Chapter 8: Recovery Assignment

So, there's another job from Clock Tower. Hopefully there are no strings attached this time.

March 27

Early in the morning Elric was staggering towards Clock Tower with antipathy plastered across his face as he looked at the facility. Far from relishing the idea of being back after the day he had previously.

Approaching with Mordred at his side, talking, busting balls. Elric made the occasional comment, but his mind was more preoccupied with the matter of this prospective job Lord El-Melloi II apparently had in mind for him—or so Euros claimed—and was curious what his interest was with this matter. It supposedly involved a stolen catalyst, and Elric was curious to see if the magus would elaborate or just expect him to be all 'yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir' or be somewhere in the middle.

Lord El-Melloi II was to be in the midst of a lecture by that time of the day, so he opted to wait in his office.

Mordred snooped around, examining the contents of the room, while Elric reclined back in a chair, taking his time reading a detective novel the man formerly known as Waver Velvet left on his desk.

"Not much to look at, is it?" Mordred asked, sitting in the chair next to her Master. "Rocco's room was more interesting. He at least had a collection of baby hydras to look at."

"Yeah, Waver isn't that interesting when it comes to office decoration."

"Waver?"

"Lord El-Melloi II, formerly known as Waver Velvet. That's who I'm talking about. He's gotten less fun since the Fourth Grail War."

"Fourth…?"

"He survived working in the Grail War before the last one. Doesn't talk about it much. And if he asked, you didn't hear it from me."

"Oh, was it a secret?" Mordred looked at her master with a mischievous face. "Wonder what he'll do to you if I talk."

"That bored, huh?" Elric kept his eyes focused on the novel, barely able to concentrate enough to read—because of how it bordered on boring levels that could help a man struggling with insomnia.

Looking forward, slumping back in her chair, Mordred replied "A little." Willing to take anything that could pass for excitement.

"I doubt Melloi would do anything if you mentioned it. His participation isn't exactly a closely guarded secret."

They waited for some time, hours passed. Elric tossed the detective novel back onto Lord El-Melloi II's sturdy desk. Making a labored sigh, as he—similarly to the Saber of Red—was growing bored from the wait. Tapping his foot on the ground, tempted to pull out a smoke, when he heard the door knob stir. Creaking as it turned. Then he and Mordred simultaneously looked back to see Lord El-Melloi walk inside. Looking a tad surprised to find them wait.

"Oh, Belmont, you're here already."

"Yeah, I-"

"About time!" Mordred complained.

"Excuse my tardiness. I had a lecture to give." Lord El-Melloi said, with a hint of facetiousness buried in his words. "You're here because I have a job for you, so should it not matter the time when I arrive?"

"You mind getting to the point?" Elric interjects himself back in. "Euros said you had a job but was more than a little vague about the details. Something about a stolen catalyst?"

"Indeed. Last night." El-Melloi II said, pulling out his chair behind the desk. "I believe we have enough details about the theft to give you the appropriate amount of information." Pulling out a file from his desk. "It was a few of the catalysts recovered following the Fuyuki incident. I was intending to use one for a summoning on my own and finally obtained permission to perform it when the break in occurred."

"Who're the suspects?"

Stretching his arm across the desk, El-Melloi II handed Elric the file, telling him onceMordred snatched it. "There is some disagreement among my colleagues, but I believe it was conducted by one or more of the Acolytes." Indifferent to who saw the contents of the file first.

"The Acolytes?" Elric replied; hinting some antipathy in his words—such as one found with a person holding a vendetta, but more honest than one held by Somnus. It made Mordred curious to read as much as possible before Elric decided he would take the file and read for himself.

A detesting frown formed on the Freelancer's face gradually.

Shit. I wonder if that means Silas is involved. Shit. Shit. SHIT.

The Acolytes of Silas—colloquially known simply as the 'Acolytes'—a cult of maguses known to be a nuisance for the Mage Association and the Church alike; and a faction who's real motivations and intentions are scarcely known beyond their devotion to a madman.

Elric looked at the file as Mordred read it, seeing the photos and names of the thiefs. Jamie Davenport and Van Amell—a recent addition to the Clock Tower staff and attending student before the theft occurred. They had been around about a full year before the theft occurred, and both studied in Spiritual Evocation. And their last known location: just outside of London.

They looked like the type to attract the Acolytes of Silas. Arrogant, weak minded; they type of people Elric tended to loathe.

Unfortunately, Van Amell disappeared before the investigation began. Jamie Davenport, however, had yet to leave his apartment.

"How do you want this handled?"

"I desire the catalyst to be recovered. As for the matter of contending with the thief, I leave that for you to decide." El-Melloi II responded. "I would prefer no blood be shed, but understand if things grow out of control."

"Okay." Elric told him as Mordred continued to read. "Shouldn't be a problem." Then a thought occurred to him—a precaution he almost forgot to consider—and asked the new employer "He doesn't use any guns, by chance."

"Of course not, Elric. This isn't America. We actually have gun laws here."

"Don't remind me." Elric then heard enough and tapped Mordred on the shoulder, telling her "Let's go."

Mordred left the file on the desk and followed her Master out the door.


Elric and Mordred rode their motorcycles to the location. Finding the flat on the border of London touching into the countryside. For Mordred it was beautiful to look at—the peaceful, serene setting outside of the city.

Her peaceful mindset changed though as she looked back into the city, joining Elric in looking up at the second floor of the flat they parked nearby. Seeing a glimpse of Jamie Davenport moving around inside—it was a brief glimpse but long enough for them to see his face. As far as they knew he lived alone, so it could be no one else and there was no one to get in their way—it should be an easy job.

Hopefully there would be no setbacks or unforeseen occurrences; and thankfully Wesley was not there to jeopardize the job, that time.

Mordred looked to Elric and asked "So what's the plan?" Curious to see how her Master wanted to play this one out. "You do have one, right?"

"Of course." Elric assured her. "I'm going to the door. You stay out here in case he makes a run for it."

"What if he does?"

"Floor him." Elric said vaguely. "Don't kill him, though. If he's hidden the catalyst, we'll need him to find it."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm not a amateur."

"You asked."

Elric walked into the building. Spoke to an employee—lying that he was there to surprise an old friend and was eventually given the room number with enough convincing and bribery. Reaching the floor where Davenport was staying.

He knocked on the door, pulling out and hiding Knall behind his back in one hand then put the other behind him as well.

"Jamie Davenport?" he called out.

He saw an eye look out the peephole as a voice responded "Who's asking?" Sounding a mite on edge.

"Clock Tower sent me." Elric answered.

The eye widened behind the peephole.

"They asked me to check on you. They were concerned-" Elric stopped once he saw the eye disappear and heard footsteps running from the door, and ended up muttering to himself "Shit." before he kicked the door in.

He got in just in time to see Jamie Davenport defenestrate himself through the window. Then ran to see him recovering on the ground with a broken arm. Davenport pulled himself to his feet ready to make a run for it, but ended up being tackled to the ground and found himself on the ground with Clarent's blade held against his throat.

Elric smiled, watching the proceedings from above as the idiot repeatedly tried to break free only for his face to greet the pavement before Clarent was brought back into place. He put away Knall and searched through the various rooms in the flat before joining Mordred outside. Still restraining Davenport, with the neighbors beginning to investigate the noise.

Elric took one look at the possible witnesses and muttered "Well...shit." Then looked at the restrained Davenport, still on the ground with a blade against his throat, and said "Get him up. We gotta go."

He and Mordred escorted Jamie out of the city while people began calling the Bobbies. Any one who tried to follow them ended up staring down Knall's barrel and had a few shots "miss" them. They made Davenport walk a few miles, and then some, before forcing him to rest against a tree.

"Okay. You're gonna answer some questions."

"I refuse."

Elric punched Davenport across the face. Telling him "Let me finish." before starting over. "You're gonna answer some questions." Drawing his knife. "If you refuse to cooperate—I'm just gonna take Pisto, here, and my time picking you apart."

"Y-you're bluffing." Jamie stuttered. "You don't have the balls."

A wicked smile stretched across Elric's lips as he looked at Davenport and Mordred gave a near you poor dumb bastard look. Bending down, the gunslinger told him "Only one way to find out, ass hole."

Elric loomed over the man. Imposing. Looking like the devil.

"I think we'll start with the fingers." Elric continued. "After that, I'll work on your toes; then your teeth, your cock." Stepping closer in a single stride. "Once I run out of things to cut off, I'll probably just skin you like a dear." Grabbing Davenport by the collar. His eyes glowed crimson.

"What the hell are you?"

"Not really the top of your problems right now."

With his eyes still on the prisoner, Elric said "Mordred, go find a good place to hide him. I'll need to make the hole nice and deep." Then released the collar and took one hand, priming his knife to cut the first finger.

Mordred watched in amusement. She wasn't sure if her Master really meant what he said, but the Davenport guy looked so scared he might piss himself. She was just about to step away and begin looking for the ideal spot to dig a hole when the guy finally broke down in tears.

"Wait! Wait, Wait!" he began to sing, as some might say. "You want the catalyst, right?"

Mordred began to chuckle as she continued watching.

Elric nodded his head in a yes fashion. So Jamie started to say everything he knew. How the catalysts he stole were mostly gone. How Amell took the other two, but the one El-Melloi desired was still in a place he called the compound.

When Elric demanded to be led to it, Jamie didn't even try to argue. Especially after the Freelancer made clear what would happen if he tried anything—his face went white pale in reaction.

The Gunslinger and Knight of Betrayal were led to a small door in the ground. Elric jammed the gun to Jamie's head and had him open it to lead them further inside. Once in they found a cadre of magus waiting inside. All giving them the stink eye.

Despite being strangers, Elric had a general idea as to their identity—other Acolytes.

Elric began to talk first, hoping maybe they were of the less fanatical variety of the cultist type that he was used to dealing with. "Okay, one of-" only for a blast of magecraft to tear through Davenport's ungainly skull.

Mordred summoned the Secret of Pedigree armor and Clarent. She quickly jumped in front of her Master, sword resting on her shoulder, blocking the following blasts of magecraft energy. Elric thanked her, readying his pistol and opening fire on the cultists.

Well, technically I didn't kill him, so Melloi can't get too pissy with me.

They moved through the underground structure. Clearing the rooms one by one—with pistol, knife and sword. In the interim, Mordred heard and saw so many gunshots from Knall that she lost count. She eventually stopped counting while she brutalized the cultists with Clarent and her free hand.

"There was no need to leave survivors." Mordred's Master claimed, as they already knew where the catalysts were being kept, more or less, and that "These dinguses already blew their chance at walking away from this." Which was true.

Mordred followed her Master without a second thought. These were hardly what you could call defenseless bystanders. They were armed with powerful magecraft, and aiming to harm the pair even when they were offered a chance at clemency. So as far as the Knight of Betrayal was concerned, it was kill or be killed.

Eventually the Acolyte cultists were whittled down to the last survivor—one man left on the floor, wounded with a bullet in his gut, and staring down the barrel of Knall with Elric hard pressed for reasons not to kill him.

Even after all they had done, Elric was willing to give one more shot to negotiation. And so he said, rather plainly, "Last chance. Where's the catalyst?"

The man looked askance before lifting himself up to respond spitefully "Go to hell!"

Elric tilted his head slightly. Giving his own response of "You first, pal." before pulling the trigger and putting a bullet between the rogue magus' eyes.

He looked back over his shoulder to Mordred. "Guess we'll have to find it on our own. Better start looking around." Shrugging his shoulders.

"You think?" Mordred responded sarcastically.

They eventually found a box in one of the back rooms, after shooting off the lock. Inside the box was the piece of a red mantle. It was hard for Elric to believe what he was seeing, as he recognized it—based on a description El-Melloi once gave. It was the piece of a mantle that belonged to Iskadar, the Servant he used in the Fourth Grail War—back when he still went by the name Waver.

A smile crept onto Belmont's lips as he realized what his old associate was planning to do, and it made him laugh. Leaving Mordred feeling like the odd man in the situation—so he explained and she was still not getting the joke.

"Never mind. Let's just go. No tell when the cops'll show up to investigate all those gunshots."

"Guess you should have used Bleidd instead."

"Yeah, yeah."

They lit out of the place. Leaving the corpses for the bobbies to find. They returned to the flat to retrieve their motorcycles and left just in-time to pass the coppers as they were arriving. They just barely got away before a single person could finger them.

The pair rode back for Clock Tower, and reached it an hour later.

By the time Lord El-Melloi II had returned to his office he found Elric waiting with a smirk on his face and a clueless Mordred.

Not a word was exchanged on Elric's part. He just gave the box to El-Melloi, accepted his clients thanks and money, then left. All the while Mordred was still trying to understand what Elric was so amused by.

From there they stopped at a table outside the facility and Elric began to explain in further detail.