“…what the frick?! The Abyss is this!” Rehn was seriously glad that her body was fast asleep now because there was now she would’ve been able to stop her jaw from dropping and screaming in incredulity at the insanity that was this place.

If her father were to find out about this he would have a heart attack! A full military installation right under Dampfstadt. Seriously, what the Abyss?!

This was far more than just some random conspiracy anymore.

“… Agh, damnit!” She cursed under her breath, torn between keeping her Third Eye along with her body and friends or to spy on that meeting Graam was having with the apparent boss of this place.

Mentally flitting between both options, she screamed and then followed after Graam and that Qilby guy before they could get away

———

While the kids had been lead away to get some much needed rest, Graam found himself at Qilby’s side as he showed him across the sandy training area. The jellyfish frog had hummed cheerfully to himself the entire way, leaving the shark to stew in his own, nervous thoughts. Of course his old friend loved to torture him like that!

“Heh, it’s been quite a few days since we last seen each other in person, eh, Graam?” Qilby mused out loud, finally breaking the silence as they reached the equipment centre.

The whole place was buzzing with activity as everyone was getting ready for the operation that laid just ahead. Curious looks were thrown towards the old pirate, he himself feeling rather out of place. Active field duty hadn’t been on his mind for quite a while now.

“True that. Think last time before Dampfstadt was with the Doc over at the Northern Break.” Graam idly replied, giving an awkward awkward wave to a younger looking recruit, gaze trailing after him as he danced on one foot wrangling to slip into his other boot. He turned back to Qilby.

“How’s that crazy coot been doing anyways? Don’t really got much info on him over the last few years.”

“Heh, Babylon’s Tactical Genius. Any operation of interest and he’s got his fingers in it at least to some degree, shape or form.” Qilby chuckled, busting open his locker to grab a tactical west and a pair of personalised revolvers. A smirk played across his lips. “Says something that he left me to my own advices, actually.”

“Ah…” Graam made, scratching his cheek as he felt a wee bit lost with all of this info.

“You did good by the way.” Qilby suddenly said, startling Graam out of his funk. “Well, maybe not on the whole city wide storm. But can’t really fault you for trying to save a building full of orphans, now can I?”

He chuckled, though there was a self-deprecating tone to it.

“Makes me sound more heroic than me was…” Graam mumbled embarrassed and sighed. “Tell it to me straight, how much did I screw up the mission?”

“Screw up…? Nah, not at all.” Qilby waved him off easily, grinning back at him as he leant far back, pulling up his boots. His eyes narrowed. “The whole thing’s been stinking seven days to Sunday. Whole Dampfstadt had their Special Forces pulled just before the biggest event of the year? Yeah, fishy doesn’t even begin to describe this mess. The last few days merely shifted the path slightly.”

He gazed upwards. Despite no hint to the surface visible, Graam knew that he was looking right at the Dampf Tower. Impossible calculations and vectors churned behind his goggled eyes.

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“Now I feel kind of silly.” Graam blushed.

“Then stay that way!” Qilby grinned. “I can predict pathways but I got no clue about the whole socio whatever stuff! Right now? We got our targets and I can lead us to them. That’s the mission. Perfect for me. But dealing with protecting stuff or similar? Yeah, you can count me right out. That’s your field.”

“What the hell are you talking about now?” Graam asked amused.

“Just saying. You’re worrying about danger. And danger has always been there. I just know how to get through this the fastest, most direct and efficient way. This was always going to be dangerous!” Qilby laughed. He had finished getting dressed and a dark purple scarf wrapped around his lower face, hiding all but his goggled eyes. “The newbie and me, we’re going into the tower. Getting in’s the easy part. After that we’ll get a distraction from team two. All the while groups three hopefully manages to get the Primal Glyph before the enemy does. The fact that the Demon Witch’s here just means the whole thing will be more difficult than anticipated.”

He turned to Graam, cracking his neck audibly. “Once all that’s done we can focus on that boy of yours and the other kids. He’s special in some ways, I can feel it. Just got no clue why the Demons are so interest in him.”

“Don’t have to tell me that…” Graam sighed.

“Welp! You can join the last debriefing of the teams, if you wanna! Or join the kids, though I bet they are already deep in the cushions of their beds!” Qilby grinned brightly as he sauntered exaggeratedly out of the equipment centre with a jaunty wave, leaving the shark behind.

Graam stood there for a few more moments before slapping away his doubts with a distasteful grimace and smirked, following after Qilby. Time to get back into the fold of field duty at least in some semblance it seemed like.

The debrief meeting took place within a tent near the entrance to the hidden cavern. It had been set up specifically for this operation and Graam arrived just in time for the general debriefing of the three teams until they were split up for their specifics.

Before he could slip into the small crowd of field operators, a small figure poked her head out from behind the IT set-up.

“Ah, Qilby told me you would come.” Tela waved with bright smile, the petite mouse easily slinking atop the table to more easily look him in the eyes. Her hands, feet and spinel spikes of acid green scales told of her reptilian lineage. “We’ve got the basic report from Ruth but direct information on the Demon Witch would be very much welcome.”

“N-now wait a minute…!” Graam stumbled wide eyed over his words as she didn’t even wait for him to respond, grabbing him by the hand to drag him persuasively determined towards the front of the General Debriefing. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Qilby give him a cheerful salute and thumbs-up.

“Not good at social… als ob, du elende Landratte.” He hissed under his breath, glaring at the ironically see-through Gaian in question who just cheerfully grinned.

“Good luck!” Tela whispered to him with cheerful encouragement before flitting back under her table reserved to IT.

And Graam stood in awkward silence before a full room of operators, looking at him expectantly. A small cough echoed through the air and even through his embarrassment, the shark managed to stare deadpan at an innocently grinning Lyca as she stood near the back besides her sister. The two she-wolves were dressed sparsely to exploit the synergy of their sibling Arcs as best they could, a vibrant two-piece bikini of beautiful amethyst clinging tightly to their curves.

Graam blinked, what had he been looking at again? Ah, right. Damnit. Why did Qilby have to put him on the spot like this?! He cleared his throat and began as best he could, mind racing as he tried to come up with the right words.

“A-as you know, we’ve c-confirmed that the Demon Witch is active around Dampfstadt. It appears as if she had found herself an apprentice and is currently…” The words tumbled over his tongue, recounting everything he could remember sticking out to him back during his battle with her.

She had been holding back. And not just because she had been trying to protect Haggard’s unconscious body. It should have been easy for her to dance around him with her portals but her use of them had been decidedly frugal in comparison to prior reports.

Graam was thoroughly relieved when he ended his bumbling report, fleeing the stage as fast as he could much to the amusement of everyone around.

“Operators are authorised to act using their own judgment during the operation as long as it will not actively interfere with the primary mission.” Tela’s voice echoed over the speakers clear and precise at a sign from Qilby. “Please follow your team’s assigned leader to your individual debriefing.”

As the crowd separated itself, Graam left the tent behind to search out the kids’ quarters. He could use a good night’s sleep as well, a wide yawn escaping him. It was already going towards midnight.