Chapter 11: Improvisation

"They've spotted us!"

"Already?!" Alyssa's screech filled Riley's ears. "Crap!"

"Oh Bartleby, that isn't good," Grace said all the way back in the Wizard City Spiral Chamber. "That isn't good at all. This means that you'll have to abandon the plan as it included a good amount of espionage."

Somehow Grace managed to keep a level head amidst the chaos. "Valdus and his companions are running to the location," she said. "Alyssa, Ian, intercept them. Jacob, attack any humans who attack you. Attack, not kill. Nick, you go after their target. Riley, you stay right where you are and protect the civilians."

"What?!" Riley immediately protested as the others all ran to do their jobs. "That's lame! I wanna fight, not-"

"Riley." Her voice as cold and harsh as ice. "Protecting them is just as important as what the others have. What if there wasn't someone stationed to protect the non-armed humans, and many people died as a part of this?"

The theurgist found herself unable to answer.

"And besides- you're a novice. If you go headfirst into the line of battle right now, there's no way you're going to survive. Not against people like Valdus and Sestiva."

A lump built in Riley's throat at the mention of Valdus and Sestiva. They killed Sabrina…

This all had better be worth it.

"Let's go!"

Alyssa kicked her entire body into high gear, drawing her wand as she ran. She narrowed her eyes, trying to keep the three of them within her line of vision as they ran to their destination.

"You take your sister, I'll take the traitor," she said to Ian between puffs of breath. "I've got a score to settle with that green-haired little-"

Ian cut her off abruptly. "Look out!"

Her head swung around to see armed humans, security guards, all coming for them. Her eyes widened as they quickly took aim at the two teenagers and prepared to fire-

-but their aim was drastically thrown off when a multitude of meteors rained down upon them.

Alyssa smiled. "Thanks, Jacob!" she called out after him as she turned a corner.

The two of them continued running, running, with Jacob on their tails and dispatching of any security guards or armed humans who tried to get in their way ("Sorry!" he called after leaving a helephant to finish a group of them). Alyssa tightened her face as she thought of Valdus.

Today, I don't care what I have to do, she vowed to herself. I'm going to make sure he tells me where Angela is!

Then she saw her three opponents, who had come to a halt and had drawn their weapons.

Looked like they were ready to stop running and to fight. Good. Because so was she.

Riley tapped her foot impatiently, her head swiveling around. Not a few minutes after she got her mission briefing from Grace she could hear multiple clangs, shings and yells coming from deep within the bank.

Her fingers twitched, curling and uncurling into a fist. Her eyes flocked around the room and she shifted her feet, and finally she ended up staring longingly at the hall.

Alex…

Her lips tightened into a line as thin as a piece of paper as something wet built into her throat.

Why did he join Valdus and Sestiva? Did he know that… did he know just what they did?

Did he know what he'd gotten himself into?

Riley threw her head back to check on the civilians. Apart from a few murmurs wondering what was going on and police telling them to stay where they were, things looked relatively normal. A woman talked with her husband. A little kid making himself comfortable on a couch and looking over a random magazine, and there was one long line of impatient people.

If things were normal here, and the spells were coming from way back there… then this was pointless.

She needed no further encouragement. She squared her shoulders, drew her wand, and began running toward the battle scene.

"…They said that two teenage boys wanted to draw something from their bank accounts, then other teenagers began chasing after them. Multiple security guards began running after them, but were found with horrible burns all over them the next time they were found, claiming to have been hit by a miniature meteor."

The Red Flash, a kind of superhero to Los Angeles, leaned forward from her couch in interest. Her small television was the only source of light in the small, dark room, illuminating her diamond face and red clothing.

Hit by a miniature meteor…

So. It looked like she wasn't the only wizard in town.

The Red Flash stood up and resolved on a small warmup before her departure. She flicked her hand forward, and in turn, a small fire symbol dangled in the air for less than a split second before revealing to be a fire dragon.

Immediately she dispelled it. Then she whirled around and flicked her hand again- this time, an ice symbol shone for a brief second before letting loose a frost giant. She dispelled this before it could do any damage to her makeshift home.

A smile tugged at her lips. Her skills were still in shape. Good thing, too- not very many people could perform such high spells at such high speeds without a wand. Ha, wands- so many wizards depended on them, yet they were so unnecessary to her.

But enough stalling. The Red Flash squared her shoulders, envisioned the bank, then was gone in a shower of sparks.