We moved at a jog. I was escorted by a team of 6 VAs who covered me from all sides, despite knowing that, among us, if we died, only I would come back.
Our power was unequal. And it appears so was our value.
I spotted Jett first. She was sitting on the top of a pole.
I wanted to say that she was exposing herself unnecessarily. But who am I to judge? I'm a newbie. She's the veteran. She lifted her gun and pointed to the right.
"200 meters. Just around the bend."
We followed and saw Viper waiting at the bend.
When I saw Cypher, I almost barfed. One of his arms had been completely shredded.
"Jesus!"
Yoru was applying pressure on the stump.
The hand, or at least the piece of flesh I think was his hand, was lying there, shredded to pieces, with holes in it.
I finally lost it and vomited upon seeing that piece of flesh.
Viper put a hand on my shoulder.
"I understand this is difficult for you. But I have an agent bleeding out."
I nodded and wiped my face with my sleeve. Then I conjured the healing orb and splashed it onto Cypher.
His whole body lit up, and his hand started regenerating.
"What the hell happened?"
"We got flanked."
Yoru grumbled.
"Pretty ironic for someone who claims to see all."
Now that Cypher was healing and safe, I laughed.
Then I saw what had taken Cypher down.
It was an ATV. And from the looks of it, someone had unloaded hundreds of bullets into the man.
"His shield generator is shot."
Chamber had been fiddling with a piece of equipment since we got here.
"Dammit. It's the third one this month."
Viper groaned.
"I could give you a good deal on my newes-"
"Shut it."
Huh, I guess they aren't a couple here. Or at least not a couple yet.
On the flight back, everyone was busy on their phones. So I decided to whine a little.
"Hey! How come I am the only one who doesn't have a phone? I'm a VP too, you know!"
Jett just shrugged.
"Security issues."
Viper curtly nodded before returning to her call.
"Also, am I getting paid for this? You guys basically did kidnap me?"
"You were kidnapped, mon ami?"
Chamber immediately got a gleam in his eyes while Viper growled.
"Mirror! Shut it! And mind your own business, Chamber!"
Chamber grinned and raised both of his hands.
"Alright, alright."
Was I not supposed to tell Chamber that? Then I remembered the Primaries and Auxiliaries that Cypher had talked about. I guess there was more to the whole thing than just their conduct.
"Although I would like to say that illegally forcing someone to work is against the Universal Human Rights Charter and completely inelegant. And if such a person were to find the right people. They might be able to help him."
"Chamber!"
Viper drawled.
"I'm just saying that for everyone's general knowledge."
He smiled and shrugged.
"And speaking isn't illegal, last I checked, ma chérie."
Viper glared for a few long seconds before the call she was on demanded her attention.
"Behave."
She leveled me with a stare.
"All of you."
And right when she turned around and the other agents stopped looking, Chamber magically manifested a black card in his hand and threw it to me before smiling widely.
I caught it and hid it in my pocket. Only to realize that the card had turned into a phone.
"Un cadeau d'un ami."
I glanced up, smiling.
"I don't know French."
"Maybe you should learn."
He shrugged.
Nobody here does.
I smuggled the phone into my room and went on the internet.
I was pretty sure this thing must be bugged, but I did not really plan on doing anything damning on it. I just wanted to know about the world I was in. So far, all my sources of intel were VA gossip and official lessons.
And while I was all for official channels. Having only one was basically brainwashing.
And boy, did the internet open my eyes.
The Radiants were an accepted minority. They had just neglected to mention how minor they were. And also how notorious they were. Every man who got a power was not a law-abiding citizen. And all of that had resulted in some pretty screwed-up shit.
One of them was actually a notorious drug lord, El Diavolo.
The world was practically run by the Kingdom Corporation. But national governments still held almost all conventional weapons of war and legitimacy. But it was a power struggle that was already rearing its ugly head.
Venice had already happened. So I'm pretty sure the people around here know about Omega Earth.
They just didn't trust me enough to tell me about them.
I accompanied the teams leaving for several more missions as a walking, talking medical kit. But mostly I was still in training.
I was starting to get the feeling that Brimstone was waiting for me to increase my Radiance and Shield capacity.
But with only 14 thousand shards. That might prove difficult. If I spent five thousand to upgrade the shield and five thousand to upgrade the core. I'll have no other ability. Should I ask Brimstone for a Shard again?
But then I shook my head. 6 months of brig duty? Nah, I'll pass.
I was daydreaming about all of this and thinking about what I should do next when VA347 arrived in the practice room.
"Commander's calling you."
Shit!
I did not like meetings with Brimstone. The first one got me drafted into the Protocol, and the second one got me shot in the head. I was half debating if I could blow this one off.
"A'ight! You ready for another round, Mirror?"
Clove appeared with what looked like a murder bot from KJ's workshop.
"I borrowed this one from KJ!"
"Actually, the big man's calling me. Another time maybe."
I practically shoved VA-347 out in panic.