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Location Unknown: Underground

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“Corvo?” Echoed an unknown voice illuminating from the shadows behind a rock.

“Yes?” Replied an unknown man in a slithery voice who was going by the name Corvo.

“What is the situation? You were watching right?” Asked the mysterious man hiding in the shadows.

“He might be worth recruiting. I was watching their fight and he needs improvement but is definitely a cut above the rest. It will be the first time we get someone in a while.” Corvo replied.

The two men faced away from each other while they spoke, they were in a dark cave illuminated only by a small fraction of moonlight seeping through small cracks in the top of the cave.

“Good to hear, I’m sick of being on recruitment. I’m glad I told you to watch him.” Replied the shadowy figure.

“Shall I keep watch on the traitors now instead of him?” Asked Corvo.

“No, there is no need. After they recruited that Ice user it’s been downhill. I defeated one of their main members and their Ice user was defeated by him.” Replied the unknown man. “Keep watching him for me, I want to see how he acts a little longer before recruiting him. I’m sure the boss isn’t in any rush right now considering our situation.”

“Of course.” Replied Corvo before vanishing into the shadows as if he was never there.

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Guard station’s Infirmary: 8:00 PM - Same Day

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“huh…” I opened my eyes slowly, everything appeared blurry at first.

“Uhgh…”

“My head…” I muttered as I groaned in pain.

“HUH!” I shot up quickly, recalling my fight with Richard. I peered around the room, my eyes darting around in panic.

“Oh…” I let out in a sigh of relief. I realised I was in the Guard station by looking out the window next to me onto the street below. But I didn’t know it had an infirmary. I peered around the medium sized room, around 5 beds each side on the left and right. I was in the top left corner next to a window. Pictures of Mr Zentorno were set up across the walls of the room, 3 in total. The walls here were made of a pale peach like concrete. This must be a new part of the building.

As I looked around at the other beds, I saw what looked like the murderer I had just fought huddled up in the white sheets we were provided with.

“They wouldn’t let a murderer just rest in a room with me, right?” I said out loud, notifying the apparently awake Richard.

Richard sat up and faced me. “You’re awake Shay?” He said looking up at me with a fatigued face.

“THEY DID!” I screamed in shock.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Exclaimed Richard while lifting his shirt to reveal a Magicka seal.

“Diablo put this on me, I can’t use Magicka while this is on.” He said relieving my stress.

“Ah I see…” I responded while raising my eyebrow and gazing at him intensely.

“Oh, I’m cuffed to the bed by my ankle. Did you really think they would let me sit in here unrestrained?” Questioned Richard as if my queries were complete nonsense.

“Oh, right.” I laughed it off.

Richard looked at me with a different look in his eyes now compared to earlier. He seemed like a different person; his eyes looked stronger than before.

“I wanted to apologise.”

My eyes widened for a moment with shock.

“The way I was acting earlier, my murders, taking a hostage, wounding you.” He went on.

“I feel different now. After fighting with all I had and having my dreams crushed. I- …”

The room fell silent, we were the only two in there. All that could be heard in that moment of silence was the wind from outside howling like a wolf and the odd creeks of the wooden floors from above us.

“My whole life up to this point has been directed by other people, I haven’t done anything myself.” Continued Richard.

“When I was younger, I was beaten by my father and I was essentially forced out of home; I ended up joining a criminal organisation. It wasn’t until later that I found out that the group I joined was actually a group of traitors who had betrayed another organisation. The other group was strong, much stronger than us. We fought with them a few times, around 3 or 4. Each time ended in us losing men and retreating. I only took part in 2 of those battles, I was left bruised after each scuffle.”

I kept listening intensely as he went on about his organisation and how they were traitors to another group. His group wanted money and to rule the world and fight endlessly with other nations, but the other group wanted to take over each of the 4 kingdoms and stop their constant war’s by force.

“Listen… Shay…” Richard kept going. “I was manipulated by the organisation I joined. They took me when I was at my lowest and promised me that they would accept me and treat me right as long as I done what they said. So, I did…”

“For years I continued to fight for them, loot for them and carry out their mischievous plans. Each mission corrupting me more and more until finally I was appointed to carry out several murders with the vice commissioner in this area and I was stopped by you.”

“You opened my eyes; I can see that I was used by them and I no longer want a part in helping them grow. I no longer want to be Richard; I will throw that name and life away. Call me Rejet from now on, I’ll take Jet for short.” He said smiling softly.

I looked on towards him, staring him straight in the face. He looked determined, after hearing his story I oddly felt sympathy for him.

I sighed and stood up out of the bed, I felt uncomfortable, but It wasn’t bad enough that I couldn’t walk, I always healed pretty quick.

“Listen, Richa- I mean Jet.” I sighed standing in the middle of the room darting my eyes to the bottom right corner to look away from him.

“I’ll help you.” I said still looking away from him.

Jet’s eyes shot up in happiness.

“Thank you!” He said with a glittering smile.

“Not because I want to, but because it’s my job…”

He composed himself a little and looked at me, still with a small smile on his face.

I walked out of the room and began my walk down the hallway towards the main desk but before I could even get to the stairs Diablo came around the corner.

“Ah, there you are.” He said in his usual imposing voice.

“I will be leaving in a few days to head back to the castle, I can’t leave until the guy in there is finished recovering though, the seal to stop magicka is really tough and requires a lot of Magicka so I’m the only one who can keep it up 24/7 but the range for keeping it up is small so leaving this building is too much.” Said Diablo.

“While I’m still here, I wanted to thank you for sorting this out. I knew taking you along would be a good idea, having someone who could keep up with a higher-level demon by my side wasn’t a mistake after all.” He exclaimed. “I usually work alone or with another one of the 8 Roses, so it was a nice change. I also wanted to apologise for leaving you frozen like I did, mission comes first over your teammates lives, but I’m glad it all turned out okay.”

“Yeah, it was no problem.” I replied.

“Did he mention anything to you at all?” Asked Diablo.

“Yeah, he is apparently apart of a larger organisation.”

“I see, come with me to the private lounge, we can talk, and you can explain it to me.” Said Diablo.

After a long talk with Diablo about the criminal organisations I was sent home. I had to report to Diablo tomorrow for a briefing about the organisation Jet was a part of. Diablo was going to ask Jet about known hideout locations and we were to go and scout them throughout the next week.

I made my way home to my apartment. My body started to ache as I walked and all I wanted was to lie down and sleep for now.

I made it to my apartment and fell asleep pretty quickly with no issues.

Waking up was a drag like always, the birds were chirping, the sun was shining through the window; gleaming into my eyes as I squinted them the avoid being blinded. Looking over at my old grandfathers’ clock: 6:55 am.

“Ugh…” I spouted as I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling, rethinking everything that had happened the day before.

-THUD – THUD – THUD-

“Someone at the door huh?” I muttered quietly into my pillow as I pulled myself together and forced myself up from the clutches of my comfy bed.

I hobbled over to my door across the hard-wooden floor, squinting my eyes as I reached for the handle and opened the it at a moderate pace.

“yuh huh?” I muttered at the 5ft 9 delivery man, spouting a blue delivery uniform with a blue cap on saying “Dusty Deliveries”. What a name… I thought staring the man down with my tired demon like eyes.

“I have a package for you sir.” He said in a monotone voice handing over a medium sized cardboard box.

“Uuh, thanks?” I said closing the door slowly with my foot. I turned to put the box on the table and open it.

I looked inside to see a fresh Guards Uniform. “Oh, I didn’t know they did that?” I said out loud while turning to get changed out of my dirty uniform and into my new one. It must have been because of what happened yesterday, that was the only thing I could think of because they hadn’t done this prior to today.

I headed to Roosevelts café for my usual morning coffee, then began the trek to the guard station.

I was almost at the station, it was situated the right side of the road, the same as me, all I had to do was cross over a small road that was running along the left side of the Guard station and I would of reached it. However, as soon as I started to cross the street towards the building, Diablo came running out of the front doors and around the corner of the building to face the street on my right.

“What’s wrong?” I asked shocked at his sudden appearance.

“He- Disappeared…” Replied Diablo looking truly bewildered at what he had just experienced.

“What? Who? What’s wrong?” I asked still not getting a grasp of the situation.

“Rejet, the Ice user. He suddenly disappeared from his room.” Replied Diablo. “He left my range suddenly and my Magicka marker disappeared. I don’t understand how he escaped though…”

I looked on, bewildered by the event too. He was chained up last night, so how… He couldn’t have left Diablos range so suddenly as he claims, I don’t get it.

“Hm, come inside with me Shay. Let’s go investigate the room. We still have time before the mission briefing.” Exclaimed Diablo, walking off back into the guard station to head for the infirmary. I followed him quickly behind as we marched up the stairs directly towards the infirmary.

Diablo stopped me at the infirmary door.

“I’m going to skip time to where I have already entered the room. That way we may be able to confuse anyone who is still in there.

I nodded silently in agreement. Just then, Diablo disappeared with a -fwhip- noise, it sounded like someone sucked in air quickly while closing their mouth. It was a weird sound, I hadn’t noticed it prior to now.

Just as I had finished pondering about the noise, 3 seconds had passed and the door to the Infirmary practically teleported open with a similar sound, almost as if the first sound had been reversed. I was taken aback by the sudden teleportation of the door, before I could comment on it, Diablo began talking and I turned my head to face him.

“It seems no one is in here.” Announced Diablo glaring around the room vigorously.

I walked in after him looking around from corner to corner.

“It must be the work of someone from the criminal organisation he is apart of.” Exclaimed Diablo. “I think it is pretty obvious a 3rd party was involved in his disappearance, but what I don’t understand is how he left so suddenly. Maybe some form of a teleportation ability, but, I’m sure if someone with an ability like that existed the council would know of their existence, secret organisation or not…”

The two of us stood silently in the room for a few seconds, still peering around only to be interrupted by another guard.

“Um Diablo? I was told to tell you that the mission briefing starts in 2 minutes, are you ready?” Asked the guard with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

“Ah, Liam. Yeah we’re just about done here.” Replied Diablo as he made his way out of the room, walking past Liam who stood at the door watching him.

Liam gave me the idea that he was on his own, similar to how Paul was when me and Zane first met him, just the way he watched Diablo gave me those vibes.

“Hey, Liam? I’m Shay, nice to meet you.” I said introducing myself kindly.

“Oh uh, Yeah I’m Liam, nice to meet you Shay.” He said still seeming oddly shaken up.

“I’ll be heading to the mission briefing now or I’ll be late.” I said smiling at him.

“I’m there too.” Announced Liam following quickly behind me.

“You?” I replied a little shocked that they would have someone who is cowering at almost nothing coming with us to scout a criminal organisations base.

“I uhh.” He replied looking down at the ground.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just figured you were a messenger since I didn’t see your badge.” I said thinking how lame of an excuse it was.

“Oh, right I see!” He said looking up smiling.

He bought that!?

The two of us entered the briefing room, Diablo stood up front talking with another one of the higher-ranking guards. I spotted Zane and Paul standing along the right wall chatting while they waited for Diablo to start the briefing. I wandered over to them and introduced Liam.

“So, Shay…” Said Paul. “Are you feeling any better today?”

“Uh, yeah. I plan on going to see Amelia after todays mission, I woke up a little late, so I didn’t have time to go visit her.” I said as I felt myself feel a little depressed.

Before anyone could say anything else, Diablo announced to everyone that he was going to start. We all sat on rows of chairs that were lined up in the middle of the room facing the front stage where Diablo was, on his left was Gaze, our superior and on his right was another high-ranking guard who I hadn’t seen before.

Diablo began speaking firmly. “As you know, recently someone going by the name Rejet has entered our radar as a suspect for numerous murders in the area. Last night he admitted to them all, he even admitted to being in a criminal organisation and gave us numerous base locations. Well, this morning he escaped. Due to how sudden it was I can only assume it was some form of teleportation ability, even if that seems pretty farfetched, it is the only explanation.”

“I would like to address how we are going to go about recapturing him and others that are apart of his organisation. Rejet came clean about most stuff and told us where 3 bases were. We are going to infiltrate one of the bases and capture any of the members residing there. You are permitted to kill them if you feel your life is in danger. We will leave in an hour from now, it is important we leave as soon as possible since there is a chance, they will burn everything inside each of these hideouts and scatter, relocating to somewhere else.”

“Is everyone clear on this? Head to the weaponry and grab a sword, meet me out back in the training yard in 20 minutes for some quick warm up training.”

A unanimous yes sir arose from the bundle of guards, there were around 10 of us who were going to go on this mission, we would be accompanied by Diablo and two other higher-ranking guards. So that made 13 in total.

We made our way to the weaponry, I picked up a sword and then made my way to the training yard with Zane, Paul and Liam. We sat in the training yard for 10 minutes until Diablo called us all over.

“Okay, lets have a few training matches to warm up. These aren’t serious matches, don’t try to injure your opponent. We have a mission right after this, losing a man due to someone getting too heated is worst case scenario.” Exclaimed Diablo.

I looked around and everyone seemed rather excited, minus Zane, Paul and Liam. Zane looking calm as always, Paul looking a little worried and Liam visibly shaking.

“Okay!” Announced Diablo. “First match is!”

“Shay vs Zane”