Chapter Five
Training, as Dumbledore had predicted, took only a matter of days. For Bolan, his private lessons continued late into the night until the wizard officially taught him everything he knew, including Occlumency, Legilimency, and Apparition. The new mode of transport was quite fascinating to the soldier, since he now had the ability to appear anywhere he wished. The final lesson was all about the Dark Arts and how to perform dark magic, including what was known as the Unforgivable Curses. As expected, he mastered these spells as well, and Dumbledore couldn't help but wonder just how long Mack Bolan had been off the grid. He knew a little about his history, but he thought, just like the rest of the world, that he died horribly long ago in Manhattan. Then again, he was able to put two and two together and concluded that Bolan hadn't died and instead spent the years following his faked death fighting. The wizard was incredibly thankful he was on their side, since he was truly a dangerous man. Even the demigods, who were elite fighters on their own and an incredibly lethal force when fighting as a unit, could not, no matter how hard they tried, defeat the soldier in combat.
It was for that very reason that Bolan and Dumbledore were walking through the streets of New York, on their way to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Bolan had received the email from Brognola earlier in the morning and had read up on the requirements for the American Aurors. He believed he was ready for what they might throw at him, but at the same time, he remained slightly skeptical that this plan would work. They reached the department several minutes later and met with a bald man at the front desk.
"May I help you?" He asked, setting down a large book.
"Hello. My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and I have a friend with me named Matthew Cooper. I'd like to get him hired as an independent contractor of this office," Dumbledore replied pointedly.
"An independent contractor, huh? Interesting. We've never had that request before. Very well, let me connect you with our head Auror, and he'll do an assessment of Mr. Cooper's skills."
It took only a matter of moments before a second man, this one much more athletic looking than the receptionist, walked into the lobby.
"What do you want, Alex? I'm very busy," he barked.
"Well, your day is about to get a lot busier. Albus Dumbledore is requesting that a man named Matthew Cooper be hired as an independent contractor of your office. Don't know why, don't really care, but I told them I would let you know."
"An independent contractor? I am intrigued! Why don't you two come with me to my office. My name's Walter, by the way."
Bolan and Dumbledore followed him down a short hallway before walking through a door that had a sign posted on it indicating that they were in the Auror office. Ignoring the passing glances, Walter simply kept walking until he came to his office door.
"Hey Jenny?" He called, turning to a blond woman sitting at a desk. "Please make sure I am not disturbed until further notice. I don't care who it is or what they want. No one is allowed to interrupt me, thanks."
Without another word, he opened the door to his office and waited until both men were in the room before shutting the door, locking it with a tap of his wand. Taking a seat behind his desk, he smiled.
"You know Albus, I am so glad you managed to get Hal off the hook with the Ministry," he began. "I received a call from Stony Man a few days ago, and he let me know that you and Mack would be here. Yes, I am quite familiar with Stony Man's exploits, and I am familiar with your work, Striker. I used to be in law enforcement until around a decade ago, when the previous head left, and I took the position."
"Fair enough," Bolan replied. "Stony Man is a secret organization, but if Hal trusts you, then that's good enough for me."
"Excellent! Now, as you probably know, our Aurors are the best of the best. I don't see the point in holding you up, so I just need to see you perform a bit of advanced combat magic, and then I will pit you against the team of Aurors in simulated combat. If you pass, I will take care of the paperwork and send it to Stony Man. Deal?"
"That's fine with me," Bolan answered.
"You will also need to send a copy of the paperwork to me," Dumbledore said. "I'm going to need it to process him into the Ministry in Britain."
"That's not a problem. Thank you for reminding me, Albus. Alright Mack, whenever you're ready."
Bolan took a moment to think about what he was going to do. He first thought about doing a simple stunning spell but decided against it. He pulled his wand from his pocket, conjuring a large snake. The reptile flew from the end of his wand, hitting the floor with a dull thud. It coiled, hissing angrily, and Bolan watched as it slithered around. He waited for a few seconds and saw it preparing to strike the head Auror, and just before it sprang, he aimed his wand at it and, using the non-verbal incantation, sent a killing curse in its direction. There was a flash of green light and a rushing sound as the spell flew toward the reptile. It let out one last hiss before the jet of light struck it squarely in the head, killing it instantly. The Executioner flicked his wand once more, and the snake vanished.
"Excellent!" Walter exclaimed. "That's perfect, and I liked how you used non-verbal incantations. Not many people can do that. One last question before we get into the simulation. Do you need authorization to use deadly force for your mission? I just don't want to assume, you know."
"You're fine," Dumbledore spoke up. "But yes, he will need full authorization under every circumstance. I can't have him facing any punishment for any reason."
"You got it, friends!"
Bolan watched as the man scribbled some notes before pressing a button on his desk. He heard a beep before Walter spoke, his voice coming through every speaker in the building.
"Attention all Aurors! I need you in the combat arena immediately, no if's, and's, or but's about it! We are doing a full drill!"
Both men followed Walter as he stood, unlocking the door and leading them down the hall. Dozens of men rushed past them in an attempt to get to the arena as fast as they could. They went through a series of turns and eventually found themselves in a room packed with men.
"Alright, Aurors," Walter bellowed. "Listen up! We're doing a full simulation. It will be all of you versus this man," he said while pointing at Bolan. "No seriously violent spells are allowed, but a stunning spell that knocks you out gets you out of the fight. We're going to do an urban environment. Everyone get it? Good!"
The head Auror rushed out of the room, closing and locking the door. The soldier watched as Dumbledore stood by the door, nodding at him as the surroundings changed. Bolan saw a long block that served as a residential area, complete with houses and lots of distractions, mainly in the form of kids playing in yards and people out for a stroll. The three dozen Aurors spread out, and Bolan began walking, glancing behind him to see Dumbledore still standing by the door. A spell flew past the Executioner and hit a cardboard target of a little boy of about six, causing it to disintegrate. There was a loud buzz, indicating the failed attempt to avoid hitting civilians. Bolan knew that most of the Aurors were hiding nearby, trying to conceal themselves behind houses as they waited to ambush him. It wouldn't do any good to do the very thing they were doing and hope that one of them stepped out from cover, so he continued walking, blending in with the pedestrians as he watched for any sign of anyone trying to sneak up on him. A flash of light flew past him, coming uncomfortably close as it whizzed over his head. The Executioner dropped prone, crawling a few feet until he found cover behind the engine block of a truck parked in a driveway.
The soldier heard a car start and accelerate rapidly. As it sped past, six men extended wands out each window, shooting spells in every direction. That proved to be quite a reckless move, as instead of hitting Bolan, they struck houses and bystanders, triggering more buzzing from the simulator. Bolan emerged from cover and quickly tried the driver's side door of the truck, finding it unlocked. Getting behind the wheel, he found keys in the ignition and started the vehicle, it's engine rumbling loudly. He pulled out of the driveway, in search of the car as he slowly accelerated, taking care to watch for anyone on the street. He found it driving down another block, circling back. The Executioner followed at a distance, making sure he wasn't seen. They circled for a few minutes as Bolan followed, and he could also tell that someone was tailing him, although they were not trying too hard to hide that fact. He didn't know whether that was deliberate or not, but he hoped it wasn't out of pure ignorance of urban tracking. The soldier hunkered down below the wheel as much as he could as his back window shattered from a spell. Turning, Bolan removed his wand from a pocket and sent a stunning spell that knocked a man poking his head out a passenger-side window back into the car, unconscious. He watched as the car's other occupants ditched the ride, so the Executioner followed suit, using his door for cover as he exited his vehicle.
Five men in total exited the pursuing SUV, with absolutely no idea of what to do. The soldier could tell that none of them were used to heavy combat like this, and he couldn't blame them. He knew that the United States Aurors served more so as wizard cops, not trained commandos fighting dark wizards. All five men, in a clump, started shooting stunning spells at Bolan. He dropped to the ground and rolled, rising in a crouch just as his truck exploded. Chunks of broken glass and scraps of metal flew in all directions as the buzzer once again sounded, and for a moment, Bolan thought he heard someone yelling before the arena went silent once more. By now, the targets simulating civilians had vanished, and Bolan preferred it that way as he systematically sent return spells at the five Aurors who were searching for him in the wreckage. They all collapsed, unconscious, and the soldier took the time to make sure none of them fell onto a shard of glass before cleaning up the destroyed truck with a wave of his wand.
He was about to claim the SUV as his own when the residential area disappeared, changing back into the room they had entered. Dumbledore moved away from the door just as a belligerent Walter threw it open so hard Bolan thought the plaster of the wall behind it would crack.
"First off," he said calmly, looking at Bolan, "excellent job. Very professional, phenomenal urban tracking skills, and superb fighting skills. You watched for civilians and made sure you didn't hit anyone or anything. Your spell work was fantastic."
"Thank you, sir," Bolan replied.
He nodded in acknowledgement before his face twisted into a mask of rage as he scanned the three dozen men under him.
"Now, as for all of you," he growled. "I don't know what that was, but whatever you did was absolutely pathetic! Really, Johnson? You used the Reductor Curse on the truck? I should have you fired on the spot! All of you failed this simulation. Six of you were knocked out in seconds! Oh, and the rest of you? You did nothing but hide like little cowards! As tempted as I am to fire all of you, I am going to instead put you on a three … hmmm … no, a nine-month probation with a sixteen-hour training regimen for the entire probationary period. Apparently, we need to work on your entire skillset, since you seemed to love hitting civilians! Your training starts now; I'm calling the instructors and I will be recording every single session. If I get even one bad report from an instructor, you're fired!"
Walter motioned Dumbledore and Bolan out of the arena before slamming the door. He didn't speak until they were all once again in his office and he took a moment to calm down.
"Mack, I meant what I said. You did a great job in that simulation. What I'll do now is fill out this paperwork and I'll license you as an independent contractor of the United States Auror Office at arms-length, just like your relationship to Stony Man. If you ever want to stop in and say hello, feel free. I will provide my direct line to Hal, and if you folks need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Albus, I'll send you a copy via owl. Is there anything specific you need on your copy to present to the Ministry? I'm thinking I'll give you a copy of the full paperwork, and I'll modify another copy to present to the Ministry."
"That would be just fine," Dumbledore answered. "The Ministry only needs the basics, and, please use the name Matthew Cooper on that copy. I'm sure Hal can help you out with that side of things."
"You got it, my friend. If there isn't anything else, please allow me to see you out."
The head Auror smiled as he led them back to the reception area, informing Bolan that the paperwork would be done and sent out in a few hours. After a final goodbye, both men apparated to Camp Half-Blood.
"Yo!" Leo yelled, jumping at the sight of the two men appearing in the Big House. "Wow, I seriously don't think I'll ever get used to you just appearing out of thin air like that!"
"Sorry," Bolan said. "We didn't interrupt something, right?"
"Not at all," Chiron said. "We were just finishing up a meeting about their papers to Hogwarts. Do you guys want to join us? We can go over the details again."
Bolan and Dumbledore took a seat at the table, and Chiron proceeded to go over the current draft of the papers for the demigods. Their cover was designed so as not to reveal their identity, as that wouldn't quite serve any purpose for every student to know they were demigods. The current drafted paperwork told the story of the nine half-bloods as exchange students from the United States Academy of Wizards, with an emphasis in wandless combat. The school was in New York, and only those who were especially gifted could join the academy.
"Well? What do you think, Mr. Cooper?" Annabeth asked. "I can see your thinking about something."
"I think," Bolan explained, "and I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would agree, that your papers are OK at best."
"Why," Percy enquired.
"Because the goal is to protect your real identity, at least for now, correct?"
"Right," Annabeth said, catching on.
"Your papers currently describe you guys as transfer students from the U.S. Academy of Wizards, with an emphasis in wandless combat. You're trying to blend in, and you also will have wands. Why does anyone need to know about wandless combat? Perhaps, and maybe Professor Dumbledore could be more of assistance, a better name for your study emphasis is advanced magical combat."
"I'd even go so far as to say that you don't even need to mention any study emphasis," Dumbledore added. "You're going into your fifth year at Hogwarts, and all you need to worry about is learning the material for your year. You all excel in every area of magic, so I can't imagine you drawing any suspicion from anyone."
"But what if they have questions," Nico asked.
"If you play your cards right, most people should have no questions apart from why some American transfer students are at Hogwarts. If and when that happens, tell them the school is shutting down due to bankruptcy. As for any situations you might end up in that force you into combat, try to use your wands as much as you can, otherwise you will raise unwanted questions. However, you will, of course, be permitted to carry and use your other weaponry."
"Good point," Percy said.
"The only thing I would say is that if you ever get into fights with monsters, protect the students at all costs. Most of them have never had to face a threat a day in their lives, let alone combat. I will see what I can do on my end to make sure you're all in the same house, but I can't promise anything."
"Sounds good, that should be all on the demigod front," Chiron cut in. "Thank you, albus, for all your recommendations. If I may ask, what exactly will Matthew Cooper be doing?"
"He will be on staff at Hogwarts," Dumbledore explained. "Since I don't have teaching positions open, I'm hiring him as full-time security."
"Can anyone even get into Hogwarts?" Chiron wanted to know.
"Not usually, but given recent events, I'm taking no chances," the wizard answered.
"Fair enough. Well, I think that will be all. I'll redraft these papers and have them done later today, and they should be set to go whenever you want them to. I know we've still got a while before the start of the year, but I'm not sure what you were thinking."
"I know we've got a while, but I want them to get to know some of the students, pick up their supplies and whatnot. If they are willing, I'd like to leave as soon as possible."
"Done," Chiron said. "You heard the man. You're leaving first thing tomorrow, so make sure everything's packed and be ready to go early. You are dismissed."
The rest of the day went by uneventfully, and Bolan took the time to work on his technique with all sorts of weapons, from swords to archery, even taking time to visit Camp Jupiter and train there. Hours later, he found himself once more going through some reading material, memorizing all he could on the history of the Greeks and Romans and the mythology surrounding them.
"I see you're doing more reading," a voice said from behind.
Well, yes, Annabeth, I am. Literature has always been something I like to keep up on."
Mr. Cooper, do you really think this Voldemort guy is so bad?"
"Is something on your mind, Annabeth?"
"Oh," she sighed, sitting next to him, "I am so tired of going on quests. I want a normal life. I've already been through two huge wars, and the last one nearly destroyed us. Do you see those fishers in the ground?"
"I do," Bolan responded patiently.
"Those fishers are the result of the final battle against Gaea. She woke up, man! Her armies were storming us, and there was a prophesy talking about seven demigods … anyway, that's a long story that you already know. I was one of the seven! I just want this to be over!"
"Look, Annabeth. The good news is that there is no prophesy on this quest, if you will. Your job, as it stands, is to help defeat Voldemort's monster army, with the option to protect Harry Potter. They need you."
"Of course they do," she replied sharply. "Everyone needs the demigods to save the day! Do you know how that feels? Do you know what it's like to be in danger all the time? Do you know what it's like being called upon with nothing in return? Do you know what it feels like to lose in the thick of combat? Do you know what it feels like to know that you're never going to have a normal life? Oh, and the nightmares! Do you know what it's like to be haunted by events in your past combat, even in your sleep? Do you?"
"I think you're asking the wrong person," Percy interjected, walking up to them.
"It's alright, Annabeth. You're going to be OK. Do you remember what I said the other day? After our knife fight?"
No one spoke for a moment as the daughter of Athena's stormy gray eyes filled with tears. Percy sat down, gently hugging Annabeth.
"I remember," she whispered after a few seconds. "I'm just so tired. It just seems like no one understands!"
"If anyone understands," Percy responded, "it's Mr. Cooper. He understands us."
"But how could he?" Annabeth wailed. "We're isolated! We fight constantly against overwhelming odds! No one else faces that! No one else has to live and never see their families because they always have to be ready to go on a quest! How could Mr. Cooper ever understand?"
Percy glanced at Bolan, who nodded.
"Because, Annabeth, he battles overwhelming odds constantly too. Do you know how he became a soldier?"
"No, I don't. You guys talked more than we have."
"He joined the military long ago, then lost his family when his dad murdered them before killing himself. You see, Mr. Cooper knows what it's like to never see family because he lost them. He knows isolation because I'm sure he's been forced to go undercover, then has never been thanked by anyone for what he does. That's how he understands."
"Annabeth," Bolan said, "it's very easy to get discouraged in this line of work. It's not easy and costs everything. You know all this already, and so you need to keep fighting. You can't give up now. I know you won't. You're strong, and your friends need you. You need to go on this quest and do it well, because there are those who don't know the kind of danger they're in, and they'll be helpless. That's the whole point of fighting. You fight, you lose friends, and you suffer for all those who can't defend themselves. Now, stop your complaining and feeling sorry for yourself, and go get some rest. I know you have this in you!"
Both demigods looked at him, grateful for his encouragement. Annabeth smiled moments after he spoke, then rose to her feet.
"Thanks, Mr. Cooper. I'm sorry for what I said. I know you understand; I just get caught up in my feelings sometimes."
"That's alright," he replied, rising to his feet. "I'll see you both in the morning."
As the Executioner walked back to his living quarters, he took the time to bid everyone else a good night before making sure everything he had was packed. Speaking to Hal Brognola over the phone, he made sure the Big Fed was up-to-date on the events of the past few days. As Mack Bolan finished his call, he remembered the words of Annabeth Chase, once again wondering if she would ever get her wish.
Author's Note: How exciting! It looks like things are starting to kick off now! What do you guys think about the demigods being in the same house? Should they? Should they not? Why? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading!