If only playing the savior was easy.

Alice stared at her bat, the wood cracked from when that strange man had grabbed it. That half-demon or whatever he was. She still couldn't quite wrap her head around it all. A group of monsters working as a team. Operating under the same banner. It all screamed of that hellspawn's doing, and yet she'd walked away unscathed. Both she and Eric were allowed to go free.

None of it made any sense to her. Just who was that man she'd fought? And how did Luizitine find him?

Sitting back in her chair, she found no answers to her questions. Only more questions. Like why there were suddenly a bunch of armed soldiers walking through the base.

Across from their computers, people decked out in camouflage wandered about. None of which Alice recognized. She squinted at the flag-shaped insignias on their shoulders. The name tags adorned on their shirts. Even if she didn't know who the people were, she at least knew where they'd come from.

They were all soldiers of the US Army.

Mages stepped aside as they passed, even Felissa watching them carefully. Despite being one of the highest-ranked members of the PIB, she must have known she was just another "ghost hunter" in the eyes of the real military branches. Something Alice took a bit of solace in even if she didn't like how dismissive they were of Uncle Brown. But then, what else could she have expected seeing the man leading them all?

"We'd be happy to lend mages to the cause," Uncle Brown was saying before he got cut off.

"No need. Our people will handle it from here. Stand by, until then."

Uncle Brown gave a nod, though Alice could see right through his fake smile. If only he could tell him off like he must have wanted to. Like she wanted to. But this was the great Senator Morino they were dealing with. Still, she made sure to flip her father the bird when he wasn't looking.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

"Let the vets handle this, huh?" Eric muttered.

He continued to file reports even as everyone else was watching the concession raid their supplies.

Alice had no idea why he was there. Why her father suddenly decided he and his team needed to get involved. But she didn't like it. And it only made her more frustrated about his chip holding her back.

Was it because of him? The hellspawn? Had he heard about the mess in the junkyard and only now decided to get involved? After his minions had started running amuck through the city? She bit through a candy bar, glaring at the soldiers as they came walking by. As her father still refused to look at her directly.

"Dad," she muttered.

To her surprise, she did get a response.

"You're sober."

He said it so low she knew the words weren't meant for anyone else to hear. Even so, they made her frustration even greater.

Why did he sound so surprised?

***

The concession of soldiers eventually left, but Alice couldn't help but linger on their sudden presence. Why now all of a sudden this was their problem. She looked down at her bat, the image of that man hanging in the back of her head. Someone who could keep up with her. Put all her training to shame. If it hadn't been for her chip, she might have gotten the edge in the battle. If it hadn't been for Eric...

She looked up at the mage.

"Hey. Eric."

He didn't look up from his papers, but she could tell he was listening.

“A little late to say this, but thanks. For helping with that stupid devildog. And...uh...”

"You're welcome."

She smiled, of which she immediately tried to erase. Dammit. Don't be weird. She threw herself into her own reports in hopes that would keep her occupied. Right. Gotta get these out of the way before Uncle Brown gets mad. She quickly started filling in the blanks.

Whatever her dad and the other vets were getting up to, she could worry about that later.

At the end of the day, none of it changed what she had to do. What she was supposed to do. She was a mage of the PIB and the wizard who'd have to face off with Luizitine someday. But that all could wait. For now, she just felt a little better knowing she had one ally she could count on. Two if she counted Uncle Brown.