The scent of aged oak and fine wine, a world away from the polluted streets below. A bartender stood silently by the bar.
Around a large, circular table sat three figures, their faces half-hidden. The Crimson Wolf, still wearing his dark, light-absorbing armor but with his helmet resting on the floor beside his chair, was one of them. His face, revealed now, was lean and sharp, as if it has gone through a thousand battles.
Across from him sat a woman with eyes like chips of ice and a cruel, intelligent mouth, dressed in severe, tailored clothes.
Beside her lounged a man whose appearance was almost forgettably ordinary average height, average build, average features yet his stillness and the unnerving intensity in his gaze suggested anything but.
"The execution of the assault was... messy," the woman stated, her voice low and smooth as she swirled crimson wine in a delicate glass. "High visibility, unnecessary collateral. The objective was symbolic, not destructive. Yet, we have the Overwatch crawling all over the district."
The man with the unnerving gaze chuckled softly, a dry, rasping sound. "Symbolism requires impact, Momoku. Astrea pride is fragile. Breaking their prized flame-wielder sends a clearer message than simply defacing a statue." He gestured with a hand, and the wine in his glass swirled faster, obeying an unseen force. "And the chaos serves our purpose. Distracts from the true preparations."
The Crimson Wolf remained silent until the woman, addressed as Momoku, directed her icy gaze at him. "Your report, Wolf."
The Wolf nodded, his expression unreadable. "Confirmed kill on Caius Astrea. Primary target eliminated. Controlled molecular destabilization. Conserves energy compared to brute force shattering. Necessary for a quiet entry."
"I wiped out most of those damn rich, greedy nobles."
Momoku raised an eyebrow, a flicker of something akin to respect in her eyes. "Creative. Expensive on the mind, I'd wager."
"A necessary expenditure." The Wolf paused, his gaze sweeping across the table before settling back on Momoku . "However... there is a complication."
A heavy silence fell over the lounge. The man with the unnerving gaze stopped swirling his wine.
"Speak plainly, Wolf," the man said, his voice losing its rasp and taking on a hard edge.
The Wolf stated flatly. "Caius Astrea's younger brother. Gabi Astrea."
Momoku scoffed, a sound of mild annoyance. "The Null. Irrelevant. A coward who hid while his brother burned. He will be lost in the ensuing investigation, drowned in the politics."
"He was not a coward," the Wolf countered, his voice low. "He interfered in a way I didn't expect."
A beat of silence. The ordinary man leaned forward, the faint shimmer around his hands intensifying almost imperceptibly. "Interfered? A Null? Explain, Wolf. Precisely."
"He... analyzed my movement," the Wolf admitted, the slightest hint of surprise still lingering in his tone. "Predicted my attack vector. Identified a kinematic weakness in my armor joint during follow-through. Used a common letter opener... as a lever. Disrupted nerve cluster flow for approximately 1.8 seconds. Sufficient to spoil my momentum. He then utilized broken glass fragments... as improvised shivs. Targeted armored joints again. Specifically the hand. I underestimated the kid."
The ordinary man leaned forward. Momoku's eyes widened.
"A Null," Momoku repeated, not with annoyance now, but with disbelief. "Managed to analyze and disrupt an attack from you..?"
"One point eight seconds of disruption," the Wolf confirmed. "Enough for him to evade and escape via a utility shaft before I could fully recover motor control in the limb. He was... resourceful. Unlike his brother, his mind did not rely on borrowed power. It relied on cold, hard reality."
A heavy silence fell over the lounge. A Null, the despised powerless, had not only survived an encounter with one of their operatives but had actively interfered and escaped.
"A surviving Astrea," Momoku mused, her voice now sharp with calculation. "Especially one with... quite troublesome capabilities. And now likely connected to the Overwatch, given the circumstances of his escape."
The ordinary man's eyes narrowed. "He is a variable. An unforeseen element that witnessed our involvement, even if indirectly. He saw the Wolf. He saw the Vector application, recognized it."
Momoku finished her wine in a single, decisive gulp, placing the glass on the table with a faint click. Her voice turned steely. "A witness. A survivor of a targeted attack who can identify one of our key operatives. And with the ear of the Overwatch, however provisional. This cannot stand."
The ordinary man nodded slowly, the soft glow around his hands hardening. "Indeed. He is no mere bystander now. He is a threat. An loose end that must be tied. Or cut." He looked directly at the Crimson Wolf. "Gabi Astrea must be found. And eliminated. Ensure there are no further... surprises."
The Crimson Wolf nodded, his lean face grim. "Understood."
The meeting in the luxurious lounge continued, the conversation shifting to other targets, other plans. But in the scented air, beneath the glow of the gaslights and the scent of fine wine, the presence of a single, unexpected Null, a boy who fought power with intelligence and survived, hung like a newly drawn target.
"The air in the lounge thickened with tension, and without a word, the conversation shifted. Moments later, Gabi was back in the squad room, readying himself for the patrol."
"Comrades." Detective Klein has gathered all the members in Squad 7, including Gabi Astrea, for a routine patrol in the outskirts of the capital city, Primera.
"You will be doing a small patrol of the streets in Primera, to be accompanied and supervised by 3rd Tier Officer Kurt, from the Watchdogs Branch. With his supervision you're pretty much safe so don't be so worried about your first task, it should be pretty easy, basically just a practice run to dip your toes in the water... Speaking of which I dont think you guys have introduced yourself to each other so lets do that, starting from you, Eleanor."
A young man, donning the Guard Dog Overwatch uniform, and its insignia on his shoulder. With Crimson hair and green eyes, similar to Clara Vance. "Im Eleanor. Eleanor Vance, nice to meet you all." with a loud, enthusiastic tone.
Gabi is taken aback, surprised by Eleanor's last name. "Vance..? That means he's the brother of the girl I met in the ceremony!"
"I'll go next then, I guess" A girl with upper-neck level black hair, and dark-purple eyes with a meek attitude. Donning the Watchdog Uniform. "I-im Aiko.." The girl then looks toward Gabi with curious eyes.
Detective Klein pulls out a map of East Exyllum, with all the intricate streets and roads of the region. "Okay then... We will be flying the Air Cruiser from Quismo City, to the Overwatch Branch in the capital, then splitting up to cover key streets. I'll let Officer Kurt direct you on where to go, you will depart... IN TWENTY MINUTES?! WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THE SCHEDULE CHANGE?
"Calm down Klein." Sergeant Rivera suddenly walks in, we had a last minute change since the last squad we sent there got wiped out. "Wiped out..?!" the detective surprised by the news. "Which is why, you will also be accompanying them in the patrol. Ciao." Sergeant Rivera then abruptly leaves the room, Klein sighs.
The casual air of the briefing evaporated instantly, replaced by a sharp, professional urgency. "Wiped out." The words echoed in Gabi's mind, against Detective Klein's earlier assurances of an "easy practice run." Around him, the squad member's, Eleanor and Aiko included, shed their meek or enthusiastic postures, moving with a practiced efficiency. They didn't speak, their faces serious, already reaching for packs, checking weapon holsters, securing heavy boots.
"Gabi's eyes flicked over the room, scanning for patterns new variables to account for. His breath slowed, the knot in his stomach tightening as he ran through the possibilities." Previous patrol: Wiped out. Location: Patrol route in Primera. Implication: High-risk environment, potentially active threat. New variable: Detective Klein accompanying. Benefit: Added experience, tactical mind. Cost: His presence indicates the severity is now beyond a supervised trainee exercise. His hands, still bearing faint scars from the broken glass, moved automatically. He checked the sidearm a heavy, reliable flintlock then secured his kit: handcuffs, a notepad, and a signal flare.
"His fingers brushed over the sidearm, the weight of it reassuring. But the ache in his chest the absence of Synapse lingered. In a squad that had been wiped out, that could be the difference between life and death." He had survived the Wolf through analysis and improvisation, but those weren't reliable tools in open combat alongside armed professionals. Must remain hyper-observant. Rely on teammates' strengths. Identify threats early. Provide tactical information if possible.
Twenty minutes was barely enough time. The small briefing room, with quiet activity as the squad geared up. Klein, shedding her map-focused posture, moved with authority, ensuring everyone was ready. Officer Kurt oversaw the Guard Dogs, a silent, reassuring presence. Eleanor secured a short, sturdy musket to his back, while Aiko checked the action on a repeater rifle, her meekness replaced by focused determination.
Soon, they were moving, the hurried sound of their boots echoing in the sterile corridors of the Overwatch Headquarters in Quismo city. They emerged into a large, open field adjacent to the main building a designated landing zone marked by reinforced concrete and signal lights. Above them, the deep, humming Gabi had heard days ago while searching for lodging began to intensify. Looking up, he saw it a magnificent Sky Cruiser descending from the sky of Quismo.
Though smaller, cheaper and easier to mass produce than commerical versions and refitted for use in law enforcement. Gears turned visibly within the engine pods powering the enormous propellers. It landed with a gentle, controlled sigh of displaced air, settling onto the field like a resting metal leviathan. A boarding ramp extended from its underside.
They moved quickly onto the ramp, the metal cold and solid underfoot. Inside, the Sky Cruiser, more functional military transport rows of reinforced seating bolted to the floor, secure racks for weapons and gear along the walls. The air smelled faintly of oil, and recycled oxygen. They strapped themselves in, the engines whining as the propellers spun up again. The ascent was smooth but powerful, lifting them swiftly above Quismo's industrial landscape.
As Quismo city shrank below them, replaced by a patchwork of farms and then simply the vast sky, the tension in the cabin eased slightly, replaced by the low drone of the engines. It was a captive audience, perfect for conversation. Klein was conferring quietly with Officer Kurt, likely reviewing mission details or threat assessments. Gabi found himself seated near Eleanor Vance and Aiko.
"So," Eleanor began, keeping his voice low over the engine noise, addressing Gabi. "Detective Klein said Officer Kurt is 3rd Tier Watchdog. What does that mean, exactly?"
Eleanor, finished checking the safety on his carbine for the third time, looked over. 3rd Tier Officers are... well, they're solid. Experienced. Know their way around a combat zone. Good shot, usually know basic tactics. Kurt's a corporal though, isn't he? He'd be higher than just a Officer." He scratched his crimson hair, looking genuinely puzzled by the rank structure himself.
Aiko, seated quietly beside Eleanor, offered in her meek voice, "Maybe... maybe he's a Detective Branch Officer with 3rd Tier skills?"
Eleanor shrugged. "Could be. Whatever he is, being paired with us greenhorns means he's good." He turned to Aiko. "Aiko's a good shot too, though she's just an apprentice. Don't let the quiet fool you." He grinned at Aiko, who blushed slightly and looked away.
"And... you?" Gabi asked Eleanor. "apprentice?" Eleanor nodded. "Fresh out of the Academy. A few months of field training, but nothing like the squad we lost." His face sobered again. "What about Detective Branch? What kind of skills do you guys have?"
"Observation. Deduction. Forensics. Interrogation," Gabi recited, the standard list. He omitted the part about hyper-analysis and kinematic prediction. "And Synaptic Applications in forensics, if you're a Synapse user." He hesitated, then decided to ask the question that had been lingering since the Academy ceremony. "Speaking of which... Eleanor. You mentioned you were Eleanor Vance at the introductions?"
Eleanor looked surprised, then grinned. "Yeah? That's me."
"I met a Clara Vance at the Academy," Gabi continued. "She was a apprentice too. Quantum Synapse user. Crimson hair, green eyes... Looked a lot like you. Is she...?"
Eleanor's grin widened. "Clara? Yeah, that's my little sister! She's brilliant with that Quantum stuff, way smarter than me. Stuck in the labs mostly, while I get to run around with a rifle." He chuckled, a warm, friendly sound. "Small world, huh? Thought she was just telling family about some quiet Null she met at orientation."
Gabi, digesting the new information about Eleanor and his sister Clara, and the unnerving reason for this patrol, simply nodded. Small world. And about to get a lot more dangerous...
Just as the Sky Cruiser began to hum with the subtle shift of descent thrusters engaging, Seraphina's pocket mirror flickered to life, and began to glow with a neon blue. Her eyes narrowed.
She stood, murmuring a quick excuse to Lieutenant Saje, and stepped into the narrow corridor near the armory rack, away from the others.
The Council's insignia, a silver ring of seven stars rotated slowly on the mirror, then, the surroundings darken, as if She has been pulled into a dream. The people outside the domain is oblivious to its effects, and Seraphina turns around, until the world once again lightens, revealing a chamber containing 7 elevated seats, with a grandeur mirror shining upon the center, where She is standing.
"Seraphina," One of the councilors said, her voice crisp and cold. "I have been briefed by the situation by Judge Valerius. Gabi Astrea has been sent by the overwatch to City Primero to conduct a routine practice patrol, and you are to ensure that everything goes smoothly, and no "desertations" are to happen.
Seraphina's brows lifted faintly.
The world darkens, only to brighten once again, The Sky Cruiser began its descent.
They landed on a similar designated field, this one smaller, adjacent to a large, imposing building marked with the stylized eye symbol of the Exyllum Overwatch the Primera Capital Branch Headquarters. The ramp lowered, and the squad stood, securing their gear. The air of urgency returned, heavier now.