---

Elsa dissected the scene before her.

The rogue’s disdain for being denied surfaced in her toxic beauty. Elsa pegged the bitch as someone that hated being told no, and the aftermath showed it. She deeply hoped one of the boys might have a solid plan to escape.

If not, Elsa’s eyes turned back to her friend. Bella’s overprotective nature risked overwhelming her common sense. The worst part, she wasn’t alone. Elsa had trouble keeping the ice over her heart just to stay anchored in place. It was clear the rogue held no moral standards unlike those aligned with the Bloodline families, alchemist royalty who kept those below AMRO’s standards in line. This reason alone allowed them to coexist underneath the organization’s supervision.

Elsa’s distracted thoughts shattered when the boy yelled his surrender. She watched Bella’s alchemy drive spring to life. It surged within her colleague as the dark haired woman summoned technology from her backpack and into the air. They fused into four disk shaped bot who launched themselves at the rogue. Bella followed while a glaive formed into her hand.

A soft sigh escaped underneath Elsa’s breath. She immediately sent a message to Samad through their link. While the rogue was notably weaker than Bella, the ice mother worried the conflict might attract more trouble than they could handle. Numbers still made a difference in a fight.

Samad, I’ve located Bella and we’re currently engaging a rogue. One of the students forfeited. The woman saw little reason to elaborate with her partner, he already knew she wouldn’t break the protocol.

Her hands reached for her belt, jerking it free and pressed a button. The magnetic energy immediately hummed to life. The buckles flew from her pants and stretched out in midair, the string taut between them. A curved bow riser snapped out its limbs as everything fell into place. Her hand snatched it up before gravity pulled it to the ground. In the same smooth motion, her arm reached behind and tugged a grey shafted arrow loose from her quiver.

She loosely notched it then carefully shifted from her original position. Her steps silently moved through the ferns as she made her way to the rogue’s blind side. Deep down, Elsa hoped the rogue might suspect that Bella was alone and could be taken off guard. However, she didn’t count on it.

---

Samad remained near the thinner edge of the branch while Zane continued to talk. The man’s less than serious attitude and volume indicated he cared very little about their position being betrayed. A small irritation flickered across Samad’s patience, but it didn’t snap. It took a lot more than that to make Samad lose his temper. He also didn’t believe any smart rogue would be stupid enough to attack two well trained Asylums.

His figure turned about to face Zane when he debated on undergoing the Oasis version of this trail. He voiced his thoughts with a calm and serious tone.

“I doubt you did. The main danger here is the rogues and where they could be hiding. The Oasis had sandstorms, heat, and lack of water. I remember a few students dehydrated during my trial.”

He let the unknown fate of those students linger in the air for a moment. The trials determined a student knew their limits or perished from their ignorance. At the next question, Samad inwardly reflected for a few moments. He finally turned back to observe the ground below their perch as he answered.

“I passed just within the twelve hour threshold. Failure wasn’t an option and I already had prior exposure to harsh survival training before AMRO found me.” Samad recalled the tall sandstone surrounding his ‘training’ ground.

At the age of eight, he was too ignorant to realize his family prepared their children at a very young age. It benefited him in the following years at AMRO. The things that could’ve been weren’t something he dwelled on for very long.

When the mention of Yin came up and Zane offered for him to join, Samad considered it for a moment. Before he could answer, Elsa’s message slapped him in the face. The man frowned heavily at the turn of events.

“I have a different direction in mind. Elsa just sent me a message. It appears the girls found each other and decided to engage a rogue. Rather than follow the troublemaker, it's more productive to meet our partners. Don’t you think so?”

Without wasting time waiting for an answer, Samad walked to the edge then leaped off. He bent his knees when he impacted onto the ground nearest the tree. His eyes turned back to Zane to deliver one message.

“If you want to come, keep up. If not, I can tell Bella where you went.” The words left hanging in the air as he rushed toward the direction Elsa had given him.

The female rogue observed the Asylum in front of her with a baleful glare. She was furious at having her prey escape but hesitant at engaging an Asylum. In the rogue world they were regarded as monsters, demons even. They wrought destruction and abducted children and carnage often followed in their wake. Within the rogue world, Asylums were boogeymen.

"I don't want no trouble missed, just doin me job. Toughening up these little shits!" The female snarled as she raised her arms to display her disengagement. The boy was silently weeping while clutching his scorched face.

"Ya see?" The rogue pointed at the boy, a smirk on her face. "He's still alive, I don nothin wrong!" She scoffed at the Bella before slowly moving towards the female student who hadn't yet surrendered. "Now if'ya don' mind, I still got a job t'do," the rogue snickered as her palm began to glow a dark crimson, heat distorting the air around her hand.

"It's ya'turn now princess!" The rogue hovered over the female student, whose face only displayed horror, so terrified that words escaped her. "As long as she don die, you can't interfere eh?" The rogue snickered while staring directly at the Asylum.

"This be mo'fun that I thought!" Before the rogue could burn the female student screams began to echo across the jungle, violent death throes of children along with something howling, something gutteral and primal.

"What te'fuck is-" the Rogue's body had hit the ground before she could finish the sentence and the prisoner was standing behind her, his veiled gaze set upon Bella and Elsa.

"That deadzone was a prison," he spoke to the two Asylums in a cold and detached tone. "I don't have the details on the ones that are wreaking havoc on the main Island, but Chronos have taken center stage and evacuation has begun. What I know is that a Chimera has made its way into this jungle." He continued while switching gaze to various points, as of trying to track someone.

"You are dealing with old forbidden alchemy. You need to take it down and evacuate. A Chimera isn't some monster, it's a - "

"What have you done Angel!" Tabion screamed in front of the prisoner, interrupting him.

"We don't have the time for this you foolish little man!" Angel responded, not even bothering to look at the Chrono, his attention still focused on the Asylums.

"You can't destroy the Chimera unless you destroy the -" before Angel could explain, the Chrono had suddenly collided into the prisoner with such force that both of them went hurling and crashing through the forest.

In the distance, sirens could be heard along with explosion but most of it was drowned by the screams that echoed from the jungle along with that gutteral howling.

Zane mulled over Samad’s offer as the other took off without waiting for a response. Although strength wasn't Bella’s forte, the two Asylums verses a Rouge was something the two ladies could handle. Four seemed a bit excessive. Zane was about to head towards the girl when a loud noise echoed through the jungle followed by two words through his telepathic link.

He’s here.

Zane’s lazy, uncaring demeanor dropped as he bolted towards Samad. No further explanation was needed to know who Bella was referring to.

Are you hurt or at immediate risk of danger? Zane responded as he pulled out his coin.

No. I’m opening communication with others.

Zane could feel the growing concern from the woman and picked up his speed. It was rare for Bella to initiate telepathic communication with others. Huh, it’s that bad.



Elsa’s voice broke into Samad’s immediately following his rush to her side. The dread in his chest grew when she revealed the events transpiring in their area of the island. Already, his alchemy sensed the clash of Angel and Tabion though he didn’t know the owners at first.

Samad, we have an issue. Get your ass over here NOW! Tabion and Angel are fighting, there’s a chimera in the jungle and evacuations are underway. Recall the dead zone, it was a prison and whatever was in it… is out.

Already on it, Samad huffed back as he cursed. His feet immediately picked up speed, his feet moved rapidly through the jungle foliage and toward the girls.



Bella froze in place when the prisoner appeared. The lingering fear was still present from their previous interaction. She reached out to Zane as the man explained the situation but before Bella could ask any questions, the man was taken away nearly as quickly as he appeared.

How far away are you two? Bella asked as she opened up a telepathic channel and jumped immediately to a question with the other three without giving an explanation to Samad or Zane of the current situation. As she waited for a response the woman ran towards the kids to gauge the severity of their injuries.

We need to focus on the students while those two are fighting. Elsa relayed to the group as she ripped off her sleeve and quickly applied a wrap to the bleeding student.

Samad bursted through the foliage as his eyes caught the sight of two highly powerful asylums clashing. The fact the prisoner could hold his own confirmed Elsa and his theory the man was more than he appeared. At this point, Tabion didn’t appear to be reasonable and trying was foolish.

Let those two handle their own squabble. Zane mentioned spotting our favorite student heading toward the spire and I doubt she’s the only one. We have two options: locate the students and transport them to a new location or locate the chimera and lure it away from the jungle.

Elsa could sense Samad didn’t like either of those options, but they were limited on other ideas.

We should head the source of the problem. Zane said, arriving a few moments after Samad’s arrival and walked towards Bella as she worked on patching up the boy’s face. With over two hundred students scattered throughout the jungle casualties will be unavoidable regardless of what we choose but more will die if we focus on searching for the students while the monster has a chance to run rampant. There would be fewer chances for the chimera to attack the students if we can keep it busy.

Bella’s face fell when Zane mentioned the likelihood of casualties. She knew realistically that this would be the case but this thought didn’t sit well with her. What about a hybrid? I can send a bot with these students and scatter a few more out and lead any students they come across away.

As long as you keep enough with you. If you send too many out you will be weaker with the lack of firepower which wouldn’t benefit you or the students. Zane said as activated his shield.

Bella gave a nod and turned to the students. “...Be brave...be strong…” Bella said as she recalled her bots from her earlier attack. Most returned to her back and shaped into her backpack. Two baseball sized bots hovered besides her while a third rested between her and the students. “...Follow bot...lead to safety…”

“If you find any other students tell them to come with you. If you find any other mentors or invigilators tell them what is happening. We’re going to need as many Asylums helping in any possible way.” Zane said as he added to Bella’s instructions before continuing the telepathic conversation. Do either of you have a game plan on how to deal with the chimera or shall we wing it and see what we come across ?

Elsa and Samad were quiet as the conversation between Zane and Bella continued, each one of the observers noted the pair’s reaction. They both kept an eye on the fight that slowly dragged the prisoner and the chrono away from their location. A good thing because neither asylum dared to interrupt in favor of self preservation. When the subject turned over to them, Elsa was the first to break the silence.

It’s easier to weave a game plan when we know something about it. Right now, no plan is better than creating a failing one. I suggest we stick close to each other, especially to Samad who can slow and speed things up. Well, most things. Elsa let the inside joke slip through the cracks as she continued onward.

Samad just rolled his eyes and remained quietly in the background. His attention continued to observe the clashing alchemists gradually disappearing.

Our best bet is heading to where all the students are supposed to head to. We can save most of them then search the jungle if the chimera doesn’t show up. We’ll need all our energy for what’s coming so anything you got to help boost your alchemy, heal, or any advantage should be on hand and ready to use.

Yin had heard the strange howling that echoed across the jungle followed by various screams of her peers, but that did little to slow her down. This was probably just another part of the stupid test, she thought. Psychological warfare, trying to get them afraid and shake their resolve. Little did they know, her resolve was steel. On her path to the spire she had encountered two rogues, and both were left bleeding on the ground. It was hilarious how most viewed her as weak just because she had no access to alchemy and more so because she was a girl. "Idiots" she scoffed as she continued to dash towards her destination, she didn't just want to win she wanted to decimate the competition. But some part of her had begun to feel some caution, the closer she came to the spire the closer she came to the source of the howling. "What the fuck is going on here?"

The spire was a sight to behold and not just because of the sheer size of it but also because of the carnage that surrounded it. Countless bodies of her comrades lay eviscerated on the ground and one student had even been impaled on top of the spire. It was something out of a horror story, what could do this to Asylum candidates?

As if to answer Yin's thoughts something roared, sending shockwaves reverberating through the forest and then the silhouette of something blurred across. It's speed beyond belief.

"What the fuck……" Yin thought out loud, her body instinctively taking a battle stance. It was as if her body understood the danger before her mind could process it.

"I smell your fear child…" A foreign almost alien voice echoed in the mind of the Laofeng, her eyes slowly widening as she finally saw what was in front of her.

The creature towered at a height of almost 9 feet while standing on all fours, it had the head of a lion, wings of an eagle and a snake instead of a tail. Though what was far more frightening was the fact Yin could not sense any alchemic drive. This thing was not an alchemist…..

"I'm so fucking dead," Yin thought to herself as she helplessly watched the creature open it's mouth and unleash a torrent of flame, like a dragon.

“Shit.” Zane muttered to himself angrily when the group teleported to the spire and the bodies surrounded them knowing that there was a chance that some could still be alive if he continued his original trajectory to the spire instead of going back. Looking ahead he spotted the Lao standing still and the beast and immediately darted towards her. I trust that you all can figure out how to support. Zane said to the other three as he closed the space between him and the girl.

The scenery that greeted Elsa when the group arrived at the spire tore at her heart. It twisted her guilt and wrath into a tight, icy ball over her core. Any emotion failed to crack to the surface as she glanced at Samad. The Iranian managed to better composure than her, especially in the hooded dark eyes. Inside was another matter since his harsh fury flooded their link.

Zane’s words shattered their remorseful silence when he shot forward. The lion’s maw widened as fire erupted out and sprayed toward the unlucky student.

Elsa raised her bow and shafted a bright blue arrow, one with ice alchemy. She circled behind Samad then released it at the lion’s face side. No matter where it impacted, the substance crackled then spread to engulf the surface it landed on.

Samad’s eyes locked onto the speed of the flames and snapped out his hand, palm facing it. Tingling danced up his arm then shifted to his other one causing him to raise it at Zane. Immediately, a prinkling and the need to move filled Zane’s legs to boost his escape.

As Elsa readied another arrow, she turned to Bella. “Can you use your droids to scan that thing for weak points? The more information we know, the better our survival is.”

Bella struggled to turn her gaze away from the familiar faces that she had mentored. A few were the students that she saw before the start of the trial that she tried to drown with encouragement and positivity that mirrored Cici’s baseline. Those words were meaningless now that their life was extinguished. The woman could feel a few stray tears escape as she gave Elsa a nod. Configuring her bots for speed, stealth and agility, ten small bots that were the size of a bee zoomed out of her bag in near silence and flew above and around the chimera without stopping in any location for long.

“Where did that cocky brat I saw before go? I hope you’re not already waving a white flag.” Zane asked as he grabbed Yin and spun around so that his back faced the fire. Heat and pain spread across his back and down his sides and limbs the man tried to shield the girl from as much of the fire as he could with his body and shield before picking her up and darting back towards the others. His clothes were singed but between his hardened skin and the aid from the others he was otherwise unscathed.

"Like I need your help," Yin scoffed at Zane, her hand silently shaking before the 'Laofeng' managed to control her composure. Coming from the oldest of all Bloodlines, she was privy to information withheld from most Asylums. This abomination in front of her, this was no alchemy, she sensed no alchemic drive and that was terrifying.

When the arrow impacted, the wooden shaft shattered. All the alchemy buzzed then erupted into ice, spreading the frozen trap across the fire-breathing head. While it melted near the mouth, it circled about the back and down the spine to encase the rest.

The majestic creature sneered at the Asylums as it tore into the corpse of a student and devoured his heart. "I see your kind grew tired of watching their children slaughtered!" The creature spoke, though no words came out of its mouth. This thing was capable of telepathic communication. As soon as Elsa launched her ice-imbued arrow, it slowly began to spread and encase the Chimera's back, the creature roared in anger as frostbite spread across it's back, though the creature healed and regenerated faster than the damage could spread. It was a minor nuisance.

"What you see before you is nothing. I will show your kind the horror deserving of an oathbreaker. You thought to contain one such as I?" The Chimera continued to speak telepathically, her fangs dripping blood as the creature observed her prey.

"Blood for blood!" The Chimera howled, it's voice loud enough to rend trees from their roots. The shockwaves colliding into the Asylums, the battle had begun and the monster charged.

For something so massive the Chimera moved with unbelievable speed and grace and in a matter of seconds it had closed the distance between the Asylums. Her maw wide open as the Chimera glared at Zane but before the torrent of flame could escape her mouth Yin's boot connected with the creature's lower jaw disrupting it's attack and allowing the Asylums to regroup.

"What the fuck is that thing!? It can fucking talk!" Yin screamed, frustrated at dealing with an enemy she had no understanding of.

"There is no escape!" The Chimera howled once more, it's horns sparking with kinetic energy. The charge continued to build for a few seconds before it unleashed a massive bolt of lightning in the direction of the fleeing Asylums.

Bella let out a small gasp as she saw the lightning head towards them. The woman quickly diverted a few bots in front of the group and created a chain down into the ground in a quick attempt to make a lightning rod to disperse the lightning. The shock would cause those bots to short circuit but they would still provide some functionality with her alch-spec.

It’s nothing like any beast or creature I’ve seen or read about. The prisoner mentioned something about old forbidden alchemy but I don’t sense anything. Bella said in response to Yin as she included the girl in their telepathic conversation. There was concern in the woman’s voice as she tried to hold off her panic as she looked through the information she gathered. I don’t see any obvious weak points yet but there has to be something. Right Elsa? Maybe the horns or the tail? Or...

“If the horns are what controls the electricity I’m all for shattering it.” Zane said as he patted down his back to ensure the charred shirt didn’t have any lingering flames before sliding off his shield and handing it to Yin. “You’ll be useless without the use of alchemy or a weapon. This will latch onto your forearm. It might be a bit clunkier than you are used to but you should be able to slash and stab this thing with the edge by your fist. We could tag team the horns or if you prefer you could focus on the tail.”

You’re going without your shield? Worry seeped into their link as Bella spoke to her partner directly. This thing is way out of our league compared to anything we have gone against and honestly should be handled by someone with more experience. I don’t like this handicap you have put on yourself.

I would be more hindered if I had to be concerned about protecting her. Zane retorted as he grabbed his axe. She’s tenacious enough to have a fighting chance to stay alive now that she is somewhat equipped.

As the vibrations in the air rippled through the ground, Samad's feet braced and dug into place. His arms lifted to protect his face from the lashing air. It whipped by followed by the earth underneath began to upheave from the force. He absorbed the force into his alchemy though it didn't stop him from being thrown back.

Samad landed on his side when he flew a few meters from his original location. He shook the daze from his mind as he pushed himself back up. Elsa had been far luckier in preventing the damage. She rushed backward putting a few trees in her way to dampen the force directed at her.

He thanked Bella's quick action to redirect the lightning as he picked himself back up and Elsa drew closer. When Bella, Zane, and Yin finished their conversation, Elsa spoke.

Sorry to interrupt the argument, but Zane's right. I'll explain later why. Each of you should take an ice arrow with you. Stab it into the horn base and then attack, the cold might weaken the tissue enough you can break it off easier.

She held out two arrows, one for Yin and the other for Zane.

They hold an alchemy charge that on impact, explodes into ice. Just act quickly when you do or you'll become stuck too. Samad will boost your speed so he needs one of your bots Bella to transfer speed over. I’ll use my smoke and acid to keep its attention, giving you cover.

Samad looked at Bella expectedly while Elsa moved to the right, pulling away from the group to fire an acid arrow at the Chimera. She aimed for the beast’s side to gain the widest target. On impact, the alchemic chemical would sizzle then burn along the flesh. On a normal creature, it would leave a soccer ball sized scar several layers deep in a short time.

Bella gave a nod towards the other two and diverted one of her bots towards Samad and had it dart near the man at full speed. I’ll keep this one moving by you so take as much as you need.

Immediately Samad went to work. His fingers and lips silently moved, his alchemy spread across his figure to suck the bot’s momentum then transfer it into the others.

The Chimera simply observed the Asylums as they formulated their plan, like a cat amused as it's prey when it tries to fight back.

Yin held Elsa's arrow in one hand and Zane's shield in the other. Even though her alchemy had been rendered ineffective she was not going to just let this monstrosity kill her. The overall plan made sense. The objective was to find a weakness, the Laofeng had already noticed the creature's healing factor and she had to assume the other Asylums were privy to it by now. She needed to prod at this creature more and give the Asylums a better understanding.

"I'll go alone first, we need an understanding of it's healing capabilities," Yin replied as she adjusted the shield and experimented with the weight.

"Time to fuck you up, you ugly mother fucker!" Yin growled and charged at the same moment Elsa fired her acid arrow. As soon as the arrow connected with the Chimera's chest the acid began to spread across her body and yet it did no damage.

"Fuck, the damn thing is immune to acid?" Yin thought while bracing herself against the coming attack. She expected another lightning or flame based attack but instead the creature's snake like tail slither in her direction and from it's fanged mouth spewed a torrent of acid. Luckily the shield held and the student hoped the Asylums were taking notes, this creature had shown three properties so far. Fire, Lightening and Acid.

"Got any more surprises you shit eater?" Yin screamed as she pivoted before the snake trap her, her body spinning and using the momentum to slam Zane's shield against the creature's horn and right after stabbing it with Elsa's ice arrow. In that instant two things happened, the ice exploded enveloping the creature's horn and the enraged Chimera slammed it's head into Yin's exposed torso, hurling her a good fifty feet into a tree.

The Laofeng had heard her ribs break, possible spine damage from hitting the tree since she could not feel her legs. It's a good thing the fish tanks could heal this, so all in all her stupidity wouldn't cause permanent damage.

The Chimera seemed to be laughing, one of it's horns had completely shattered along with some portion of its skull. It was a gruesome sight and yet in mere moments the flesh began to restitch and the horn grew right back.

"It has complete regeneration, I don't think we can exhaust it…..it has to have a weak point." Yin groaned before passing out.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Bella gave a concerned glance towards Elsa as she raised her hand towards the shield and with a deep breath worked the shield off the girl with her alchemy before bringing it back to Zane. Do you have any ideas on what the weak points might be? Bella asked as she released the rest of her bots including the ones that made up her backpack. She didn’t like how the Chimera was watching and laughing at the group. Was the power balance uneven enough that the creature was toying with them? How bad would things get if it started to attack them seriously?

I say we shoot it down with your bots, fists and ice and any other attack and see what sticks Frustration was starting to build in the man as he put the shield back on his arm. He knew that there was value in collaborating and coming up with a plan together but he didn’t enjoy waiting and toying with hypotheticals especially if there was a chance to save any injured students still grasping at life. Keep him busy and I can try for the tail, eyes or anything else we haven’t hit. With his axe in one hand and the ice arrow in the other, the man charged at the creature.

Bella stretched her arm in front of her and moved a third of her bots in front of Zane and led the charge. If the Chimera released electricity she could quickly divert it and as well as create a rudimentary shield if the creature charged forward. With a flick of her wrist she released a handful of projectiles which half was laced with anti-alchemy substance along with five tracking beacons to test out what injuries might stick. She wasn’t sure if the adhesive would stick but if it did it would be a good backup if the Chimera decided to leave or have the ability to teleport. Or worse, if they died and whomever arrived to clean up the mess could see where the creature was headed.

Elsa doubled back to Yin’s downed form. She took a quick knee and checked the woman’s pulse briefly. Still alive, much to the blond’s relief. As Zane charged, Elsa voiced her thoughts.

I’m thinking we might need to edge into dangerous levels of alchemy because of how strong this thing is, but we need a clear weakness to target. I can create sigils as a trap on the ground or in the air. However, it leaves me vulnerable and takes time to complete so Zane and you need to cover us. Elsa knew what she was proposing was dangerous, not to mention forbidden.

She had notched another arrow, a smoke one this time.

Let’s target the other head and figure out which is the easiest to hurt. Providing you some smoke cover for the tail! Her alchemy flowed through the arrow when she released it before Zane came into the creature’s range.

The air around the arrowhead crackled and a line of smoke trailed from it, the point aimed at the snake head. If it impacted, the creature’s vision would find it difficult to note which direction Zane’s or Bella’s attack came from. The element of surprise might be enough to prevent them from becoming hurt if they altered course.

Meanwhile, Samad’s Alchemy rippled out to the pair’s bodies. New energy and adrenaline boosted their speed adding their reflex ability.

The Chimera roared in anticipation as she observed the Asylums try to charge it, such futile endeavour it thought as it's horns once again began to crackle, a charge slowly building and then fired at the closest Asylum, the one named Zane. The lightning sundered all in it's path but before it could strike the charging alchemist some mechanical orb appeared to divert it away.

The Chimera roared once more, the Asylums becoming a greater threat with every passing moment, they were trying to find her weakness. Before the monstrous thing could charge another arrow struck it, the snake head hissing as a cloud of smoke burst around it blurring vision. Amidst the disorientation she was pelted once more by several projectiles by Bella. The Chimera ignored them. Ordinary weaponry could not harm her nor could any form of poison.

The creature spat out a torrent of flames but the Asylums avoided it with a sudden surge of momentum and speed.

Elsa moved away while Zane and Bella distracted the creature. The ice queen’s bow gave her the advantage of distance when it came to attack, her aim adjusted higher to accommodate gravity. She immediately connected to AMRO through her link and requested permission to advance her alchemy level. Time appeared to draw out to impossible lengths while she waited for an answer. Her blue eyes locked on the fight between the creature and her allies, her fear solidified in her core.

"Enough!" The Chimera finally screamed, it's wings flapping causing winds to lash out, rending trees from their roots and hurling them. "I have had enough of this, time to die little mice." The creature spoke telepathically before an almost alien alchemic drive suddenly ignited. Only an alchemist could feel this form of presence, the presence of an alchemic drive being activated and it was frightening. The creature size which was already massive began to grow, it's claws sharpening, it's horns extending, it's teeth growing. In a matter of seconds the creature stood twice as tall, it's snake head tail hovering over it's lion head. Both heads glaring at the Asylums ahead before their mouths opening unnaturally wide and hell unleashed.

The creature bathed the forest in fire and clouds of acid, destroying all in it's path. However to anyone watching it close enough, something glowed inside both its mouth. A strange gem-like organ that glowed in each mouth.

When AMRO unlocked the second level, Elsa’s eyes widened in shock. She had finished etching the last of her sigil in her palm then slammed it down. A curse muttered from her lips as ice cracked and shot across the ground. A thick wall immediately raised up in front of the three asylums only to evaporate from the impact. The rest snaked along the terrain to the chimera’s planted legs, crawling up the fur to fasten it in place.

Meanwhile, Samad had stopped his alchemy long enough to spot the twinkling within both the lion’s and snake’s mouth. As the force whipped about Zane, Bella, Elsa, and himself, he knew their time grew shorter the longer they fought it. At this point, they had nothing to lose.

There, see those two crystallized objects in the mouths? I think we need to hit them. Elsa will keep hindering it with her ice. Zane and I will work on getting its mouths to open. When you see a shot, Bella, you need to fire on it.

Without wasting much time, Samad rushed forward. His katar extended into a crossbow as he took aim and fired.

Got it. Bella said as she readied her bots around the beast.

Zane rushed towards the lion’s head as the ice grew around the base as she started to mutter an incantation. He could feel the skin on his body start to tingle and his left arm start to burn the longer he chanted. The man lept towards the head and jammed the arrow given to him towards the eye and immediately covered it with his shield with a slight upward angle as it detonated. Ice grew around the shield and forearm as most of the impact moved upward from the eye towards the horns. This left him stuck on the chimera unless he released the shield off his arm and broke the ice off of him but this left him in a state that he could continue to focus on offense even through any attack that might be thrown at him.

“…and stitch by stitch form my body into a machine for war.” Zane said as he finished his incantation. The surface on his body grew in thickness with visible thickness as what appeared as scales emerged. Underneath the ice Zane’s arm also changed to withstand the dangers of ice and frostbite.

With everything set in place the man relentlessly swung his axe at any part of the chimera he could reach, starting with the other eye and nose.

“I agree this is quite enough. I’m done with your shit, bitch.”

As she continued to twist around, Elsa's eyes tracked the conflict. Her breath stuck in her chest when she watched both Samad and Zane desperately charge at the chimera. Ice held firm at the beast's legs as it roared, trying to struggle free. Everything rode on this single moment. Adrenaline flowed from Samad's side of the link, confirming this to be their last chance to survive.

Quietly she prayed for their success.

Time slowed down when Zane leaped up to the chimera's face. The lion's head snarled at the Asylum challenging it and her head reared back. Surrounding air swirled into her maw and a faint red glow gathered at the back of her throat. Heat sizzled off her form in waves, the ice's temperature raising to create a faint fog around them.

Before the chimera released a fresh torrent of fire, Zane's blade made a heavy, fleshy thump. The glow flickered out instantly. Her lower jaw, the muzzle cleaved in half, slacked. Blood splattered across the frosted ground, first in a drip then into a pouring stream.

The fissures in the gem branched out from the main crack then spread and crumbled in on themselves. Her tail's head whipped about, its beady eyes fixed on Zane. It lashed out, fangs soaked in venom.

Only the swoosh of Samad's arrow gave warning before it hit its mark. It pinned the snake against the goat's hindquarters, muffling a frustrated hiss. Gem fragments fell from its bleeding maw as its last breath escaped its body.

With the final gem destroyed, the chimera’s body crumbled to the ground. The flora shook then stilled, dying into silence. The only thing left standing was the Asylums and the eerily jungle around them.

Elsa was the first to move. The very act weighed heavily on her already exhausted mind and body, her vision blurred by frostbite nerves. Her temperature had dropped dangerously low, but she pushed herself forward and took it slow. She was sure Samad suffered the similar side effects since he had found a tree and discreetly used it to keep himself upright. Thankfully their training prepared them for the worst possible outcome and hid their weakness in a situation. It did not make it very easy, especially to the trained eye.

Her head couldn't stop staring at where she recalled the beast was when they defeated it. She half suspected it might leap back up to finish them off, her worry causing her to speak in a harsh, breathless croak.

"I think we need to take her," she pointed behind her to the unconscious Yin, "to the evacuation point. From what we do know, I don't think that was the only thing locked up. Also, I don't think Samad and I should use more alchemy without some rest."

"You foolish vapid imbecile!" Angel growled as he wrestled with the Chrono. Both of them grappling each other one moment and then teleporting to another part of the jungle.

"You herald misfortune, you are responsible for this!" Tabion screamed as he continued his onslaught, managing to push the prisoner even overpowering him at times.

"This is your own doing, you thought to control something that is beyond your power and now you in your vanity can't see past the consequences of your actions!" Angel scoffed while continuing to evade the Chrono, in constant retreat. "Even now you are a hindrance!"

__________________________________

"Running is your only hope!" Angel suddenly teleported in front of the group of Asylums, his hair disheveled while the prisoner gasped for breath, sweat dripping down his brow. Clearly keeping up with the Chronos had exhausted this prisoner.

"What is this…" The man slowly whispered, almost speaking to himself as he observed the creature in front of them slowly disintegrating, it's body turning to ash and dissipating in the wind.

"You killed it?" The man replied, his tone surprised and equally mournful. "Very few untrained alchemists have managed this feat…….even though she was just a child." As the prisoner spoke he couldn't help but clench his fist, anger trying to pool it's way to the surface before finally being suppressed. "I suppose it doesn't matter now, there are matters of greater importance." Before Angel could explain matters further, the Chrono Tabion appeared in front of them.

"This little chase is over, you will be apprehended and will answer for your crimes! This is your doing isn't it!" The Chrono screamed, his rigid and calm demeanour had all but vanished. This was a man out for blood.

"I am tired of this and I have wasted enough time on a jester like yourself. Reri." The last word was but a whisper and yet it called down a tempest. Someone crashed down from the sky like a meteor, the debris showing only the silhouette of a child.

"You dare lay a hand on him!" The little figure in front spoke, her tone so apathetic it was almost surreal coming from such a petite little figure. What followed was but a single strike and Tabion was smashed through the forest, his body going through countless trees and disappearing from sight.

"Thank you little one." Angel replied, his hand brushing his partner's hair in an almost paternal manner.

"I have evacuated most of the children spread across this jungle, they are all at the Porter's circle. We don't have much time. It's time to leave." He ushered the group of Asylums to a single spot before teleporting them all back to the main campus.

The moment the Asylums reappeared at the Porter's circle, chaos and madness greeted them. The entire landscape had been ruined, buildings destroyed, the very terrain had been reshaped. Asylums lay dead by the dozen while countless screamed from fatal wounds and yet still many others still fought. And at the center of it all were four people who held their ground against Asylums, Lost Numbers and Chronos.

"We have initiated project Hell-storm, everyone is to evacuate immediately" A telepathic message issued to all as all personnel began to abandon the Island, even Chronos had begun to retreat.

"Project Hell-storm?" Angel repeated as the Porter's began to chant, their teleportation circle igniting and the countdown starting.

5

Asylums who couldn't retreat were abandoned. Some stayed to help but Lost Numbers and Chronos had already abandoned the battle

4

The four prisoners seemed to be preparing a strange spell of their own, aimed at the Porter's circle. They didn't plan for anyone to escape.

3

A Chrono charged the four prisoners, interrupting their kill spell and dying in the process

2

Someone new teleported in front of the prisoners, a young man from his appearance. Intense heat coming off him, everything melting, the prisoners began to run.

1

Everything went white.

When "Innocense" fell it shook the very foundation of A.M.R.O, it showed that you can hurt the infallible and the consequences had only just begun. Rogue factions were growing bolder, the great Bloodlines had begun vying for more power and for the first time in Centuries there was a shortfall of Asylums. The death toll from the destruction of Innocense had never been disclosed however there had only been roughly five hundred survivors, staff and students included. The Island held capacity of over two thousand. A multitude of trained Asylums had been lost along with far too many children. Evacuation had proven difficult, especially since A.M.R.O believed their Island was impregnable as such there had been no contingencies in place. With the ensuing chaos there was no order to the rescue, no prioritization. The staff rescued whoever they could, whoever was closest and whoever they could get within the time frame. However the greatest tragedy to A.M.R.O was their loss of Chrono candidates. Only two had been rescued, the siblings - Yin and Yang. The far reaching consequences were apparent, eventually there will be a shortage of not only Asylums but also Chronos and Lost Numbers.

Now five months later, A.M.R.O is still recovering from the fallout of the prisoners escaping. Their force spread thin containing rogue alchemists while also in search for the missing convicts. The organization resorting to use all resources at its disposal to monitor the world itself in order to locate those prisoners. One had been confirmed dead with the destruction of Innocense, that still left three unaccounted for and that terrified the management. All the displaced students had been moved to a classified location to continue their training while at the same time a gargantuan project had been initiated, code named - "The Goliath".

Now while all Asylums and Chronos had been immediately dispatched for damage control. Angel and Reri had been detained and placed under arrest for the first month after the fall of Innocense. After roughly eleven prisons destroyed within the first week, the two were promptly shifted to a lavish apartment where they were once again placed under house arrest, though this time with several bribes to keep them in. It took another two weeks of consistent interrogation to finally come to the conclusion where the two suspects had nothing to do with the events that transpired at the Island and the previous event dubbed as "Bloody Valentine" had been necessary and as such the two were released. In the four months since the two proceeded to go on very specific missions with barely any backup and the Asylums that were often assigned to them ended up either killed or deemed unfit to continue, it didn't take long for most Asylums to outright refuse to be assigned to the duo who brought death where the went.

-------Xx-------xX------

"Pardon?" Angel questioned as he lounged on a rather comfortable couch, his partner seated on the arm rest. Both of them drowsily staring at A.M.R.O's messenger.

"Uhh...well...you...you see sir. I was umm...informed by the management to let you know of your next mission." The Keeper responded, looking even more nervous than he sounded.

"We aren't taking requests right now, not to mention there is a certain....problem that we need to take care off." Angel replied while yawning, barely even looking at the little man in front of him.

"Sir..umm...this...well this..comes from the management." The Keeper persisted but instantly turned ghostly pale when his comment drew a glare from the little Chrono.

"Oh leave him be little one," Angel finally interceded, since it looked like the messenger might get a stroke any second. "Alright, give me the letter..this better not be a waste of our time." He spoke as he accepted the envelop from the messenger and watched him scurry off.

"Well?" Rin responded, her gaze slowly moving towards the letter which her partner proceeded to open allowing both of them to read the contents silently.

"Interesting...."

------Xx-------xX------

It hadn't take the duo very long to locate their 'friends'. It was quite fortuitous that Samad, Elsa, Bella and Zane had all been abruptly called back, their mission left incomplete. Such a fantastic coincidence which Reri definitely had no hand in, she most certainly did not use her influence as a Chrono Asylum to bring all these Asylums back to a very specific bunker in Washington DC.

"HELLO!" Rena suddenly smashed open the door to the bunker and hopped in, greeting the two Asylums teams with a big smile. "Surprise!" She yelled as soon as she was visible to the two teams, Angel towering behind her. "You are officially drafted in 'Team Panda 1!" She declared, pointing at the Asylums in front of her. "Mission details - we are going to kidnap the president!"

"Questions?"

---

‘You keep staring at me like that, people will think I’m dying.’ Samad irritatedly commented when he felt Elsa’s concerned eyes roam across his healing skin.

His eyelids fluttered open to greet hers, the left one strained against the scarring on his face. A good chunk of his bangs had failed to regrow until the skin finished regenerating. At least he didn’t need to shave that side of his face now, he mused to himself. Samad leaned his head against the cold concrete of the bunker.

Through his peripheral vision, he caught Elsa’s sheepish smirk after he caught her staring. They both knew being wounded was better than dead.

’Does it still hurt?’

’Oh yes, like the sun decided to kiss my face.’

Without warning him, her hand reached up then gently touched his healing burn. A gradual coolness sucked out the heat and numbed the pain. His body tensed for him against his will. As he relaxed, his breath exhaled. The tender moment didn’t last when a young girl, Rena, bursted in with a voice loud enough to rupture eardrums. Both Elsa and Samad flinched. Their eyes snapped to the location where the girl continued to ruin the rare moment of peace the teams had in the wake of Innocense’s loss.

When the girl asked if there were any questions about the mission to kidnap the president, Samad pushed his head back farther. His grumbling voice shot into Elsa’s mind.

‘Should’ve let the Rogue burn my ears off…’

A tired sigh escaped from Zane as the man leaned against the wall of the bunker and closed his eyes. The man tried to ignore the soft nervous tapping that came from his partner but in a nearly silent room it was hard to tune out.

‘You do know that your tapping is audible, right?’ Zane asked through his link with Bella as the man crossed his arms.

‘Well, of course it would make a noise.’ Bella responded as she looked towards her partner with a puzzled expression as she forced her fingers to stop moving by pressing her hands against her legs. ‘I’ve measured the decibel range in the past and if I remember correctly tapping my fingers against my legs is well within the acceptable range for a quiet room.’ Bella nervously looked towards the other pair before returning her gaze back to Zane. ‘Am I loud enough to annoy the others?’

If a quiet area has other noises to help drown it out you’re fine but in an annoyingly quiet bunker like this, habits like that…Feeling his Bella’s concern emanate through their link Zane paused and shook his head. ‘Never mind. Just forget I said anything.‘

’But if I’m being a bother I wa-‘

’No, really. It’s fine. It’s everything else that’s a problem. It’s getting really annoying that the missions-‘ Before Zane could finish his thought the duo’s conversation was interrupted by Rena and Angel.

Bella’s face dropped as she saw who arrived. ’Oh no, it’s him again. Did we really get pulled from our mission to be with him?’

Zane chuckled as he looked towards the young girl. “Finally, something more entertaining than these back to back missions. The team name is a bit unconventional but I’ll roll with it.” Zane gave a shrug towards his partner while tapping his head ’You do remember what he can do, right?’

’Don’t remind me’ Bella released a small sigh as she averted her gaze from Angel.

“Why are we going after the president? It’s not everyday that AMRO is wanting to throw the world into a frenzy and with the current struggles we are facing it seems like an odd time to stir up more troubles.”

Two heads pressed against each other. Hair meeting and becoming a mess of red. The girl sat on the left, dressed in a “Wendy-Meets-Alice” mishmash of blue frock, black-and-white striped stockings, black mary janes and curly hair beaten into two Harley Quinn tails. Panda coloured ribbons completely with plastic panda faces kept Nana’s hair in place. Rikke, the boy on the right, wore a yellow-faced shirt. Gudetama, the forever depressed egg, dropped from collar to diaphragm, melting as it were into the upturned white tulip-shaped shell. As if undecided about his look, Rikke’s pants were classic white and blue rimmed sailor pants, paired with a pair of blue rubber boots and a sailor’s hat.

All this hinted at an indulgent adult. Someone who couldn't say “no” as the children grabbed items off the rack at random in the nearby outlet mall, staring at him with puppy eyes and overzealous smiles. Still this was a mission and the children had promised to follow his orders to the letter. Thus, their current task - decoding this message for Sister Rena!

“The Secret to Awesome Power,” Nana read out loud as her fingers traced the latin words with ease. The next few symbols were gibberish at this point and her scrawling didn't help.

Rikke counted on his fingers, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Nana was talking, and pausing to write the corresponding English alphabet beneath each symbol. Some of the letters came together in patterns he recognised but, to him, the words were no different than the symbols - nonsense. Having finished several words at random, he slid the paper firmly in his twin’s direction.

Nana’s head straightened as she took the paper. Her attention had been pulled away by that annoying tapping. “Panda Power … Ka-Pow!” She giggled when it clicked that this was a prank message. Drawing several pandas in power ranger suits and colouring them with Alchemy, the girl hopped over to Rena. “Princess! We solved it!”

“Aaaaaand,” she continued in her bubbly voice, getting into her best power ranger pose. “Hello! We’re the Panda Rangers here to help Princess Rin and Princess Rena …. um save the world! Yeah!” She finished with renewed bravado as she puffed out her chest with childish pride.

Rikke ambled over and peeked from behind Angel. Staring at the adults in turn and watching their lips move with a burning intensity. The occasional flick of his eye made it seem like he was listening yet the slowness of his movement begged the question if his hearing aids were working that well. Those brown eyes finally rested on the robot lady whose glasses looked like an accessory from a gundam movie. Rikke pointed at Bella and continued staring. His mouth formed soundless words as he struggled to bring across his message. Instead, Bella received a mental replay of that annoying tap from earlier.

“Oh! This is Rikke and I’m Nana.” His sister slid in. “He thinks you made the tapping noise earlier,” she explained as she bent forward and smiled. Her own brown eyes gazed at Bella, albeit with far less intensity than Rikke’s.

Suddenly, she grabbed her brother’s arm and pointed at Elsa. “Rikke! Remember her?” She exclaimed, hoping to distract him before Bella became uncomfortable. “She’s got the same name and powers like the Disney Princess.”

Angel reached out both arms and grabbed the heads of the two siblings in front of him, fingers rustling their hair as the Lost Number towered over them. The reaction from this squad was less than stellar at his arrival, he wasn't exactly expecting a parade but at least some excitement? Hadn't he assisted them with their grand escape and saved their lives on multiple occasions? Angel would himself lost in thought for a brief second. Or perhaps had he placed them in danger? In the end the Silver Reaper merely shrugged it off and his attention finally returned when on of them finally answered the right question!

“Why are we going after the president? It’s not everyday that AMRO is wanting to throw the world into a frenzy and with the current struggles we are facing it seems like an odd time to stir up more troubles.”

He snapped his fingers in the direction of Zane and Bella as they stirred his dramatic flair. The twins behind him striking a pose with the Chrono joining in at last second. The only thing missing was a contained explosion, perhaps some fog.....next time.

"The current struggles are the reason for this. Real power and the perception of power are almost one in the same!" Angel was smiling now as he transmuted the ground to summon a chair and sat cross legged in one fluid motion. "When one falters it effects the other and the ripples attract vultures. A.M.R.O has been considerably crippled since the incident at the Island and others have noticed." The last part was a whisper, as if an omen uttered. "Our reach is divided between quelling splintered uprisings and repairing the damage from the fall out. Now the world powers thing us weak, they think they can ascend from pieces to players." His smirk was almost livid, a seething anger clawing to the surface before being buried once more. The though of ants claiming to challenge titans, it was ludicrous and that is how the world turned to ash.

Rin's cold eyes switched from the amusing twins to the Asylum dogs in front of her. She viewed them like she viewed almost every other thing there is, without interest. "When worms forget themselves, they must be reminded." She spoke, her tone devoid of any emotion. It was a simple fact. Her partner simply nodded to the Chrono's truth.

"The world powers know of A.M.R.O and they know off alchemy. They also provide generous donations that help fund many projects for A.M.R.O. However when altruism dies, humanity dies." Angel was smirking again, but this time it was his usual mischievous smile, the devil's smile. "We cant let that happen now can we? And as such we shall show them the strength of A.M.R.O, we shall display absolute power so they are reminded. A.M.R.O has just told us to put up a show!" Now the Lost Number was standing as he faced his new team of misfit soldiers that included two small children who had black mailed him to be part of this mission and the rest slightly more mature children.

"We will not kill a single person, we will effortless disarm and destroy their weaponry. We will walk straight to the oval office and drag the president away!" By now the Reaper was laughing as if all of this was a beautiful joke. "This will be fun!" And that smile was back. "And who better to lead us than a pair of kids!" Now Angel was kneeling and yet still taller than the two twins. "What say little ones? You lead and we will follow!"

"After today the great United States of America will never miss an altruistic donation!"

Considering the circumstances when they first met Angel, Elsa didn’t trust the little girl’s words. She promptly pulled out her smartphone then tried to find any validation over the mission. A.M.R.O being its usual shitty organization gave her no absolute answers and told her to merely to check with the Chrono left in charge. She sighed then flipped the phone off, shoving it back into her pants pocket. Samad had shifted up and glanced at her, questioning if the mission was legit. She simply nodded. No words, physically or mentally, were needed for her to understand. As far as they knew, the mission goal was accurate.

She could already feel his annoyance rise. It wasn’t a new type of mission for them, but they rarely required eight individuals to acquire a single human. Even if it was a highly guarded target. The more pressing matter was the overkill factor when two of those individuals were rumored to be extremely powerful. In their prior encounter, Angel proved himself capable and dangerous. It only made sense that his partner was on equal grounds with him creating a far more complicated situation than either Elsa and her partner cared for.

The part that gnawed at her the most as the amount of power gathered in one mission, but she kept silent about it. Voicing the concern was pointless until she had additional evidence to support them. For now, she simply leaned back and politely observed the conversation between Zane and Rena. Of course, the twins joined in. When Nana immediately recognized her, Elsa quickly realized how much she hated the movie ‘Frozen’. Being compared to a Disney princess was far more annoying than most people realize when they rarely had to deal with the issue themselves.

Did she just compare you to Elsa from ‘Frozen’? She could hear the snicker in Samad’s head.

Don’t make me give you blue balls. Elsa retorted as he smirked, feeling successful in his tease despite the threat.

Though the comparison irked her, she still waved at Nana and gave the twins a gentle smile. It was a small confirmation that she knew the pair and let her motherly nature shine through. Both Samad and her attention turned to Angel deciding to explain the mission parameters in the vaguest sense, but it didn’t take her long to conclude with her own answer. AMRO wanted to remind the world powers they were still a force to be aware of. She fought the urge to roll her eyes.

So pretty much a display of power like a peacock showing off he’s better than his competitors to a ‘hen’. Elsa put in the lamest terms for Samad who had already figured that was the case.

Only the strong survive, Elsa. Cruel as you think it is, it’s the truth.

She could only frown at the fact, saying nothing more. Her head continued to gaze on the little dramatic act the four put on. It made her think of a Saturday cartoon until small hints of seriousness peered through. Neither of the Wrecking Team reacted, their forms remained seated and still. The only change was their eyes shifting from Angel’s whispered words to Rin’s ice cold eyes. The little girl’s expression bothered Elsa most due to how unnatural it was for someone so young. It made her shiver on the inside, like a mouse trembling in the presence of an uninterested tiger.

Samad’s hand reached out of sight to grasp hers underneath the table. His thumb rubbed the palm side to sooth her. It was a small gesture, but did the trick causing her to relax. By now, Angel’s nature relapsed to his usual one and the atmosphere began to lighten.

“What Intel do we have access to or are we supposed to collect it? It’s easier to acquire a target when we understand their patterns of behavior and location at any time. This includes their defense measures.” Samad said in his crisp and to the point tone. Mission details were easier for him to take the lead in, but his comments were often brief. He didn't see why they bothered meeting when it was clear A.R.M.O intended on them just walking in and take their target, making a scene that screamed a warning to the world.

Bella’s sour face continued as she watched the twins as they entered the room. It didn’t seem right having the students along for the mission. They’ve already been through a lot with the recent incident and putting them through an unnecessary risk seemed careless. Was AMRO hurting enough that they were willing to dispatch child soldiers?

The woman’s sour mood shifted to one of discomfort as she noticed that one of the twins was pointing and staring at her. She glanced up to Zane as she hoped that her extrovert would intervene on her behalf but was met with a shrug that she has seen often enough to know it meant he was going to make her figure it out on her own.

But before the woman could plan how to handle the staring kid, she was met with an intrusive mental message. Startled, Bella slid closer to Zane and grabbed onto the end of her partner’s sleeve by his wrist and frowned at Rikke. After the last incident with Angel invading her mental conversation, she wasn’t keen on starting something early on and tried her best to keep quiet.

Zane gave a small chuckle as he watched the newest duo make their introduction. He was glad to see how lively the children were acting. It was a youthful optimism that has been waning in his life as well as some of the asylums that were elsewhere during the island fiasco. Although it manifested differently for his partner he could see the outcome of the event affected her as well. But maybe AMRO wouldn’t be stuck in turmoil. If the children that witnessed the incident and lived through the brunt of the aftermath could laugh and play games, maybe the future could be mended.

As Zane listened to Angel’s explanation, the man nodded along. He could feel Bella’s unease as she tightened her grip on him. Unlike him, he knew that she didn’t approve of the trajectory of the mission. It was odd that she wasn’t reaching out to him through their link but with Angel present he assumed that it brought on another layer of unease that caused her to stay quiet.

“It will be nice to take things easy and have fun. Let’s have them lead team panda and see what happens.”

---

While Samad got down to the point, Elsa rose to get a coffee. She brushed by the options, which were very few and decided on coffee. Though bitterness wasn’t her usual taste, she needed something more in her hands than nothing at all. To temper the strong favor, she put in a few sugar packets and stirred it with a disposable stick. On the way back to her seat, she dropped it into the trash.

Her lips pressed the hot liquid causing her to cringe. Definitely not sweet enough, she noted as she took her seat. During her brief escape, Elsa had been keeping tabs on the situation expanding before her eyes. The most pressing matter was Bella’s reaction to the fact the twins would be joining them. It wasn’t usual that AMRO put its own interest above the safety or desires of their Asylums. In the end, the corporation was a wide spread authority over the world of magic no matter the price.

Elsa considered saying something until Bella shifted and gripped Zane’s sleeve, followed by the man’s laughter. It didn’t take a genius to realize what happened. Her lips clamped shut, letting him quell Bella’s anxiety.

At Zane’s words, Elsa nodded. “It can’t hurt. If things go wrong, we can ensure the mission’s outcome.”

Samad snorted in her head, an agreement despite it being laced with annoyance at the task.

White House Down
Collab between Rina and Ryver

Rikke watched bus load after bus load of tourists turned away at the gate. He blinked as a yellow school bus was the latest one spurned. It amused him somewhat that a big group of them were standing here, in plain sight, right smack in the center of the oval lawn, and no one was any wiser. He was even more amused that he had ice cream and Nana didn’t.

He jammed the chocolate cone closer to his lips, creating a melty mustache around his lips. A smile brightened that impish face as his feet scratched another line in the sand. The instructors called this a sigil. He didn’t know what to draw, really, but since the Frozen lady was here, he planned on drawing a snowflake.

The star-shape was done. Now he had to add those squares and triangles to add complexity to his incantation. Nana said it had to be BIG! Really, really BIG! And, wet!

He turned towards Zane with a frown. His faulty hearing-aids picked up garbled noise from the man. He stared a little longer at the moving lips before he stretched out his arm to offer Zane his half-eaten ice cream. Shaking his head, because he didn’t know what else to do, Rikke pointed to his unfinished snowflake. Nana was waiting for him!

“Sooo…” Zane said as he took a lick of his mocha flavored ice cream as he tried again to get a response from the quiet boy. “Now that we got our ice cream, shall we start on our part of this plan? The drawings are nice and all but we finish our side so nobody nags us while we enjoy our ice cream.” The plan so far was pretty amusing for the man. Getting ice cream for the two of them was a fun added bonus of this mission.

“I think the sign for work is this.” Zane said thinking out loud as he repeatedly tapped his right wrist on top of his left. “Do you know ASL?”

Rikke’s eyes never left the ground. He worked steadily, connecting lines together. Zane’s words continued blurring together into a stream of incomprehensibility which made it easier to zone the man out. He spared the man a half second of his attention after seeing the shadowy wave stemming from the signing. He recognized the signs but he was almost finished.

Those eyes bobbed back up shortly after. His hands signed “Done”. Followed by “Sorry” and “Urgent”. These gestures were symbols he retained from the repeated lessons with his instructors.

“Good, you do know ASL.”Zane said with a smile and nodded. “Hmm, I know done and sorry but you lost me on the third. Just because I work with someone deaf doesn’t mean I also know sign.” Giving the boy a thumbs up, the man sat down on the bench next to them. “If you say you’re done, that’s good enough for me.”

Rikke returned the gesture with a confused expression before signing “More”. Slipping his empty cone into Zane’s hand, the boy signed “Vanilla”. Indicating that he regretted pointing to the chocolate ice cream earlier. It was done on reflex when Zane pulled him over to the ice cream truck. That cheerful plastic clown freaked him out so much that he couldn’t wait to get away!

Rikke added a pout at the end to guilt Zane into agreeing to his request. “Please” he signed.

“Sure.” Zane said and nodded as he stood up and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Seconds sounds like a great idea.” The man said as he watched the ice cream man lock up his truck and walked off for a short break at the white house. “Well, if he’s going to get caught up in the upcoming mess. I might as well help myself in his absence.”

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Men and women decked in black suits lined the hallway. There was no twitching or fidgeting. Light and air seemed more alive than these agents which sent chills down the backs of scurrying secretaries. They were ready for AMRO’s trigger-pull.

They were briefed to be on the alert for Asylums storming into the White House.
They were told that the President was the target.
They were working hand-in-hand with the military parading the grounds.

More than twenty-four hours had passed and there was no sign of the invasion. Until…

A Wendy lolita popped into existence. She smiled at them while leaning forward with her hands placed firmly on her hips. “BOOOOOOO!”

Nana watched the rippling of movement as the nearest secret service agents approached her. A tall Caucasian stood further behind as his hand reached behind his ear. He was radio-ing for backup which was abso-tiffly-perfect! She stuck out her tongue in glee as she whirled around to look at the blank space.

“Are you gonna hide under the inivshbility cloak forever, Babadella? You’re supposed to be the adult.”

“...Your idea…” Bella’s robotic voice said as she bashfully pulled the makeshift cloak off of herself and neatly folded the tablecloth. She wasn’t fond of playing along with the girl’s pretend play but from the laughs she got from Zane when the makeshift cloak was handed to her, she knew that there was no escape to her embarrassment.

Gently placing the tablecloth on a side table, Bella watched the agents carefully as she spoke. “...Now what…”

“Put your hands in the air!”

“Why?” Nana asked in a sing-song voice.

Hushed murmuring filtered down the line. Some of the agents hated the idea of shooting at a child, but their in-charge had already drawn his weapon. Reluctantly, they followed the silent command. Most of their guns trained on Bella. Being an adult she was deemed the greater threat.

Ignoring the tension in the room, the little Wendy leaped forward, forcing the agents to take a step back. Her green eyes glowed with merriment at how scared they looked. “Do these people really guard Mr. President?” she asked her reluctant supervisor.

’No!’ Concern relayed telepathically from Bella as she stretched out her hand towards the girl moments too late. ’Don’t get too close.’ The woman continued as she prepared her bots in case things started to get messy.

“Like this?” Nana shouted as she teleported into the center of the group.

A shot echoed in the hallway before her echoing voice faded. The bullet whizzed through the air, slowing visibly, as it peeled itself like an orange. The metal strip flowed into Nana’s outstretched hand and swam in circles like a shimmering eel. The girl giggled as she tried to get Bella’s attention as more guns went off.

Freezing the bullets in mid-air, the child Asylum pirouetted and sang. She danced safely out of harm’s way until she heard the last gun click uselessly. She wagged a finger at the agents. “Aw, don’t run away! We’re … here …. to … play!”

A silvery aura flowed from her diminutive form. Nana’s hair whipped wildly around her as she thrusted her hands out. “I said STOP!” she bellowed.

All sorts of metal flew towards Bella and Nana at alarming speeds. Bullets collided into each other, causing mini explosions, while the guns rained against the wall. Cellphones, keys and coins were the worst of the projectiles, pelting the people in the hallway and leaving them bruised and bleeding.

Not satisfied, Nana dug deeper into the foundations of the building and felt the tremble of metal warming to her call. They rattled with a screechy groan, radiating tremors throughout the White House. Agents fell back onto the ground as the hallways folded upwards on either end. Feeling completely exposed, the leader called for a retreat. Men and women scrambled towards either side, determined to reach the incoming backup.

“Send the signal, please.” She asked Bella.

Bella nodded and reached out to the other two telepathically. ’We’re ready’

’Sorry, what?’ Zane teased in response. ’I’m certain that ”We’re ready” wasn’t the secret code.’

With a sigh Bella responded ’This is Babadella, ready for ice cream and bamboo.’

’Roger that. Ice cream and bamboo heading your way. A truckload of ice cream’ Zane said as he cracked up laughing.

’What did you do Zane.’ Bella asked in response.

’Minor details Babadella, minor details.’ Zane said as he snickered again. I’m just doing a small favor for Cici. Nothing more.’

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------

A sizable crowd surrounded the premises. Everyone pointing fingers or phone cameras at the steel beams wrapping the walls and crushing the building inwards. Pulverized plaster lined the walkways and lawns like snow, reminding Rikke that he was late. Shoving his ice cream into Zane’s hand, the boy joined up the final line. Light traced the shape in the soil, glowing faintly, as he focused on the mental image his twin shared with him from earlier.

He scrunched his eyes shut, imagining the feel of rushing water. The foam spraying everywhere as angry torrents tear away rock. His mind flickered to images of the river cutting through the Grand Canyon before honing in on Nana’s request —

Loose pebbles flew into the air as the earth prepared to erupt. Fissures splintered the soil, swallowing up anything that fell into the widening scars. There was so much screaming that the army’s orders were obliterated. Rikke zoned all of that out as he tapped into the reservoir underneath. Feeling the same wonder Nana did when she felt so much metal at her feet. Almost there!

“GEYSER!” someone shouted over the din.

Water spouts burst skywards, shattering more of the White House. They rose like dragons - tall and powerful - shooting endlessly into the high heavens, saturating the air with so much moisture that the clouds turned black. Almost nothing was left of the impressive monument. Only the jagged base from which battered survivors limped onto the lawn. There they met the remaining Asylums.

Rikkie turned back to Zane only to realise the man hadn’t returned. Shrugging, he watched the group again. He wondered if this part of the plan would play out like the mental images Nana shared with him earlier. Elsa and Samad were supposed to be play Good Cop, Bad Cop with Mr. President. Strangely, he didn’t remember seeing the man among those on the lawn. He hummed his confusion as he rocked on his feet. He wondered what would annoy Papa Angel more: his uninterrupted cast or the missing president.

Angel and Reri had deliberately stayed further back, the kids needed the spotlight and Ante Mortem needed to tie up loose ends. Angel couldn't help but chuckle as a flashback occured, the event of his debriefing. A young officer trembling as he explained key factors for mission while Ante Mortem zoned out. Though a few words did stick out.

"Stealthily"

"Silently"

"Indirect"

"Avoid attention"

Rin's cold doll like gaze slowly observed the chaos in front of them and then her head tilted to face her partner. "This is...a terrible idea" she spoke in her deadpan tone. Her partner though just continued to chuckle as he walked out to greet the "Keepers".

The one in charge saluted the Chrono and began explaining their counter measures. The entire premise had been cordoned off and all traffic diverted via the manipulation of traffic lights and policing force. Next they had cut all communication within a 10 mile radius of the white house, no signal could go in or out. Specialized support Asylums had also been deployed, their illusionary barriers coating the White House, blocking all auditory and visual ques. For the witnesses present, they would be herded off to quarantine camps under the pretense of being exposed to gas leak, here their memories will be gently modified. Post mission completion, media manipulation will allow the story of the gas leak to be fed to the public.

Angel couldn't help but clap in appreciation, this was the true power behind AMRO. Sure the trained alchemist killing force was important but the Keepers, they were the foundation. These ordinary humans that toiled to maintain balance, they were the sweepers that ensured chaos was contained.

"Satisfactory..." The Chrono replied and calmly walked off to join the twins. Rin never understood the value of human life, aside from that of some very select few individuals. She found the vast majority to be expendable, that was the extent of their worth. The twins, they were an anomaly for her. To her these children meant little, but because of their relation to her partner their importance was elevated. As such, they can't be harmed.

When Angel finally arrived through the barrier the White House was in shambles, he considered scolding the twins on property damage....but Ante Mortem had recently destroyed Niagra Falls, and it had to be artificially reconstructed. The Reaper gave a weary sigh, these kids were too smart for their own good and their habit of getting into trouble was endearing but exhausting.

His senses had picked up roughly thirty six rogue alchemists within the premise, more than half had been silenced as soon as Rin had entered. The latter were now concealing their alchemic drive. They probably won't cause trouble after seeing this display.

"Excellent work little ones," Angel spoke as he casually joined the twins and other Asylums. Both his palms resting atop their heads as he squeezed their skulls. "Quite the aggressive display," he spoke while bonking their heads gently together. "Explosions, destroyed the white house, injured perhaps 3/4th of the special forces, but ......buuuuut....where is Mr President?" Before Angel could bonk their heads again, both of the devious little chimps squirmed out of his grip and dashed away, giggling. Rin a step behind them throughout, like a shadow.

This left the Lost Number with Samad, Elsa and Bella surrounded by the bodies of groaning officers and bystanders, all still alive....all except the foolish rogues who were a blood smear.

"The president is not here....and I can't sense him. He is being veiled," Angel spoke more to himself than the others, his fingers gently tapping the metal frame of his glasses. "They have been recruiting rogues....and they have one that can veil someone while keeping their own alchemic drive hidden....." Now Angel was smiling. "This has just gotten interesting....any ideas where Mr President could be?"

---

Samad's stood complete still among the ruins of the white house. A light drizzle fell across the landscape and dampened the surroundings, the darken clouds still menacing them above. His arms had folded across his while a sharp exhale passed through his nostrils. An intense and hot aura seethed through his skin, reflecting his brooding mood underneath.

He's not here.

Elsa's words caught his attention and his eyes snapped to her. She was equally serious and silent, her blue eyes hopped from one fallen form to another. None of the men surrounding them fit the description given to her and her confusion grew. The keepers had secured the location. This meant no individual could escape without ARMO knowing it and they hadn't been informed of such occurrence. The plan hadn't gone according to their expectations since Samad had been denied his prey. It was a sour moment for the man who preferred things to go smoothly and without complications, a fact that happened more often when the Asylum pair worked independently of others. Her hand reached up to touch his arm as a form to silently comfort him. His flesh shuddered underneath her palm and quickly his aura cooled.

Their moment was interrupted when Angel joined them on the lawn.

"I doubt he got past the keepers or we would've been notified of a breach. He has to be hiding here, possibly in an underground bunker. We just have to flush him out and I'll take it from there." Samad stated.

Five Minutes before the explosion

“Five hundered is plently.” Zane said as he tried to push the Porter towards a compromise before Rikkie’s new ice cream started to melt too much.

“Five hundred dollars to move this rusty junk box? You’re wasting my time even asking me.” The Porter said as he tried to walk away from Zane but was quickly blocked by the man outstretched arm. “Careful, you’re going to get that all over me.” The Porter said as he tried to brush off the melted ice cream off his shoulder.

“$750 and a years’ worth of ice cream once Cici gets her restaurant up and running.” Zane said as he glanced back towards Rikkie who was still crouched towards the ground drawing.

“No.” The Porter said as he turned around to walk in the other direction. “I don’t have time to mess around so can you please leave me alone.” Before the man could walk off, he felt a hand grab his hand firmly. The Porter tried to push the hand away but was met with resistance and Zane gripped harder. “Ouch, oww, oww. Okay. Okay, I’ll do it.” The man squealed as he tried to push Zane’s hand off. “Let go, let go. You’re going to break my shoulder. I said I’ll do it.”

“Perfect.” Zane said as he released the man. “I’ll be expecting it after this mission. Ante Mortem will be invited to ice cream, and it would be shame if they were disappointed that the ice cream truck isn’t there for our celebration. Right?” Zane said as he gave a single pat on the man’s shoulder and walked back to Rikkie before Bella could send out the signal.

Present time

“It looks like we are in for some fun.” Zane responded to the group as he pulled the coin in his pocket and watched as it quickly transformed into his shield.

Bella nodded as three of her bots emerged from her backpack. Switching the mode of her glasses to thermal imaging Bella scanned around the group. “…Walls thick…can’t see far…” Bella said before pointing towards the north. With the thick metal walls that reinforced the white house it was hard to distinguish any temperature differences that might have been caused by a human. However, there was a subtle difference just below the surface of a possible passageway down. “…Maybe stairs?...”

"That's good enough for me." Zane said with a slight grin. "We might as well knock out every person we see without a drive in case they are the wimp that's hiding."

---

Elsa frowned when she sensed Samad's impatience flood their shared link. Her eyes closed as she inhaled, filtering the negativity out. In its absence, her awareness slacked and finally relaxed. Samad immediately stiffened when he sensed the wall formed between them. His gaze avoided hers while he turned away, knowing he overstepped his boundary.

The woman didn't blame him for it. It was in his nature. A hunter thrived on the hunt, and often the addiction overwhelmed their common sense.

There was no reason to linger on it.

She pushed the thought aside when she spotted Nana hovering over a specific spot. In the young girl's hands, Elsa immediately recognized the structure of a gun due to its coloring and design. Her hand jerked upward and shot forward a cold blast. Ice solidified across the metal surface until it was useless.

With a firm tone in her voice, Elsa scolded the children.

"Put that down before you get hurt. That isn't a toy."

Wasting no time, she formed a small ball of floating snow in her palm. Her arm stretched out for the gathering twins to see. In the snow globe, figures began to materialize out of the white. Two small ones, Nana and Rikkie, had their eyes to the ground and sought out something. Meanwhile, Elsa moved about while causing a small flurry of snow to cover the ground.

"Here's the plan. I will cast a light flurry of snow across the area. Nana and Rikkie, you look for any spots that the snow doesn't affect. When you find it, tell Samad and he'll handle the rest. Do you understand?" She waited briefly.

Both of the children nodded their understanding.

Her firm expression softened into a satisfied smile as she dismissed the spell. Elsa inhaled deeply then moved her arms about. She performed calm and well-practiced gestures, each movement had a purpose.

First, the temperature dropped. Water began to form into small, shapeless flakes that drifted down. The range was only in the immediate area, but their quarry hadn't gotten far. The flurries increased with time as the ground collected snow piles. She watched the twins start to search for flaws in the spell's effects.

It didn't take long before they noticed a small place where snow refused to wander. One of them pointed to the location and drew Samad's attention. He pulled out of his relaxed composure, his katar out and ready on approach.

Angel had decided to lean back and let Samad Elsa take the lead, this would be a good opportunity for the twins to learn from the Veterans. While the Reaper adored the twins he wasn't so delusional to believe that he was the ideal teacher. Experiences mold everyone separately and he was molded to be a survivor, a killer and a monster. As such it's no surprise his beliefs reflected in Reri, the child who he had practically raised. Not that Angel has ever regretted it, to be strong is what truly matters especially when you have enemies all across the globe.

Finally out of his reverie Angel made his way towards Bella and Zane, those two were quite the amusing duo. The Reaper towered behind the two as his breath caught frost, the temperature had dropped and next was snowfall. "Not a bad tactic," Angel thought out loud from behind the two. He would have preferred to simply use his clairvoyance however the pesky rogue was concealing himself and the president. Had it not been for Samad and Elsa, Angel would have possibly rained fire atop the ruins that remained of the Whitehouse until the president squirmed out. In hindsight....it's a good thing he brought these kids with him, they are far more patient.

Meanwhile Rin continued to shadow the twins, her form just far enough not to be seen by them. She had already rendered roughly eight snipers unconscious and continue to prowl around the perimeter, silently observing Elsa and Samad hunt for their quarry.

"Looks like this little game of cat and mouse is about to come to an end," Angel spoke to the two rookies. His infuriating smile a constant companion to his arrogant tone. "Now we can finally focus on the main job I called you lot for. Finding that damn six hundred thousand year old talking sword that ran away from my prison because it wanted to visit the Bahamas......again." Even as he spoke, there was a tinge of frustration as even Angel found this whole thing ridiculous let alone what others would be thinking.

"Do you two know what is a....Relic?" And now that smile was back on his face.

“...Sure…I know…” A robotic voice responded as Bella turned and looked at the man. Confusion was written on her face as she tried to piece the information given to her together with the childish stories of myths she read in the library. He had to be up to some sort of trick with his babbling of talking swords.

But what if there was some hint of truth. She has already experienced things that shouldn’t have existed during her short time of getting to know him. Could this man be trusted? Does he have an untapped source of knowledge beyond what is known to most Asylums?

Taking a deep breath Bella continued her conversation through her mind. ‘I’ve read children’s books when I was young but they were nothing more than fairy tales and anything worth reading mentioned that people have gone on expeditions in the past to find these treasures of power but they are similar to the normal world’s view of things like Atlantis, the holy grail or the fountain of youth. Every search has come up empty and the myths haven’t been proven.’

Angel nodded and snapped at Bella's mention of Atlantis and the fountain youth. "Oh Atlantis wasn't a relic, it was more of an alchemically advanced nation that meddled in affairs they shouldn't have." The Reaper casually corrected the little Asylum before moving on to the topic at hand. "Relics are ancient beyond measure, little one. It is of a bygone era that was eradicated so thoroughly that nothing survived, no trace, nothing except for these relics. And that too because they simply cannot be destroyed." There was a trace of defeat in his voice, indirectly suggesting that not even he had found a way. Angel had now taken a seat on a neat pile of rubble, his legs crossed as he explained archaic things to these fresh ones.

"Information and knowledge are two of the most frightening sources of currency. They have toppled empires and erected new ones. Relics are one of them, their knowledge should never be shared." There was a warning in his tone and for a brief moment the world drowned in bloodlust, such was the aura of death that radiated from the Reaper before being suppressed.

"Relics are alchemic technology that retains sentience and an alchemic drive of its own….which means it is a weapon that is alive and capable of producing alchemy, the strength of which borders Chronos. The only limiter on it being that for it's true potential, the relic must be wielded by it's chosen." Heaving a weary sigh the Lost Number leaned back against the remnants of a wall, his veiled gaze drifting across the sky.

"Most relics are very selective in their wielder, but the blades of camelot…..they just want to be used. Vexing things….."

“It seems like you are someone that is dangerously wealthy in this currency of information and knowledge.” Zane stated as he reached down and picked up a piece of rubble about the size of a baseball. The man gave the piece of concrete a light toss up in the air to test the weight before catching it and throwing it at a nearby fragment of a wall before picking up another piece. “Is this knowledge about relics known amongst your peers higher up on the totem pole or is this sword another one of your solo curiosities similar to our last adventure?”

Tossing the piece in his hand, Zane watched as he slowly chipped the wall away. “I’m all in for another adventure but after our last interaction with a powerful being and the growing rumors about you and the Chrono, my partner and the Wrecking Crew are a lot more wary. Why was a sword of this magnitude in your personal prison?”

Angel tilted his head towards Zane, a charming smile on his face as he watched the young Asylum haggle with the devil. Oh he knew he had this one enticed and his partner would soon follow. They were alchemists to their core and a true alchemist is always an explorer, a wanderer.

"The knowledge of certain relics is known by A.M.R.O, that is true. Or to be more specific by the Director and some other Chronos. However they aren't as well versed in tracking them, it takes a certain nuance to hunt for an alien alchemic drive. As for our current sword, she is part of my collection." The Reaper humored the Asylum, his next question amusing him even more so.

"Because Aerondight is noble and wishes to serve, the problem is she cannot discern between those that deserve her and those that don't. Not to mention she lusts for conquest. These traits make her dangerous and she must stay contained. As to questions related to my personal prison, I'm afraid you aren't ready for that….yet. Now go and assist the others, I have almost located the blade so be ready to leave."

Seeing his window of opportunity starting to close for more information Zane quickly tried to interject another question as he tried to ignore Bella pressuring him to stop through their link. “Before that I have one more question about…”

'Enough.' Bella said through their link as she pushed hard against the man’s back to try and get him to start moving. The difference in size and muscular build made moving the man an impossible feat without any support from tech or alchemy as the man stayed completely still and the only progress she made was digging her feet into the ground as she tried to push. But the action was enough to grab the man’s attention.

“Fine.” Zane responded with a sigh before tossing the rubble in his hand. As the man raised his arm, the muscles in his arm, shoulder and back started to grow. The object traveled quicker this time and caused a larger impact. Between the added strength and the aid of the wall being slowly chipped away, the wall tipped over and crumbled. “Show me which way they went and quickly. I have more questions about this sword.”

Bella sighed and shook her head as she quickened her pace to try and stay ahead of her partner’s run. Switching her view to thermal imaging she followed the footsteps in the snowy patches. 'You’re getting sucked into this mystery harder than most.'

“I’m surprised you aren’t Miss. Bookworm. You’re the one that’s always studying and getting sucked into research.” Zane responded. “Although unconventional in their ways, those two feel like a breath of fresh air. If our experience and the rumors are true, something exciting seems to always happen with them. And more importantly, Angel seems to have more information than what is typically accessible to us.”

'Information you are hoping can lead you to your father.' Instead of a typical verbal response that came from her partner Bella felt a wave of sadness coming from her partner before it was quickly stifled. “...I’m sorry…” Bella replied apologetically to break the silence. 'I still don’t fully trust that man and I don’t want you to get hurt. Not again.'

'I’m not a child anymore.' Anger seeped through their bond as Zane moved to communicating through their link. 'Things will be different this time around. I’m not a vulnerable and reckless child like I was at Innocence.'

'I’m hoping that is true.' Bella said as she gave a slight nod. 'I really do want to believe you.'



The traces of leftover melted snow started to grow as the duo started to get closer to the others. Reaching out the other team and twins, Bella sent out a light nudge to try and avoid bothering the others in case they were preparing an attack. 'We’re almost to you. Let us know how you would like us to proceed if you have a plan you would like us to follow.'

---

Samad's eyes narrowed on the small section that refused to hold snow.

He lowered to one knee then reached out his hand. His fingers traced the outline of a gap, revealing a hidden hatch. Carefully he continued to trace the outside until something gave underneath his touch.

A loud hiss escaped as a panel jerked up, popping open to reveal a ladder leading down. The Asylum rose onto his feet and began to climb down. His thoughts rippled across Elsa's with a complaint.

Slimy bastard must've hoped to outlast us like a rat hiding in a sewer. I'm heading down.

She flashed the twins a praising smile, her form following her partner. Her hand remained poised and ready at her side. Elsa paused long enough to issue the twins new orders, ensuring the two didn't follow them down.

"Okay, twins you're staying here and guarding the surface. When the others arrive, send Bella and Zane down."

Again the snow globe appeared to show the pair their given task. Elsa wanted no misunderstandings to be an excuse for bad behavior. Bella's message interrupted Elsa's focus, followed by a response from her partner.

I found the hatch the President slithered in. We'll keep you updated on our progress. Elsa told the twins to remain on the surface.

Elsa confirmed it. After dealing with the twins, She lowered herself into the hatch and slid down the ladder. A hard concrete floor greeted her on landing. Before Samad used his alchemy, she smacked his arm side. Held in her hand was one of the specialized goggles she brought.

"Use that," she demanded.

Using Alchemy had an additive effect which over time drove the Asylum insane. Despite the inconvenience, he knew Elsa wanted to prolong the inevitable. Samad tensed in irritation, but he took them and shoved them over his eyes.

The pair continued in silence until the faint footsteps echoed ahead of them. Samad stopped to adjust the goggles. His finger pressed a button at its side. With a whirl, it zoomed in on four human shapes radiating heat.

Elsa immediately alerted Bella with the update.

We located him. He's with two human guards and the rogue-

Elsa's message cut off when a light-flooded her vision. Gunfire erupted immediately after, intending to kill her. Samad's alchemy activated. The bullet's speeds decreased when they hit his range.

The hunter's hand jerked out his scimitar. Its plasma blade ignited and flooded the darkness with new light. Filled with his alchemy, the man rushed forward with inhuman speed.

More shots bore down on Samad's incoming form, severed into pieces by his weapon. The rogue gestured and sent a roaring flame in Samad's direction. Not waiting to see the result, the man seized the President's arm and jerked him down the tunnel.

When Elsa ducked out of the bullet's path, she uttered a curse. Samad had redirected the spell, but a stray bullet caught his arm. Blood sprayed from the wound before he managed to disarm the culprit's weapon. The man screamed when his arm bent at an odd angle.

Not wasting time to chid Samad's harsh methods, Elsa ripped up her pant leg. She tugged off the bow staff hidden on her calf. In another fluid movement, she retrieved the string from her waist. They instantly snapped together into her bow.

While Samad began to cut down the gun of the reminding guard, Elsa focused on stopping the other two. The woman notched an arrow then released it.

The rogue twisted about only to watch the arrow lodge into his face. He slacked then toppled into a heap, lifeless on the ground. Shocked at witnessing such a swift death, the President tore his hand from the corpse's grip then stared at the Wrecking Crew.

"I suggest you stop running... It is not going to help you and forces us to work." Samad warned, his figure moving toward the President.

Bella, we have the President. His two escorts are out cold and the rogue is dead. Elsa sent the message as she checked on the mens' condition.