Ignis, the premier city the Federation had ever hoped to show off was now under siege. Chaos, mayhem, and utter destruction ravaged the city. An incident of this magnitude had not happened in twenty years, and now the advent of the sudden freezing winter storm had sprung up and killed thousands in the blink of an eye. Those unlucky enough to be evicted from their homes were forced unto the snow-covered streets. Their homelessness and scavenging mindsets set parts of the fire ablaze, and it was only made worse by the city mayor who responded to the riots with pure force. Put against each other, the people became ultranationalists and called for the mayor to be removed. And the terrified mayor barricaded himself within his manor and directed his personnel to hold the line and establish order within the ash-filled city.
Special Operations Police Units (SOPU) went from door to door containing the situation, though they were greatly outnumbered and were forced to retreat back to their precincts to not lose their lives amongst the raging crowds. Sirens wailed through the night as paramedics and other first responders attempted to help people through the winter storm, yet they were squalled and put against the line as they ran out of resources and their people were drew thin across the line that was firmly established by the mayor.
In the midst of it all, target Raven was planning something big. His goals were well beyond the understanding of the OMFS and NIA. Oddly enough the OHFI had stepped away from their counter-terrorism mission and opted to focus on allocating resources to anti-sabotage operations. The destruction of the Promgrave Power Plant had shaken the will of local law enforcement and now it was the intelligence agents’ jobs to take charge and protect the Federation fall all threats coming from any foreign nation. This mission to eliminate Raven was of critical importance as he was a former Hero to the Kingdom of Yondel, so for them to step back raised questions amongst HIGHCOM.
“Five minutes out from target destination. Next stop, Ignis airport.”
Pressing the bolt release of his carbine, Mike ran his hand down to the magazine and detached it. He stared at the steel ammunition that was provided by the OMFS. They had been able to successfully reproduce the ammunition his weapons used, and now they were looking for a way to incorporate it into their current weaponry. The army wanted a piece of this “new” caliber, but there was little they could do with the red tape the OMFS was operating under in this time of crisis. His other gear had been worn down considerably. Field Commander Osho had gotten a big head since the death of Ryan Phillips and had been sending Mike’s team on constant missions to even the most remote of places. They were only on mission under HIGHCOM due to the Director having to step in to finally go after Raven.
“Be sure to treat Mayor Hetfield with kindness. He’s been under a lot of stress recently. President Harding is going to want Raven in a body bag, and the mayor is the only one that can help you achieve that goal.”
The one flying Mike’s strike team in was Flight Lieutenant Ortega and Flight Major Cooper. They were both selected from the Army-Air Force as test pilots for experimental intelligence-based aircraft, but the NIA had rerouted them into their hands to serve as delivery officers that can get a package anywhere no matter to condition of the skies. In an ironic way they were still flying experimental aircraft, but their mission was what truly brought them into focus.
Ortega looked behind him into the fuselage of the aircraft. They were instructed to use a civilian airliner to transport the large amount of personnel and cargo headed for Ignis. Their nation was slowly approaching the edge of utter destruction. Terrorist attacks had sprung up everywhere and was taking a toll on the fighting spirit of the Federation. Initial resistance was fierce from the nation, but in a total of two months of unrelenting attacks, had taken out several key infrastructure locations and had distracted the armed forces as they were occupied with holding back a possible attack from the Kingdom of Yondel.
Turning back and letting his gaze scan over his instruments, the lieutenant took a silent breath as the major next to him slowly adjusted the speed of the plane and began to lower the current altitude they were cruising at. As they slowly lowered through the clouds, the younger pilot watched as the distant fields came into view.
“Lieutenant, you have coms.” Major Cooper softly said as he lowered flaps and landing gear.
“Federation Airline 1015, wind at 300 at 11, runway three left, clear to land.” A feminine voice hailed the two pilots as the plane slowly lowered and began its final approach to Ignis.
“Clear to land three left, Federation 1015.” Ortega said giving full control of the stick to the major and giving himself breathing room for post landing preparations, “Got a cross wind, watch your approach.”
“Flaps set and speed breaks are set.” Major Cooper responded as he ran a double-check on the flaps and landing gear.
Over the next five minutes the aircraft slowly began to descend towards the ground. The early morning hours were illuminated by the burning city skyline and nighttime lights. The two pilots continued descent; Mike stepped away from the front of the cabin closing the door behind him. He was done observing what the pilots were doing. Returning to his seat, he gently removed the sling of his rifle and placed his weapon on the ground in front of him.
He stared at the cold steel with listless eyes. Memories, ones that he had previously shoved to the side and forgotten were contained within the confines of the gun.
Clenching his fists, the staff sergeant’s head lowered. His eyes drifted from the black tactical jacket her wore along with a dark-grey, long sleeve shirt to the black plate carrier that was provided by the OMFS. Most of everything he once arrived with in this world had either been destroyed or ruined beyond operational capacity. To stay in a readied operational capacity, he had to unfortunately surrender his gear so that the Federation could issue him mint, mil-spec technologies.
It was beyond impressive for the Federation to quickly reproduce his gear, but it felt different than the kit he was issued with and survived with for the entire year he had been on his planted. It felt foreign.
“It’s always hard to get used to this.”
Mike slowly picked up his head and turned to the silver-haired maiden sitting in the seat on his right. Lecca was tightly gripping her clothes as the feeling of vertigo entered her body. Taking his hand and rubbing his light beard, Mike ran his calloused and torn hand over his bumpy, scar-ridden face as a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“It’s not everyday you get to fly into a danger zone.” He said in a low voice. His mind was still ensnared in the unsettling sight he saw at the bar seven hours earlier.
“You have experience in this?” Lecca posed a rhetorical question.
The princess closely watched her Reclaimer. He was lost in thought and looked, lost, but somewhere in his eyes was an edge of determination and grit. The twenty-six-year-old wouldn’t let this mission fail. Not long ago he confirmed the death of Ryan Phillips and the failure of the mission he was deployed on the protect the Promgrave power plant. He would be damned if another 60,000 people were put to the test of the elements due to even the slightest of mistakes.
It worried her that he did not answer the dumb question she posed. She didn’t want him to slip towards the edge like Captain Thompson had rapidly accelerated towards it.
Within two minutes the plane had drifted on the runway and slowly began to taxy to a reserved hangar nearby, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Ignis airport. Warm spring winds and beautiful hot springs are available at any place other than here, this is Major Cooper speaking, I hope you had a decent flight and have a goodnight.”
“Fucking pilots.” Mike cursed as he leaned into his clutched hands. He said nothing as the princess watched him silently. Reaching out his arm, he grasped his rifle and picked it up. His hands firmly fell back into place as the plane finally came to a stop on runway.
“All agents, fall out on me.” Mike said over his radio as he lowered his goggles and activated the augmented reality.
The side door of the plane was held in place as a staircase was hastily moved towards the latch underneath it. After securing the clamps, the civilian contractors backed away as a security team moved forward and radioed for the pilots to open the door. Mike’s fireteam slowly moved down the isle with their weapons and gear. As the door opened, each steeped into the cool air of the night.
The fireteam slowly gathered on the tarmac surrounded by security agents under the command of Mayor Hetfield. Just to the right a second plane slowly came to a halt and a crew began to let the NOGS platoon outside. Each sailor carried their seabag along with their weapons enclosed in black matte cases.
Mike held his words as the lead security agent confirmed their identities with a spell casted with the flick of his wrist.
“They’re good. Alert Viking.” The man ordered as he turned around and walked back to his spot amongst his men.
At the rear of the convoy, a small group of agents surrounded an older man. Mayor Hetfield walked with a scowl on his face as he adjusted his suit to seem more professional to the rifle men that he would soon speak to. Stepping to the front, Hetfield brushed his dark-black hair with his hand and looked directly into Mike’s eyes with a amused looked.
“So, renegades make up the agents of the OMFS? Who would’ve thought that they would send someone of your caliber.” He blatantly insulted the group as he studied each member of the staff sergeant’s fireteam.
Clenching his fists, it took a good amount of self-control for Lecca to not pummel the man into the ground. That much surprised Mike as he stood coolly not letting the words of the mayor get to his head.
“We may not be the operatives you are looking for, but we are here for a reason.” Lieutenant Bishop was the first to speak as he withdrew a document from his vest. With an annoyed look, the mayor studied the paper that provided the reason for them being in his city.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
“A hunter-killer team has walked into my city.” The man surmised as the ignored the splotches of black ink on several lines. “Do your magic, then get the fuck out of here.” He said before turning around and motioning for the head security agent to escort the fireteam and NOGS platoon.
“This way, please.”
Being guided to a set of blacked-out vehicles hidden under the night sky and the revealed by the gentle rays of the moon that cut through the clouds, the fireteam was quickly organized; Mike and Lecca were in car number three. They were the only ones to be in the rear-passenger seats due to the division of the team. Sitting next to each other in silence, the car would soon begin its trip within the convoy to the base of operations where law enforcement officials were working with border guards to contain the situation in Ignis. The car slowly jolted through the crowded yet empty streets, and they crossed over a dry riverbed where trash and other objects laid waiting to be picked up. This part of the city was all but dead. Even with its proximity to the airport, only those brave enough to dare the barren streets to reach the travel hub would take the backroads instead of the main streets the drivers decided to navigate down for the sake of expedience and timing.
“Feeling better?” Lecca looked at the corner of her eye. Mike had called out to her in a soft-spoken voice.
“I should be asking you that.” She returned in the same manner.
“Well, you shouldn’t.”
“Mike—you can’t do this alone.”
“I know.”
“Then why—”
“I’m not going alone. We just have to do this right.”
Falling to silence, Lecca turned her head to the right. She looked out the window as the burning city beyond slowly passed by at a snail’s pace. Her brown eyes were hidden by the darkness, but she could still see clearly, the orange-red flames keeping her frozen in place.
“I won’t let it happen again. We can’t let it happen again.”
It was hard to face Mike as he let out the words that cut off the conversation. He couldn’t hide the pain in his voice, his short, exasperated breaths made Lecca uneasy as she turned and watched him leaned back against his seat and close his eyes. He had fallen asleep within seconds, it seemed that his time being awake for nearly a day had taken a toll.
With a soft breath, Lecca gently grasped Mike’s right hand as she leaned over in her seat. She found her lips just brushing the rough, patchy check that was long stained with salty tears. Jerking her head away, she bit her tongue at the realization of what she just did. It didn’t make any sense why she would do such a thing. The warm felling in her chest resonated throughout her body, and she was certain that her Reclaimer would thing nothing of this. It had just been a year since they first met. How could someone, in such a short amount of time, truly appreciate and love someone in this manner? Why did this happen? There were reasons and answers for such questions, but none came to her mind as she held his hand tightly as she slowly slunk back into her seat. Was it courage that she performed such an act? Was it just an act, something she did in the moment?
Death surrounded their lives. Would being attached to somebody, to something prove to be a detriment or an advantage?
Leccamaradel couldn’t help but laugh at herself. Her magical world that she lived in was completely different than the industrial might of Earth, Mike’s home world. One could argue that they could very well be two sides of the same coin, but the difference of a princess to just another soldier was stark and made it hard for her to believe in any future not just with Mike, but alongside the Rangers that had survived this unforgiving world.
And now the remnants were to take on their greatest challenge yet, a Hero that had disavowed his oath to the Kingdom of Yondel. An S-Class mage as those in the Federation called him.
She wanted to have a life beyond the wars she grew up with and that she partook in. There was more to the world than blood, mud, and magic. Peace was something that she once believed to be unattainable, but even if it costed her life, she would fight for a possible future where men and women could live in pure bliss, away from any threat to the world. Lecca had to assume that’s what Mike and the others had intended to do.
If they gave their lives here and now, perhaps the shadow of tomorrow would fade away as those in the future would bury the bodies of the dead with a new sense of purpose to keep peace and tranquility.
The convoy turned away from the city square. In the chaos that rummaged the city, people walked in the cool night moving supplies and buying goods. It was a firm reminder that even with the advent of fire, people would still live on even through the most treacherous of places. Stopping, the line of trucks halted in front of a large warehouse and the security agents slowly began to escort Mike’s team out into the building.
Waking up and running his hand over his eyes, the staff sergeant took a slow breath as the door opened revealing the head security agent as he motioned for the two to move. Grabbing his gear and being the first out of the truck, Lecca quickly and silently walked behind him with her head lowered. He didn’t question why, that was something to be dwelled on for another day. Entering the oddly warm interior, the two joined the rest of the fireteam as they surrounded an underground entrance that had been cordoned off and secured by the NOGS platoon that had arrived much earlier than they did.
The timing was off. Something felt wrong.
“Staff Sergeant, Randall.” A familiar voice called out.
“What’s all this” Mike asked gesturing his hand to the manhole that was uncovered and being surrounded by armed security agents.
“We had a gopher.” The now identifiable Commander Osho said as he stood in place next to one of the NOGS sailors. “This was a criminal hideout and we raided it before this city went to shit. One of them escaped and went underground, we have confirmed the presence of possible harmful toxins below street level. Get that fucker so we can clean up here.” He adjusted his green over coat as he patted the staff sergeant on the shoulder as he made his departure for the command center in city hall.
Mike reached for his gas mask sitting on his belt.
“Oh, and Randall.” Commander Osho said garnering the man’s attention as he slowly turned around.
“Sir?”
“Return safe. I don’t want to have to bury another agent.”
His words struck a chord with everyone present as he opened the door and stepped out into the cool night. Though the message was meant for Randall alone, it was clear that everyone agreed with the statement; everyone made it a priority to make it through the night, alive. And anyone left behind would damn all those that left them to rot in this burning hellscape.
“Team one on me! Team two standby for relief!” Mike ordered as he moved to the single rope that was set up. Putting on a pair of fingerless gloves, the staff sergeant secured his gear and equipped his single strap go-bag.
“Good to go.” Lieutenant Bishop said as he placed his gas mask over his face.
“I’m on point.” Corporal Richard followed up as he hooked himself onto the rope and descended the hole.
“Stay behind me Lecca.” Mike said as he was the second one to grab the rope and slid down letting the darkness envelope him.
Upon setting foot into the dimly lit sewer tunnels that ran below the city, Mike grasped the mask he had and gently placed it over his mouth and nose creating a firm seal from the environment he was in. Grabbing his rifle, he pointed the weapon into the darkness as he waited alongside Richard for Lecca and Bishop to reach their level. As the final two riflemen reached the underground area, they quietly spread out on either side of the narrow corridor.
“One-One, Two-Two, go for radio check.”
No one responded to Richard’s muffled voice. Only static was returned making the corporal look up at the hole they passed through.
“We’re close to the surface but comms are jammed.” Bishop surmised with a concerned expression. “Twenty feet. Pretty deep and there’s a lot of interference between any reflector points.”
“No room for proximity coverage. We’re in a dark zone, so let’s get this bastard.” Mike advised his team as he stepped forward taking point.
No one responded to Richard’s muffled voice. Only static was returned making the corporal look up at the hole they passed through.
Falling in behind him, the four-man fireteam slowly crept through the dark and dreary environment as they crawled their way to the suspected target location. It smelt horrible below ground, but surprisingly the sewer workers kept the grounds around the main pool of water and gunk completely clean. These people were those that took care of their working environment as there wasn’t even a spec of dirt or grunge that was on the concrete floors. It made navigating the dark fairly easy, but there wasn’t anything that could mask their approach or conceal their positions. If someone were to walk out one of the many sub-halls within the underground section, Mike and his team would be exposed to immediate gunfire or worse, magic spells.
Target “Raven” was the one that struck the hall in the capital city. He used nothing but a sword, but he complemented his fighting style though what seemed to be magic, and he masked his escape with a chemical weapon. If the former hero’s target was to be the city of Ignis, then he was using the underground as a storage and staging area while the buildings above burned under the riots.
At the end of the small, cramped tunnel was a single door. Schematics provided by the city pointed that a large maintenance and energy management level laid beyond. This was the suspected area where Raven would be present, so the OMFS directed Mike’s unit to intercept the target. If they failed now, the NOGS platoon wouldn’t be able to lockdown the underground and close off any emergency exits. They needed to engage and kill Raven, or else that attack on the city would be the least of the Federation’s worries.
Shifting to the door and stacking on either side, Mike gave his team the go ahead. Richard pushed the door open and backed away as the other three entered the room with their weapons raised. They fanned out into each corner of the lower level, and Lieutenant Bishop waited at the only set of stairs as he watched the next level.
“What the fuck is this?”
Scanning the immediate area, Richard cussed to himself as he looked at the laboratory-like environment they had just transitioned into. It was jarring to go from the underground sewers into the brick covered, makeshift science and testing lab. This was obviously set up by Raven as the containers of chemical gas scattered about and the huge testing tubes that looked like they could hold a human was eerie.
“Chemical weapons. He plans to unleash this on the city as a test?” Lecca surmised trying to understand the ultimate goal the rogue hero had for the Federation.
“Boss, get up here! Take a look at this!”
Turning to the sudden call of the lieutenant, Mike and the other two quickly moved to the stairs where Bishop was. They moved in unison as they fell behind the lieutenant and upon reaching the next level, it was clear to what the man was alarmed by.
“Lieutenant?” Mike questioned as he lowered his weapon.
“Unknown weaponry and more.” The junior officer explained as he ran his hand over the nearest weapon emplacement that was in the open.
They had entered some kind of arena. Four stationary turrets were placed in the four corners. Four unknown modules were scattered in front of each weapon, and an enormous metallic shutter waited to be interacted with. Just above the door was a large screen that was familiar of those who had been inside of the Federal Nerve Center (FNC) within the capital city.
Mike froze in place and his heart skipped a beat. Jesus!
This manhunt wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.
Publicly Available Information: Diamondback Squadron — Mike “The Boss” Randall:
Staff Sergeant Mike Randall, also known as “The Boss”, was a former soldier a part of the 75th Ranger Regimental Battalion, and a current Office of Military and Federal Security field agent, who during the manhunt for target “Raven” was separated from his former squadron. Recruiting several military officers and working alongside foreign officer Chieftain Araish, he now works to further his skills an agent of the OMFS while finding time to carry out his ambitions for ensuring security and peace between the Federation of Zivaland and the Kingdom of Yondel.
Being magically inert, the staff sergeant is forced to win engagements through pure skill and technological power. He has access to a number of technologically advanced systems and weapons at his disposal, he is the “golden child” of the OMFS and is willing to do anything to complete the mission at hand.
Being a highly skilled agent within the OMFS, “The Boss” and his fellow Rangers have reached an unknown and classified status within the Federation government. They are considered untouchable, and only a number of select agents and federal personnel can do anything about their current status within the Federation.
As of now, the “Rangers” from another world have left their mark on this reality as “Reclaimers” under command of Leccamaradel Emma Araish.