No matter how hard she tried, it was still hard for Maria to get used to seeing her squad's Captain actually being present in the office.
In the nine or so months that she had been a member of Station Nine, she had only ever seen the man a handful of times. And most of those times were either in passing or were too brief for her to actually have a conversation with him. Hell, she only ever had one actual conversation with the man the entire time she had been here. So, to see him sitting at his desk and reading through a stack of papers as if it were the most normal thing in the world was still a bit weird for her. Especially when she factored in how the man was somehow using his magic to speed-read through everything at lightning speed without even activating his mana.
The guy seriously had to be some sort of monster....
At the moment, Maria was sitting in the APS's office area with Robin and Theo. Everyone else on the team was out either trying to hunt down those Iznana guys or handling other issues that came up in the last twenty-four hours. So, that left the young 'beast magic' user alone with her two superiors, just waiting for them to give her something to do.
'It's still crazy how he's one of the strongest people on the planet.' The raven-haired teen thought while continuing to watch the man sign off on some unknown documents, while Robin casually played on her phone at the desk next to him. 'You wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at him.'
Now that she thought about it, Maria had run into a few of the world's top-ranked sorcerers in the last month or so. Along with her squad's Captain, there were also Elaine and Ethan MacNamara. All three of whom were firmly placed in the Clock Tower's top one hundred spots. To think that there was so much power concentrated into one single state was crazy to think about. And that didn't even take any of the unregistered sorcerers in the county into account.
"And done!" Theo happily declared after writing his signature down on a sheet of paper. "Now, I can finally get Chief Chandler off my ass about all the work I've been missing."
"Finally!" Robin said with a grin. "I thought you'd never get done."
"I still have more stuff to look over, but that's all that I need to do for now."
"Of course…." The elder 'beast magic' user rolled her eyes.
"Anyways…." Theo then said while directing his gaze toward Maria. "Let's head over to the training room. We need to have a talk about our upcoming operation since you're going to be a part of it."
"Yes, sir." Maria calmly replied before the group began making their way over to one of Station Nine's many training rooms. The raven-haired teen had no clue what this conversation was going to be about. But, she had a feeling that it wasn't going to be anything good.
-(o)-
"Alright, so to make a long story short…you're going to be a part of the team that's going to take down those Iznana rats." Theo said to Maria only minutes after the group entered the training room.
"Alright." The junior agent nodded her head. This wasn't exactly shocking news to her, but she'd be lying if she said that she was expecting to hear that.
"Chief Chandler and I are still working out the details, but we're going to be doing a full raid on their bases at some point in the near future. Probably within the next month or so if everything goes as planned."
"Understood." Maria once again nodded. "So, does this mean that we know who captured Cyrus and raided the fundraiser?"
"We do." Robin then said with a frown. "Moore was able to identify two of the people who kidnapped him. Apparently, they're people that you know. Some chick named Hannah Donovan, and her brother Aaron. From what I was told, you met them back when you went on your little vacation with the twins."
To say that Maria was shocked would be an understatement. Never in a million years did the young woman imagine that the two sorcerers she and her group hung out with were the ones who were behind all the drama over the last couple of months.
This couldn't have been a coincidence.
"You can't be serious."
"I am." Robin nodded in response. "Moore was absolutely certain of it."
Maria took a moment to think back on everything she knew about Hannah and Aaron, which admittedly, wasn't all that much. All she knew was that the duo lived here in Charlotte, both worked in the city, and that Hannah had a good enough job to where her boss could afford to send her to a five-star beach resort pretty much on a whim. Aside from that, there was next to nothing that she knew about them.
"I guess this means that Mikayla is a part of their group, too." The raven-haired teen then said out loud.
"Mikayla Dempsey was one of the names that came up in our preliminary investigation." Theo replied. "From what we were told, that other woman is pretty close to those two. So, it stands to reason that she's also one of those Iznana rats."
"Wow…."
"And this is the reason why you're going to be taking part in the operation." The 'lightning magic' user then explained. "You, at least, know them and what they look like. Which is going to be a big help for the investigation that we're about to start."
"Investigation?" Maria looked at the man with a perplexed expression.
Theo and Robin spent the next couple of minutes explaining the general plan moving forward. In short, Station Nine was going to be tailing and investigating Hannah, Aaron, Mikayla, and all of their known associates for the next few weeks to get some much-needed intel on the group. Now that they knew where to look, it was time for the APS to focus its attention on the people they knew who to look out for. Up until now, they had been having trouble tracking down any of the Iznana operatives who took part in their most recent crimes. The group was good at covering their tracks, after all. But now that they had some actual names and faces to work with, they were finally able to shrink their net a bit.
Maria was still having a bit of trouble coming to terms with the fact that people she kind of knew were Iznana agents. The whole thing was pretty bizarre, all things considered. Neither of the three young sorcerers she had met seemed like the kind who would get involved with a group like Iznana. But, in all honesty, it wasn't like she knew any of them to begin with.
"I understand." Maria then said after Theo and Robin finished giving her the rundown. "I'll make sure to try my best."
"Good." Robin said to the young woman with a smile.
Theo, however, wasn't satisfied with that. "We're going to need more than your best, though. A lot more."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that for the next few weeks, me and Robin are going to be training you to make sure that you can handle yourself for something like this. Take it from me, Iznana is no joke. Even their lower ranks are a problem to deal with, as you already know. This Hannah girl might be a lowly regional lieutenant, if that, but we're not going to be taking any chances. Every one of those rats is prepared to do whatever they need to in order to survive."
The way that her Captain spoke about these Izanana guys was very weird to Maria. From what she knew, Deputy Chief Mubele had a personal grudge against Iznana and everything that it stood for. Which, admittedly, made a lot of sense. After all, he was the one who killed the last confirmed Branch Head a few years ago. And on top of that, he grew up in the former Democratic Republic of the Congo during the middle of the brutal civil war that went on to create what was now known as the Central African Federation.
The man had seen the worst of what Iznana was capable of with his own eyes. So, he had every reason in the world to speak about the group the way that he did. And it was clear to Maria that he hated them with a passion, not that she could blame him for it.
"I understand."
"Good." Theo nodded before moving on to the next topic he wanted to discuss. "I can tell you now that this fight is going to be a tough one. And that your life is going to be at risk when it goes down. So, I need to make sure that you and all of your companions are ready for it."
"Gotcha." Maria nodded while maintaining her trademark stoic expression. "So, when do we start?"
"Right now." Robin then said, much to the teen's surprise.
'I guess that's why they brought me in here.' Maria mused while looking around the empty training room.
Theo was the next to speak. "I already know what most of your companions are capable of, but I still haven't seen all of them in action. I want to see exactly what they can do."
"Alright."
"Good." The dark-skinned man nodded. "Now, bring out that dragon of yours."
Maria paused for a moment after hearing that. She didn't think that doing something like that was a good idea, especially inside the station. The training room, one that was about half the size of a basketball court, may have barely been big enough to house the cryptid in question. But even then, allowing her most unruly companion to come out here seemed a bit too dangerous in her mind.
She could already barely control the thing on a normal day, and she had no clue what it would do when allowed to roam free under these current conditions.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" The raven-haired teen asked the man.
The 'lightning magic' user simply scoffed at the comment. "Don't worry, I already let the Chief know about this. Besides, I'm not scared of a lizard that still isn't even done growing yet."
Maria instantly felt the cryptid stir inside her, almost as if it was irritated by her boss's flippant comment about it.
The young woman then shot a quick glance over to Robin, who simply nodded her head to let her know that it was alright. The two senior agents clearly had no qualms about allowing her dragon-cryptid to roam free inside the building. So, at least in Maria's opinion, it meant that they were prepared to deal with the consequences if anything went wrong.
"If you say so." Was all that Maria said before activating her 'beast magic' and summoning her strongest companion out of her body. 'Just don't get mad at me if something goes wrong.'
The moment she did so, a massive wave of mana suddenly filled the air while a large pair of golden eyes stared Theo down with a silent fury that very few could hold their nerve against.
-(o)-
"What the hell is that?" Ayako asked Sebastian the moment she felt an absurdly large mana signature suddenly appear out of thin air directly below them. The new presence, obviously one of a cryptid instead of a human, was easily in the realm of S-rank territory based on what she could tell.
Sebastian, who was currently scrolling through one of the many dating apps on his phone while also avoiding going back down to his team's area, shrugged before giving what he believed to be the answer. "Either my sister just brought out Wajo, or the rookie is letting her dragon companion come out to play."
"Damn." The 'water magic' user said with an impressed look on her face. "I didn't know she had one that powerful."
"It's the reason why she was recruited. This is my first time actually feeling its presence, though. That thing must be huge."
"I bet." Ayako agreed before going back to messing with her phone. 'At least there's never a dull moment around here. Too bad that Cyrus still isn't back yet. He'd love something like this.'
-(o)-
[One Hour Later]
Valerie McKenna knew that when it came to combat experience, her aunt had her beat in every aspect that remotely mattered in any way. And that any real attempt to try and take the woman down would only result in her own failure. But even so, the fact that the tall blonde was barely able to land even a decent hit on the woman frustrated her to no end. Especially when one factors in how long she had been down here.
The smell of sweat and old leather clung to the air like an invisible fog in one of the station's many underground training rooms. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting long shadows across the padded mat where Valerie stood, fists raised, legs braced, and heart pounding. Across from her, Zoe Chandler moved like the coiled spring of a trap, her dark hair tied tight, her stance relaxed but dangerous.
"You drop your hands too much." Chief Chandler said while slowly circling Valerie's body with a practiced ease. Like a predator ready to pounce on its prey at any given moment. "You do that in the field, you'll give someone a free shot to your face."
Valerie adjusted herself by lifting her hand. Her arms ached already, and they were only an hour into today's sparring session. She didn't complain, though. After all, complaining wasn't how you proved yourself.
"I know." Valerie said, teeth gritted. "I'm working on it."
Chief Chandler didn't reply. Instead, she just surged forward—fast. Faster than Valerie was expecting her to.
The tall blonde barely had time to react when her aunt's elbow came in low, forcing Valerie to try to pivot and deflect. Fortunately for Valerie, she stumbled but didn't fall. Not this time. This time, she was able to whip around and catch the elder sorcerer's ribs with a quick side kick. Solid enough to make decent contact. But not enough to do any real damage.
"Better." The Chief admitted. "But you're still thinking too much. In real combat, against actual people instead of cryptids, thought gets you killed. You need instinct."
Valerie lunged, hoping to catch the woman off guard while she was still speaking. Unfortunately for her, the veteran soldier ducked and twisted, grabbing Valerie's arm and flipping her to the mat in one clean motion. The impact knocked the wind out of her before she even realized what had happened.
"Come on!" The Chief barked. "Get up."
Valerie rolled onto her knees, breathing hard, with sweat dripping from her brow. She didn't get up right away. She needed a second to gather herself. Even though she was currently using her body reinforcement to strengthen her body, she still felt a good bit of pain from the sudden attack.
The Chief's voice softened slightly. "You've improved. Don't get me wrong. That kick? A month ago, it would've been air. Now it lands. But improvement isn't the same as readiness."
Valerie stood, slower this time. Her muscles were trembling with exhaustion, but she forced her body into a solid fighting stance again. She couldn't afford to look weak. Not here. Not now.
"I'll be ready." She said. "I have to be."
Chief Chandler studied her for a moment, eyes narrowing with something between approval and worry. However, what really piqued the woman's interest was the way that her niece's ponytail was now tied into a complex braid near the top of her head. Something that was no doubt the work of a certain genius 'wind magic' user who was oddly gifted at braiding hair.
"You're not just doing this for the mission, are you?" She asked. "You're trying to prove something."
Valerie looked away, jaw tight. "Is that a problem?"
The older woman nodded her head. "It is. Iznana doesn't care about your family name or your reputation. They care about putting a bullet in your head if you slip up. That's it."
Valerie nodded, absorbing the words. They were harsh, but she'd stopped expecting gentleness from the woman years ago. Her aunt didn't believe in coddling. She believed in results.
"I know what people say..." Valerie said quietly. "That I'm just here because of you and Mom. That I'm the 'neop-baby' who never had to earn it. That I've never bled for it."
Zoe crossed her arms. "Then earn it. But don't do it for them. Do it for you."
Valerie met her gaze, steel building behind her eyes.
"I am doing it for me. This operation is going to be my chance to get into Deputy Chief Mubele's good graces. Plus, I want to take down these Iznana guys for good, especially after what they did to Cyrus and Freddy. That and because I'm tired of being underestimated."
A silence stretched between them, and then Chief Chandler smirked, the corner of her mouth twitching like a crack in a mask.
"Good." The woman said. "Then show me again. From the top. This time, though, I want you to try to come at me while flying. I want to see how much progress you've made ever since you started spending so much time with Evan."
The 'fire magic' user's face scrunched up after hearing that. "Why did you say it like that?"
"No reason." The Chief smirked. "I just want to see if you've actually been trying to get better, or if that's just been a convenient excuse to go cozy up to Eugene's son."
Instead of responding to obvious provocation, Valerie dropped into her stance, ignoring the pain, the fatigue, and the doubts that still whispered like static in the back of her mind. This was her crucible. Every strike, every fall, every breathless moment on the mat, it was all forging her into something harder, sharper.
She came at Zoe fast this time, letting instinct take over.
And for the first time today, Zoe was the one who had to block.
-(o)-
Info Card: The Clock Tower
Located in London, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the Clock Tower is one of the most influential magic-focused organizations on the planet. Composed of forty-five sitting members from all across the world, it is the organization responsible for the bi-annual sorcer rankings that are published in June and December of each year.
The Clock Tower was first established in 1970 by Earl Ian G. Scott, of Great Britain, as a social club for notable members of the global sorcerer community to come together and discuss the direction and key topics that involved sorcerer society. In addition to this, the Clock Tower and its members have a significant amount of influence over the international laws and regulations that dictate what sorcerers around the world can and cannot do with their powers.
All members of the Clock Tower are referred to as "Lords" and "Ladies" while the council is in session, regardless of what their positions are outside of its walls.
The venue for Clock Tower sessions changes frequently due to the need to maintain its secrecy and security. However, they are known to rotate through each continent unless conditions restrict it.
The current Lord Chancellor of the Clock Tower is Park Eon-seok, a notable figure of the South Korean National Assembly who recently took over for Alice van Brommel of the German Sorcerer Bureau.
In the past, members of the Clock Tower have been known to get into physical altercations over disputes about the rankings. Such incidents rarely result in any serious injury; however, one member was reported to have had their nose broken during a fight in 2004.
Global sorcer rankings are from 1 to 250. The higher the rank, the stronger/more influential the sorcerer is considered to be.
As expected, many high-ranking sorcerers often find themselves dissatisfied with where they are placed within the rankings. One such example of this was when, in 2015, Claudio Palacios of Argentina interrupted a Clock Tower session that was taking place in the country to coerce the council into raising his rank. After being subdued and handed over to local authorities, Palacios was demoted seventeen ranks by the council, kicking him out of the top 200 for the next three years.