11 August 2024

12:45 P.M MDT

NuArcade Denver, Denver, United States

He backs away from the wall. Sparks still on his body touching the ground, redirecting elsewhere. Jaraslav's aura from the edges of his waist-length green and yellow hair to his feet fades. Leaving behind in his power's wake a blacked-out NuArcade Denver. His feet bounce off his heels to his toes.

Drahoslav charges towards his comrade aggressively, crossed. "Jara! What the fuck was your reason to do this much damage? Do you realise what you've just done to this arcade! What's your rationale for this action!?"

"Draho's right!" Zelislav reciprocates with a heavy accent, "Explain why you've busted all the breakers in the building!"

"I have a reason. The phantom was trying to use the arcade's features as a disguise for her entrance. Something would've caved, and we would be at risk if that possibility became true."

"Would she go after Stanislav instead? Also, you're being a little jumpy."

Jaraslav's up and down motion continues, speaking in an incoherent and fast way of communicating, "IfshewouldshewouldgotoCalifornia,notColorodo!"

"Jara-Ji, please calm down and speak to us clearly… Okay?" Zelislav tilts his head into a smile.

" Huff, Okay..."

Drahoslav crosses his arms while he awaits the explanation of what the man wanted to say.

"If she was after Stanislav, it wouldn't be logical for her to come here. She would've appeared in the home in Fresno. I suspect the reason has to be here."

"Regardless…" Drahoslav said, "We have to get a move on the raid in the Denver armoury. Jaraslav's responsible for the preparations."

The respective comrade sighs but raises his head. The raid was something that needed to be done regardless of who was responsible. Returning to his seat in the meantime.

"Can you get Fulgur and any other knowledgeable individuals about the armoury to my presence? Can you also tell Roosevelt and Hamilton to head ahead of us to Cali?"

"Sure thing, please wait," Zelislav replies before scooting from the area.

Drahoslav leaves on his terms to deal with other matters. Particularly any additional damage besides the induced blackout and experimental LEDs shattering like the older light bulb. Examining most he could visibly see, a part of determining what would need to be done to repair the damage.

Eventually, his train of thought gets disrupted when Fulgur, as well as another person, arrived. The newer person with dyed reddish-purple hair cut to the side, causing an eyebrow raised.

"What's his name?"

"Ig-"

"Ignis, I see…"

Afterward, Jaraslav turned to ask, but Fulgur beforehand said something.

"Can the damage be reversed?"

"I only knocked out the power, so the mains can bring the power back online! The aesthetic LEDs will need to be replaced! It appears they were installed together, but the material used isn't the best. Glass breaks under pressure, and it's standard for LEDs to be plastic. Once our little situation's over, I'll look into supplanting them."

"Can he ask his questions now?" Zelislav and Drahoslav asked, annoyed by that question.

"Hey, hey, now. I was okay with alleviating their concerns. But," he turns to Fulgur and Ignis, "It's correct you both work for Glowgen Armoury Denver?"

"Mmh-"

"Are there gates?"

"No gates, but patrols and constant checks."

"Blind spots in the defences?"

"I've found one, garbage chute on the ground floor. They prefer to incinerate over the landfills."

"Is there a pattern to when they light the incinerator?"

"It's constant. It generates power for the armory too, so it doesn't need to rely on mains."

"Is it confirmed?"

"A guy who works in the power department said it to me."

"Good. But, is there a time frame where the incinerator rests?" Jaraslav pauses for a moment to give Ignis a death stare.

"Two PM on weekdays for an hour while for six on the weekends."

"Today is Sunday. Weekday information is invalid. What times is the incinerator not fired?"

"One PM, Two PM… Nine PM, One AM, Three AM, Five AM."

He takes a moment to check his watch. Noticing they were only ten minutes from the earliest possible time.

"Are they all not fired for an hour?"

"Correct."

"So it leads to a three-hour break of the incinerator in the afternoon, and a six-hour break of the incinerator during the night before people get up to go to work."

"Mmh."

"We're making good time. Where is Fulgur located in usually?"

"The top floor, where the head of the cyber division of Glowgen and the hacking advisor deals with stuff."

"Critter…" Drahoslav mumbles.

"You know him?" Fulgur and Ignis turn to Drahoslav.

"Yes, and he's a tricky guy who does anything Gabriel asks him to."

"Back on topic, please," Jaraslav sighs, "Anything else that needs to be stated?"

"Yeah, umm… Be careful as they're trying to prevent another break-in after the Norfolk scuffle you guys pulled off."

"Your name being Ignis and the spear being Ignis, that's suspicious," Drahoslav commented.

"As with the lance Fulgur and the person named Fulgur right in front of us," Jaraslav added onto.

Fulgur and Ignis tilt their heads. Before being cut off by Zelislav.

"We're ready to head out to the armoury with Dvina?"

"Not yet," Jaraslav replied, still looking at the other two men, "I suggest you stay here and accumulate as many individuals as possible. Just in case."

Unsure about what they were planning on doing, and knowing all four they were talking to knew their shit, and managed to do something, nods their heads in agreement to what Jaraslav said. Exiting auditory range, leaving all three comrades alone. Shortly thereafter, joined by Dvinaslav as she took a seat as her sense tingled they were planning.

Drahoslav and Zelislav followed along and sat side by side with each other. The uncovered blade the only observant to their convention.

"To fill in for all of you about the intel we know about. Tight security, specialists in cybertechnology, most importantly, a point of entry we can use."

"Sounds like the typical enemy base-"

"The point of entry is an incinerator with timeframes for when they're in use and when it's having to cool down."

"So? What are we doing?" Drahoslav asked.

"We need to get a roll of rope or something similar to rappel through the chute or the stack of the incinerator. We have to do it within the next hour before they light it again."

"We only got to the entry?" Zelislav asked.

"Yes, but I honestly don't expect a lot of physical tactics due to that armoury's focus on cyberspace from my assumptions. They would still be a need to defend it physically in case of an actual attack. Especially since they may be expecting us. I may be able to hack into the system to get schematics of the place. But, importantly, we need to reach the top floor, as that's where Fulgur would most likely be held. If the guy Draho fought in Norfolk had the spear, the head of Glowgen Armoury Denver would too."

"What about the potential Glowgen defectors who come here?" Dvinaslav pointed up, standing to notice a congregation of six.

"They would be useful in gaining the necessary information that we might need to also take into consideration. The fact that there are two people with the exact names as the weapons were after, except Aurus, it might complicate the matter."

"Spies?" Drahoslav asked again, staring around for any suspicious persons watching their talk.

"Possibly, and after Zeli and Dvina took down one, very likely they've resorted to clever techniques to watch us. Even as we speak. Anything else?"

"What are we planning on doing with Aurus?" asked Zelisalv.

"We should bring it with us and have Dvina use it. Because I don't actually trust Fulgur and Aura with it. It'd also help us in dealing with blockades like blast doors if it allows us to utilise its power. Also, we have to bring it to Stanislav."

All three nod.

"What about the rest?"

"We can't trust the people here. Only until we find their true loyalty can we trust them." Jaraslav replied while he slides Aurus to Dvinaslav's location.

With both pieces of cloth freed, he proceeds to fold them to store within his pocket to protect it from further damage.

All three stood up with Jaraslav, aware their planning was over and time for action.

"If we have further questions, let's get moving."

"Right," the comrades nod in agreement.

All four proceed to the exit, although Jaraslav stayed behind for an extra minute or two to make a note on their steps going forward after their departure to recover from what has happened. Rejoining the other three once he was done.

11:56 A.M PDT

Glowgen Headquarters, San Deigo, United States

Gabriel Miller, as he wasn't needing to attend to other matters of the company at the moment, stayed at his desk while doing some work. Occasionally turning to his Starbucks coffee cup to get a caffeinated sip. Expecting he'll be at the desk for a while, and accordingly made preparations to not be disturbed.

Hopefully, I don't have to deal with more bullshit getting on my desk while I was after those kids and my visit to Élisée.

But, that wasn't what a certain glitchy presence outside subtly entered Gabriel's vision, distracting him from his work for a moment, but it disappears again.

"Tsk… What the hell was that."

It appears again several minutes later, this time behind him, the presence makes a tap. Dragging the CTO off his seat and looking behind.

However, leads to him looking back on his seat yet again, sighing while he checks his desk for anything that's going on, including a restart of his computer. Until it appears right in front of him, slightly hovering in the air.

He'd pay his full attention at that point. His eye caught the blue and white coloration of the figure. As well as the constant glitching, forming the roughest outline of a female body he'd seen. Catching the man off guard as he'd wipe the stress sweat off his forehead

"Alicia?!"

It soon spoke to him directly with a distorting feminine voice. Destroying his suspicions about him being

"Following his lead?"

"Who?" Gabriel asked.

"The man who introduced someone like you to his home..."

"Élisée?"

"Yes… Why are you wanting to know my secrets, and how the hell are you in my office?"

"Nothing to worry… Gabriel Miller…"

"What do you have to do with me!"

"A soul… Stole an angel… Creates two off my radar..."

Gabriel sniffs a deep amount of air. Unamused with the glitchy person's words, especially since everything he saw defied the laws of physics.

"You're a glitch, not bound by AR, you can't exist-"

"Sheesh. Some things best remain unanswered. But choose your next actions wisely…"

"You cannot tell me what to do! I don't even know you!"

"Your arrogance… Feeling of power… Confidence to steal from a kid punching above their weight class."

"That wheelchair kid that punched my gut?"

"Unsure… One I didn't decide… But I accepted as if I did regardless…"

"Get out!" Gabriel shouts as he grabs his M9 and shoots it at the person, which only a small hole as it broke the glass. "You're not human..."

The presence vanishes as he'd sit down, closing his eyes before going to flush his eyes out.

"I'm calling Élisée about this person. What nonsense he's dragging me, and Glowgen, into..."