The two had finished scarfing down the last of their meal before heading out to the coordinates Striga had sent over.

Heaven’s Scout, in its drive form, resembled a large four-wheeled motorcycle. It was a far cry different from how it looked in its assault form, and yet another thing Ma’Z hadn’t really taken the time to appreciate. The pristine white and gold geometric pattern along the fairing made it look downright regal.

For a racing nut like him not to notice was nearly unforgivable.

“Alright, explain it to me like I’m five,” Ma’Z said.

They were heading back towards the militarized zone where they had met for the first time. Heaven’s face was displayed in a little box in his Vision. He could see her looking right at him, though he knew she was really looking at the road and vice versa.

“Not really difficult to explain. We got a contract to retrieve a rare item. Which means it’s in a place where people would probably consider it dangerous,” Heaven replied.

“Right, and just the two of us is supposed to be enough?”

“We’re Reapers, babe. We’re kind of a big deal.”

“So you could solo this without me?”

“Probably.”

“Probably?” Ma’Z repeated. He was about to continue when he stopped himself and had a change of thought. “Ok. Sorry. You did say the little dude probably chose this contract with me in mind.”

“His judgment is pretty top notch. You won’t find any among us who doesn’t vouch for him.”

“It’s just… his voice. It’s just so… smooth. Like, if he hadn’t chosen a Nilflen, he could probably talk anyone out of their clothes in no time.”

“Wait, that’s what you’re hung up about?” Heaven laughed.

“Heaven. Have you really not listened to the kid speak? He’d make an excellent orator for an erotica.”

“By the Goddess, Ma’Z, he’s an adult, just like the rest of us. Give it a rest, ok? Once we’re out of the city, we’re going to be open to the wilds. Even if the job is simple, crazy wildlife and rampant machinery is always a constant danger.”

“He’d talk me out of my clothes if I swung that way.”

“MA’HIZ!”

“Alright! Sorry. I’ll stop.”

“Thank you.”

“No no, you paid for lunch. I should be thanking you.”

“Well, get some more money, and you can start resuming your duties as the ‘man of the house.’”

“Funny. Someone’s fully loaded and left me broke.”

“Earn your keep.”

“Fair. But as your future husband, what’s yours is mine and yada yada.”

“I’ll retract that in a heartbeat.”

“Honey, you wound me. Would you really be so cruel as to leave your poor otru’fin… poor?”

“I thought I already did.”

“So cold!”

“Don’t you dare.”

“♪ Baby it’s cold outside. ♪”

Heaven sighed. “By the Goddess, Ma’Z, that joke’s over fifty years old! You’re lucky I love you... so much.”

“Yeah. I am.”

Heaven looked at his image, seeing the slightly forlorn look on his face. He was still beating himself up over the last few months, she knew. However, from her perspective, the moment she saw him drive up to those gates, she had forgiven everything.

Besides, if anyone should’ve been feeling guilty, it was her. She should’ve never gotten involved with Oraria like that, let alone let herself get so wrapped up in their relationship, she neglected the very one Ma’Z was guilting himself over.

They should’ve talked this out ages ago.

With a pained look of her own, she decided to change the subject, smiling a little too big and said, “Well, otru’fin, my love, how’s your erzalis feel? Is it handling alright? Does it feel stiff anywhere?”

Ma’Z looked down at the Frame and did a mental check and said, “No complaints here. Seems to be riding pretty smooth, and I haven’t felt any noticeable pull when turning through all of those winding roads, though that hardly counts as a proper road test, if you know what I mean.”

“Good. That’s what I like to hear, and yeah, I do. Maybe this next part will help with that. Once we exit, just follow my lead, ok? I know the way pretty well, and it’s obvious now you’ve been itching to open her up. So, unless you suddenly fall behind or go tripping over yourself, I’m going full throttle the moment we’re in the clear. Cool?”

Ma’Z’s eyes lit as a grin stretched across his face.

“Knew that’d work,” Heaven laughed. “I’ll call green, so you have time to line up with me.”

“Heaven?

Heaven’s eyes shifted to look at him questioningly.

“You’re the best.”

Heaven smiled warmly and turned her full attention back to the road. They were still in chat, but they had both pushed each other to their peripheral.

They exited the city a moment later, where Heaven quickly turned right, off the road, and into the open grassland he had come in from yesterday.

It was just a little after noon and the sun was blazing high in the sky. He saw much of the same fauna he had seen the night before, except for a large creature in the sky that reminded him of a Chinese dragon.

He immediately wondered if he could fight it.

After another minute at a gentle cruise, Heaven put her hand up to call his attention. A familiar red light appeared in his Vision. It pulsed momentarily before it pulsed yellow, and then green.

Ma’Z didn’t hesitate. He accelerated as hard as he could. The Frame, surprisingly, didn’t so much as buck. It accelerated so smoothly he was caught off guard at how fast he was suddenly going. The tires held firm, and Heaven was banking with such practiced ease, he would’ve thought she was a racer, herself, if he didn’t know any better.

When he looked down at his speedometer, he saw they were easily pushing 340 kpm. Just a little faster and he would officially be going the fastest he’d ever gone before in his life.

The world around him should’ve been an absolute blur at this point, but something about the way his Vision displayed the world around him kept everything in focus enough that he could still make out individual details in the terrain.

“Yeah, I know that face,” Heaven said. “That’s your Intellect at work. You’re processing information that much faster now. Even cooler than that, your increased Reflexes are allowing you to keep up with everything you see.”

“This is so fucking cool,” he said in awe.

Ma’Z scanned his surroundings. The grassland had fallen away a few minutes ago, and they were now in an area with a lot more stone and dried dirt. Rocky hillsides could be seen in the distance, and they seemed to be heading straight for them.

They were back in the Zastra District.

“Oh, I recognize this place. There’s a fortress around here with a bunch of robot sentinels I wanted to try to explore,” he said.

“Around here?” Heaven asked. “Oh! You mean the Ruins of Veneris. That place is rough. Would not recommend trying to solo.”

“Damn. That bad?”

“Let’s just say there was a report that came through that said a scouting team was almost wiped out within a few minutes of breaching the perimeter. Said those turrets they got can chew through master class armor like butter and some of the robots can strip through magical defenses.”

“Holy fuck. I almost tried to go in there!”

“I’m glad you didn’t. There was one guild who did manage to crack the perimeter. They took some losses but managed to walk away with a relic for their efforts. Many are considering classifying it as a raid zone.”

“I don’t blame them. The only thing that really stopped me was the fact that I didn’t have any ability to tell how strong they were.”

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“Smart move. I guess you can go ahead and wave at it. We’ll be passing it by here in a few minutes.”

As soon as she said it, Ma’Z could already see the peak of the fortress in the distance. She was veering away from it, however, and making her way towards a copse of trees he hadn’t really paid much attention to his first time through.

“Should I be worried?” Ma’Z asked. When they passed the fortress just past the patch of trees, Heaven had sped up again.

Ma’Z had almost missed the sudden acceleration, his mind occupied as he was with the dungeon.

“Not really,” she said. “There’s a cave up ahead, and once we’re on the other side, we’re going to want to be going as fast as possible.”

“That usually means one thing.”

“Yup. Biiiig jump.”

“How am I not supposed to worry about that?”

“’Cause you’re in a Frame, otru’fin! These bad boys were built for absolute falderskat, and because we’re not limited to just driving.”

The smugness with which she said it made Ma’Z want to roll his eyes, but he had to admit he was looking forward to what came next.

“Fair warning, the cave is a little tight, but mostly a straight path. Just stay in my line and get ready for a view guaranteed to make you scream.”

Ma’Z smiled as he moved himself directly behind her. Soon they were going 500 kpm, and Ma’Z was starting to feel the inertial forces on his body. He could see the entrance to the tunnel, no bigger than their Frames, and felt a small surge of panic at the thought of entering such a small space at the speed they were going.

In no time they were in, and the tunnel was an absolute blur, but Heaven was a beacon in the lightless tunnel. She was making micro-adjustments as the cave wound ever so slightly left and right, and Ma’Z couldn’t help but feel thoroughly impressed.

Before long, he could feel they had hit an incline, and within seconds he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and then he was airborne.

And scream he did.

It was the closest he’d ever felt to flying. The wind was whipping against his body, drowning out all other sounds. The gorge down below was indeed breathtaking. A massive river ran between the cliff faces, and it was at that moment that he thought about it, that he realized the opposite cliff face was much higher than where they exited. They were steadily climbing, but he could already feel they would be at the apex of their jump in no time.

“Yo, Heaven. What the hell?!” he shouted.

Heaven’s maniacal laughter was her only response.

One moment they were soaring through the air, and no sooner had they cleared the height of the opposite rock face had they started their downward descent.

“Just do what I do!” Heaven shouted. She switched to her Assault form, twisting her body over so that she was descending face down, feet first.

Ma’Z dug his arms into the command rings as he lurched his body forward into a roll. His erzalis responded in kind, transitioning into its Assault form, feet forward.

A moment later, Heaven landed on the other side of the cliff face, catching herself on the steep incline and using the inertia to fall into a slide down the wall.

A few seconds later, Ma’Z did the same. He could feel the tactile sensation against his fingers and toes as his Frame descended swiftly.

Then, as if to reestablish her momentum, Heaven transitioned right back into her Drive form at full speed.

Ma’Z followed her lead, no longer questioning her actions or ability. He was a racer, but this was essentially her backyard. She knew where to go, and she knew what to do. Profession or not, nothing beat experience.

“We’re really close now. There’s a ravine up ahead we got to pass through, and then we’ll be at the entrance to the dungeon.”

“Look and behold my grinning visage, for I am the definition of a kid at a candy shop,” Ma’Z beamed.

“So stupid,” Heaven laughed.

A couple minutes later she said, “We’re here.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Took you long enough,” Brigand said as they reached the entrance.

Ma’Z came up behind Heaven, seeing the Titan class Erzalis standing beside the entrance and immediately started sizing it up. The gunmetal black Titan struck a precarious balance between the quintessential knight and a modern soldier.

Brigand seemed to carry his weapons directly on his Frame, with a pair of pistols attached to each hip, several grenades across his chest, a rifle over his back, and he was willing to bet more were concealed beneath its beefy armor.

Despite its bulk, it didn’t seem to be the least bit encumbered by its size. Seeing it now, he could understand what Heaven meant about their æther being gobbled up to offset their physical strength. It was a monster worthy of its classification.

“Who invited the lug?” Ma’Z said.

“Check the attitude, Ma’Z. I’m pretty sure Striga sent him,” Heaven chided.

“Was that really necessary?”

“We usually run in two’s. Only a few of us are cleared to run a solo contract, and even then, that’s only after it’s cleared through the Headmaster.”

“Y’all call him headmaster?”

“Of course we do. It’s proper decorum.”

“I don’t even know what to do with that.”

“Do I need to remind you we’re mercenaries? And we’re in a world full of unknown hostilities. Setting a chain of command to ensure everybody’s safety is all but mandatory.”

“So, he’s here to chauffeur?

“Probably. He’s definitely here on orders, at least.”

“She’s got the right of it,” Brigand confirmed. “The little cock blocker sent me as an assessor. Wants me as an impartial witness.”

“The fuck?” Ma’Z recoiled.

“Sorry. Normally when we take on new members, we put them through an assessment to gauge their fit and abilities. Most fail. Having said that, this is a formality. Simply for the books. Heaven already vouched for you, but we have to appear impartial. Hence me.”

Hearing that, Ma’Z took a calming breath and said, “Ok. Yeah. That makes sense. I uh- Sorry for the attitude. I don’t often take too kindly to people weighing in on my character when we don’t even know each other.”

“Don’t apologize. I saw you gritting your teeth when Oraria started on her falderskat last night. She’s got a temper. A lot of us do. Kind of a running joke, honestly,” Brigand laughed then added, “But she’s really a kind woman when you get to know her”

“So I’ve heard,” Ma’Z looked to Heaven who was trying to feign ignorance.

“I take it, you know what we’re here for?” She asked.

“I don’t, actually. I was just told to come watch the kid and give my assessment.”

“A Jewel of the Ohr Leaf.”

“Now why in the Holy Three would he assign you something like that? I thought it was weird I had to come all the way out here.”

“Someone going to fill me in on what we’re talking about?” Ma’Z interjected.

“It’s like a snipe hunt,” Brigand explained. “Except it’s real.”

“Why do I feel like that’s just the tip?”

“Because the monsters in this place behave just like the jewel, always at the periphery of your vision, except they’re pack monsters and will ambush you at a moment’s notice.”

“And let me guess, the fact that we’re all in these giant mechs, they’re giants too.”

“Makes Australia look quaint by comparison.”

“Well that checks out. Wait. Why am I surprised?”

“What?”

“Nothing. Sounds like a horror show and not at all something you throw a newbie into.”

“That’s why you have our princess. Tell him Heaven. Tell him your nickname?”

Heaven rolled her eyes while Brigand gave his most winning shit eating grin.

“No. And you’ll be fine Ma’Z. They might be hard to see, but they’re not incorporeal, nor are they all that hard to kill. That spell combination of yours is perfectly capable of dealing with them,” Heaven said.

“Wait, I thought he just logged in last night. Spells usually take days. The combinations to consider. The synergies. Spell efficiency. You really just went and created all of your spells in just a day?” Brigand said in horror.

“A few hours, actually. Anyway, show him,” Heaven corrected.

Ma’Z looked between the two of them, shrugged, and sent over the two spells.

“Vaut soh, that’s uh- yeah, that would do it,” Brigand said.

“I’ve been meaning to ask just how strong these spells are? I kind of assumed that low tier magic wouldn’t really pack that much of a punch at higher tiers,” Ma’Z pondered.

“Not necessarily. Elemental potency is generally twenty percent efficacy per point. At later tiers you’ll be able to break the 100% barrier. But you should’ve noticed that it’s not just elemental damage. There’s a level of manipulation that comes with higher tiers. Your ion trails are a manipulation of fire that removes electrons in the surrounding air, creating a trail of positively charged nitrogen.

“By contrast, your violent discharge does the exact opposite and superheats the air to start the cascade. Having said all of that, you’re right. A single lightning strike wouldn’t seriously harm a lot of the larger animals in the world. The beauty of the spell is the sheer volume of lightning you can produce in a short amount of time. Big or not, not much can withstand a constant barrage of 6,000 plus degrees of heat,” Heaven said.

“Then you factor in your Erzalis Frame,” Brigand began. “They’re essentially giant magnification engines. Speed, strength, magic? All of it multiplied to the levels of an appropriately sized giant, with variations based on the type of Frame you’re running.”

“Wait. So everything you told me only pertained to me being on foot? And by using these Frames as a conduit, it all gets magnified even further?” Ma’Z said.

“By golly, I think he gets it.” Heaven said.

“Shut it.”

“Uh huh. So, assessor? You ready to do some assessing?”

“By all means, lead on. I am but a fly on the wall,” Brigand answered.

“Good. But fair warning, we’re still on a date, so expect to see uh… date… things?”

“What in the unholy lord does that mean?”

“Lots of sexually charged shit talking and innuendo for starters,” Ma’Z answered.

“I see. I wonder if I can still properly assess you on mute.”

Ma’Z and Heaven shared a look before breaking into laughter.

“Ok, honey, before we go, take this. I didn’t expect to be taking a contract so soon, so I apologize in advance that it’s only a rudimentary set.”

Heaven put her hand forward and a second later a window appeared between them.

Heaven wishes to trade

Do you Accept? [Yes] [No]

“What’s MC,” Ma’Z asked as he accepted the trade.

“Master Craft,” Heaven answered.

“You call that rudimentary?”

“Yeah? All of my work is master craft! The good stuff will say EC or LC. I’m trying to make it to RC.”

“Epic, Legendary, and… what?”

“Relic,” Brigand supplied.

“Ah,” Ma’Z said, trying to sound understanding. “Just channel the spirit of your African ancestor and let the spirit of Ogun guide your hammer like the great Cindy Blackman.

“Wasn’t she a drummer?”

“More like a fucking legend.”

“Ah yes, rhythm and forge. You’ve cracked the code.”

Ma’Z began to chuckle as he switched to a bodysuit he’d gotten with the clothing he picked up the night before and started donning the infiltration set.

A few minutes later he was dressed. Heaven had used some kind of quick-change feature and Brigand was already dressed for the occasion, and so waited patiently.

“Alright, all set?” Ma’Z said.

“You remember in Aliens, when the xenos would stalk the marines in the dark and generally scare the skat out of everybody?”

“Umm, what the hell?”

“Just saying, expect that. Except we’re going to take after Ripley and do what she did, but with better mechs and swords and skat.”

“I’ma stop you right there. You said swords.”

“Like a ninja.”

“But I don’t want to be a ninja. I want to sit 900 meters back and just pick them off.”

“You’re a ninja now, Harry,” Heaven shrugged as she made her way into the dungeon.

“He was a wizard though,” Ma’Z said following behind.

“Didn’t stop the hokage, now did it?”

“He wasn’t a wizard!”

“He blew his enemies up by waving his fingers and manipulating the elements. He was a wizard.”

“Don’t you dare insult our lord and savior, Uzumaki.”

“Settle down, otru’fin,” Heaven laughed. “Now let’s go pick a flower.”