Mystique, The Calm Sea, 10:20 PM

Natsu stood at the foremost point of the yacht. They had recently arrived at their deployment location, approximately eight kilometres away from Galuna Island. They were anchored beyond the horizon from the Island so that if any lookouts were looking in their direction they wouldn't be able to see them, less so at night and with the ship running dark as it was. The man blew smoke from his mouth, watching the column of light above the island. It was the Moon Drip Ritual, the distinct purple beam seemingly coming down from the moon itself. He could see the unfortunate side effect of the spell, albeit faintly at their distance from the island, which formed a magical film in the sky. It was harmless to humans but it caused memory loss in demons, which Natsu hoped wouldn't affect him due to his hybrid physiology.

"Mr Dragneel." Came a woman's voice from behind the man. It was faint, small, like the woman was hesitant to talk to the man, which came as no surprise since he was currently wearing half of his gear. While his black shirt looked normal, he had his twin M10s pistols strapped to his thighs over his dark forest camouflage plants. His wide belt held pouches filled with magazines and various pieces of equipment that he'd surely need during the operation, and some that may come in handy if situations turn bad. "Miss Scarlet asked me to find you. She said to meet up in the meeting room."

"Alright, I'll be there soon." Natsu heard the woman turn and head back into the warmth of the yacht. He crushed his cigarette and took a breath of cold fresh air before turning and heading to the meeting room.

"There you are, brother." Zeref said quickly as the salmon-haired man entered the room. He was in the process of working on a holographic screen from his Tac-Com. "I'm setting us up a Squad-link, I'll be Field Command on channel one, we are all connected on that one. Fireteam Jackal will be on channel two, that's you and Lucy. Fireteam Fox are on channel three, that's Erza and Gray. Clear?"

"Crystal." The man replied as he synced his own Tac-Com to the network that Zeref had put together. He placed his earpieces in and strapped his microphone to his throat. "Luce, you hear me on two?"

The blonde looked over from her little collection of weapons as she affixed her holster to her right thigh. "Yeah, perfectly."

"Zeref, do you have me on one?" The man's older brother stuck up a thumb with a smile. Natsu walked over to the rest of his gear on the table and picked up his bulletproof vest. "Moon Drip is in action, I saw it while I was outside."

"Good, it means we won't have to deal with any Magic Suppression Fields." Gray said while placing his suppressed M1911 in the holster and grabbing his camouflage jacket. "That's if they even had one to begin with."

"You know the saying: Prepare for the worst, hope for the best." Erza chipped in, she was already geared up and ready to go. She stood by a window and was looking out towards the beam of light. "Chances are that they aren't very well equipped, but who knows, maybe they did a deal with Phantom too."

"That wouldn't surprise me." Natsu sighed and slid the jacket over his vest and zipped it up. Their jackets were hooded to make it easier to blend into the forest without needing to use magic. He strapped his two rifles to his back and put on some gloves. "I'm set. Is the RHIB ready?"

"Yeah, I checked it this morning." Zeref replied. He closed down the window and finished getting his kit on. He had a HK MK23 SOCOM pistol, the .45 calibre pistol came outfitted with a suppressor and Laser Aiming Module as standard. He also was carrying a suppressed KRISS Vector that had been chambered for .45 ammunition. "Once we are all set here, we can infiltrate the Island and find a suitable location for the camp. With regards to mission recording, unless in a meeting there will be no recording in base camp, in the case of a meeting then we'll be using a drone. When you leave the camp to carry out a task, recon for example, then you'll manually activate the recording function. Do not forget to turn it on or off, as much as archiving the mission is important, I'd rather not have our privacy compromised."

"I think that makes all of us." Lucy said, smiling softly while placing her rifle on her back. "Out of curiosity, you mentioned at HQ that Natsu should have a Ghillie Suit with him. Should I have one too since I'm part of his fireteam?"

"Yes." Zeref glanced up at the blonde at the end of the table before turning to the younger Dragneel. "I'm guessing you have brought extra material, just in case you needed it?"

"Always be prepared. I've had that drilled into me more than enough times." The man chuckled in response and crossed his arms. He shot his partner a quick look. "I've got enough for both of us, I'll show you how to make one on-site."

"Thank you."

"I'm all done here." Grey announced with a glance at the other agents. "Ready to go?"

Zeref quickly looked about the room, receiving nods from the other three members of their squad. "Alright, use codenames from here out while out on operation, base camp is fine unless we've got people near. I'll work something out to cause anyone who tries to investigate the camp to forget why they are there and turn back, or just not want to go there."

"Copy that, Stygian." Sal replied. He quickly patted himself down, checking his gear. "Let's move out."

"So, looks like you'll be sniper support again?" Agent Frost asked, nudging the man with his elbow as he walked alongside the salmon-haired agent. "Sitting back while Knight and I rush in?"

"Someone has to make sure you two don't get shot in the back." The man shot back with a playful grin. He lightly punched Frost's arm then draped his arm over the blonde next to him. "But it makes sense, really. Celeste and I have the best perception, with my enhanced senses and her sixth sense. We make a pretty obvious choice for Recon. We effectively can't get sneaked up upon."

"They also have the fastest movement speed out of all of us." Knight added with a glance at her team members. "Without magic, Sal can move the fastest out of everyone and can react well beyond anyone else's capabilities. And then there is Celeste's mutation, being able to pass through different dimensional levels to instantly move about a battlefield, not only would she be great at flanking but imagine the disarray if she and Sal dropped into the enemy ranks and began a close-quarters assault out of nowhere."

The group of agents descended into the bowls of the ship where their RHIB was stored. Usually, the ship had an accompanying boat that matched the yacht but it was currently sitting back at the Magnolia docks. The sealed bulkhead in the side of the ship was opened, swinging inwards and flooding the little dock for the boat as the RHIB was lowered into the water.

Once everyone was settled into the boat, they were addressed by the Captain through the ship's intercom. "Agents, we'll be anchored here until we hear from you. Radio us once your mission is over and we'll sail closer. Happy Hunting!"

"Will do." Stygian replied, giving the camera a thumbs-up before cranking the RHIB's throttle and launching out the side of the ship.

The Agents stayed low against the black boat as it raced along the waves, ensuring that none of them fell overboard. They made the crossing quick and silent, their eyes on the ever-nearing Island. Since Salamander and Celeste were at the very front of the boat, they had their automatic rifles drawn and pointed at the incoming landmass. When they drew near to Galuna Island, Stygian shut off the boat's motor and Knight propelled the boat with her psionic powers, allowing them to cruise up to the shoreline without making a sound.

The sand crunched under their hull as they rode up onto the beach. Sal and Celeste were the first off, pushing forwards to secure the perimeter. They were joined quickly by Knight and Frost, forming a half-circle around the boat on the beach.

"Knight, take the boat." Stygian ordered as he knelt down beside the hooded redhead, his PDW pointed in the direction she was keeping watch as the woman switched back and hurried to the RHIB. He brought up the interface of his Tac-Com and typed away quickly. "I'm updating your feeds with a live map from the satellite. Let's push into the forest and find a good location for the base camp."

"The deeper we get into the forest, the less likely we'll be detected."Sal rose to his feet and glanced back towards the centre of the semicircle.

"We'll talk while we move." The black-haired agent replied. Quickly pointing towards the tree line ahead of them. "Push in. Celeste, you've got point, put that ability of yours to work. Sal, you're next. Frost, Knight, bring up our rear."

"Copy That." Sand crunched under the woman's combat boots as Celeste started moving forwards. Her vision illuminated with her contacts' Enhanced Night Vision mode which allowed her to see perfectly in the dark, albeit through a sheen of green. The built-in sensors and IFF suite outlined her team in a blue highlight while placing their codenames above their head when she glanced over her shoulder at the agents trailing behind her.

"So, Celeste. Have you come up with a name for your ability?" Knight asked curiously, her eyes on the back of the woman's head.

"I was thinking of Traverse, both as a name for the ability and the place I can see around me. It's like I can see it all in my mind, all with perfect clarity, but it is all whites and greys. No colour at all."

"That sounds strangely serene." Agent Frost murmured softly. He turned and swept his rifle across the land behind them. "Sorta like a palace of ice."

"Only you would find an ice palace serene, Snowballs." Sal smirked as he shot a glance back at the raven-haired agent. "Everyone else would be freezing their balls or tits off."

"I have to agree with Sal on this one." Said the redhead, giving the hooded pinkette a nod and a lively grin. "While an ice palace would be pretty cool to see. It'd be too freezing to enjoy."

"Plus, if Sal was there, he'd turn the place into one massive hot tub." Celeste spoke up, turning to face the group with her AS VAL lowered. She was calmly stepping over every branch and pit without fault, knowing where each and every trip hazard was. "If you had joined us in that hot tub he made on the ship, you'd probably be singing a different tune."

"She's right. That makeshift hot tub felt divine." Knight added, backing up the blonde as she shot the man next to her the grin she was wearing. "You should have joined us, though if you did, you probably would have melted."

"Yeah, you're probably right about that, Knight." Celeste giggled softly. She turned back to face forward. "Stygian, how deep do we have to go?"

"Ideally, we'd need a place that has a good vantage point. So, somewhere high would be good. Needs to be near a source of fresh, clean water too." The man brought up the map in front of him, unfortunately illuminating the area around them. "If we scale the mountain, we should be in a good position. We'll have fresh water from the snowmelt, plus depending on where we make camp we should be far enough off the beaten track that people won't come looking for us. But that's a double-edged sword since we need to be careful not to draw unwanted attention."

"Give me a second." Sal said as he placed his rifle on his back and walked over to one of the nearby tall trees. He ran up a few metres up the tree's trunk before leaping to another and bounding back and forth, moving higher and higher until he breached the canopy. "Alright, I've got a good view around us. That beam of light is coming from the other side of the mountain. The mountain is snow-capped but I can hear the echo of heavy flowing water, possibly a waterfall, coming from this side of the mountain."

"The village is on the opposite side of the mountain too." Agent Stygian hummed softly as he brought up the heat map again. "Patrols are light on this side. My guess is that they are mainly to keep the civilians from interfering."

"I doubt they expected to be disturbed by any outsiders." Frost murmured as the agents, minus Sal, formed a circle around the maps. "I definitely think we should try the mountain, we'd have fresh water up there. Though it may be on the cold side." The man smirked at the two women and raised an eyebrow. "Would you two be able to live with that?"

"Hold on, I'm going to share my view…" A holographic window popped up between the agents on the ground, showing Agent Salamander's view from up at the top of the trees. He brought up his sniper rifle and looked down the scope, adjusting the variable zoom to get a better look at the mountain. "There should be a waterfall or something over in this area…" The scope came to a stop on a column of rushing water. "Ah, there it is."

"Move a little to your right and up." Stygian ordered, rubbing his chin as he leant closer to the screen. "There we go, there's a section about two-thirds of the way up the mountain that goes behind the waterfall. We can set up camp on that shelf."

"Should I head over there and scout it out?" Celeste asked as she glanced from the screen to the black-haired man and back again. "It'll take me a few jumps to cover that distance but I can get there quickly and make sure it is safe."

"Do it." He replied before closing the maps and window and looking up at the tree as the woman instantly vanished, her marker appearing further and further away every half second. "Sal, get down here. You'll be the point man for our run to the mountain, I want to get there double time."

The salmon-haired agent leapt from the top of the tree and fell down through the air. He ignited jets of fire out of the soles of his boots at the last second, rapidly slowing his descent until he touched down. The group of agents quickly hurried through the forest, moving as fast as they could while being careful not to stumble on the roots and plants.

"Looks good over here. It is nice and secluded." Celeste informed the group. "It looks like the only way to get here is a track that runs along the Cliffside. It hasn't been used in ages by the look of it, overgrown with vines and moss."

"Alright, come back and grab us. Take us over there with you. We'll get Sal to check for scents." Stygian ordered as he kept pace with his younger brother.

"I can only do one at a time right now, any more puts too much of a strain on my head right now. So who will I be taking?"

"Knight, Frost, Myself, then Sal."

"Copy that, coming back." The blonde agent replied as her marker blinked closer and closer.

"We might as well wait here." Sal said as he came to a stop and knelt down, sweeping his rifle around slowly. The agents gathered around with their weapons covering all four corners.

Celeste appeared between them and one by one she took them to the campsite. When it was only Sal left, she appeared crouched next to him. "Ready to go? There are a few jumps, it may get disorientating."

"I'll be alright." The man replied as he rose to his feet, the blonde mimicking his movement, and placing his hand on the small of her back. "Let's go." He got a smile from the hooded blonde before the forest changed in the blink of an eye then again half a second later. It kept changing until he found himself facing a waterfall, from the inside. "Nice place."

"Sal." The man's older brother tapped him on the shoulder, causing the pinkette to glance over. "I need you to scout around, see if there are any recent trails. Take Celeste with you if you want."

"Nah." Sal turned to the blonde again and smiled. "You deserve some relaxation time, you did just drag all of our asses over here. Go and find a corner for yourself and set up a tent."

"Alright." Celeste replied, returning his smile and heading into the cavern. It wasn't very tall, only giving them two metres of clearance. At least they didn't have to duck and be hunched over the entire time they were in there. And it was more than wide enough to fit all their tents as well as an area to gather and eat.

"Hey." Stygian clicked his fingers in front of the pinkette's eyes, grinning at his little brother as he took his attention off of the blonde. "I know blondes are hot, but we've got to focus, at least until we can ensure our safety here."

"Heh, sorry." Sal chuckled softly and shook his head. He turned to gaze along the narrow rock shelf that led to the space behind the waterfall. "This place has no lingering scents, so it's most likely forgotten about. But I'll go for a walk to make sure it's all clear."

"Good. You can stop recording now if you want, the rest of us have." The black-haired man turned to head back to the rest of the agents but stopped at the first step. "Hey, would you like me to set up your tent while you are out?"

"Yeah, thanks." The man replied, smiling at his older brother as he brought a bag out from his pocket dimension. He handed it over to the man before starting off along the shelf. He kept his hood up and sent his rifles away, clearing his back so nothing would catch on the rocks. Sal tapped on his Tac-Com while he walked, shutting down everything bar his communication system. He took his contacts out and sighed softly, blinking quickly to soothe his eyes which had become slightly sore due to lengthy exposure to the contacts. He placed the contacts into their case and sent it and his jacket away, leaving him in his black tee shirt and black composite armoured vest.

The trail seemed clear enough but he ventured further down the mountain just to be sure. Sal hummed a soft tune as his eyes roamed the narrow path and the ground below him, searching for signs of recent activity but only finding that of wild animals, the scents backing it up. There was no human or human-like scent on the trail, no man-made odours like deodorant, perfume, or cologne, and no human refuse like bottles, cans, or plastics. The path wound around rocks and boulders, snaking its way down into the forest. No matter how far he went, he couldn't pick anything up. "Seems all clear, nothing but animals."

"Alright, come on back." Stygian replied. "We are basically all set up over here. Everyone is basically doing their own thing."

"Let me guess, the Snowman is making some ice sculptures?"

"Even better, he made an Igloo."

"Fuck both of you." Agent Frost muttered in mock anger, causing the two brothers to burst out laughing.

"I'm heading back now." Sal turned and looked up the cliff face, he had travelled a fair way down the mountain. It'd take him at least half an hour to get back up there. "On second through. Celeste, if you're on net can you come and grab me?"

"She jumped off a moment ago, she's over talking to one of her spirits." Stygian informed his little brother, there was a short pause before he continued. "I can ask her to go get you?"

"Yeah, I'll wait here. Going to go offline, but she'll have no issues finding me." The pinkette said as he took a seat on a nearby rock at the base of the waterfall. He took out his earpieces and turned his mic off with a tap on his Tac-Com, sending them to his requip space. He let out a soft sigh and ran a hand through his hair, bringing it back up into spikes as he enjoyed the tranquillity of the waterfall. A few moments passed before he senses a presence appear behind him and a pair of arms snaked around his neck. He instantly fell into a combat mentality and grabbed one of the arms, yanking the owner around his body and throwing them to the grass at his feet like a sack of potatoes, his right hand pinning them down at the neck.

"N-Natsu…" The blonde gasped as her hands wrapped around his wrist, trying to ease the harsh pressure on her throat. "It's me!"

"Sorry Lucy." Natsu replied quietly as he removed his grip. He frowned at the woman, almost glaring at her. "Don't do that again, wrapping your arms around me like that. Not on a mission. Make yourself known to me or you'll find yourself injured very quickly."

"I'm sorry Natsu." Lucy started to get up off the ground but was quickly pulled to her feet by the man. She rubbed her neck softly and gazed up at him meekly. "I'll say something or do something to let you know I'm here."

The salmon-haired agent placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, his annoyed look falling away to a small smile. "It's fine. You just didn't give me enough time to pick up on your scent, as far as I was aware, someone snuck up on me while I was distracted. How's your neck?" He carefully moved her hand from her neck and saw a faint red mark appearing. The man felt a little guilty, but his actions were more than justified, he registered someone going to choke him out and reacted accordingly. "It's not that bad, it'll go away in a few minutes."

"I think it was more of a shock than anything else. You had me pinned with enough pressure to hold me there, but not enough to crush anything." Lucy rested her hand on her racing heart, trying to calm it down. She should have realised how he would have reacted, the man was one of the best hand-to-hand combatants at Fairy Tail. No other agents could really match him if he was gunning to kill. Thankfully for her, he probably wanted to verify who was assaulting him before he took action. "Umm… If you had someone other than one of us in your grip just then, what would you have done?"

"I'd have made sure they wouldn't be able to fight, dead or not, then quickly check my surroundings for any more hostiles lying in wait." Natsu's eyes dropped to the hand on her chest, his ears tracking her heartrate. While his eyes were there, he noticed that she had removed her vest and had a dark red singlet paired with her forest cam pants. "No bra again?"

"Natsu, bras make my tits hurt…" The woman replied flatly before registering the change in atmosphere, the tension had completely gone away and she felt relaxed once more. "Having big tits makes it hard to find bras that fit perfectly. But, I wouldn't trade them for smaller ones, I love them how they are."

"Yeah, well, the cold is showing through your top." The man said with a cheeky grin, he playfully prodded one of her perky peaks. "You could cut diamond with those."

"Well, it is the middle of the night, in the middle of the sea, at the base of a snow-capped mountain." Lucy crossed her arms under her bust with a cute pout pointed up at the taller agent. "Did you expect me to not show it? If it wasn't for the fact that you always run on the hot side, I'd call you out for shrinkage."

"You know what?" Natsu grinned wider as his eyes drifted up the waterfall. "You should go ask Gray if he constantly suffers from shrinkage. That'll definitely get a good reaction out of him."

The blonde's pout quickly spread into a sly smirk as she turned her head to look up at their camp. "I may just do that." She grabbed the man's arm and took him back up to the camp. "We're back."

"Ah good." Zeref walked up to his younger brother, smiling his usual kind smile. "I set you up next to Lucy. Oh, and we decided while you were checking the surroundings that while at base camp, we'll treat it like a Safe House instead of the Mission Area. So we can just act natural around each other while we're up here." The black-haired man glanced back at the semi-circular campsite. "Things are almost all set here, I just need you to use the Thorn curse to put up some walls between the camp and the waterfall."

"Where about do you want it?" Natsu asked as Lucy passed by and walked over to her tent, drawing the man's gaze to her unknowingly. His attention snapped back to his brother when fingers were clicked in front of him. "Sorry, like you said, blondes are hot… and distracting."

"I'm sure she's even more eye-catching when she has even less clothes on." The older Dragneel chuckled softly and shook his head. "What'll Igneel think when he hears about this?"

"Dad? Probably tell me to go buck wild." The pinkette chuckled and walked to the mouth of the cave with the older man.

"Probably." Zeref started to chuckle and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Anyway, just wall off this area completely with about a metre thick of dense vines, and have an archway in the middle for us to get through."

"And create a chokepoint for anyone trying to assault our camp." Natsu nodded thoughtfully as he scratched his stubble covered jaw. "Just leave it with me, I'll get it all sorted." The man was answered with a clap on the back as his brother headed towards his tent. A second set of footsteps approached him in the dark cave.

"Natsu." Came the mature and even voice of the redheaded agent, Erza, as she came to a stop beside him. "What are you doing over here?"

"Putting up a barricade and thinking about making some amenities." The man replied, glancing into the dark where he could sense the woman. He was thankful that his vision could adjust rapidly and that he had fairly good night vision. Though he felt a little sorry for his brother, Erza, and Gray, who had no real way beyond their contacts' Night Vision mode to find their way around. "Lucy's spirit Virgo should be able to help mould the stone around us into the shape we need."

Erza watched as five-inch thick vines grew out of the cave and intertwined around each other, spanning the cave wall to wall and forming an arch in the middle that was just wide enough for two of them to pass through shoulder to shoulder. "I'll go get some lamps set up. Now that we have something to block light leakage." But before she could make good on her statement, little plants started to sprout of the walls, their flowers opening and starting to glow a pleasant faint golden glow which lit up the cave with a soft glow. The two agents looked back towards the camp where they were met with a smiling Zeref who gave them a quick wave, letting them know it was safe. "Well, there goes that idea…" The woman shut off her contacts and removed them now that she had no need for them.

"Yeah, sometimes I forget that people don't realise that his Living magic could be used for purposes other than the creation of the Etherious." Natsu chuckled softly while glancing over at the unusually awestruck redhead. "So, back to the subject at hand. Amenities. I'm thinking of funnelling some of the water from the waterfall down into here and into a pool, which will have a small drain in it to constantly cycle the water, ensuring that it remains flowing and doesn't become stagnant and go bad."

Erza shook her head, clearing her mind and focusing on the man next to her. She stepped around to in front of him and glanced at the side walls. "I think on the left corner, where the vines meet the wall, we should make a little room for that bath you are talking about, and on the right corner should be a lavatory using the same principles you mentioned."

"Sounds good to me." The man smiled, his gaze dropped to the woman's unzipped jacket where he noticed that she had moved her vest and shirt, the soft light making her flawless skin glow beautifully. "Huh, you look really nice in this light."

"Thanks, Natsu." Erza smiled happily at the man's compliment. "Though, I could use a bath… worked up a sweat getting here."

"Is that why you're airing the girls out?" Natsu chuckled and flashed the woman a smirk as he pointed to her chest.

"Yeah." She replied honestly, shrugging her shoulders which caused the jacket to flutter. The corners of Erza's mouth tweaked up slyly as her eye twinkled mischievously. "Enjoying the view, are you?"

"Well I'm not about to deny the obvious." Natsu laughed softly, he shook his head and held out a hand to the front left corner, creating a room out of vines, it grew a small hallway that looped around the corner, offering some privacy to those inside as it cut off direct line of sight of the bathing area. He made an identical room on the other side for the lavatory. "Once we get Virgo to do her thing, I'll work on getting some water flowing and work on a heating solution for the bath."

"I'll go grab Lucy and have her get to work. Then I can wash this sweat off me." Erza murmured as she stepped past the man. "Being out here makes me realise how lucky we are with our Safe Houses."

"It's the little creature comforts, right?" Natsu smiled and let her go. He walked into the bathing room he had made and glanced around. It could use some more light, and as if Zeref was reading his mind, a flower bloomed from the rocks above him and showered him with light. "I didn't even have to ask."

Lucy popped into existence in front of the man, smiling brightly as she gazed up at him. "I heard that you needed help?"

"Yeah, I'm setting up a bath and I need Virgo's Earth magic to assist me."

The blonde stood beside the man as the requested spirit's key was summoned to her hand. A moment later, the pink-haired maid spirit appeared before the two agents.

"Hello again, Princess. Hello, Natsu. Is there something I can help you with?" Virgo bowed to the two agents and glanced around at the room made from vines, her blue eyes lighting up at the delectable possibilities that they could be used for.

"We're working on creating a bathtub in this room and a lavatory in the room on the opposite corner. I know your specialty is Earth magic, mainly moving through it, but is there any way you can manipulate the earth to your will, like creating objects?" Natsu explained, pointing to the empty space in the room. "I plan on routing water from the waterfall outside here with my vines and bringing it into your creations, where it will pass through and drain out through a hole, constantly cycling fresh water into both."

"Hmm." The spirit's chains clinked as she brought a hand up to her chin, rubbing it softly as she pondered the question. "I believe it is possible, I'm not usually tasked to do something like this so I'm not thoroughly sure. However, allow me to do the plumbing, I can assume a smaller form and tunnel through the wall to create waterways and collect water from above and bring it down here then send it down and back out the waterfall."

"Alright, we'll give you some room to work, Virgo." Lucy smiled brightly at her spirited. She grabbed Natsu by the upper arm and started to drag him out of the room. "Come let us know once it is done."

"Of course, Princess." The petite maid bowed to the blonde once again.

The two agents joined the rest of the team around a collapsible table, a holographic map of the island being projected on top of it. They took the two remaining seats, being greeted by the others upon their arrival.

"How're the amenities coming along, Natsu?" Zeref asked over the cup of tea he was drinking, eyeing his brother curiously while Erza passed a cup of tea to the duo.

"We've set Virgo to work, she'll report to Lucy once it is done." The man replied, nodding a quick thanks to the redhead as he settled in with the drink. "Thanks for the light, by the way."

"I figured that it'd be a bit dark in there since you made the room after I grew the flowers." The older Dragneel chuckled and smiled. "We're lucky that a place like this was here."

"I wonder how you noticed this place, I didn't even spot it right away and I was the one looking through the scope."

"I surveyed the area with a small drone from the ship earlier today. I was looking for possible locations on the other side of this mountain, I only just caught a glimpse of the trail along the cliff's wall near the waterfall before I got a Range Limit warning." The man explained with a small and well-hidden smirk. "That's how I knew roughly where it was."

Natsu heard faint clinking of chains from behind him, causing him to glance back and see Virgo crossing the cavern to the other side and disappear into the other room. A long yawn escaped the man as he turned back to the group, his chest flashing briefly as his armour vanished. "Seems like she isn't having any issues."

"She's working pretty quickly, as always." The black-haired Dragneel smiled at the spirit fondly.

"You've met Virgo before, Zeref?" Lucy asked curiously, leaning forwards with surprise scrawled across her face.

"Yes, I am an old bastard after all." Zeref chuckled and smiled at the woman. "And this isn't the first time I've worked with a Heartfilia either. I wonder if Virgo remembers me."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Natsu chimed in. He polished off the tea and placed the cup down on the table. "Anyway, plans for tomorrow?"

Zeref rose from his chair and zoomed in the map. "You and Lucy will be conducting recon near the Temple Ruins, I'll mark out their patrol paths in the morning for you to place Spyder Nests on. Do your best to not be detected." He turned his attention to the remaining two agents. "Erza, Gray, I want you two to head to the village and check the situation there. Do not enter the village and do not make contact, we can't afford to give away our presence on the Island. I'll remain here and manage both fireteams."

"Understood." Erza gave the man a brief nod and a serious look. "We'll maintain distance. What should we do if we come across one of the High-Value Targets?"

"That's a little tougher of a question… Put a Spyder on them so we can track their whereabouts. We'll collect them during the assault, even it means being a little rough with them."

"If we find ourselves in a conflict." Natsu leant forwards, resting his elbows on the table while interlocking his fingers, staring his brother in the eyes. "One that it would cause too much trouble for the mission if we try and make a break for it. Should we eliminate the hostiles?"

"If conflict is unavoidable, then you have clearance to terminate any and all hostiles involved in the conflict to prevent word from reaching whatever sort of leadership they have. Prioritise anyone looking like they are about use their radio to inform their higher-ups of the incident." Zeref's kind face dropped into a deadly serious visage, one reminiscent of his former self. "Dispose of the bodies immediately, I don't care how. Feed them to the local wildlife for all I care. Leave no evidence that you were there."

"Understood." Natsu's expression darkened to match his older brother's, the atmosphere in the quaint camp iced over, and not from the ice wielding agent. "If it comes to that, then we'll be sure to make it as quiet as possible."

Lucy had only really seen this side of the salmon-haired agent once before in person, back on the Cruise Ship when he had to protect her. She had a brief glimpse of it earlier too but she hadn't registered just what she saw. This man, while usually kind, tender, and loving, was an Agent to his very core, a professional waiting for someone to pull the trigger and set him loose on his targets, and he'd use whatever means he decided were necessary to complete the mission, even if it meant mercilessly annihilating his enemies. Something that he could achieve quickly and effortlessly no matter the circumstances. It was a real eye-opener for the blonde, while they had grown close over the time she had been training under him, she realised that she only ever saw half of him, the semi-strict yet playful and caring mentor, or his casual, relaxed and loving side that was him outside of work. She hadn't fully experienced his professional side, nor his 'shit hit the fan' side. At least, she had never experienced it in person… She had watched archived footage of his various missions prior to her joining Fairy Tail.

In the instant that the thought had crossed the woman's mind, Natsu had returned to his usual relaxed self. The man rose from the chair with a smile and glanced towards the bathroom. "I better sort out the heating for that bath." He was waved off by his older brother, the impromptu meeting having finished. Natsu walked over to the vine-walled room and was surprised with what he found. Virgo had managed to craft a large and ornate bath from the stone, engraved with celestial beings and constellations on the outside and smoother than polished glass on the inside. Water flowed out of a hole in the wall, forming a leaping stream down into the centre of the bath which perfectly kept its water level due to draining and filling at exactly the same rate. "Huh, that woman has got some skills." The man leant down and dipped his arm into the frigid water. While not much an issue for him, Natsu knew that the girls and Zeref wouldn't even attempt to set foot in the tub in its current state. So he started to draw a set of runic writing on the smooth stone surface, then a few more to allow for even heating of the water and ensure that it won't get too cold thanks to the constant influx of freshwater.

"How's things going?" Came Erza's voice from behind the bent-over man. "Is the bath all sorted?"

"Just in time Erza." Natsu chuckled heartily as he glanced over his shoulder. "I'm drawing the last set of runes on it."

"I wasn't aware that you knew how to draw those?" The woman blinked in surprise as she sat down on the edge of the bath and dipped her hand in, she immediately pulled it out as she shivered slightly. "Still cold."

"It's one of the things Igneel taught me after he stopped hiding within my body and building those antibodies. He didn't bother to start with since I was purely being trained to fight dragons, but when we appeared in the present world, the situation changed. Magic was really strong, but the world had a different stance to it than was predicted. Technology and magic advanced side by side, competing with each other. And then when magic was used to great effect against standard forces during the wars… Well, you know how that story goes, Erza." Natsu sighed softly and finished up the line of runes. "We had to work out ways of subtly using magic, sometimes goes as far as modifying the spells we already had worked on to make them smaller and less noticeable. But when you compress the large amount of magic these spells require into a smaller form, they become even more destructive, like pocket nukes. As far as I heard, it's the same for the other Dragon Slayers too."

"Well, it's a good thing that even with all of the Media's attempts to demonise mages and magic, that it didn't catch wind. I'm pretty sure the Queen sorted that mess out very quickly, but to placate the matter she had to create the Anti-Magic Taskforce." Erza shook her head softly and tested the water once more, it was warm enough to be comfortable but she always liked it on the hot side, something that she knew that Natsu was perfectly aware of. The woman stood up and shed her clothing, revealing her slender, voluptuous body, and carefully sliding into the water. She let out a soft and arguably cute moan as the heated water soothed her body. "Ah, that's perfect, Natsu. Thank you."

"Happy to serve." The man chuckled as he sat on the edge of the stone bath. "Have you got soaps and stuff?"

"Yes." Erza replied with a smile at the man before dunking her head underwater to wet it, surfacing moments later looking completely relaxed and content as the water became at hot as a hot tub and rose no further. The perfect temperature in her opinion. Erza glanced up as a loofa appeared in her hand along with some strawberry-scented soap. "Could you do my back for me, please?"

"Sure." Natsu grabbed the items and got to work, carefully. "So, what's your take on the mission?"

"Honestly, I think we need to do something to assist the locals." The woman said quietly, knowing that Natsu would be the only person who could hear her right now. "We need to shatter the film above us to stop any memory issues. I have some artefacts in my personal collection that should help with the matter. But I don't like that they are being kidnapped…" Erza brought a hand up and covered her right eye. "And probably tortured before being 'sacrificed'."

"You know, I'm sure my brother tasked you with checking on the village for a reason." Natsu murmured into the woman's ear as his hand moved lower and lower down her back, getting a cute "Eek" from the woman when he reached a ticklish spot just above the woman's ass. His arm was promptly swatted at by the embarrassed redhead which caused him to chuckle. "I'm guessing he won't mind if you intervene, as long as you aren't seen, or at the very least, you don't let them report back."

"If I catch them in the act then I may just do that…"

"Just be careful, Erza." The man said softly as he handed the loofa back to the woman and stood up. "The actions you take against them may cause repercussions on the village." Natsu lightly squeezed the woman's shoulder and left the room, and headed to his tent. He was ready to turn in for the night, they'd probably be up bright and early and he didn't want to be tired in the morning.

Lucy yawned softly as she came out of her tent, wearing a long tee-shirt that looked suspiciously similar to one that Natsu had at home, in fact he could smell his own scent coming from the woman's shirt. The blonde spotted the man and smiled up at him. "Oh, hi Natsu. Heading to bed?"

"Yeah." Natsu's eyes dropped down to the shirt as he furled his brow. "Did you pinch one of my shirts?"

The busty blonde giggled and batted the man's chest playfully. "You already know the answer to that. Do you mind if we share a tent? I sleep better surrounded by your warmth."

"Sure, come in." The man chuckled and held the tent flap open. "Ladies first."

Lucy ducked in, followed closely by Natsu who closed the tent up and ditched the last of his gear. The woman laid down on her stomach and gazed back at the man with a sly smile, raising her ass up and wiggling it enticingly. She earned a weary sigh from the man, but the twinkle in his eye alluded to something more primal.

FTA Base Camp, Galuna Island, 6:00 AM

The team of agents were stood around the table, dressed in full gear and ready for action. "You all know your tasks." Stygian shot a quick glance around. "Chances are they have finished the ritual for the night so we should catch them in a lull. Jackal, get those Nests down ASAP, the more we tag the better."

Celeste and Sal nodded quickly, the woman reaching out and grabbing the salmon-haired man's arm. "We'll head out now if there isn't any more?"

"No, you're free to go. I'll have all of your feeds up and running here so I can monitor progress. Happy hunting." The senior agent replied as he tapped the table, bringing up for windows around him.

Fireteam Jackal vanished from the camp, reappearing in the middle of the forest. Celeste calmly looked up at the man next to her, lowering her voice to a whisper. "We're a few klicks away from the Temple."

"You've got your comms set up correctly?"

The blonde brought her hand up and pointed to her right ear. "Ours. Set to main." She switched to her left side. "Field Command. Set to Auxiliary." Finally, she brought her hand down to her throat, pointing to the mic. "Hold to use Auxiliary."

Sal gave the woman a thumbs up then took his Honey Badger off his back. "Keep to our comms instead of speaking out loud. Makes it harder to detect us."

The corners of Celeste's mouth curled into a smile as she readied her AS VAL. Her eyes flicked to the map that sat in the corner of her vision. "We aren't far from the first patrol route, did you want to head up into the trees and move from branch to branch?"

"Sure. But I want you to avoid using Traverse, at least while we move about the AO. If we enter combat then I'll leave how you use it to your discretion." The pinkette glanced up at the trees above him and shifted his grip on his rifle, holding it single-handed as he bolted up the tree. "Keep in my tracks, I'll strengthen the branches with a curse so it doesn't fall out from under us."

"I'll hang back a few then." The woman replied, following him up quickly. True to her word, she stayed at least two branches behind the man as they moved from one tree to another. Keeping the pressure she exerted light as she kicked off each branch, using just enough force to move to the next one.

The two agents quickly covered ground, approaching the first patrol route. Neither of them could sense any hostiles in the vicinity, nor any that passed by recently. Even when they came to a stop above the well-beaten path, Sal couldn't pick up any fresh scents. A patrol must be due to come through. The pinkette glanced across to the tree behind him as he reached into a pouch. "Drop one Nest each. That should cover the various patrols for a while."

Celeste took a lumpy ball from one of her pouches, bringing it to her eyes curiously. The dark coloured ball was actually a cluster of small Spyders, all clinging together in a dormant state. She felt sorry for any arachnophobe who had to use these. Meeting her partner's eyes with a nod, she released the ball and watched it fall into a pile of leaves.

Sal brought his free hand up to his neck. "Stygian, first route has been bugged. Proceeding to the next location." The man nodded to the blonde agent and took off once more through the trees. The sun slowly started to rise as the duo moved from one site to another, placing Nests as they went.

"Sal, I'm seeing people in the distance. Coming along this trail." Celeste informed her partner, pointing up the track towards the Temple. "Three of them."

"Drop the Nest and wait for them to pass." The salmon-haired agent instructed while reaching into his pouch. They both dropped the clusters of Spyders into the long grass below and waited in silence.

"Did ya' hear? Cozzy and his group snagged some more of those damned demons in the forest." Spat one of the trio, his gruff voice cutting through the now silent forest. "Three women from what I heard."

"Yea' I 'eard." Barked a second, the raspy voice grated on Sal's ears. "Some of 'em are damn fine too."

"Are all cultists this uneducated?" Celeste muttered, shooting a flat glance across to Sal.

"Depends on the cult. And the leader's charisma." The man grunted as he placed his rifle on his back and drew his twin M10s'. "Trying to gain control of an Etherious would take someone pretty fucking stupid. One as dangerous as Deliora takes a special kind of stupid."

"And they're pushovers too, the lot o' 'em!" Cackled the final of the trio. "Can feckin' do whateva the feck yer want wit' 'em!"

"Degenerates…" The woman grit her teeth while tightening her grip on her rifle.

"As much as I hate to say it… Let them pass. We'll deal with them later. Hopefully, the ones they kidnapped aren't completely dead inside from whatever these fuckers have been doing to them."

Celeste was about to throw a retort back at him when she glanced up from the patrol. Sal's eyes were glowing a dangerous red, and he was bearing his fangs like a fierce animal stalking his prey, ready to strike.

Sensing her gaze, Sal levelled his eyes with the woman. "Trust me, I want to tear their throats out. But we've got a job to do, and these cunts will allow us to locate their prisoners."

"Speaking of which, I think I might go to the meat locker to get me rocks off after the patrol."

"Seriously? The sun has barely even risen!"

"Fucking oath I'm serious, they drag me outta bed for this shit? I'm going to compensate meself."

"Well, get yerself one of 'em fresh ones. They still got a bit o' fight left in them. Make it worth yer while."

Sal grumbled under his breath, gnashing his teeth while tapping the trigger-housing of his right pistol. "How many more sites do we have?"

"About a dozen. Why?"

"Stay cool, little brother." Stygian's calm voice eased into their right ear, coming through their fireteam channel. "I know you are angry, and you have good reason. Our Spyders are picking up their conversation… But, just stay calm."

The man snorted as a small smirk tugged at his lips. He knew that while his older brother sounded calm and in control, under that mask was the same anger that was written on Sal's face. He holstered his M10s' and sighed quietly. "I know. I need to let them pass anyway, they'll provide us with vital Intel on the whereabouts of those prisoners. Can't let my anger control me."

"Good. Put it this way… At least you won't have to listen to those poor souls suffer."

Sal looked over to Celeste and gave her a small smile as his eyes shifted back to dark green. He jerked his head to the side, telling her that they are moving on. "Let's get the rest sorted…"

The trees rustled, interrupting the cultists' rather abhorrent conversation and drawing attention. After a few moments of silence, they looked at each other and muttered about the Island's damned wildlife before continuing on their patrol.

Both agents sailed through a sea of green, racing to their next targets. Not lingering more than a few seconds at each location. At their final location, the two agents sat upon a branch each, smiling at a job well done.

"So, how did I do?" Celeste asked, watching her senior agent with curious chocolate eyes.

"I never really had any issues with how you conducted yourself." The man replied as he fished two muesli bars from a pouch behind him. "It's actual combat where I want to evaluate you. But if you want feedback, I think you did very well. You followed my orders and kept an eye on my movements, kept pace too." He tossed Celeste a bar and opened the other. "A little energy kick to keep us going."

"Thanks." Celeste gazed down at the track below them, watching in outward silence as a patrol passed under them. "What should we do now?"

"I want to check out this Temple, get some eyes on it." Sal explained while gnawing at the bar, thankfully however, his voice was coming through clearly. "And most likely get you to plant some Nests from a distance."

"So we can tag more of them, right?"

"Exactly, plus it's good to get an idea of the enemy presence." The man brought his finger up to his throat, toggling his mic. "Jackal to Fox: How's things going over there?"

"Slow. Knight and I are sat on a hill overlooking the village. Seems like business as usual here." Agent Frost responded through his left ear, sounding more than happy to break the monotony. "What about you two?"

"We are having a short break. Finished deploying the Nests on the patrol routes." Sal placed the empty wrapped back in his pouch and rose to his feet. "We're thinking of getting close to the Temple and get eyes on it. See what we can discover."

"Good idea, Sal." Stygian chimed in. "However, do not engage the Cultists. So far we have done well to hide our presence from them, and the Spyders are doing their job perfectly. We've been able to map out some of the Temple Ruins thanks to the returning patrols."

The salmon-haired agent jerked his head to the side, informing the blonde that they'll be moving out. "Good, hopefully we can expedite that process by laying some Nests around the entrances."

"I'm right behind you." Celeste replied through their channel, keeping a minimum of two branches behind the man as they took off through the trees once more.

The two agents raced through the forest, pushing up the hill that overlooked the temple. As they moved, Sal took the FD338 off of his back and flipped up the caps on his scope. He debated on whether it was worth stopping so they could make Ghillie suits. Deciding that it was at least important enough to cover his rifle, especially the scope to reduce the glinting from the sun, he requipped a pre-made camo netting over the top of it and placed a honeycomb filter on the end of the scope. "Grab a set of Binos. I need your help spotting people."

"Alright." A dull flash appeared at the woman's belt, a pair of binoculars appearing at her back left.

The duo came to rest in a tree overlooking the temple, sitting on a pair of thick low-hanging branches. Both got into comfortable positions with Sal bringing up his rifle and Celeste taking out her binoculars.

"Let's see what we've got here…" The man murmured under his breath. He glanced down his scope and skimmed along the visible sides of the temple. "Start putting about three or four Nests down by the entrances, if you can reach them."

"I can."Celeste confirmed. She slowly crossed over to the branch that her partner was sat on and fished her hand into the pouch that held his Spyder Nests. "Going to use yours first. That place is like a maze…"

"You can see inside?" Sal's eyes darted to the woman then back to his rifle sight. "I shouldn't really be surprised."

"Yeah. Like I said, it's a maze in there. I can see the main target though. It's placed down in a cavern, below that opening at the top of the Temple." She started sending the clusters of Spyders down to the Temple as she brought up her binoculars. "Those cultists seem a bit well-equipped…"

"I know…" The salmon-haired agent was deeply concerned, these cultists had automatic rifles and had plate carriers strapped to their chests. "Inside the ruins, are there any dome-shaped devices? An emitter of some kind?"

Celeste hummed quietly, focusing on her sixth sense and actively searching for the devices. "I see three… no four of those domes. What are they?"

"MSFs." Sal brought his hand to his throat. "Stygian, these cultists have been supplied by someone. Celeste has detected four possible MSF devices."

"Damn it. Are you sure about it?"

"I'll need to see them in person to confirm."

"Shit… Alright, I need you two to get in there and check them. If they are indeed MSF generators then I need you to prime them for detonation."

"Afirm." The man took his hand away from his throat and turned to the woman next to him. "Are there any emitters that don't have people near them?"

"Each one seems to have one operator with them, my guess is that they run on shifts." Celeste replied. She shot a glance at the male agent and gave him a warm smile. "Should we dive in?"

"Hopefully they don't have any cameras set up…" Sal rose to his feet while placing his rifle on his back and drawing his right M10s. "Take us in."

"Alright." The blonde agent grabbed the man's left arm and focused on the nearest MSF generator, and in the blink of an eye, they appeared within the compound, stood behind the device's operator.

The pinkette crossed the room as silent as a mouse, a small grin spreading across his face as he leant in. "Sleep." He hissed into the man's ear, instantly putting the cultist out cold as the agent guided him into the nearest chair. "Cover the door, let me know if anyone is coming." Sal glanced back at the hooded blonde. "Do not engage, just warn me and let them enter, I'll put them to sleep."

The woman gave him a quick nod and pressed herself up against the wall beside the door, training her rifle at the back of it while the man walked over to the device she had discovered, bringing his hand to his throat.

"Got a positive confirmation on at least one MSF, chances are there are four in play."

"Yeah, I see your feed. Definitely an MSF. Looks like a smaller one though, designed for small scale operations like at this temple. Set it up for remote detonation, leave no trace."

Sal moved his free hand up under the generator's dome-shaped emitter, carefully sliding it through the narrow gap until he was elbow deep. The man shot a quick look back at his partner as he pressed his hand to the top of the dome, spreading a fine yellow spider web of light across the surface. "How's it looking?"

"No one yet. How much longer?"

"First one is almost set." Sal replied, covering the underside of the dome with a very fine and very explosive net. Moments after his had finished, the yellow glow faded from the lines until they were like almost completely translucent stickers. "Done."

"Good, because someone is coming this way. I can't tell their motives but if we're going to move, now is the time." Said Celeste with a quick glance at the pinkette who was approaching her. She spun around and grabbed his hand, quickly using Traverse as the door swung open.

"God Damn It, Mizuko!" Complained the redheaded man who entered the room, loudly. He quickly crossed over to the sleeping man and whacked him across the head which instantly woke him up. "You're supposed to be keeping your damned eyes on the machine!"

"That was a close one." Sal shook his head slowly, walking to the attendant at the next machine and putting them to sleep but this time only for five minutes. "We can't risk them discovering a pattern. It could give us away."

The hooded blonde took her spot beside the door once more, expanding her Traverse's radar and scanning the Temple, focusing on what's closest to them. "I think we hit them right on shift change." She glanced over at the man who was currently elbow-deep in the MSF device. "There is one walking away from this room."

"Lucky us." He muttered through the comms. "Well, since we have some time I think I'll take a closer look at this one." Sal took his arm out of the dish as the yellow glow faded away. He took a knee in front of it and opened up the front panel. "Let's see what we have here…" As he looked about the device, he found a little stamped bit of sheet metal near the base that had an emblem pressed into it, a spiked eye with a swirling tail. "Ah fuck." The man quickly brought his left hand to his neck. "Stygian, it's the fucking Phantoms again! They've supplied these fuckers too, just like they did with Eisenwald."

"Makes sense. If Deliora got free, the odds of that contract going to Jose's company are some that even the most cautious punter would bet their life savings. Definitely sounds like something they'd try and expedite."

"Can you get in contact with Captain Black Steel?" Sal quickly asked as he closed the device up and hurried to his partner. "Either that or Lieutenant Storm. They might be able to tell us more."

"I'll do that once we are all back at camp. Continue with the objective."

"Afirm. Proceeding to next emitter." The salmon-haired agent holstered the M10s that he had readied in his right hand and grabbed Celeste's arm lightly. "They'd likely be running things on diesel generators or something like that, should we deal with those too?"

"If you can do it without arousing attention, either while you are there or afterwards, then do it."

"Afirm. Will set them up after the current objective." The man took his hand away from his neck and gave his partner a quick nod. He appeared in the third room, finding two operators chatting at a desk over some coffee.

"Sorry, this was the less busy of the two." The blonde shot an apologetic look at the man and raised her rifle.

"No, it's fine. This isn't an issue, it was bound to happen." Sal carefully pushed the muzzle of her AS VAL to the floor and walked over to the two guys. "Sorry guys, but nap time's here. Lights out." His hands shot out and grasped the cups as the two men slumped back in their chairs. Sal placed the coffee mugs on the desk and turned back to the woman with a grin. "Tell ya what, it's good to have full control of my powers. Makes things so much easier."

"If they are so useful… Why were they sealed in the first place?" Celeste curiously pried. She knew they were sealed because they were considered dangerous, but why not trust Natsu with his own natural powers…?

"I wasn't always extremely level-headed and professional on a job… Even if I have my moments of frustration." He explained slowly as he stuck his arm up under the dome for the third time that day. "I used to be fairly ornery, partly in thanks to being raised by a dragon. I was brash during missions, it led to my capture and Li… Soul's trauma, you've seen the recordings, saw what she went through from both of our perspectives, what it turned me into. After that mission I became very angry, ready to go off like a bomb on a short fuse…" Sal glanced at the woman as the yellow glow started to seep out from under the dome. "It wasn't until about a year and some change after that event that I fucked up, spectacularly…"

"What happened?"

"I… killed a lot of people, innocents. I was hunting a group of international terrorists in Seven, thirty five of them in total. They caught on that someone had been tracking them from an attack they had just committed here in Fiore, following them across the border. I had used Infernus, my own curse and an extremely fucking devastating one at that. They had stormed a mall and were killing everyone they could get their hands on. I lost it, turned that place into a scene from a blockbusting biblical movie. People were screaming, shouting, trying to escape the all-consuming fire… There were… no survivors…" Agent Salamander took his arm out from the dome and sat down on the floor, looking down at his hands with faraway eyes "I still hear them, all those people who died that day, it torments me to this day." His gaze slowly raised to the woman as his hands fell limply over his knees. He looked broken for the first time ever since the woman had met him. "Most of my power was sealed after that, and I was taken off active duty until I could get my act together. "Grow the Fuck Up and act like a Fucking Adult" I believe Makarov's words were, it was the first time I had heard him swear, and trust me, it was fucking scary."

"Is that why you rarely use any magic or anything?" Celeste asked quietly, giving the man a small but kind smile. She guessed this was probably why he never really talked about his past all that much to her, it was full of pain and sorrow.

"Yeah. During the time I was off duty, I was training hard. Pushing myself to become the best I could be without having to rely on magic or curses. Sharpening my skills and forming myself into the perfect weapon of precision, I won't make the same fuck-up that I did back then." He closed his eyes as the sight of a pest control van hooked to a ventilation system flashed to the front of his mind. He swore under his breath and shook his head clear of all the negative thoughts, refocusing on the mission at hand. "These two will be waking soon, we better move to the next one. How's it look?"

'Don't rely on your powers, trust in your skills and hone them.' This was something the man had told her numerous times during her training, now she realised why. The blonde tilted her head slight as she shifted her focus. "The group has dispersed, just one in there now. The generator room is fairly empty too, but it's towards the top of the Temple with holes knocked out of the exterior wall for ventilation. I see another on the other side of that floor… they aren't running."

"Back-ups, we'll need to prime those too." Sal slowly got to his feet and grabbed the woman's arm. They immediately appeared in the final MSF room and he got to work without missing a beat. "That should be everything here. Arms cache could be primed if we find it but it would most like be discovered really quickly."

Celeste knelt down beside her former mentor and kept her rifle trained on the door. She placed a hand on the man's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze as she whispered into his ear. "If you ever need to talk, Natsu, I'll always be there for you."

"I know, but thank you." The man murmured, placing his free hand on top of hers as his eyes met her rich chocolate pair.

Her eyes darted back to the door as her hand returned to brace her gun. But she kept herself close to the man. "I'm sorry I pried, but thanks for telling me."

"Don't be sorry, I decided I should tell you. I wouldn't have otherwise." Sal finished with the dome-shaped emitter and placed a hand on the woman's thigh for her to take them to the next area. He heard a faint gasp slip from the woman's lips as she took them to the first generator room. The man got to work, keeping to the shadows as he moved from one generator to the next.

"Do you think there'll be much to do today?"

"Not until tonight. Probably will do the assault tonight. I don't know." The pinkette glanced back at his partner who was staying close to him to provide cover. "We'll find out more once we all get back." Sal pushed the curse through the gaps of the diesel generators, lining the insides with an explosive web.

Once the man had finished with the line of generators, he held his hand out. Celeste latched onto it and took him to the other side of the building, allowing him to work on the bank of reserves. Threading charges into the machines.

Sal brought his hand to his mic as he hid behind a generator, a cultist walking past the other side. "Stygian, all charges have been placed. Waiting for further orders."

"RTB Fireteam Jackal, that's everything we need to do so far. Dump the last of your Nests around the Temple and make your way back here."

"Copy that." The salmon-haired agent dropped his hand and gave the woman next to him a nod. "You heard the man."

"I've used all of yours, just have mine left." Celeste replied as she opened his pouch and started spreading the Nests about the ruins.

"Alright, once you are done, just take us straight back to camp."

Alright, that's this chapter done. I hope you have enjoyed it. It seems like Phantom Lord have been caught with their hands in another mess. Evidence continues to mount that they are dirty, it's only a matter of time before things go south for them. Again, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, if you haven't already then please follow/favourite to stay up to date with future chapters, leave a review if you like. I'll see you all in the next chapter.