Late the following night Arc and Ember approach the abandoned factory. They look out from their scouting position as Ember turns to Arc.
“I don’t like this.”
“Which part?”
“All of it!”
Arc rolls his eyes. “That’s a bit too specific. Can you be a bit more vague?”
“We should’ve brought Sereb.”
“He’s helping the others.”
“I don’t like them being there either!”
“Why? Rose is with them.”
Ember sighs. “Look, all I’m saying is splitting up wasn’t your best idea.”
Arc gazes out over the building before them. “Agreed. But I believe we need to hit both of these targets at the same time.”
“So, let’s do one right after the other then!”
He shakes his head. “If we do it like this, they won’t be able to warn the other sites. A little confusion never hurt our chances before.”
“Yeah? Well they don’t help them much either.”
“Fair enough.”
They look at the building again in silence for a time. Ember taps her foot impatiently.
“What’s taking them so long?!”
“I told them to take it slow and do it right, remember?”
“Well, I wish they’d hurry up!”
“They have a much larger facility to scout out than we do.”
“True. But Rose and Sereb have your squad helping them.”
Arc turns to look Ember in the eye. “Something on your mind? You don’t usually question my dumb ideas THIS much.”
Ember shakes her head. “Just nerves I guess.”
“Really?”
“Fine! I’m just worried about the others.”
“Should I have sent you with them instead?”
“Not on your life! I’d just worry about YOU then!”
Arc’s earring chirps. He touches it.
“Go ahead.”
“Max here. We’ve finished our reconnaissance of the outside of the warehouse, sir.”
“How’s it look?!”
Xenos looks over his shoulder. “There’s a few guards out here. Nothing we can’t handle with superior numbers.”
Rose makes a fist. “I believe we should take them down quickly and quietly, Arc.”
“That’s up to Max to decide. He’s in charge over there. Not me.”
Hugh playfully salutes Max. “What should we do, sir?”
Viktor chuckles and shakes his head. “Oh boy.”
“I agree with Rose, sir. Quiet is the way to go right now. It gives us the best chance of going home safely.”
“Fine. I’ll let you formulate a plan. Give me a call when you do though. I want both groups to go in at the same time.”
Sereb turns toward the radio. “Eh?”
“They can’t properly send help to both locations. Lack of manpower. Best case scenario they try to send more guys to both locations.”
Ember glares at him. “How is that good?!”
“Because we’ll trounce ‘em!”
Sereb smiles. “Makes sense.”
Max nods. “Yes sir. We’ll think of something right away.”
“I’m sure you will. Just be careful over there.”
Xenos grins. “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll keep everyone safe.”
Hugh nods. “Together we’ll be fine.”
Rose smiles happily. “Agreed!”
Arc looks out over at the factory grounds below. “Something’s happening down there.”
Ember frowns. “What the… a truck making a delivery? Now?”
Arc chuckles. “To an abandoned factory in the middle of the night. That’s not suspicious at all.”
Rose turns her head toward the nearby road. “Arc, my sensors are picking up a vehicle heading this was as well.”
“Looks like our timing was impeccable on this everyone. Whatever the Shards have in those trucks has to be important enough to conceal.”
Cherry calls out. “Can you see the cargo with your sensors, Rose?”
“No. Something is interfering.”
Max frowns. “What?! Since when?!”
“As soon as the truck showed up on my scanners.”
Ember turns to Arc. “Think they’re jamming us?”
“Not sure how, but it makes sense. Whatever’s in there, the Shards are going all-out to keep it under wraps.”
Xenos grins. “We gonna steal whatever it is?”
Hugh nods. “Probably should.”
Ember brandishes her spear. “I’m game.”
Arc nods. “Okay. But the original mission comes first. Scout out your target and figure out what there is to see there. If there’s time, and you can come up with a safe way to do it, get the truck’s cargo.”
“Yes sir.”
“With my scanners down, this mission just got a lot harder though.”
Sereb sniffs the air. “That may be. But they can’t jam my nose.”
Xenos smacks his hands together. “Or my fist!”
Max turns back to the radio in his hand. “We’ll let you know when we have something planned out, sir.”
“Be careful. Arc out.”
Max turns toward the warehouse and surveys the scene before him for a time.
“I got an idea.”
Meanwhile, Arc and Ember watch as several Shard members get out of the truck. They pause as the driver inspects their cargo. Ember frowns.
“Any ideas, Arc?”
“Yeah. Let’s follow those guys inside.”
“Into the belly of the beast?”
“They’re probably going to report to whoever’s in charge here. With any luck we can overhear some interesting conversations.”
He pulls two magic cloaks out of his ring and hands one to Ember. She quickly puts it on.
“At least they can’t hit what they can’t see.”
“Yup. With any luck we should be in and out.”
Ember nods as they vanish. “Then we grab whatever’s in that truck?”
“Only if it won’t get us killed.”
Ember narrows her eyes. “Can you not word it like that?!”
“I’ll try.”
They slowly makes their way toward the truck. The Shards line up as the driver hands each member a box before jumping out himself. Ember hisses.
“Those boxes have to be worth something to them.”
Arc whispers as the Shards head for the building. “Yeah. Hold up one second though.”
Ember watches as Arc walks up to the truck and peeks in the back. “What are you…?!”
“The truck’s empty. Those boxes must be really important.”
“You think?! Come on! We’ll lose them!”
Meanwhile, Max and the others watch their own truck pull to a stop in front of the warehouse.
“Rose. What do you see?”
“Scanners still inoperable, Max. I can’t see any more than you can right now.”
Hugh sighs. “Great.”
Viktor turns to Hugh. “She’s doing her best. We’ll just have to rise to the occasion.”
“There are two in front and two in back.”
Xenos’ eyes grow wide as he turns to Sereb. “How did you…?”
The wolf brushes his nose with a paw and squints. “The one on the far left is carrying a briefcase and has a mustard stain on his jacket.”
Rose smiling. “I’ll never underestimate your natural talents again, my friend.”
“Thank you. However, that still leaves the problem of what to do about the situation at large.”
Max walks over to Sereb and opens his saddlebag. “I think a bit of undercover work is in order.”
Rose turns to him. “There is one problem with that plan.”
Xenos frowns as everyone puts on their robes. “Oh? What’s that?”
“None of you can see each other after you cloak.”
Hugh sighs. “She’s right!”
Viktor looks over at the truck. “We better hurry and think of something. They’re heading for the building!”
Sereb turns to Max. “I have an idea of my own.”
Meanwhile, Arc and Ember enter the factory behind the Shard members. Arc grabs Ember and holds her back.
“Let’s wait a moment. Give us a little distance.”
Ember sighs. “I’m not much for stealth.”
“Just follow my lead.”
They walk down the center isle of the factory floor as they follow the Shards. Arc looks around while keeping his voice low.
“Some of this equipment looks like it’s been used recently.”
“The outside sure is run down though. You mean someone actually works here?!”
Arc shrugs. “No one that’s supposed to, I’m sure.”
Ember points. “Look at the parts in the corner. They look new!”
Arc frowns. “Armor? What would they be doing with that?”
“I didn’t see your town guards wearing any.”
“Theirs is made out of Kevlar, not metal. We have to figure this out.”
“Agreed.”
A short time later the Shards come to the center of the factory and stop. Arc and Ember stand off to one side.
“What are they doing, Arc?
“Why don’t you ask them?”
Ember frowns. “If they make me wait much longer, I will!”
A few moments later the sound of footsteps can be heard approaching from the opposite direction. Ember’s eyes grow wide.
“Hey! Isn’t that…?!”
Arc frowns. “Yeah.”
Mio, flanked by two bodyguards, approaches the group. She eyes the boxes a moment before looking at the couriers.
“See? You CAN do something right if you try.”
She points a finger toward a workbench behind Arc and Ember.
“You can just put them over… wait a second…!”
Mio quickly raises her staff toward Arc and Ember. They decloak as Arc sighs.
“Great.”
Ember whips off her cloak and tosses it to Arc as she calls forth her spear. “Yeah! Finally this stealth junk is done with!”
Arc nods as he returns both cloaks to his ring. “Well, at least we can finally get something done around here.”
He turns to the Shards.
“I want those boxes. Hand them over nice and easy and we can all just walk away.”
Mio moves to stand between Arc and the Shards. “I can’t let you do that.”
Ember tightens her grip on the spear in her hands. “He wasn’t asking!”
Arc nods as he calls forth his own spear. “Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Which is it going to be?”
Mio smiles at them as her staff lights up. “I choose… my way!”
Meanwhile, Rose, Sereb and the squad head toward the entrance following the Shard members together. Max turns around.
“Everyone clear on the plan?”
No one says anything. Rose pipes up.
“They’re nodding.”
“Good. Is Sereb in position?”
Rose looks up at the roof. “Yes. He just waved to me.”
Max sighs. “Great. Let’s get this over with.”
With Rose’s help they enter the building one at a time. Each of Arc’s squad heads for a different corner of the warehouse. Rose hops nimbly on top of a shelving unit.
“Now then… where are those guys…?”
She looks all around.
“There they are. Must be meeting up with that smaller group up ahead.”
Rose looks up at the skylight. She sees Sereb’s yellow eyes staring back at her. The android nods at him before hopping down, cloaking, and quietly heading for the Shards.
“So much lab equipment here. But what could they be doing with all of it?”
She hides behind a tank as the Shards approach a smaller group consisting of a woman with a strange looking gun in her hands and two burly bodyguards on either side of her.
“That must be Hammer.”
Hammer glares at the group as they approach.
“Could you move any slower?! Come on!”
The group slowly makes their way in Hammer’s direction. Rose frowns.
“Whatever’s in that briefcase has got to be volatile. But for now let’s start phase one of the plan.”
Rose looks up at the skylight and nods. Sereb puts his claws on the skylight and drags them across the glass. A horrific scratching sound reverberates through the building. Hammer looks around.
“What the heck?!”
The Shards look around nervously. Max picks up a brick from his feet and looks around.
“Time to get things started.”
He heaves the brick at a crate nearby. Both the brick and crate crumble sending pieces flying everywhere. As if on cue the other members of the squad do the same. The Shards begin to panic as one of them turns to her.
“Lieutenant Hammer! This place is haunted!”
Hammer frowns as she readies her weapon. “I doubt that! Everyone look around for whoever’s doing this!”
The Shards fan out and search the area. Every so often Arc’s squad knocks something over across the building, adding to the frightening air growing around them.
“It’s ghosts!”
“Or demons!”
Hammer turns to face each new noise that rings out. “Quit your bellyaching and open your eyes, you fools! There’s got to be a logical explanation for all of this!”
Rose ducks down behind another tank and decloaks. She looks up at Sereb and nods. The wolf rears his head back and lets out and ear-splitting howl. Fearing for their lives, the Shards turn tail and run toward the exit screaming and drop the briefcase. Hammer runs over and grabs it.
“Get back here you cowards!”
Rose quickly cloaks and hurries over to Hammer. Sneaking up behind her she puts a hand on the young woman’s shoulder Stiffening in surprise Hammer turns and lets loose a mighty swing. Rose nimbly dodges the blow. Seeing no one around the blood drains from Hammer’s face.
“Wha… what kind of magic is this?! Could it really be… g-g-ghosts?!”
Hammer looks around nervously. Rose takes a few steps back, decloaks yet again, hurriedly removes the robe and tosses it behind a machine as she steps into the moonlight from the windows. She calls out in a raspy voice.
“No escape!”
Hammer whirls around at the sound and frantically shoots. Rose takes a blast to the chest. Her tunic smolders at the energy beam’s heat, but she is otherwise unharmed. Hammer steps back fearfully.
“Wha-what are you?!”
Rose takes a step slowly forward. “Join us!”
Hammer’s hand trembles in fear. “You… you’re so pale! And my weapon didn’t even slow you down! Are you really… d-d-dead?!”
Rose holds out a hand as she approaches Hammer. “I’m so cold and alone here. Stay with me.”
“N-n-no! I still have things to do in this life! Keep away from me!”
Rose looks at Hammer with a wicked grin.
“Your blood… I can hear it pumping through you veins! A taste, just a taste!”
Hammer backs against a wall and levels her weapon at Rose.
“I-I’m warning you!”
“I’ll keep you safe… forever.”
Hammer adjusts her weapon and takes aim.
“L-last warning! Back!”
Rose licks her lips. “You look… delicious! I’m so hungry!”
Hammer screams in terror and fires a shot at Rose. The blast hits her squarely in the belly burning the tunic and wounding her. Hammer smiles.
“There! That’ll teach you to… to…”
Rose straightens up, giggling. “That tickles!”
Hammer watches in horror as the wounds heal before her eyes. Rose begins walking toward her again.
“I’m so lonely. Stay now… forever!”
Hammer drops the case and runs out the door screaming. Rose quickly picks it up and calls out for the others as she grabs her magic cloak.
“Everyone out the back way! Hurry!”
Max, Xenos, Hugh and Viktor decloak and hurry toward Rose. She holds up the briefcase triumphantly.
“I got it!”
Max nods. “Good! Everyone out!”
They hurry out the back way together. Sereb watches from the skylight before jumping off the roof to join them. Max takes the case from Rose as he turns to the others.
“Let’s get back to the Jeep! The commander might need some backup!”
Xenos nods as they rush toward the woods. “Yeah! We sure didn’t see much resistance here.”
Hugh frowns. “Hopefully the Shards didn’t reinforce THAT position!”
Viktor nods as they get into the Jeep. “Agreed.”
Rose shudders. “That’s what has me worried.”
Meanwhile, Arc and Ember face off against Mio and her two bodyguards. Her staff glows as she speaks.
“Are you certain you don’t want to reconsider? The two of you are certainly outnumbered.”
Arc chuckles. “Funny. I was about to say the same to you.”
Mio shakes her head. “Someone can’t count.”
Ember coolly levels her spear at their opponents. “Trust me. When my friend here says to back off, you should listen.”
Mio channels her magic. “Well, he won’t be using any of his powers against me for a while.”
Ember chuckles. “But you have to keep that spell up while I come at you.”
Mio giggles as she finishes her spell. “Not anymore!”
Arc frowns. “Been practicing?”
“I have.”
Ember snarls. “Really? SO HAVE I!!!”
Before Arc can stop her, Ember lunges headfirst at Mio. Her bodyguards quickly draw their nightsticks and knock Ember across the factory floor. She smashes through a stack of boxes nearby. Arc charges forward angrily.
“Now you’re gonna get it!”
Mio pushes past her guards, her wand aglow.
“Come on! Let’s see what you have!”
Arc takes a blast from Mio’s wand. He flies back into the same wreckage. Rolling over he sees Ember lying there motionless. He grabs her helmet and pulls it off.
“Oh no…!”
Ember slowly opens her eyes and looks up at him.
“I… I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?! That looked painful.”
Ember nods. “Yeah. She just got lucky. Go get her while I wait for the world to stop spinning.”
Arc nods soberly and puts Ember’s helmet back on her.
“Just rest. I’ll take care of her.”
He stands and faces Mio yet again. She giggles.
“I think your little friend needs medical attention. Tell you what. I know some people that can help her. You come with me and I’ll…”
Arc suddenly throws his spear at Mio. “SHUT UP!!!”
The wand is knocked out of her hand. It clatters to the floor some distance away. Mio’s guards move to protect her again as she rushes toward her wand. Arc smashes through her guards.
“Have to…”
Arc cuts her off as he stands between her and the wand.
“Nowhere left to run.”
Mio takes up a fighting stance. “I do know how to fight without my powers, you fool!”
“Do you now?”
“Yes! We’re evenly matched now as well!”
Arc steps back and kicks the wand further away before taking a swing at her.
“Are we?”
Mio jumps back and nods. “Neither of us has a weapon!”
Arc snarls at her. “I AM a weapon!”
Mio again goes for her wand but takes a boot to her chest. She falls to the ground as her bodyguards rush forward to help. Arc lunges toward them and clotheslines the pair. They fall to the ground unconscious.
“There. Now it’s just you and me.”
Mio jumps back and grabs her wand. “I’m enough!”
“You wish!”
Mio’s wand glows as she grins at Arc.
“Come and get me then.”
“Gladly!”
As Arc charges toward his opponent, a loud metallic groan can be heard behind him. He turns just in time to see a large machine come flying at him. It knocks him out of his path with Mio as she steps aside to allow the machine to pass.
“I thought you were a bit smarter than THAT!”
Arc gets back up. “I may yet surprise you.”
“Unlikely.”
Her wand again lights up. Arc suddenly finds himself picked up and tossed across the room. He smashes against a machine and slowly gets to his feet.
“That all… you got?”
Mio smiles “Persistent. I like it!”
She throws Arc against another wall. He grabs onto a machine as Mio frowns.
“That won’t save you.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Mio channels her power to begin her next attack. Arc does not move.
“What the…?”
She tries harder to no avail as Arc holds fast to the machine.
“Come on! You can do better than THAT!”
A few moments later the tugs on Arc’s body lessen. Mio begins breathing heavily as she falls to one knee sweating and panting.
“You’re stronger… than you look.”
Arc nods as he lets go. “Tired?”
I’m… fine!”
He nods as he grabs his spear from the ground nearby. “Good.”
Arc runs toward her in an effort to close the gap. Mio grabs a barrel with her magic and tosses it at him. He knocks it aside with his spear and continues on. She throws down everything in his path to stop him to no avail. She looks up.
“There…”
With the last of her mana Mio pulls on an overhead crane. It comes crashing down along with a large chunk of the roof. Arc and Mio vanish from sight as a cloud of dust envelopes them. Ember crawls forward desperately.
“A… ARC!”
She reaches the pile and attempts to dig.
“I’m coming!”
Another chunk of the roof falls and hits Ember squarely in the helmet. She claws at the floor as she loses consciousness.
“A… Arc… I… I’ll s-save… you…”