HUNT FOR THE OBELISK
The events of this story take place 6 months after the events of Aquaria Major
CIA Facility, unknown location within California, USA
"We've got another one!" The loud voice boomed into the room. The voice was followed by a man, sauntering in as if he owned the place. He didn't, but he was, to all intents and purposes, the one in charge.
"Another one? Seriously?" A woman replied, standing in the middle of the room with her arms crossed. "We just got back from a retrieval, and now there's another one? Please, Masek, tell me you're not serious."
Masek- which was actually his surname, his first name being Jim- laughed, before blowing his long, blonde fringe out of the way of his left eye, where it usually rested.
"Unfortunately Scarlett, I'm deadly serious. We've got a Troll roaming its way through the Swiss Alps, and if we don't stop it then it might just stumble its way into a ski resort."
"I heard ski resort!" Another man burst in, almost dragging a woman along with him.
"And I heard Troll!" The woman chimed in, her voice unusually melodic. The others had come to realise that was genuinely how she spoke.
"Cable. Jenna." Masek acknowledged. "Good, we're all here then. Troll loose in the Alps."
"Why can't the LEP take care of this one?" Scarlett asked. "Surely they must have a magma chute in that region."
"LEP is thin on the ground. If you hadn't realised, we're cleaning up more and more of their problems on the surface. I mean, the whole reason this unit was formed is because the LEP have had drastic cutbacks since the cyber attack that crippled them."
"Alright Cable, I don't need a bloody history lesson" Scarlett said. Her arms were still crossed. "It would just be nice once in a while if the fairies would come and help us."
"When do we leave?" Jenna asked, bouncing on her heels.
Masek looked at his watch. "About 5 minutes ago."
"Right then" Cable said. "I believe that signals time to kit up and get out there."
Cable was not a big man. He was tall and slim in reality, but the giant suit he had on made him look like a pro weightlifter. Bulked out with lightweight padding and carrying two giant blades on each arm, he was the heavy unit of the four. Masek looked him up and down as they entered a small, enclosed space they had nicknamed 'The Chamber'.
"Suits you."
"Thanks" Cable replied, taking his turn to look at Masek's outfit, namely the large pathfinder eyepieces he was wearing. "I could say the same about you."
"It's time for an adventure!" Jenna shouted excitedly as she jumped into the chamber, followed by Scarlett, who was far less enthusiastic. They were both wearing what could be described as standard kit, though Scarlett was carrying a giant sniper rifle.
"Remember Scarlett, we're here to capture the Troll, not kill it" Masek said. "I really don't want to have to deal with the paperwork. Or Artemis Fowl for that matter."
"Nobody wants to deal with Artemis Fowl" Cable joked.
"Except Scarlett" Jenna said, and Scarlett nearly slapped her. Instead, she simply glared.
"Alright, that's enough" Masek said. "The longer we're in The Chamber, the closer that Troll gets to the ski resort." He looked up at a computer interface above him. "Computer, do you have the co-ordinates locked?"
"Co-ordinates have been locked" The electronic voice said back.
"Good" Masek said. "Beam!"
Everyone in the chamber began to glow, before looking as if they were almost dissolving, melting away. And then they were gone, and The Chamber was empty.
Snow. There was so much snow. All around them, on the ground, in the air. Snow. Masek hated snow.
"I see the ski resort" He said, looking through the glass piece that covered his right eye. "At least, I sort of see it. We had to come here in the middle of a minor blizzard."
"Could be worse" Cable replied. "You could be wearing this thing."
"I'll set up a post near the top of the hill" Scarlett said, "Just in case."
"Good luck trying to use that thing in these conditions" Cable said, indicating Scarlett's sniper rifle. "And just make sure you don't shoot us."
"Come on" Masek said, "The Troll is supposedly about 2 minutes down the hill from us. Scarlett, set up a vantage point. Cable, Jenna, with me."
Cable and Jenna high fived, before Cable briefly wrapped his arm around her waist, giving her a light kiss. Masek just rolled his eyes.
"I had to get stuck with the lovebirds" He muttered to himself.
They tracked down the mountain, following the general direction towards the ski resort, but so far they had been having no luck locating the Troll. The snowstorm was subsiding though, which gave Masek renewed hope that they hadn't completely missed it. It was then that he got a radio call from Scarlett.
"I've found your Troll" She said, somewhat without emotion.
"You have?" Masek replied, scanning the area.
"About 20 degrees East of your location, 50 seconds. And I can tell you now, it is going absolutely mental. Trolls really do not like the light."
"Agreed" Masek said, then turned to the other two. "We have our Troll, 20 degrees East, 50 seconds."
"That close?" Cable asked. "Would have we would have heard it by now."
Masek turned on his pathfinder, illuminating the world beyond the snow until it picked out the hulking silhouette of the Troll.
"I have eyes on. Snow must be drowning out all of it stamps, because it is certainly going for it."
Carefully, they moved forward, until the white gave way to a large shadow, thrashing about. It had yet to sense they were there, which was ideal.
"Jenna, you know what to do" Masek said quietly, partially hiding himself between two halves of a recently smashed boulder. Jenna emerged behind the Troll, lining up her arm. Slowly, three darts began to emerge- once they were in place, Jenna fired, all of the darts impacting the base of the Trolls skull. There was a snap and bang as the electricity fizzed through the body of the Troll, and it collapsed in a heap.
"Nice work" Masek said, waiting. The Troll remained still.
"Can we tag it?" Jenna asked. Masek looked at the motionless beast, before giving a short nod. Jenna moved closer, taking it one step at a time. Eventually she knelt down beside the Troll, brining a stapler like device to its arm. She pushed the trigger and the device clamped down, securing the tag in place. Jenna stood back up.
"Well that wasn't so difficult after all."
And then there was a hideous roar.
Jenna could only turn back around in time to see the giant Troll swing its arm at her, catching her full on and sending her flying through the air. It swung again, but this time Cable was in the way, holding one of his bladed arms up. The Troll tore away its arm in pain before slamming back down, only just missing Cable, who then sent another couple of hits the Troll's way.
"Code red!" Masek shouted over his radio. "Mission parameters aborted. Shoot to kill!"
A bullet shot through the air, hitting the Troll in its chest. The Troll seemed unfazed, until its fur began to ignite. A second bullet impacted, just below the jawbone, and the Troll went down, but this time a blazing inferno. Masek stood and started at the bonfire as Cable rushed over to Jenna.
"Good work Scarlett" Masek said. "Good work."