Verte got off from the hover and looked around her, seeing the dull landscape while the vehicle went away, making her ruffly white miniskirt fly like the branches' dark green leaves on the trees, along with the same coloured grass growing in patches. Lucas was supposed to meet her on this mission, but as they couldn't decide on a meeting point with the lack of different looking places on this empty space, she would have to look for him.

A dead branch crunched under her flat heeled white boot, and she congratulated herself on her choice of shoes. When she got up this morning, she didn't know where her mission was going to take place, the boss suspected they had a snitch in their office. Verte thought he was really paranoïd, but said nothing. He may had information she didn't. Verte stopped to arrange her eternal glasses on her green hair when a branch crunched near her. All distractions gone, she studied her environment with utmost concentration.

A human shape got out of a bush and she relaxed instantly, recognizing Lucas. She smiled seeing he wore thick jeans, rangers and a hoodie the same colour as the leaves around them. But she frowned when she noticed the half mask on the right part of his face, white and replicating his usual traits. She recognized the red spark from his eyes, but brought her hands on guard just in case.

- It's really me, please don't be afraid. It's just in case we go in a hollow zone, and...

- We are not right now, countered Verte coldly.

- No, you're right, but...

Verte also recognized his voice, but she needed to be sure. His mask fell in paper scraps, and she recognized him despite the panic showing on his face. He brought his hood on his hair, trying to hide his face in the colthing's shadow. Verte got closer slowly, hands open near his face, and, gently, slip her fingers around his hair to push down his hood.

- May I know why you want to hide ?

- What ? Asked a rather panicked Lucas.

- I don't understand what you would want to hide. And we're alone here, even if you had the same face as a world-known criminal, it wouldn't be important.

- No, it's not that... well... it doesn't matter anymore now, grumbled Lucas.

- If you say so... Well, we have to find these traffickers' hideout, and wait till it's empty to search it. Let's get to work.

- Okay. But, er... You always work... like that?

Lucas's eyes were fixated on her backless white shirt. Really short shirt, stopping right under her breasts and showing a low cleavage. Lucas went bright red when she looked at him and he pulled up his eyes on hers before making his heated cheeks invisible. She shrugged, implying her outfit wasn't really important, showing no reaction that she saw him blush, then motionned him to get on the job. Lucas followed her and they went right into the forest of the changing magic zone. Because, outside of Cities, the magic flow contained in the ground varied so much that they could go from unlimited power on a place to no power at all two meters further. That was why most operatives knew how to fight without magic, in case they needed to defend themselves in hollow zones.

Minutes went by slowly, the two partners walking really slowly to avoid making noises, Lucas and Verte were looking around sneakily, with worry. They were growing closer to the heart of the little forest, walking since an hour, when Verte stopped suddenly, surprising Lucas who stopped with a small delay. She sniffed quietly. Smoke smell. Not that close, but present. So their hideout was near, and evidently in a hollow zone. Verte inhaled, then turned to Lucas.

- You'll go invisible, and walk slowly as far as possible to the smoke smell. I'll follow you hiding behind the trees, so don't go too fast. When you hear a bird's call, you freeze to your toes. Understood?

- Okay...

Verte whistled softly so he could recognize the sound, and he disappeared slowly, with a total disbelief look on his face. She nodded, and he went away, only the bending grass showing something was moving. She kept her eyes on the flat grass while following him from tree to tree. Then the fateful moment came. Lucas came into sight again. She whistled and he froze obediently. He was putting on his hood over his face when she met him.

- Why didn't you tell me you made me test the limits of the hollow zone, Madam?

- Sorry, I'm not used to talk about plans, Rose usually hears them, she explained with a sorry look.

His voice, even when whispering, was shaking. From panic and anger. Verte didn't understand why, but he refused to look her way.

- I'm sorry. I'll try and warn you next time.

- Yeah, Right. And now, what are we going to do ? Asked her partner with an unhappy voice.

- We get near, knowing we're totally uncovered. When you're not in hollow zone, how does your power works exactly ?

- I can make anything invisible. Your clothes, for example. Or your glasses, he added hastily.

- You're kidding right ?

- Certainly not. But I won't do it. We're not that close, I wouldn't allow myself to do so.

- Oh. You have statistics, an average closeness telling you at which stage this kind of behaviour can be done ? Asked Verte with irony.

- No. Women don't tend to approach me, they like to pull boys on hollow zones because they like adventures, and finding myself in charming company in hollow zone is most certainly not my favourite hobby.

- Ah.

Verte assimilated the information he gave her, looking for lies, but without Rose next to her, it was more complicated to find those. She decided he was telling the truth. At least on his distase of hollow zones, as she saw his live reaction. Even if she didn't understand why. Lucas went first, quiet as a cat, and, from hiding spot to hiding spot, they came to a big ochre rock, contrasting on the underbush's dark green. Some voices came to their ears, but they didn't seem very vigilant, so they weren't busted.

Lucas held his hood on the lowest level, and his head bowed. Curious, Verte tried to get her hand closer, but he rejected her while motionning to a cave entrance, a few meters away. Verte growled. They might have a better view, and better hiding spot while waiting for the dealer's departure. But going willingly in a dead end wasn't really an enchanting thought to her. At all. Lucas looked at her, seeming to understand her reasonning, and shrugged. There wasn't a perfect hiding spot anyway. Verte sighed, looked around her, took his wrist and pulled him to the cave's entrance. Which had a striking resemblance to a tunnel that animals took daily. Domesticated animals. So it was a passage the dealers used. Their hideout wasn't really hidden, just in broad daylight, linked to another palce by a tunnel, hidden to allow furtive trips. Verte swore in her teeth. They weren't hidden at all.

- We're risking to be seen anytime now. You know how to fight?

- Huh ?

- Did you follow close combat courses ? Rushed his partner.

- Yes. But it wasn't my favourite course, I'm way better in ...

- Shush ! Nevermind, we'll do as we can. Be prepared.

Verte cut him without letting him finish. She would have to defend both of them. She hoped he at least knew how to protect himself, but the hope wasn't really high. Why someone would who could be invisible learn how to defend themselves ?

- Verte, if my hood falls during the fight...

- Yeah, what? Cut the young lady with impatience.

- I... Please don't be... well ..., he sputtered, beginning to panic again.

- Courage. You'll explain that later, for now people are coming to the tunnel.

Verte cut him again, and stood while beckoning him to stay low. A man with an unsteady walk was coming. It was the good point of trankilizer drug dealers. They weren't really vigorous. The inconvenient being that they didn't feel any pain. Or fatigue. A real pain in the ass. Slow, but still a pain.

Verte had a carnivorous smile, then brang her hands up before her face, bending slightly her knees while putting her right foot onward. She was ready. The man finally noticed her presence, and extended his arms, walking slowly with a limp leg. Verte rolled her eyes, telling herself she would never touch those filthy drugs. Then she swinged her right hook in his trachea, making him fall backwards with choking noises. One down.

The next battles followed with a blur. They were six men, and Verte almost let herself be drowned by them. But a thin, strange blade stucked itself in the throats of two men standing behind her, and she managed to knock out the others without any problems. Picking up the blades, she looked for their origin, following their trajectory on the ground. She didn't see the woman getting close to her back.

- GET DOWN !!!

Lucas' shout made her react in a split second, and he was here, standing in front of her, his shoes centimeters away from her nose, in a familiar pose. Throwing. Lucas said he was better in someting else. She guessed he was better at throwing blades and other stuff. And he saved her at least two times. Verte's eyes began to go up his legs when he crouched, his eyes on something over her.

When Verte got up in sitting position, she looked at his face. But it wasn't the same. A long, fat, swollen purple scar was crossing his right eye, from his forehead to the edge of his lips. His red eyes, lost somewhere, finally saw Verte's gaze on his scarred face. He made a move to put his hands on his face, but she stopped him with her hand. With the other, slowly, with a gentleness he never saw on her, she lightly stroke the purplish scar on his cheek with her fingertips. His eyes went wide with terror.

Verte let go of Lucas' hand. He wasn't trying to use it to hide himself anymore. Instead, he pushed back his hood, the sun making his golden hair shine. She took his face in her hands, slowly, then smiled. And she pulled him to her, to hold him tight. Surprised, he opened his mouth, but no sound got out. He put his hands awkwardly on her shoulder blade and froze, trying to understand what was happening.

Verte sighed, moved back a little, then onwards to his face. Taken aback, he closed his eyes fiercely. But she only kissed him on the cheek. On his scar. He blushed suddenly, then opened an eye when he felt her standing. She offered her hand to him, and helped him get up before looking around. Then, she turned to him. As if nothing happened. As if she wasn't the first person ever to touch him, or accept him like that. In his whole life.

- Let's try ourselves on the tunnel, shall we ?

- You're sure ? Answered Lucas with a dubious look.

- Better off knowing where it's going, ain't it ?

- I don't know, we could come across the other dealers, and once inside... We should just follow the mission order given at the office, and come back with the information.

- Given at the office ? Asked Verte, frowning.

- You didn't have it there?

- Of course not, I got it once they disembarked me... Boss thinks we have a snitch.

- Close enough to know mission orders' contents? That wouldn't leave many people, thought Lucas.

- Yeah, now that you pin it like that... The closer one is Lila, of course, but she came to the office before me, so I don't know much about her... We chat sometimes, it seems she was an operative before, but an accident holds her down to the office...

- Your story's strange. But there's certainly other people near your boss, we mustn't accuse his assistant too fast. Come on, we need to explore this not hidden hideout.

- And get out of the hollow zone, now that I know you don't like it. And I'm missing my powers, it's like I've been stripped out of my clothes, I'm feeling kind of naked.

Lucas looked at her, surprised, then burst out laughing. A relieved laugh. Verte didn't give a shit about his scar. Maybe she even found it classy, like some kind of war injury, this would suit her character alright. The man sighed, then followed her while she began inventoring the big wooden boxes next to an empty stable. A hooves sound grew near in the tunnel, making Lucas jump.

The two operatives flew away swiftly, having all needed information for their respective boss. Verte could see instantly the transition to the zone with magic coverage. Lucas's scar disappeared. So that was it. He used his powed to make it invisible, most certainly since he's been a kid, hiding its existence to the others' eyes, maybe since the first time he knew how to use his power. Verte even had the reflexion that it may have grown subconscious, and it would be interesting to observe him in his sleep.

They finally got out of the forest, in a place identical to their departure spot, but different. Verte called her boss to tell him they were done, and was surprised to have him directly on the line. Maybe Lila went out. She turned to Lucas once she was done.

- You coming with me or not this time ?

- To tell the truth, my boss is in the middle of a transfer process. To send me over to your department, declared Lucas, uneasy.

- Huh ?

- Higher ups think I work better with you. And that your collateral damages dropped. So they transfer me in your city. I have to find a flat quickly. So, yes, I'm coming with you.

- Seriously, higher ups? Asked Verte, surprised.

- Got a call from Kaito yesterday. Straight from him. He is the one who broke the news to me.

- Err... wait, I'm having trouble following you. How does he know that ?

- Because he's working with these higher ups, answered Lucas rather calmly. He learned that they were studying our files, and as operatives must change cities once in a while, except for rare family reasons, he suggested my file. Which has been accepted immediately.

- ... So, he knew what those people, not working in the same department as him, were thinking about ? And more than that, he knows his suggestion will be accepted without a hitch ? For real, what's his power, this dude... ? Grumbled Verte.

- Maybe he has more than one?

- Don't be stupid, the metronome power is nothing but an urban legend, retorted Verte. One kid over three is born with a power, the scientists being unable to determine why him and not another. Magis is rare enough by itself, no need to imagine a dude with legendary powers.

- But, went on her partner, in history of magic, you studied the Thau Ghehai Pi myth like me, didn't you ?

- And, as you just said, it's a MYTH!

- But studied in HISTORY of magic! Not in Faith, Mythologies and Religions. In HISTORY! And History always tells facts ! Asserted Lucas happily.

- That would be surprising... then, either way, this myth never happened again in five thousand years. Forget this farfetched theory, he might have an advanced telepathic power, that's it. Tell me, Kaito told you where to sleep in the city?

- Of course, he told me he had a couch. If you want, I'll try and extract information from him, offered Lucas with a devious smile.

- Ha ha ha ! Why not then, if we're two on his back, maybe hell abdicate, who knows... for now, I hope they behaved proprerly, those two, Rose's too young for him.

- You protect her too much, he gently scolded her. Please try and let her live. And, just picture it, if Kaito's a telepathist too, they might NEVER open their mouths when they're talking. Imagine how frustrating it might be for someone next to them ? They even could infiltrate a place and talk their plan over without being disturbed or cautious !

- Yeah, and you'd open a path for them while I'd open the doors ! Laughed Verte.

- Exactly !

The two friends laughed while imitating an infiltration mission like children, and a hover appeared over the horizon, coming to bring them back to the office and reality.