Chapter 80
In a private room back at HQ's Vil was doing his nightly routine when the lights went out.
"The power went out? What kind of cutting edge facility has a power outage?" Vil muttered as he looked up at the lights. Then there a sudden loud bang and his collar came off. He checked to see if he had his magic back. He did.
The alarms began to go off again with flashing red lights. "Now there's an alarm? Just what is happening out there? I'll try calling the staff." Vil said as he got up and went to the wall near the door. He tried the intercom and got nothing. He pressed the button a second time and saw the red light didn't even come on. "Hm? No luck there and the door's locked." Vil said.
"Oh wait that's right I've got these products here like this toner. I lose naught and fear naught. This shining crown was made for me. Fairest One of All. Anything that touches this toner will instantly dissolve into nothing. Now I'll just apply some to the lock and Voila it has dissolved just a little bit is all it takes." Vil said as he went back to his desk picked up the toner and cast his signature spell.
With the door dispatched he stepped into the hallway. Vil looked around the hallway and noticed a the door next to his was completely destroyed. "What kind of subject was kept there? I wonder. This is all very odd. While it works in my favor a subject has escaped yet there's no alarm and no staff scrambling to deal with it, for now I'd best release the others from their rooms. I believe Jamil was in the one next to mine." Vil muttered as he made his way over to Jamil's door and placed a drop on the door.
"Jamil, are you alright?" Vil asked as the door melted.
"Vil what's going on? What was that alarm and all that shaking?" Jamil asked as he stopped out into the hallway.
"We'll discuss after we get the others." Vil answered as he made his way to the next door.
"That's everyone." Vil confirmed once Riddle stepped into the hallway.
"Who was in the room at the end of hall? I'm getting a whiff of some vaguely familiar magic." Leona asked as he looked over the door.
"I haven't the faintest idea, The door was already destroyed by the time I got out and no one was in there." Vil answered.
"Whoever they were they blew a door made with anti magic materials clean off they must be quiet the formidable mage." Azul pointed out.
"We shouldn't assume the other subjects would be able to think and reason like us. We need to stay sharp." Jamil reminded them.
"I'm concerned about the escaped subject but we do have more pressing matters." Riddle said.
"Agreed there's a distinct miasma hanging in the air." Azul added.
"That's high density blot all right." Leona muttered.
"Do you think something's gone wrong at Tartarus? There are supposedly over 10,000 Phantoms there." Riddle asked.
"It's possible." Azul mumbled.
"We don't want to inhale too much of this stuff. Since we can use magic now I suggest we change into our dorm uniforms they have strong magical defenses." Vil suggested.
The group changes in a blink of an eye into their dorm uniforms.
"We were also able to summon the magical pens Styx confiscated from us, it was worryingly easy something is definitely afoot." Riddle pointed out.
They should approached by a Charon trooper. "Magic reading detected within 10 meter radius termination mode engaged." It stated.
"What?" Vil gasped.
"Target confirmed eliminating immediately." It said as it raised a baton at them.
They defeat the trooper with a combination of attacks.
"Phew, we managed to take them down." Azul sighed.
"Look no one's inside this armor." Jamil pointed out as the armor's chest piece fell off.
"This was nothing like the attack at school. They were clearly out for blood this time, I've got a real bad feeling about this." Leona grumbled.
"I suppose we don't have time for a leisurely chat, let's head top the control room before matters get worse. I believe the 'boss' should be there." Vil said as he began to lead the pack but stopped and turned back. "Wait one moment I almost forgot." He said.
"What now?" Leona asked.
"My special serum, I certainly can't leave this behind." Vil said coming back out of his room tucking a bottle into his belt.
"Everything going haywire and you're worried about dry skin, supermodels must have it tough." Leona commented in a marking tone.
"Call it what you like but this is my good luck serum." Vil replied.
Meanwhile in the Hecate Sector Training Room Rook, Epel and Odette were adjusting to the sudden darkness.
"What in the world the power just went out." Epel commented as he looked up at the lights.
"I'm trying the light switch but nothing is happening." Odette said from the wall she had made her way to.
"The intercom isn't responding either so we can't reach HQ, and the door lock isn't budging." Rook added as he tried the intercom then the door.
"So we're trapped in here?" Epel gulped.
"Shh, I hear something outside….from what I can gather the residents here are just as surprised by the power outage as we are. All the staff are heading to HQ." Rook hushed them as he pressed his ear to the door.
'So this is unusual then.' Odette thought as she copied Rook.
"What should we do? Would it be better to wait until Ortho comes and gets us?" Epel asked as he walked up to them.
"Mhhh, Just a moment if you please. Come see if you can flee from me Arrow Afar." Rook replied as he closed his eyes. In his mind's eye he could see a bright dot and it was moving. "Vil's group has left their rooms they're moving through HQ right now." He said after a few moment and opening his eyes.
"Wait what, but you didn't get to see them earlier. How did you cast your signature spell?" Epel asked a confused look on his face.
"Truth be told I cast it on one of the products in Vil's care package." Rook confessed.
"Huh? You mean it don't just work on people? You can cast it on THINGS too?" Epel gasped.
"My prey is hardly limited to humans., I thought they might scan it to identify its exact effect but it seems they did not. The spell isn't aggressive and contains no toxicity. It appears to have no point and no effect at first glance. You see cosmetics are commonly imbued with cantrip level spells. For example there's a store that sells enchanted mail polishes made by this one makeup artist who's also a mage. I imagine that to Idia and Ortho my signature spell cantrip was no different from the kind of thing so they let it be." Rook chuckled.
"Well that's good to know." Odette said.
"Whoa, that's amazing and gotta say through, that spell's scarier than I thought. If he put his mark on someone they wouldn't even know it was there would they?" Epel mumbled.
"There's been an unexpected power outage in a place with the very best technology and Vil's on the move even though all his tests are over and he's supposed to be waiting in his room. I would wager there's some trouble at HQ." Rook said as he turned back to the door.
"I hope Grim's okay, hopefully he's with them." Odette said as she watched Rook. 'This can't be good, maybe Rook thinks so too.' She thought.
"Ortho said this was a training facility for Styx personnel in which case." Rook said as he ran over his hands over the door frame.
"Rook why are you feeling around the door?" Epel asked as the door began to make noises. "Here we are an emergency door release simply give it a pull and wa la." Rook said as the door swung back.
"Wow the door opened right up." Epel gasped as they stepped into the hall.
"They wouldn't need to limit people's movements in a training facility it's not like there are research subjects running around. Hence, I surmised there would be a way to open the door from the inside of an emergencies and it appears I was right. Let's head over to HQ as well. I do hope I'm wrong but I have a terrible sinking feeling about this. Epel, Odette follow me and stay close." Rook ordered as they made they way towards the exit.
"Yes sir." They said in unison as they followed.
'He's getting the feeling too but how bad is it going to be this time?' Odette thought.
They soon made they're way to the entrance of HQ. They saw not a single soul on the way, it was entirely deserted.
"Tarnation, I thought this building looked big before but it's a whole another story up close." Epel said as he craned his neck back to take in the building.
"It's almost a let down how easily we made it here. No one so much as questioned our presence. How do we get inside though?" Rook asked as he looked for an entrance.
"We're not inside yet." Odette commented.
A scream filled the air, someone yelling for help as they ran towards the group, he was being chased by a Charon soldier.
"Those armored soldiers are attackin an islander ain't they on the same side?" Epel asked.
"I'm not certain but regardless we must save him." Rook said as he took out his pen and Epel did the same.
An older grey haired staff member ran up to them and hide behind them and fell to the ground.
"Output at maximum Termination mode engaged." The first Charon stated.
"Eliminate target" The second Charon kept repeating.
"What are they doing? These Charon aren't acting at all like the ones from the other day. Epel, Odette we must retreat for now. Monsiuer can you stand?" Rook asked as he took a step back from the Charons.
"I think so." He muttered as he stood back up.
"I'll secure our path Epel back me up. Odette lend the man your shoulder." Rook ordered as he put up a shield.
"Right." Odette confirmed as Epel aimed his pen at the Charon as Odette looped her arm around the staff member.
"Ah! There's another 6 no 7 they just keep coming." Epel gasped.
The staff member screamed as Odette tried to back them away from the Charons. She could feel him begin to shake at the sight of the soldiers.
"Eliminate." The Charon chanted as they all aimed batons at them.
"Are they trying to vaporize us with those beams?" Epel gulped.
"I don't think my barrier can withstand their onslaught everyone run!" Rook ordered.
They began to run away from the Charon.
"My knees they're shaking so bad. I can't move." The staff member whimpered as Odette half dragged him.
"You got this, you've got to power through it man." Odette said as she continued to drag him.
"Odette and the staffer are falling behind." Epel said glancing over his shoulder.
"Rgh! I don't know if I can take this but I'll try yo shield them with a full power barrier." Rook said as he turned back around to protect them.
"Technomantic beam recharged target locked." A Charon soldier stated as he got closer to Odette and the staff member. He raised his baton at them.
'Am I gonna just sit here and watch again?' Epel thought as he watched Odette continue to struggle away from the Charon.
"Firing in three, two, one" The Charon counted down.
'How can I be so useless? What did I even come here for? I'm sick and tired of feelin so utterly powerless.' Epel thought as he gritted his teeth, frustration building in him.
'Epel's building magic rapidly, I know what this is.' Rook thought as he turned to look at Epel who do have magic swirling around him, starting at his feet and swirling up.
'I can't go on, so is this where it ends? I never did make it back home.' Odette thought as she stopped and glared at the Charon dead on.
"Fire!" The Charon shouted.
"I don't think so!" Epel screamed.
Thanks for reading and sticking around. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See ya next time.