.
Evra took a step back, her eyes wide in terror. "I've seen that face before…you better not do what I think you're going to do…"
"Well don't fall asleep and you won't have to worry about it, will you?"
Before Evra could respond, a male voice called out to the two of them. "Good morning! Such a rare sight to see you two beautiful ladies together so early in the day."
Amara rolled her eyes as Evra chuckled as they watched Lucien confidently stroll up to the two of them, the strong stench of his cologne forcing the two of them to back away a bit. Evra cleared her throat. "I could say the same to you. I could have sworn that I've given you around…ten verbal and written warnings for arriving late if I remember correctly."
Lucien dismissively waved his hand at Evra. "That's all in the past, my dear Evra. I'm a changed man. The Lucien that stands before you now has turned over a new leaf. From now on, I'll–"
"Make grandstanding promises, fail to uphold those promises, then revert back to the same annoying womanizer you've always been." Amara interjected, her voice low and icy. "Let me guess: you've 'found the love of your life' yet again with that officer last night, didn't you?"
Lucien embellished a gasp and feigned a look of shock. "My dear Amara, I'll have you know that she is INDEED the love of my life! In fact, after we finished our work last night, we spent the rest of the night burning the midnight oil! We've connected on such a deep and personal level, I've felt compelled to change my ways. I'd even go as far to say that she's my soulmate!"
"If I had a daler for every time you've told someone you've met your soulmate, I'd already be comfortably retired." Amara retorted back, not bothering to hide her animosity. "Just a month ago you claimed that the bartender during the team's night out was your soulmate only to be dumped two days later after you–."
Evra loudly cleared her throat, speaking in an authoritative tone. "As much as I would love to listen to you two continue daily bickering, I would suggest that we all get going and get prepared for the day. You all will have a day of travel ahead of you, so I would highly suggest getting some snacks before the meeting starts to prepare."
Amara and Lucien both became silent before slowly nodding in unison. Evra began walking towards the entrance, opening the glass door and disappearing behind the one-way glass. Lucien sighed before glancing at Amara. "Another day, another scolding from Evra."
"Maybe that's the norm for you, but thanks to you, I also got dragged into it." Amara retorted before turning around and downing the rest of her coffee. "Anyways, don't go expecting me to be buying your snacks like last time." She spat out before heading towards the entrance herself.
Lucien sighed to himself and shook his head, grumbling to himself before feeling a pat on his shoulder as a deep voice spoke. "Seems like you two are raring to go for the day." Looking back, Lucien spotted a familiar man and Nia standing closeby. "You really should be getting along with her."
"I'm trying Joren, but she and I are like oil and water. I act like myself, and she thinks I'm lower than a cockroach."
Nia chuckled. "Well, remember, you DID get off on the wrong foot with her when you first joined, and negative first impressions are difficult to overcome."
Lucien loudly sighed before cautiously craning his neck to the right, looking behind Nia. There, he spotted a young girl with silky brown hair clutching at the waistband of Nia's uniform, her blue eyes nervously looking down. Lucien smiled, speaking in a softer tone. "Well, hello there Isla! I see your mom brought you to work with her today!"
Isla stiffened from the greeting before softly mumbling out, "H-hello…" Nia turned and gave Isla a sympathetic expression before turning back to Lucien. "I had to today. Evra called me early this morning to let me know that we'll be out of town for a while. She'll be staying with Evra and Freddie until we return."
"Another sleepover huh?" Joren stated, giving Isla a warm smile. "Auntie Evra tells me that you always have a lot of fun when you're there."
Isla blushed and buried her face in her mother's back. Nia chuckled. "No need to be so shy Isla! These two care for you just as much as Evra does."
Isla refused to move, trying to make herself as small as possible. Sighing, Nia glanced at Lucien. "Did Evra say anything about what the meeting was about when you two were talking earlier? She didn't say much about it last night during the call."
"With the exception that we'll be out of town for a bit, not a word, which is rare for her. Usually she gives us more of an advanced notice for out of town missions."
"Yeah she usually does, which makes me all the more curious."
Joren nodded. "Same here, though we should probably get inside and get ready for the meeting. The sooner we're all ready the sooner we'll know." Lucien and Nia both nodded before making their way through the front entrance, where an armed guard carrying an automatic rifle greeted them with a small nod. Nodding back, the three meandered their way down the familiar halls.
"Has he ever said a word to any of you?"
Lucien asked as they approached a small locker room, putting a few belongings into his assigned locker. "Because I've tried numerous times, only to get rebuffed with every attempt."
Joren chuckled. "I remember trying for like the first month before giving up. You're more persistent than I am."
Nia nodded as she closed her locker, Isla now standing to her mother's right, tightly gripping onto her shirt. "I've tried too. To make entering the building less…awkward, but yeah, I've gotten nowhere with him. I'd probably faint from shock the moment he did speak."
With the three of them having placed their belongings into their lockers, they walked down the hall and approached an open door, where Amara and Evra were already seated. Upon seeing the group enter, Evra stood up, smiling and waving at Isla as she sat down on the chair next to her mother, before wobbling over to the front of the room, clearing her throat. "Looks like we're all here earlier today. Who are you all and what have you done with my team?" Evra quipped, a smirk tugging on her lips.
Joren sat down, chucking. "Well, someone has been keeping secrets from us, so of course we'd get here early. Now, fess up. What's going on that we're having to leave town the day after a big bust?"
Evra turned on a projector screen and opened up a laptop, setting up a slideshow. "First off: congratulations are in order for last night. You all performed your roles as intended, though if I recall correctly, didn't you tell me, Lucien, that we wouldn't need to have anyone stationed outside the warehouse as you'd have everyone rounded up?"
"Well…I did say that BOTH Nia and I would have done that…and we DID get almost everyone in one go…"
Evra smirked as she shook her head. "Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. How many times must I remind you that it's important to have a backup no matter how foolproof you think your current plan is?"
"More times than I can remember…"
"Then let's make this the last time, yes?" Evra lightly chided as she began the presentation. "Interrogations of those you've apprehended have already yielded some interesting information concerning who paid them and if there were any others involved, but unfortunately there's much more pressing matters to attend to. We've gotten multiple reports from Helara that require our immediate attention, specifically concerning a rogue caster."
Evra changed the slide to a photo of a man who appeared to be in his early thirties with a bald head and muscular build. This is the only confirmed photo we have of the man captured by a security camera at a local business. Witness reports state that he frantically entered into the building and tried to approach one of their employees. He was speaking nonsensical things such as that the woman he tried to approach was his wife. When she denied his claims, he became distressed, desperately telling her to 'remember who I am' and that he 'wasn't going to lose her without a fight.'"
Amara leaned forward, taking a good look at the man. "I assume that he actually isn't the woman's husband?"
Evra nodded. "That is correct. We've gone over her records thrice and she's currently not married, with no records existing of her ever getting married. However, it doesn't stop there. After he was forcibly removed from the premises, he approached six others, claiming that they knew him and that he needed their help. Each person claims to not know who this man is, with two of them even threatening to arrest him should he continue harassing them."
"Wait, were those two who threatened to arrest him members of law enforcement?" Nia asked, her brow furrowing. Evra nodded.
"Indeed, they are. They're members of HPD. One of them said that the man claimed to be his patrol partner, but as you can probably guess, there's no records or evidence that support his claims."
"Do you think he could be afflicted by whatever is causing the sudden surge of mental breakdowns?" Joren asked. "It seems to be that every day you see another news report of someone suddenly becoming–"
"No, I don't think so. In fact, it's a possibility that he might be the cause."
Everyone's eyes widened a bit as Evra changed the slide to a picture of a middle-aged woman in the hospital. "This woman is in her late fifties and has been confirmed to be afflicted with the mental breakdown. Though security footage didn't capture his face, a man resembling the suspect in question was seen in the area before her affliction surfaced, as well as directly afterwards fleeing the scene."
"Do you think his power could be something that concerns the mind?" Amara asked. "While rare, it's not unheard of for someone to have a power that only affects someone's mind."
"If it is, then he'd be one of only a handful of people in history known to have multiple abilities. Though doubtful, I can't deny the possibility." Evra changed the slide to that of multiple buildings in various states of disarray and destruction. "Witness reports indicate that a man matching the description of our suspect had been seen approaching several businesses and using some sort of audible sonic burst to cause the destruction that you see currently."
Evra played a video on the next slide where a man stood in front of the store before glowing and screaming, visible waves of sound destroying inside of the store. "As shown from the video, the suspect is extremely dangerous and could be mentally unhinged. Thus, the authorities have requested our assistance to bring this to a swift conclusion, despite the short turnover."
Nia nodded. "I can understand why they need our help. Someone with an AOE power isn't exactly something that the police can handle easily."
"He also looks to be in amazing physical shape." Jordan added. "He's not going to be an easy neutralization."
"Which is precisely why you all have been requested." Evra closed the slideshow and closed the lid of the laptop. "I've already gotten in contact with the train station and told them of your immediate departure. They have a departure that leaves in three hours. Just follow protocols, and you'll be on your way. More information will be provided upon arrival by an HPD liaison. Any questions?"
After waiting several seconds for questions that never came, Evra nodded. "Then I wish you luck on your mission. I'll be expecting some souvenirs!" Evra winked at the group as the four others stood up from their chairs. Nia smiled at Isla and kissed the top of her head. "Alright Isla, I'm gonna be gone for a few days. Be sure to listen to Auntie Evra and Uncle Freddie. Understand?"
Isla nodded before throwing her small arms around Nia in a tight hug. Nia crouched down and returned the hug. "Mommy loves you." She whispered as she kissed the top of her head again. Isla teared up as she hugged her mother. "I love you too…"
As the morning sun shone over a large manor, the infiltrator yawned widely and looked around, quietly admiring the shrubbery and plants that had been carefully planted and cared for, their dark green leaves exuding a sense of calm. Various maids, gardeners, and butlers scurried about, beginning their morning tasks, but not before stopping and casting wary, unnerved glances towards the man. Ignoring his less than welcoming greeting, the man confidently strode up to the entrance, listening to the ring of the doorbell after he had pressed it.
Within moments, an elderly, well-dressed butler answered the door. Upon seeing the man, the butler merely nodded. "He's been expecting you. Please, follow me."
The man stepped inside the luxuriously furnished manor. A large entranceway spanned a considerable distance, branching off into different rooms and hallways. Exotic furniture and paintings were plastered throughout the entranceway, teasing at what luxuries remained hidden behind closed doors. I wonder just how much this is actually worth…
The butler knocking against a door and clearing his throat interrupted his thoughts. "Master Merrick, your guest has arrived."
"Let him in."
The butler opened the door and motioned for the man to enter. Upon entering the garishly large office, the man spotted an overweight, middle-aged man sitting at a desk, staring intently at a large monitor that stood prominently on his desk. The butler gently closed the door, leaving the two men alone in the room.
As soon as the man took his first step towards the desk, a deep, gravely voice broke the silence. "I've already heard the news. The military is scrambling, unsure of just how much damage you truly inflicted on them."
"I did exactly as you requested and nothing more." The man responded. "I'm not in the business of causing any more chaos than needed. I'm sure once their investigation is concluded, they'll realize that some information has been irreversibly erased, but that their core systems haven't been touched. Naturally, I've erased all tracks, both physically and electronically, that could connect the incident to you."
"You do fine work Gray. Such a shame that you won't accept other contracts that I have available."
"I'm flattered, but pardon my bluntness when I say that I don't agree with most of your methods. Only those that–"
"Follow your ambiguous code of yours, yes. I've had many friends lament that you refuse to stray from it even slightly. If I may ask, why is that?"
"That's for me to know, and for you to continue to wonder."
The client laughed heartily. "Not many of the guts to speak to me like that. Anyways, you've upheld your end of the bargain, now it's time for me to uphold mine. I do indeed have the payment…and the information you've requested."
The man grabbed a manilla folder and a red USB that was sitting on the desk, raising it towards Gray. "All the information my sources were able to dig up are on this USB, including his current whereabouts. It should be to your satisfaction."
Gray swiped the items from the man's hand and carefully inspected the USB's exterior. "Pleasure doing business with you." He finally muttered before turning and walking away from the man.
"Always. I'll contact you again when I have another task for a man of your skills."
Not answering the man, Gray quickly opened up the door, slowing his pace as he spotted the butler standing a sizable distance away from the door. "I shall escort you out." The butler flatly said as he led Gray back to the entrance. "My master will summon you in due time. Until next time." The butler calmly closed the door behind Gray, who quickly trotted to the entrance of the manor and back to his car.
Staring out of the window, the man watched Gray as he quickly drove off, the roar of the engine clearly audible from the room. Before he could turn and sit back down on his chair, he felt another presence in his room. Smiling, looked back at a young blue-haired woman standing behind him. "You're up rather early." He said softly before turning to face her.
The woman smiled. "I can say the same about you, Dad. Who was that man? I've never seen you get up this early for anyone."
"Someone who knows and plays his part." He responded as he sat down, grunting as he situated himself on the chair. "But never mind him. Why are you awake so early?"
"I'm actually going to be going to Urem for a short trip with some friends. Sara's family has a beach house so we'll be staying there."
The man chuckled. "It's starting to feel like this place is only like a hotel for you. Well alright, I guess I'll allow it this–"
A soft tune began playing from his computer, interrupting him. "Oh, I have to take this. Let me know before you leave so I can send you off."
"Will do!" His daughter quickly strode to the door and closed the door behind her. Clearing his throat, the man answered the video call. "I thought I told you not to call me at this hour."
Inside a cramped, stuffy motel room, Gray set a dinged and well-used laptop down on a grimy desk. Turning on the laptop, he quickly inserted the USB into the port and watched as several gigabytes of information popped up. Quickly opening up some suspect documents, his eyes pored over the treasure trove of information that he had been desperately searching for the past several years.
A picture of a very familiar man with jet black hair blending in with a large crowd filled his screen. His jaw instinctively clenched as he looked at the note below the picture. "Spotted in a train station in the capital. Train headed to Helara."
"Helara…" Gray whispered to himself as he immediately pulled up directions to the city. "Just a three hour drive…should arrive before lunch if I leave soon." He muttered as he turned off his laptop and quickly shut down his laptop and threw it into a worn pack. Quickly packing up what few belongings he had, he checked to make sure he hadn't forgotten to put on his watch before rushing to check out of the hotel, speeding down the road. His heart beat furiously against his chest as beads of sweat began to form on his brow.
"Finally…I know where you are…"