Chapter 118: Camouflage

[All things to be discussed at the Solstice, to be sure. On another note, before you all start talking about patrol routes, there's one amendment that should be made for next week's schedule.]

"Next week's patrol schedule?" Noah asked for confirmation. "Not today's?"

[Correct. Have a truck swing by Woodstock, you won't be disappointed.]

Noah pulled a map from his bag, nudging his plate out of the way to lay it flat on the table. Fortunately, this was breakfast, the one meal of the day where it was socially acceptable to read at the table.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Noah added after a minute. "We already have someone heading for Evesham, so they can stop by along the way. What should the boys be on the lookout for?"

[They'll know when they see it, it's not something common in the area, or even the country.]

Noah switched out the map for a notebook, scribbling a few lines that Emma assumed related to the matter at hand. She couldn't be too sure, as reading upside down was rather challenging, even with Noah's impeccable handwriting to work with.

"Wouldn't that appear on your quest log?" Emma questioned, glancing to her own, which dutifully displayed her task for the day.

"Oh it does, but I always write these things down. Old habits are hard to break, and this way, I can hand it off to others as well."

Noah was still writing away, now veering off on another tangent entirely; Emma was able to make out the word ravioli, suggesting a more general shopping list was being prepared. She excused herself from the table, leaving only Noah still seated; Elizabeth had been the first to finish by virtue of eating uninterrupted, and had left shortly after in pursuit of her own duties.

"Where can I find the patrol I'm joining for the day?" Emma remembered to ask before leaving the house, barely avoiding an embarrassing turnaround five minutes down the line.

"Head for the main vehicle pool, there's always a guard on duty there, they can get you where you're needed." Noah replied, not looking up from his writing.

"Thanks!"

Emma headed for the door, only to realise it was locked when she tried to turn the handle. This wasn't a magical switch either, like the one in her bedroom, but an old fashioned keyhole for which she had nothing on hand. Emma took that as a sign to put the homunculus away, relying on her intangibility to step through the door rather than break anything. Heading outside, the streets were empty at ten in the morning, with most people gone to work. That meant there was nobody around to ask for directions, so Emma resorted to an old trick.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Birds were an ever present fact of life in England, something the apocalypse hadn't really affected. Emma supposed some of the larger ones might struggle for food, but there were still plenty of insects around for the average bird of prey.

[Wren - Level 0]

Toggling the System to display non-threatening lifeforms, Emma picked the first target she spotted and took over its body, granting her a bird's eye view of the growing town (pun intended). It didn't take long from there to spot the motor pool; a large, mostly open structure sheltered beneath a makeshift roof of corrugated iron sheets, nestled up against the northern segment of the innermost wall surrounding the residential area.

One short descent later, and Emma was on the rooftop, peering down the edge at the industry below. A pair of well-built men were busy unloading the back of a pickup truck, bringing down crates packed with canned beans, tomatoes and pasta. The truck's hood was up, a mechanic grumbling something unintelligible as he worked on the engine; a much younger assistant, still a boy was likewise busy refuelling from a tank of diesel. A guard was also visible, true to Noah's words; he was the only one wearing army fatigues and carrying a rifle. It wouldn't do much against all but the smallest of demons, but it was probably enough to scare away anyone looking to steal supplies.

[Wren (Level 0) stored!]

Emerging on the rooftop, Emma shoved the small bird into Eden's Echo; there was no reason not to give the storage item's expansive nature, and she could see the use in having a bird in reserve. Emma sat down where the Wren had been, legs dangling over the ledge as she observed the guard patrolling. It took him five whole minutes to look up and spot her; not impressive, given Emma could have opened fire at any point before then had she been an enemy.

"Who are you? What are you doing up there?"

Ignoring the man pointing his rifle at her, Emma decided to test another of her recent abilities. The Earthbound Immortal was summoned underground, before making its way up until its head barely breached the ground, a nearly imperceptible bump in the dirt at the guard's feet. That set up Emma to activate Parallel Lives; one moment, she was on the rooftop, and the next she was right in front of the startled guard.

[-100 Anima]

Emma took a bullet to the breastplate for that, unsurprisingly; the slight sting was well worth it to confirm the interaction between her abilities.

"I'm working heavy support for today. Dad should have told you about me?"

Noah had, which saved Emma from a second bullet, though the guard was still looking at her somewhat warily.

"You're Emma? You look, uh, different. CO mentioned armor, but I was thinking more along the lines of Kevlar, you know?"

Emma didn't deign to reply, merely staring at the guard in a way that she supposed could be quite intimidating in her current form.

"The raid team won't be here for another hour," the guard continued, ever the talkative one, though he'd pointed the rifle away now, which she supposed was an improvement.

"Want one?"

Emma looked down at the offered cigarette, tilting her head. Could she smoke in her armoured form? She supposed it was worth a try.