“James, the first layer of infiltration took too long, so you don’t have a lot of time left. Still, don’t rush this. Make sure you bring Fate back alive, that’s the mission. You have permission to kill as many of the Benson’s security as you need to, just complete the mission.”

“Rodger”

I closed the Astral Channel I was using to communicate with Remus from a distance telepathically. By hiding in an equipment box in the back of a transport truck, I’d managed to get deep into the fortress.

I couldn’t see anything from the inside of the box, but I could sense that the concentration of Astral Light was getting stronger as we went deeper inside.

Finally I felt the truck stop. The rattling box I was in stopped shaking as the driver turned off the engine and got out of the vehicle. I figured this was my destination, every other time we’d stopped he’d stayed in the vehicle.

A few moments later, I heard than man come around to the back of the truck and push up the vertical door on the back of the truck.

“I do not want to move all of this myself.” He sighed and still hoped up into the back of the truck.

That’s when I sprung out of the box, catching the man by surprise.

He was facing the other direction so it was easy for me to get the jump on him. Remus had been right that my time was somewhat limited, and I couldn’t afford to expend any unnecessary Astral Light because that would only deplete my stores further.

I’d have to use my close quarters martial arts in this situation. I saw that he instinctively reached for the weapon, a pistol held in a holster on the right side of his belt. As soon as he pulled it, I grabbed his wrist knocking the gun out of his hand.

The man started to panic when he saw he’d lost his weapon, so he lunged to the ground frantically to grab it before I could. But I had no intention of using his gun, use of such a loud weapon would alert the other guards to my infiltration, and I couldn’t have that happening quite yet.

I grabbed him by both legs while he was reaching for the gun on the ground, essentially pulling him back like a wheel barrow. He slid on his face for a bit, then I set down his legs, and pulled him up by the back of his uniform.

I held him in a sleeper hold and started a quick interrogation.

“You and I both know I could snap your neck right now. You better not scream. I just want to ask you a few questions, then a let you go. Is that alright?”

The man whimpered a bit and made a slight nod.

“In what lab are you conducting the experiments the human experiments?”

“I.. I don’t know what you mean. Please don’t kill me.”

He wasn’t cooperating, so I squeezed on his neck a little bit harder.

“I’m hoping something jogs your memory so I don’t have to pull again.”

“They don’t tell us about where the labs are. And I don’t know where the kids are. I swear I’m telling the truth.”

“Five seconds ago, you told me you had no idea what I’m talking about. I squeezed a little harder, and now you’re starting to spill useful information. I wonder what you’ll do if I tighten up again.”

“Please…eghh… I” The guard was starting to choke and gasp for air.

“I need directions. I don’t have time for this.”

“There’s nothing… you.. can do…”

“Well I did warn you.”

I cranked my arms even harder around his neck.

He let out a barely audible gargle. I was about a half foot taller than him so the pressure I applied to his neck from the hold began to work like a lever, lifting him off the ground.

I reared my head around to give him a look in the eyes before I asked him a final time.

The veins on his face were popping out, and his eyes were bloodshot and bulging out of the sockets.

“Tell me now, I don’t think you could handle another crank.”

“Kill…me.. just do it…”

That was not what I was expecting to hear. It caused me to hesitate, loosing my grip just slightly.

The guard took advantage of the moment and used the little strength he had to begin wriggling out of the chokehold. But when he did that, it was over.

I grabbed him again, yanking the hold as hard as I could.

The long and thick spinal bone in his neck made a loud crack and I felt him go completely limp a few moments later.

I hid his body in the back of the truck and exchanged my clothes for his security uniform to make the rest of the infiltration a little easier.

As I changed into his clothes, I couldn’t help but respect the man’s sense of duty. I’d do the same for my organization, the legendary magical family known as the Landos. 9/10 Someone being interrogated will only play tough at first, then give up the information pretty quickly when it’s clear their life is in immediate danger.

Disguised in the official uniform, I had no problem making my way deeper into the facility. But I still wasn’t completely sure where the human experimentation labs were. I didn’t have time for another failed interrogation, so I decided to take a more covert method.

I walked down the hallways of the facility until I came to one of the recreation rooms. It was being used by the scientists and guards to take breaks.

I saw two old men in lab coats discussing something over by the coffee machine. I stood by the vending machine next to them and pretended to be buying something while I eavesdropped on their conversation.

“How was the intake for the new specimen?”

“You mean Fate?”

“Yes, I believe that is title of #59402. Have you been able to enhance her Degree yet?”

“She didn’t like the shock treatments, but they worked. Her Astral Attachment is starting to activate. After a few more infusions, the enhancements will start to take. Soon she will be a 2nd degree Adept and will be our new weapon.”

“That is wonderful! The Landos and that obnoxious Dr. Von are going to be stunned. This could turn the tide of the entire war.”

After hearing this, I waited for their conversation to end and then stealthily stalked the doctor who would be working on Fate. He eventually came to the door in front an examination room.

The room had a clear glass window on the side that let you see everything going on. He entered the room and I tried to get in before it closed, but the heavy door locked automatically when it swung shut.

TI looked inside the room through the window. Inside was the scientist in his lab coat holding a file. Infront of him, sitting on the elevated exam table, was the patient a beautiful woman. She was sitting there almost completely naked, except for the white bedsheet she was holding up in to cover herself.

But the bedsheet didn't do very much because it was almost transparent in the light. So you could pretty easily see her entire body.

I couldn't hear what they're saying, because apparently the glass was soundproof, but I could tell from the body language that the doctor was trying to explain something to the woman.

He was using a lot of hand movements like he was trying to talk her into doing or agreeing with something. But she didn't say anything.

She just sat there, seated on the hospital bed, barely covering herself, staring at him blankly. I don't even think she broke eye contact. Finally, the doctor exasperatedly threw his hands up started to leave the room.

I hid out of his line of vision and waited for him to open the door.

When he opened it, I knew I’d need to move quickly to get through the door. The doors at the level of the facility used biometric locks, so If the door locked it would be much harder for me to get in.

So when he came through, I grabbed his arm and brought him down with an arm drag. He landed with his legs still half in the doorway.

When the heavy automatic door went to close, it ended up slamming right on his knees. He let out a loud yell. I looked around to see if there was anybody in the area, but it looked like we were in the clear.

It looked like the heavy automatic door had had shattered his knee, but the old doctor wouldn't have been in much of a position to run for me anyway. So I entered the previously locked door dragging the doctor behind me by the cuff of the lab coat on his right arm.

I could tell he was trying to say something to me, but the he must’ve been suffering so much from the pain that it just came out incoherent babble

The woman just watched all of this, sitting silently on the exam table. She had no reaction at all.

I locked the door and brought in the scientist. The first thing I did was create a gag so he couldn't scream to alert any of the guards.

I ripped off part of his pant leg started to improvise a gag.

“You don't need to do that. You know this room is completely soundproof.” The woman said.

This was the first time I had seen her speak or even react to anything.

“Oh yeah. I know. I just can't stand listening to his whimpering anymore. Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. But I’ve been enjoying it.” She said to me, still with the blank expression.

“Doesn’t look like you are. By the way, you are Fate Evans, right?” I asked.

“Yes that’s right”

I’d finished restraining the scientist and placed him in the closet in the room. That’s when I first got to take a look at the woman.

She had long chestnut brown hair coming all the way down to her elbows. Her breasts, with large brown areoles, were also pretty easy for me to see completely through the bed sheet. They looked large, at least DD, but stood firm and heroically upright almost in defiance of the laws off gravity.

When she Fate me looking at her, she dropped the bedsheet and exposed herself completely.

“You didn’t instinctively look away, most guys these days would have.” She said to me.

“Oh, is that right?”

At this point I was mainly concerned about developing our exfiltration route. And I could tell she would probably be difficult, making my job of extracting her that much more challenging.

“What are you doing her?” She asked.

“I’m here to rescue you, of course.” I responded.

She laughed.

“And you’re funny too. Amazing. No, I no you’re not here to “rescue me”. This isn’t some fantasy movie from the 70s. No one alive cares about me, and the only people who even know I exist are spies from the 13 families. If you’re here to take me, it’s more like a kidnapping than a rescue.”

“You know, it won’t be a kidnapping if you just come along. I actually don’t have a lot of time”

“And why would I do that, when I’m perfectly comfortable here?”

“Comfortable? You’re comfortable sitting here nude, being subjected to medical experimentation? I don’t believe that.”

“I’m quite comfortable nude.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes really, now let me ask you a question. Why are you doing this?”

“My mission is to res— take you out of here. Easy question.”

“Oh no, that’s not what I mean, I mean why are you doing the mission?”

“Because it is my duty.”

She laughed.

“And that begs the question, why do you even give a damn about duty?”

Her question vexed me. I could hardly even understand what she could be meaning by trying to question something so fundamental.

“Come on, let’s go” I told her.

“Ha, see. You came here to “rescue” me, but you aren’t actually anymore “free” than I am.”

“What? What are you talking about, we don’t have time for this.”

At that moment she laid down on the examination table spread the sheet over herself like a blanket.

“If you’re really free, come join me over here.” She said, beckoning for me to join her under the sheet with her index finger.

At that, the gagged scientist in the closet made some sort of rumble.

What she was trying to do was obvious. She was trying to manipulate me. I didn’t know what she wanted. Just seemed like she wanted to play games, but I didn’t have time for that.

“Ok, you didn’t want to do it the easy way.”

I started mentally preparing to knock the woman unconscious and drag her out of the facility against her will.

“I’ve always preferred the hardway”

“Yeah people say that, but when push comes to shove…”

As I continued to approach her she sat back up on the table, letting her sheet fall to the ground.

“Fine, I’ll go with you. But only under one condition.” She said.

“Ok, but you aren’t really in a position to be making demands here. Better not be something crazy.”

“It won’t be,”

“Ok, go ahead.”

“What is your name?” She asked.

I gave her a stern look.

“You give me your entire philosophy on life, offer to sleep with me and THEN you ask my name? Isn’t that backwards? It’s James by the way.”

“Who decided how it needs to be? Sex, philosophy and an adventure all sound more interesting to me than your name. Especially with a name like James. But you said you’d give me your whole name.”

“Lando. James Lando.”

“Of course you’re a Lando. Yeah totally ready to rescue me huh? Obviously you people will just put me in another place like this.”

I couldn’t tell her that wouldn’t be the case.

“Well alright, are you ready to go?”

“Ready? Look at me, I’m completely naked.”

“I thought you were comfortable in the nude.”

“I meant only in front of you.”

“And why is that?”

“Because you asked me how I was doing. It’s been years since anyone even pretended to care.”

I started to unbutton the uniform pants I had taken from the guard.

“Oh so you changed your mind?”

“No, but you need something to wear. You’re right it’s not proper for a lady to be running around like this.”

I disrobed right there in front of her. I suppose she didn’t feel like I needed any privacy, considering I’ve already been starting at her bare breasts for the entire conversation.

With her dressed in a surprisingly form-fitting men’s uniform, we left the room. I decided that just remaining in my underwear would be the best course of action. The scientist’s clothes were too small and the lab coat would’ve only made the escape harder.

I contacted the helicopter that was supposed to exfiltrate us and said we were almost ready.

We’d planned for the escape to be complicated, and possibly involve heavy combat. I have a weapon, called an Oni, which is basically a long stick with blades on both sides. It has special properties allowing me to use Astral Light to energize the blades into spinning chainsaws.

I equipped it and led her out of the exam room.

The intruder alarms were soon sounded, and our escape turned into a chase.

I didn’t have much of a problem sawing through the majority of the guards, until we came up to a Spirit monster that must’ve been summoned by one of the facilities magic using guards.

The monster was a disgusting sickly green troll with a huge nose covered with boils. It was a huge beast, at least 7 feet high.

The monster swung at me and I was able to take off a couple of fingers with my Oni. It feel backwards in pain, landing on an entire squadron of pursuers.

I started to go to finish the beast off, but she yanked me hard by the strap of my briefs and pulled me back.

“Wait a second. I can take care of this.” Fate told me

Then I saw her raise her hand and an incredible amount of Astral Light came out from around her.

“Father Time, bless your loyal child. Stop my pursuers!”

As she yelled that a great flash of light came out of her hands. Then the entire army of guards and the giant troll stopped instantly and turned a shade of grey.

“Ok, lets go.” I was stunned. Here this woman just performed a flawless Stop without invoking any summons or Astral Streams. She must have even more concentration of Astral Light than was initially obvious to me.

With her help, we were able to rendezvous with Remus in the helicopter at the extraction point.