One day after the initial attack on Minerva…

The top of Hill 181…

Unity was given the days rest after what Newman described was an improbable tale of survival under extreme conditions, such a tale that very few people alive could tell. And to think that this wasn’t the first time either, twice had Unity managed to survive from a situation that would guarantee death. When she told Jefferson of her thoughts on the matter, even he being the stone-cold bastard that he was had a tinge of being impressed in his voice. She definitely would have to keep an eye on Unity, in her experience as a captain in the Marine Corps, she knew both talent and luck when she saw it. Unity seemed to be gifted with both, which is why when Jefferson asked her to select a squad to escort what was to be potentially the most important asset in their arsenal, she didn't hesitate in volunteering Unity in order to fill that role.

The FECU was a game-changer for the Marines. Well, the Marines no longer. Now, the NATO task force. The FECU was a multi-national force consisting of the most elite special forces from the NATO countries. The FECU squad she was assigned to was one that she had worked with before… "Hazard Squad". They were strong, resourceful, and most importantly, effective. The FECU's goal was to collect information on the magical and fantastical presence inside of the world now named "Mysterium" by High Command. FECU operatives were to then adapt to that information to be deployed to some of the most unknown, dangerous, and crucial regions of Mysterium using the latest in experimental NATO technology and capabilities.

She knew from the jump that the FECU served a mostly political purpose. If President Carter couldn't keep the allies of the United States silent about the Portal Realm by denying Mysterium's existence, he'd have to openly reveal it to American Allies to contribute to the great secret. It must've worked, or else the FECU would've never have come to fruition. Five FECU teams had been deployed to Mysterium, assigned each to their own semi-independent units. Hazard Squad was given under Newman's command, for the sole reason that Newman had worked with them in the past.

All of that is how she ended up inside of the Command Tent of 181 with the Raritan Tribal Mother, and her boss Major Jefferson, in preparation for the FECU's arrival. They all watched as she replayed the video of the attack on the Minervan wall, projected onto a white canvas, "High Command wants this deconstructed, immediately," she said as the video played, "The threat of Iscariot magic has made us all a bit fearful of sending our troops into the unknown. We need some answers."

"Can you give it to us? Answers, that is?" Jefferson piled on, both questions were directed at the old elf woman.

"I have answers, as long as you ask the right questions," said the mother with a smile. Acknowledging her willingness to work, Newman played the video. Footage captured from a helicopter circling overhead of the battlefield. The hundreds of soldiers on the ground looked like ants in a lush forest as they scattered about, and the ants were fighting a war. The gunfire and explosions in the dirt made it look like the world's most intense game of miniature laser tag. But this was no casual childhood game, it was war.

The video played through the wave of dirt rising up into the air and then falling back down onto the soldiers. A few moments later, the red wall of magical energy that disintegrated everything it touched. When the video ended, the once lush forest rife with activity, lay barren.

"What was that? Specifically?" Newman asked the elf.

She thought about it for a minute, "Well, both of those events are what the Iscariots would call 'supercasts'. They require an extraordinary amount of magical power and focus to pull off," the Mother explained.

"And what exactly are these 'supercasts'?"

"They are the most powerful spells known to most mages. You see, magic -- both natural and unnatural -- requires the concentration and energy of the spellcaster in order to work. With more experience using magic, comes more energy for casting spells, even when using the Ekron stone."

"So Ekron doesn't generate its own magic?" Jefferson asked.

The Mother shook her head, "It's more of an enabler. It's like a gate into the potential energy surrounding every living thing and allows a trained hand to tap into that energy and cast it into spells just as creatures born with magical abilities, such as myself, can.

"Interesting…" Newman stroked her chin as she listened.

"Both the landslide spell and the world-destroyer -- which was the wall of energy you saw-- would be considered as Supercasts. Only the most skilled mages can cast such spells, and even then you'd need a lot of them. By the time the spell is finished, so much energy would be consumed that all of the mages involved in casting it would be borderline corpses."

That came as a surprise, "So you're saying that these Supercast spells have some form of negative consequence applied when used?" Jefferson pressed him for more details.

"In a nutshell, yes," She confirmed, "Now not all Supercasts are the same. Some require less energy and are more forgiving, such as the landslide. But others will drain decades off of someone's life upon using it, which is why so many skilled mages need to be present in order to cast them, like the world-destroyer."

"My question is, will we run into another one of these Supercasts again?" Jefferson asked.

The Mother shook her head, "Very unlikely. The only mages who have enough strength to fight your forces after that are probably low-level students of the trade. You'd need over a hundred mages to cast not just one but two Supercasts consecutively. All of the skilled mages are most likely bed-ridden right now."

"An Iscariot Hail Mary," Newman stole the words right from Jefferson's mouth, "Quite literally, a last-ditch attempt to fight off our forces."

"It'd be suicide for them," Jefferson agreed with her, and then turned back to the Mother, "When do you think the Iscariot mages will be back at full strength?"

The old lady shrugged, "Could be months… years at the most. It really depends on the skill level of each individual mage, and that will help them recover faster. But if you are worried that you'll encounter another Supercast again in battle, then I almost guarantee that it won't happen."

"How much more information do you have on magic?" Newman asked her.

"As much as you need! Think of me as an ally. You aren't the only ones who are enemies with the Empire!"

"Allies you and I are. Thank you… errr," Newman struggled for a name to call her.

"Lotus."

"That's your name?"

Lotus nodded her head with a smile, "Thank you, Lotus. Your help is invaluable."

"Please, you're doing me a bigger favor. With the Imperials gone, the southern continent can rejoice in liberty, safe from Iscariot raids. I'm glad to see that your forces are committing to this war."

"Yeah, well it's not like we have much of a choice…" Jefferson said…

Minerva was a city in turmoil. Native residents boarded themselves in their homes. Store owners put away all of their goods and closed down. Windows were blocked. The streets lay empty and barren. All of those who could afford to run away were making arrangements. Horse carriages bound to Imperial cities like Fargo, as well as the other cities of the empire like Anglia, Jorgton, Nassau, and Rhodes. That was only for the rich. People with the money to spare their lives with. Most cowered in fear, trapped inside of their houses with their families. The late, the homeless, the young and foolish were stuck outside. Hiding in the shadows away from the lights that the Ithacan beasts roamed the Minervan Streets shone. Trying their hardest to remain undetected for fear of their lives.

"Don't worry, we're safe inside. They can't hurt us here," said a mother to her children, as they huddled in the dark recesses of their homes. A family of Racoons. They were not among the fortunate rich. They made their survival off of their father's income slaving away in the coal mines, and their mother selling homemade items at the market. First, the Reformists told them that the Ithacans were invading and that they . They clung to their mother, alone in the dark.

"Mommy, I'm scared."

"I know. We'll be fine. I promise."

Furniture, tableware, even the home itself, started shaking. A rumbling was felt coming from the street. And it grew closer and more intense. The mother moved aside a curtain, peeking an eye to the outside world. The streets were lined with rows of apartments. The cobblestone streets seemed to quake. Bright light filled the avenue, and the eyes of the mother widened.

A Platoon of Marines escorted four LAVs through the streets of the Central Promenade. A hard-nosed, peasant and petty bourgiouse dominated neighborhood. The creatures who lived there were miners, farmers, artisans and craftsmen, clerks and storeowners. All of them experienced the first blow of the invasion as the Marines moved through.

"This place looks deserted," Said one Marine, taking a cautious look around.

"Just spread out. Keep your eyes peeled," Answered a superior.

"Hey. Why is it that Alpha company is always upfront getting shot at first?" asked one.

"Naw, Johnson. It's not Alpha, it's you always upfront getting shot at first," Joked another.

"Shut up you two! You'll get us all killed!"

Curtains were peeled back temporarily only for them to be slammed closed whenever a soldier tried to peek inside. People hid in the dark, watching them. No matter what they had eyes on them. And they were lost. A Viper helicopter circled ahead, giving the platoon some form of security. But nothing could take the edge off.

"This is real sketchy…"

"I think these motherfuckers are eyeballing me."

"Just act natural."

"Natural? Do I look Iscariot to you?"

"Just calm the fuck down and don't do anything stupid. We aren't here to pick fights with these guys."

"Yeah sure. But if one of these sons of bitches tries anything, I'm dropping 'em."

"Just keep your gun on the bad guys, alright?"

This Alpha Company force was tasked with moving into Minerva and flushing out any remains of the Imperial Garrison in the vicinity to allow the rest of 1st Battalion to move in. But they could be hiding anywhere. With anybody. The entire city had been thrown into chaos. Report from up-high mentioned riots in the city center, and they were spreading. It was all done on behalf of a political organization inside known as The Reformation. Their chaos had completely fractured the Iscariot Garrison. The remnants of the Garrison either deserted or were still putting up faint resistance in small bands that hid throughout the city. And with the way that the Garrison's forces could blend in with civilians, as well as Iscariot cloaking magic which would be highly effective in a evening snowstorm, the chance of an ambush was close to inevitable.

It was like walking in slow motion…

"Argh!" A soldier screamed. An arrow had lodged itself in his thigh. The platoon ducked into cover, behind LAVs, fences, anything that would keep them alive. They stayed low, dragging the injured Marine out of the open. They had no idea where the arrow came from.

Another arrow dinged off of the armor of a LAV. With no muzzle flash to identify where the arrow came from, and it being far too dark to see its path, nobody had a clue. A brave soldier peeked out of cover to eye a tall building with a large spire. Noticing the open doors, and the great vantage point, he eyed movement inside.

"Inside the spire! That's where the arrows are coming from!"

"Are you sure-"

Another ding off the LAV's armor. This time, the trajectory aligned with the spire of the building, "Alright! Mechanized, bring it down!"

The turret of the LAV rotated until the gun locked onto the building. "BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" The Bushmaster fired, bringing the entire tower down. It crumbled on top of itself, stone and wood turning to dust as it collapsed. A few minutes passed, and no more arrows were noticed.

"Alright! Ambush is cleared! Advance!"

Ambushes like this would only become more and more common for the Marines as they trudged on through the city, towards the city center. Fighting inside of the city continued through the night. As the Garrison tried to slow down the Marine's advance. Ambushes and traps were everywhere. But soon, once-off ambushes, became large skirmishes, as the bulk of the Iscariot army arrived. And soon everything would change…

A day later

It was a new day both on Earth and Mysterium. On Earth, citizens around the world were preparing to celebrate the turn of a new month. It was December 1st, 2020. Shopping malls, town centers, and entire homes had been converted into spectacles full of the holiday spirit.

On Mysterium, everyone was preparing for war…

"Unity. Elves. Your new assignment is here."

"What needs doing."

"Inside of the neighborhood called the Central Promenade, a platoon of Marines have been encircled in a church by the Imperial Army. The Platoon is under the command of Staff Sergeant Wade, from Alpha." Newman said pointing to a map of the city. Unity and the two elves stood inside of the command tent. The elves were practically one of the soldiers at this point. Judging by how often they were paired with Unity, "Lieutenant Espinoza is in charge of Alpha Company. The bulk of his forces are still battling against the Imperial Garrison and the Imperial Army, so he cannot immediately relieve Wade and his soldiers. He wants more manpower to make a push towards the Church."

"So that's it? We're assisting Espinoza in his breakthrough?" Hezekiah asked.

Newman shook her head, "That's not all. The Marines have reported sightings of Cathy's Reformist soldiers in the AO. Gunfire has been exchanged between the two sides. The situation has cooled down a little, but both sides are icy towards each other. Espinoza doesn't have anyone to translate, so we need the Elves to talk to the Reformation."

"That we can do," Temetet said.

"Good. We'll need you. Fire support will be available from Zulu-Eight's Close Air Support and your transport's door gunners. Once you reach the church, you will signal for two more Venom transports, Hotel 2-1 and 2-2, to come and pick up the stranded Platoon for MedEvac and RTB. You'll board Liberty and come back for a mission complete."

"And about the civilian situation?" Lafayette asked.

"Standard protocol, only fire on confirmed hostiles and use appropriate judgment. Precision attacks only."

"Sounds like a plan," Quinn said.

"And you won't be alone. Unity… meet Hazard."

The squad turned to face the entrance of the command tent. The flaps of the entrance were pulled aside, and in walked five soldiers. But there was something different about them. From the camouflage to the type of equipment they wore, they could tell that these weren't Marines. And if that wasn't evidence enough, British Union Jacks were on patches of their uniforms. Hezekiah noted special patches that read 'FECU'. They wore special operations gear, fast helmets, light armor… in general they looked dangerous.

"Spec-Ops?" Flint asked.

Newman nodded as she moved over to introduce the new soldiers, "Unity, this is the latest answer to the threats that High Command has perceived in the new world. Hazard Squad. Lieutenant Sherman, introduce yourselves," She pointed to a stocky bearded man who nodded in acknowledgment.

"Lieutenant Sherman at your service," He spoke with a thick and gruff British accent as he introduced himself and his team, "This is Sergeant Cato," A clean-shaven red-haired man who looked much younger than Sherman raised his hand in recognition, "Corporal Scott," a fuzzy brown-haired man who for some reason reminded Hezekiah of a wolverine, thanks to his sideburns and somewhat evil-looking demeanor, "And lastly, Corporal Rose," the last soldier Hezekiah couldn't see. His face was hidden behind the black cloth of a balaclava, and he could only make out green eyes that stood out, his only defining piece of natural identity.

"Hazard is a part of the FECU. Fantastical Environment Combat Unit. You'll be escorting them so that they can get a better understanding of the world we fight in, and armed with that knowledge, they'll report back to myself and the rest of Command," Newman said.

"Can they fight?" Hezekiah asked, both out of genuine curiosity and to make a humorous remark. It worked, as the entirety of Hazard Squad began chuckling to themselves.

"You bet your ass," Sherman said with a smile, "You remember Baku, don't you Newman?"

Newman sighed, "These soldiers are all SAS. They know their stuff, I've worked with this very squad in the past back on Earth before."

"You worked with Special Forces, ma'am?" Quinn asked.

Newman smiled, "I used to be a Captain in MARSOC before I was deployed here. I have a very -- very, long history."

"I'll be," Flint chortled, "I didn't know our commander was elite like that."

"So let me get this straight, you just want us to escort them for the time being?" Hezekiah redirected the focus to the mission at hand.

"That's the gist, yes. Unity will be attached to Hazard Squad until Jefferson feels like they are knowledgeable enough to operate independently. Until then, you'll answer to Captain Sherman and work together for operational success," She said, "Is that clear?"

"Clear as air, Ma'am."

"Good. Your flight leaves in ten, get your equipment sorted, and ready yourselves. Oh and also-" Before she left, she turned on her heels, "Your truck --Buffalo you called it?-- we managed to recover it. It's sitting around here waiting for its next use." She reminded.

"Hell yeah!" Lafayette pumped his fist, "Thought I lost her for good."

With that Newman left the tent, leaving Hazard and Unity together to sort their own things out.

Hezekiah for one had a lot of questions. Who were these guys? How did they know Newman? And what exactly was this… FECU? He walked up to Sherman as he was getting his gear sorted on a foldable table right outside of the tent. It was somewhat warmer today. The fresh morning sun rose high above Hill 181, but it was still snowing. It could either get warmer, which would be great, or much colder. Everyone feared the latter. The snow on the ground was already a foot-freezing; sock-wetting; six inches high. Any more, and the Soldiers would have to start using skis.

"Hey, Captain Sherman, is it?" Hezekiah asked as he walked up to the tough-looking man. He was wearing a large olive-green winter coat, and pants that looked like a form of woodland camo.

The bearded man took a brief glance at Hezekiah, "That's my name."

"Nice to meet you," Hezekiah extended his hand, which Sherman either didn't see or ignored. He awkwardly put his back into place at his side, "Uh, before we go off, I just wanted to ask a few questions."

"I might have answers."

"Well, for one, I wanted to know more about the FECU."

Sherman looked up as if the skies would give him an answer. He turned to Hezekiah, "The FECU?" He asked, "Well… it's a NATO Task Force sent in to assess to the magical region known as Mysterium."

"Mysterium?"

"That's what they call it. We will be trained to fight against magical forces, understand our environment, and survive in Mysterium. How does that sound?"

Hezekiah nodded, "Sounds good. How do you know Newman?"

"We go back."

"Like, I heard you mentioned something about Baku, what's that?"

"It's highly confidential type of stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"The kind you don't ask about!"

Unsure of whether or not he was supposed to take that as a warning that he was crossing a line he shouldn't, a threat that he had already crossed it, or as Sherman being sick of answering questions, Hezekiah took a physical step back away from him, "Ok, yeah my bad-"

"Look, as long as you jarheads don't hold us back we'll be on good terms, yeah?" Sherman shot at him.

Hezekiah took that to offense, "Woah, my squad is the best of the best out here! We can hold our own."

"That's yet to be determined, innit?" Sherman hauled up his equipment and began to walk away.

"Hey! Look, Unity is an essential part of the goings-on…" Hezekiah's words trailed off as he watched Sherman simply walk away as he was mid-sentence. That made him a little more than upset, he felt his finger twitch in both a bit of anger and humiliation, "…In first battalion."

Something about the way Sherman just brushed him off. Thought that he wasn't as good. It made him sick. If Sherman wasn't swayed by words, then he'd have to be swayed by his eyes. Hezekiah knew for a fact that Unity was good. They survived some pretty tough situations out here. Mostly by luck, but that didn't discount the fact that they had the experience out here. They had the most knowledge about this world. They were the ones that Sherman should be answering to!

Hezekiah gritted his teeth as he walked back to his own squad. As he made his way through the ankle-deep snow, another Hazard operative passed by him. The masked FECU operative, Rose. Neither of the two said anything. But Hezekiah felt something as Rose passed by him. It was a… energy of some form. Something very, very, familiar. The image of Mirrorface briefly flashed in his mind's eye. Hezekiah stopped. Rose stopped. He must've felt it too. It felt all too familiar like Rose was somebody he was supposed to know. Or destined to meet. Something united the two. He knew that Rose felt was he felt at that moment. The soldiers only stopped for a brief moment, before they both continued walking. Hezekiah turned to look at Rose walking behind him. Through the balaclava, he could make out the faint glint of Rose's green left eye. Hezekiah turned again to look in front of him. Completely forgetting about his issue with Sherman, now focused on what the hell had just happened.

His mind racked through everything. Every face he had known in the military. He worked with Royal Marines before in Afghanistan, but he recalled nobody named Rose. Besides, none of these guys were Royal Marines, or at least they wouldn't have been recently. They were all SAS. To make matters even more certain that Hezekiah never met the guy, that aura of familiarity never came to him when he pictured his cooperation with the Royal Marines back then. And how the hell could he have recognized Rose? He only saw two green eyes peering at him through the balaclava. There was no way in hell that he could've known his identity.

The only time when he felt that familiar aura was when he thought of the Mirrorface. Could that mean…

"Staff Sergeant Brooks!" Hezekiah was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the voice of Quinn addressing him. He was waving him down getting his attention.

"What's up?" He called out.

"Unity's ready to kick some ass, sir! Just say the word, and we'll be there!"

Hezekiah mustered up some energy of his own to meet Quinn's level of energy. At least he could count on his squad to have his back no matter what. And Hezekiah would return that favor, one way or another, "Alright, let's do this!"

Unity assembled and boarded their helicopter transit along with Hazard. The elves came along as seemed natural to Unity, "Who are these guys?" Scott, the one that reminded Hezekiah of a wolverine, was the first of Hazard to ask as he watched them take seats inside of the transport.

"Kiote Warrior Elves. They are from the Raritan Nation," Hezekiah explained, gesturing at the two, "They're good company. Highly capable of warfare."

"Yeah, they better be with 'warrior' in their name," Cato said.

"Just try to keep up with us once we get into battle," Temetet told him with a sly grin.

"Big talk. I'll wait until I see something with my own eyes!" said Sherman.

The blades of Venom chopped in the air, blowing wind into their faces and pushing snow into the air. Once they were all settled inside, the helicopter lifted off into the sunrise, out to Minerva….