The Sinner’s Price, Part Three
Sitting on top of a small apartment complex across the street from the auction house, a bulky man clicked open his walkie and spoke into it. “Position 3, Todd speaking.” he murmured. “There are SEA agents covering the loading dock. No sign of Tranquil yet.”
“Thank you, Position 3.” Melchior’s voice came over the walkie, smooth and serious. “I’ve sent Molly up to your position. The passcode applies. Watch for any shadows on the rooftops nearby, and don’t let them spot you.”
The Sinner’s Price, Part Two
“Jaaaack!” Blossom sprang out of the garage door, practically knocking Jack over as she surged towards him. He laughed, catching her with only a slight stagger backwards. “Welcome back!”
“Thank you, Blossom,” he said with a grin, disentangling himself from her. “Although you're behaving as if we didn't see each other last Friday.”
“Okay, well, yes...” Blossom said, mask still grinning. “But it's not the same. You're back for real now.”
“Yeah, it's kind of a big deal,” Roland said, stepping up to pat Jack on the shoulder. “Welcome back, man.”
Unforeseen Delays
For a variety of reasons, today's update will in fact be up tomorrow. Apologies.
The Sinner’s Price, Part One
“Bored!”
Melchior looked up from his papers as Fenris stalked into his small office, and held back a sigh. Fenris dropped into a large cushioned chair across from the desk, draping his legs over one arm and leaning his head against the other. “I am bored, Melchior,” he said. “You told me we could get this show on the road as soon as you finished with that scrap we stole from the plant girl. What’s the holdup?”
“The holdup, my lord,” Melchior said smoothly, “is that we can’t free Jormungandr if the time isn’t right. If we attack the prison while its bindings remain strong, we’ll have wasted twelve years of preparations.”
Kryptonite, Part Ten
“So that was our day,” Blossom said with a sigh, leaning back in her seat. She was back at the base, having retired to her room while Yousef and Catherine were busy being checked up, and was now typing up her report while chatting on the phone. “I wish you’d been there. I kind of wonder what you’d have been offered.”
“I think I’m happier not knowing.” On the other end of the line, Jack shook his head, glancing around his modest kitchen. In the other room, he could faintly hear the sound of furniture moving as Tarah cheerfully swept the floor. “Too much introspection is bad for the soul.”
Kryptonite, Part Nine
“Well,” Roland said with a smile, watching as a small team of SEA agents carefully bundled up the mirror, “that was a pretty painless…”
“Finish that sentence,” Catherine growled softly, “and I will hurt you. I don’t know how, yet, but I will find a way.”
Roland chuckled, patting her on the shoulder. “Glad to have you back, Pipes. Now I don't have to do the heavy thinking for a while.”
Kryptonite, Part Eight
Roland found Chad on the roof, sitting on the edge and rolling a small thread of fire between his fingers and staring off into space. “I interrupting?” he asked.
For a moment, Chad looked like he wanted to say ‘yes’, but he shook his head, patting the ledge next to him. “Nah,” he said as Roland sat down. “I called Christine.”
“How’d it go?”
“Oh, it was sunshine and puppies,” Chad snapped.
Kryptonite, Part Seven
The team, along with Chad, gathered around the conference table at the local SEA base. On the far wall, Jason and Oliver appeared on a large television. “Alright, teleconference is set up,” Jason reported. “Let’s get started. First off, the good news. Based on everything you got from Sunderstorm and Turbine, we’ve got a ping on that mirror. Apparently it’s known as the Frost Of Aideen.”
“Sounds ominous,” Roland said, leaning back in his seat. He looked around at the team. “How bad is it?”
“Pretty bad. You’re looking at a high-tier magical artifact, Roland. It was forged in Scotland during the Atlantean invasions of the 2600s BCE. Aideen was some sort of priestess, probably a shamaness, and she devised the mirror to encourage the occupying Atlantean forces to leave her people alone. Worked like a charm.”
Kryptonite, Part Six
“Alright, here’s the plan,” Chad murmured to Roland, glancing around the room. “I’ll lay down a wall of covering fire. You leap through it, grab Yousef, and jump out the window. It’s only the second floor, so if you shield him, he should be fine. Then get help.”
“No way, man,” Roland said, shaking his head. “We never leave a man behind.”
“For heaven’s sake, I just asked if your friends wanted to go to the opera with us,” Turbine said, crossing her arms.
Kryptonite, Part Five
Catherine around the lobby of the small office building, raising an eyebrow. She glanced at the directory again for confirmation. “Third floor,” she murmured. “Sunderstorm Enterprises.”
“Not very imposing for the city’s best supervillain,” Blossom said. “I thought he’d have a big mountain lair, or a gleaming skyscraper, or something.”
“Well, I guess not.” Catherine said. “Maybe crime doesn’t pay after all.”
Kryptonite, Part Four
“Okay, serious brainstorming time,” Roland said, looking around the table. “We have a crisis on our hands. Thanks, Tim.”
Tim mumbled something under his breath and stared down at the table. He and Agent Cinderstorm had joined the Magisters to discuss the team’s sudden discovery. Once they’d realized that Catherine’s flute was really gone, Yousef had excused himself to put together a pseuodechnological device. Once he’d determined that his own powers remained intact, he’d rejoined the others to discuss what to do next.
Kryptonite, Part Three
Agent Chad led the way into the SEA building, nodding to the desk sergeant. “Afternoon, Tim. Anything new?”
“Turbine called. Wanted to speak with you.” Tim gave Chad a thumbs-up, which the agent quickly waved away as Catherine's face began to cloud over again. Seeing the other agents, Tim quickly shifted into a more professional demeanor. “I mean, uh, good afternoon, agents. You're the Magisters, right?”
“Yes,” Catherine said, after taking a deep breath. “We're here to look at secure storage.”
“Of course, of course. I'll take you right down.” Tim scrambled out of his chair, all but running for the downstairs door. “It's just down here. We've all taken a look at it, tried to see what made it tick, but I don't think there's anything actually magical about it. Sunder probably just goofed up.”