Standing around the desk in the dimmed room the lights slowly brighten, we are all standing around in shock, all this time we had looked over files and files just to get a confession at the top of the hour.
Slowly it dawns on us the full gravity of the situation Lincastle has told us and what we have found ourselves in. The head of the Oghqoa Institute has been playing us like a fiddle.
“Sogh”, “Shit”, “Tides”, “Dammit Lincastle”. Says Lock, Number 1, Dr Roselin and Milrich.
“Hmm, I had thought so.” Said Master Naaf who received states from us. ”Master Carson and I talked about the possibility that Sir Falgus was behind your arrest Michael and the recent drug bust your clones and the Adventurer Society did the day before.”
“Drug Bust Sir? What drug bust?” asks Adoazze.
“Shae-Eq, about a thousand vials worth. One of Michael’s clones called Number 4 found it.”
“A thousand vials?!” Yells Adoazze and Milrich, Milrich looks between Number 1 and myself, a look of amazement on his face. And one of realisation.
“We should get there, now. Lincastle may need help.” says Adoazze standing up. “Sir, permission to”
“Granted, get your team. I'll have Guardsmen and Adventurers head out as well.” We all start moving out of Lincastle’s office and down the stairs.
“I’ll call the other clones” says Number 1, “We can at least get some backup.”
“Just poof and I can get them here?”, I replied confused, jumping down the stairs to the bottom.
“They’re carrying equipment for us, we’ll need them. They are on their way, they’ll catch up.”
“Imi! Leave Lee here, we’ve got to go.” Says Adoazze as she runs towards him. As Imi puts down Lee she says “Grab your gear” as she squats down to be at Lee’s eye height.
“Lee, I need you to stay here. My friends and I are going to help daddy, I need you to stay here ok? My friends here will look after you.” She says pointing to other Guardsmen standing around who are starting to come out of offices and side rooms wondering what the ruckus is.
“Is daddy ok?” Asks Lee, he’s scared, trembling and only standing due to Adoazze holding him by his arms and shoulders.
“He’ll be ok, we’re all going to help him. Now I need you to stay here ok?”
“Alright… Thanks”
Ruffling his hair a little she stands and addresses the room, more and more Guards have entered the main room or are watching on from the second floor.
“Guardsmen, one of our own, is missing in the vicinity of the Terrenberg Warehouses. I want anyone we can spare to search Terrenburg and the docks.”
Master Naaf jumps in, “Also, we will be working with the Adventurer Society with this. I want teams to detain anyone who says they are from the Institute in Terrenberg. I also want teams at each of the Teleportation Platforms in the city.”
Surprised muttering sounds from the attending Guardsmen, with Teleport Platforms in the mix they know it is a big deal. I quickly make sure I’m all set and stand next to Adoazze’s team. Lock’s and Number 1’s gear materialises from Number 1’s Inventory space.
As we turn to leave I look back at Lincastles kid, I give him a wave and a friendly smile before running outside with the team. It’s a weird feeling, rushing to help Lincastle after all he’s done to me. For a moment I must confess that I did feel almost upset that we were going to help but… Agh! This is no time to psychoanalyse myself, later, later.
We move into a jog, speeding through the city easily. Imi pulls a crystal from somewhere and a loud siren and lights flash, Blue, Brown, Red and Green in that order. As we run straight through the middle of the streets towards Terrenberg Warehouses I pull up my Interface messages.
Main System Interface (Rank CCC)
Current Features available:
MP and HP Meter:
MP: 589 points. HP: 675 points
Map mode: Tactical, City, National, Globe
Map mode sub ability: Institutional Awareness (Live).
Map mode sub ability: High Definition Map Mode and Globe
Voice Chat: Local 67+ metres
Party Creation: 35 members
Patry Creation sub ability: Trust but Verify
Active Parties:
Alpha Team - Oasis (16)
Resurgence Team (5)
New Settings (4/5):
Low alcohol intolerance. (On/Off)
Thought Updatable UI
Show uncompleted achievements
New!: Simple Logs
Logs:
Alert! Affected by Suppression Jacket > Powers Suppressed. (Conscious Activation Unavailable)
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
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Alert! Suppression Jacket Effects Breached - Voice Chat Communications With Pre-Initialised Chat Available (Kage: Koda/Wotjek) (Temp)
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Alert! Voice Chat Communications with Lockness Nessgray failed with result of failed.
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Alert! Biological Data Inquiry detected > Auto Suppressing.
---
(*&%WARNING: SHAKES(*&^OCCURRING - BIOLOGICAL(&^*^$INSTABILITY > ATTEMPTING&%$#%#$@TO^$@^%^)_SUPPRESS (FAILED).(*&$&%$@
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Warning: Biological Instability Resolved > Damage Sustained.
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Warning: Gained Status Effect - Healing > Increase in total HP and Biological Repair.
---
Warning: Gained Status Effect - Unconscious (Mid) (Temp)
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Alert! Suppression Jacket Removal Detected > Powers Unsuppressed.
---
Alert! Affected by Suppression Jacket > Gained Status Effect - Powers Suppressed.
---
Alert! Suppression Jacket Effects Breached - Voice Chat Communications Available (Temp)
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Warning: Elevated Heart Rate/Blood Pressure > Gained Status Effect - Horrified-Visual (Low) (Temp.)
---
Alert! Suppression Jacket Removal Detected > Powers Unsuppressed.
Secret Abilities: 2/3 enabled
Aside from some light changes, the Logs are the best new feature. I don’t know how I had activated them but I can see the entire time frame between my initial arrest by Lincastle to a few minutes ago. That message during the Shakes is a bit scary but I can think about it later.
I continue to look through message after message, I can see messages sent to me from Koda and Wotjek while connected, and more from Kage who had seemed to sneak in. I only glance at them for a moment, not really paying them any attention. I keep looking until something catches my eye.
Powers:
Creation Power Forming: Alchemical Elementalist
Generating: 1x Break Through Points to complete till creation possible.
Creation Power Forming: Teleportation
Generating: 5x Break Through Points to complete till creation possible.
I’m close, very, very close to Alchemical Elementalist. Now that I realise that, I can feel it like it's something on the tip of my tongue. A Power based on Full Metal Alchemist and utilising any bit of information about elements and chemical processes I have ever come across. Teleportation will eventually come into being but it will take time. The name will also change as it gets closer and closer to completion. I will have to congratulate Number 2, he’s done a hell of a lot in a short amount of time.
My thoughts are interrupted as I nearly run past the corner we sprint around, we run through the early morning without even breathing hard. Wait what? I look down and notice ethereal smoke around our legs, helping us move and stay on track. Someone's Power, wish I had this when on hikes.
Sure-footed and speedy we made damn good time to Terrenberg and we slow down a little, stopping in the middle of a four way intersection. Another Power activates, this time from Milrich. The stones under our feet start to glow a yellow red colour through the ethereal smoke that is still around our feet, then our footsteps behind us, footsteps in front of us, to the side, everywhere. The footsteps brighten and dim, barefoot, cloven hoofs, wheel marks, shoes and more light and darken, a symphony of light. Soon only one set of tracks appear lit, and then glows green.
“That’s him, those are the only recent Guardsmen Issue shoes that went through here.”
As we are about to start off running again we hear voices behind us. “MIIIIICHAEL! RE-IN-FORCE-MENTS!”
Turning around I see my other Numbers, 2, 3, 4, and 5 with several other Kage in tow all hidden in the shadows but known to me via Interface. The Resurgence Team bend down and take bags from the Kage in their shadows, appearing out of the shadows to Adoazze’s team watching on.
“Hi Boss” says Number 2. “Where you want us?” he asks directed toward Adoazze.
“Stay with us, we have a lead. Let's move!” she says and soon we start jogging despite the gowns from the Numbers. Slowly the ethereal smoke covers their legs as well and they quickly catch up to us.
As we run we cut some corners, Milrich is directing us to cut across to another newer set of tracks or letting us know that tracks down one street just loops around up ahead. While we run Number 5 says through Voice Chat,
“Oi boss, we’re missing a Kage. He was one of the team who went inside the Guard HQ.”
“What? He should have been with us?”
Through the Voice Chat, Koda speaks up. “”Koda directed the new Kage to infiltrate high-important people to find more information. Maybe one still in Guardsmen”
I quickly had a look again at my Voice Chat messages, I did notice some from newer Kage but I just skipped over them… Well I found what I was looking for, probs should have checked them out first:
“Kage will shadow Capitan Lincastle, Stay in Shadow, Will Report.”
“Looks like one of the Kage stuck with Lincastle, he should still be in his shadow.” I reply through the Voice Chat. But without communication from that Kage in particular we cannot locate Lincastle in a faster method.
We keep running, further and further into the rundown buildings, we are making good time but more and more of the trail is dimming, the Power must be running its course or have a range limit. We keep running right up till the lights go out, in the middle of a rubble filled street next to falling down buildings.
“Damn, what happened here?” I ask but get silence in return. We disperse and look around trying to find a clue to what trail he might have taken when a notification hits my Voice Chat!
“I have relocated originator. Your commands?” asked the unnamed Kage as it slithers along the ground in plain view into my shadow. I get some looks from Adoazze’s team and so speak aloud.
“It’s a scouting Power, kinda.”, “Kage, I need you to direct us toward Lincastle. Where do we need to go?”
“Follow” is all it replies as it leaves my shadow and makes a beeline through the rubble. Imi sends out a light orb overhead and we can see the Kage clearly, I know it could be more hidden but it is purposely visible.
We rush behind it, myself in the lead as I feel the questioning glances from Adoazze’s team, they really want to know how this works but are keeping that to themselves. Going over a small pile we reach the front door of a very run down warehouse, as we slow down and step forward the Kage moves vertically up the door and points towards a crystal we did not see before with its clawed hand, paw?
Adoazze steps forward, quietly brushing aside the Kage’s hand and filling the crystal with mana.
“This is an illegal crystal lock, it should open. And it has a alarm attached to it. Milrich, send a message and our location to Master Naaf, we may have found Lincastle.”
Stepping back she draws her sword from its scabbard and brings it high over her head. Crystals in the middle part of the blade start to glow a yellowy colour, she brings it down with the might of a meteorite, cracking the lock into fragments of sharp crystal that go flying.
A silent alarm is triggered, the doors unlocked. Pushing them open requires force, all of us push together and only then just manage to open it wide enough for us to squeeze through. As we enter the air or rather the mana feels stale. Like a room without any fresh air in years… groggily the mana moves around.
In front of us is a large pile of boxes and blood stains on the ground.