“You know nothing about me, yet you knew everything about me. Let me educate you. My mother is an Earth affinity with an echelon so low most young children exceed her. All her life she slaved to put food on our table and give us a place to live. I would obliterate this world in an instant for her. I did not know this life of luxury and privilege you think I did, and even if I had, I would like to hope I would have still be able to overcome and become a better person. Before you try to condemn me to death just for existing, take a moment to recognize the absurd hypocrisy of your actions.”
Anaar drops the man to the ground, others rushing over to assist him. Filthy looks were shot at him from many of the onlookers, but he found he did not care. Turning from the man, he was about to push through the crowd and leave, but left the man with a final parting message.
“You were humiliated by me, not because I am a Water affinity, but because your hubris led you to believe the ant was going to triumph over the lion. Be careful who you next attempt to stab. Phavian, I’m leaving. If you plan on getting home, you had better be leaving with me.”
Anaar pushed through the stunned crowd with Maggie quickly following at his heels as to not get left behind. Left with a foul taste in his mouth, Phavian too rushed to Anaar’s side, his entire experience ruined in an instant. Not only had the message he had taken away become tainted, but he was also given yet another example of how Anaar will never need him to protect his honor. Phavian spent that night in his own room, which did not go unnoticed by Anaar. Much of the night he poured over every detail of the rally and its events, promising himself to never let himself fall into that trap with his own blossoming organization.
20
Codi sat reading the dossier, each page proving more outlandish than the last. She knew her first mission taken of her own accord would need to be epic, but she felt what was being asked to be almost impossible, or at the very least suicidal. Reading the mission parameters through the end to ensure this was not meant to be a joke, she finally cleared her throat, preparing herself to remain composed regardless of the response she received.
“This is rather… advanced and complicated don’t you think?”
The woman peered at her with something akin to pity, laced with a hint of disdain. “Typically seniors have far more experience, thus they are afforded far more lucrative yet equally difficult tasks. It is of course your decision whether or not you accept the mission. If you do not feel you are qualified, you are well within your rights to choose something more suited to your skills.”
Codi frowned, her gritted teeth just barely keeping the explosive retort she wanted to say contained. “With all that is needed for this mission, there must be a scale depending on how successful it is.”
“This is correct. We are not so detached to believe everything will be achieved. That is why certain parameters are highlighted as priority.”
“Could I assemble a team to assist? I find it odd that was not already established.”
“We do not force individuals to work together at this level. We find it often brings about poor results. You are allowed to assemble a team as you see fit, however do keep in mind they must be vetted before they can be approved to participate. The objectives we desire are rather sensitive, as you no doubt have already deduced.”
“Is there a cap on how many people I can bring?”
“Technically there is not, but remember they must meet our approval, and we reserve the right to deny those we do not find beneficial to the mission. The less people involved, the better. Also bear in mind that each additional person involved reduces the amount you earn. We leave it to you to decide the division of payment, but I find it unlikely you will find qualified associates for this mission without offering a tidy sum.”
Codi thought it over and stood from the table. “How long do I have?”
“You have a maximum of four days.”
Codi gave a nod and left the conference room. This was her first mission that she took on herself and already she was wondering if she had bitten off more than she could chew. The things they wanted were literally impossible for one person to achieve. When she thought about it again, she realized that there was possibly one person who could pull it off on their own. Despite her reservations, Codi found this to be a good opportunity for her to come to terms with some of her feelings. She checked the time and pulled up her contacts to get the process moving.
“Were… you given an option to choose your mission?”
Codi glares at Anaar with a sour expression as she sips her latte. “Yes.”
“And you picked this…”
“Yes fucker! What is the problem?!”
“Are they trolling you?”
“What does that even mean?!”
“This must be some elaborate hoax. There is no way they would ever have a mission like this, not to mention allow someone who has only been on one other mission to take it on. Infiltration, rescue, elimination, and decommission. It is literally four separate missions all rolled into one!”
“I wanted something big that suited how awesome I am! Don’t you and Phave do this type of thing all the time?”
Anaar throws his hands up in the air. “No! We aren’t super spies or something! We are college students! In what world would anyone trust this to anything less than a full team of veterans?!”
“That’s why I’m taking you and Petey with me.”
Anaar’s face shuffled through three expressions simultaneously. “Why am I getting dragged into this? I thought I was just a consultant!”
“Yeah, you can consult your ass on this mission. I can’t do this alone.”
“If you recognize that much, why would you believe Peter would be a good fit for this type of assignment?!”
“I promised I’d bring him along for my first mission.”
“That’s not an acceptable answer…”
“Good thing I don’t take orders from you then.”
Anaar’s eyes narrow, his eyes becoming severe. “You are far too intelligent to have missed the rather glaring detail that people are going to die on this mission. One person is literally a priority to kill! Not to mention the term ‘decommission’ doesn’t mean just turn out the lights in the facility. They probably want it destroyed. Actually… Yeah, right here. It clearly lays out places to plant charges!”
“So what, people are going to die. They die every day. What is the big deal?”
“I can’t believe you are being so cavalier about this!”
“What the fuck do you care?! You say this like you aren’t used to this kind of shit! It’s right up your alley!”
Anaar pauses just before he is about to respond, staring deep into Codi’s eyes as if he is searching for something. The two of them are interrupted as Peter struggles to hoist himself up into one of the tall chairs. After some effort, he makes it up and grumbles with a huff.
“Brilliant idea to choose the most difficult tables on the planet in which to meet!” He notices the tension in the air and his tone changes. “Whatever did I stumble into…?”
“I was just explaining to Codi that she is woefully unprepared for this mission, and that you going on it is out of the question.”
“I’ll have you know I have made giant strides, sir! I would appreciate if you would not underestimate me.”
Stone faced and never taking his eyes off Peter’s, Anaar reaches into a portal, extricating a gun and a clip. He loads it and shoves it roughly in Peter’s face.
“If I told you to kill that woman at the table next to us, no hesitation, could you do it?”
Peter peers at Anaar aghast as if he were mentally ill. “What a preposterous question! I could never commit such a heinous act! Nevertheless the expulsion that would result from such!”
“There you have it Codi. Peter serves absolutely no purpose. He will be nothing but a liability. Are you prepared to needlessly place his life in danger, and expect him to kill people at your behest? He had already demonstrated his unwi
llingness.”
Peter seems confused by the exchange, but has little time to catch up, as Codi fires back with bared teeth. “And who the fuck else am I going to get to go on this mission?!”
“Phavian is one of the most qualified people you could get. Why aren’t you asking him?”
“You should know better than anyone how much of an attention whore he is! If he comes, he will make everything about him and try to do things his way. There is no way in hell I’m dealing with that shit!”
“Codi, this mission is insane. I can’t even begin to understand why the client would request so much. Either way, I think you should go for something easier. Actually, go for nothing at all. It isn’t like you need the money. This is extremely dangerous even for someone in dire straits. For you to just be stroking your ego… That is… I don’t even have words for it. I can’t help you with this.”
Anaar stands from the table, taking his beverage as he makes a swift exit. Codi fumes angrily at the door as she watches him leave, then turns back to Peter.
“Fuck him! We don’t need him anyway! We got this!”
Peter in his excitement to be needed by someone, blindly agrees with Codi. Without taking any initiative to ask more about the mission parameters outside of when they leave, Peter also departs with overwhelming enthusiasm to begin his own preparations. Codi is left there with a burning desire to call Phavian and yell at him for Anaar’s attitude, but she knew there would be no choice but to explain the situation, which he would then immediately insert himself. If she was going to do this, it must be on her own terms. Knowing Anaar, he would be unlikely to mention it to Phavian without being prompted.
She hurried back to her room to find Pryshka there waiting for her. Even after being together for so long, Codi still had mixed feelings about being in each other’s spaces when they were not present, but this situation found her overjoyed Pryshka was there. Without much preamble, Codi launched into her frustrations with Anaar.
“Can you believe that guy had the nerve to tell me I wasn’t qualified for my own mission?! The walking ball of destruction wants to preach to me about morality and the consequences of killing people! Then, he tried to turn Petey against me! Good to know he still had my back! Who the fuck does he think he is?!”
Pryshka had learned that during these episodes, it was prudent to nod and agree, speaking only when it was absolutely necessary. Codi continued to rant, but the more she did, the greater the feeling Pryshka had that Anaar was right, and she should try to reason with Codi. Thinking about it for a moment, she realized that given her current state, it was not the best time to convince Codi otherwise.
With each passing day, Codi became more deeply engrossed in her preparations, to the point where she had become obsessed. She skipped class, she barely ate, and anything she said to Pryshka was somehow related to how she could ensure the success of her mission. From building schematics, to failsafe measures for bombs, she poured over them until she passed out from exhaustion. It had become impossible to convince Codi to forfeit the mission, and Pryshka lamented wasting the opportunity when it had first arisen.
Having fully rested before leaving for the airport, Codi’s confidence in her success was at an all time high. That was until she saw Peter. Looking at him made her realize that in all her preparation, she failed to include him. Though she accounted for him being present and what he could do, simple things such as his clothing, or the items he brought were overlooked.
Codi herself understood this would be a multiday affair. Transit alone would take them a large portion of the first day, with the second being for the operation itself, while the third would be for resolving any issues before they returned on the fourth. Peter and his lack of additional clothing indicated he was under the impression it would be finished in the same day.
Given that he only had the outfit he was wearing, she found he could not have chosen a more conspicuous ensemble. With what little she understood about his personality, Codi was certain he was wearing what he considered secret operative gear. Because their infiltration would be happening during the day and business hours, it was best to blend in as much as possible. She had gone for a fresh faced look, removed her numerous piercings, and opted for a pair of fashion glasses to sell the innocent intern look. Codi could tell the flight would prove to be a lengthy one.
Recognizing her mistake, she took advantage of the six hour flight to rapidly hammer every piece of her preparations into Peter. He had displayed it before, but more than ever was his discomfort with many parts of the plan evident. In an attempt to talk her out of certain points, he decided to inquire about the specific details.
“You said we have to ‘eliminate’ this person. Assassination seems to be a bit much, and they could possibly have useful information, no? Why don’t we capture them instead?”
“And where exactly are we going to put this fucker? We already have to carry the bombs we need to plant to level the building, and we still have to rescue the hostage which is the biggest priority. Trying to take a captive, while also rescuing and protecting a hostage is way too much for us.”
“Speaking of bombs… What are our plans for evacuation? How can we ensure everyone is out and safe before we detonate the charges?”
Codi snorts in response, but when she realized Peter was expecting something more informative, she sighed and continued. “There is no plan. What idiot goes around shepherding people to safety before blowing some shit up? That just gives them time to defuse the bomb, ruining our hard work.”
“All those people though… It is during the day… They will be at work… How can we just destroy the building with people in it?!”
“The world is a dirty place kid. Sometimes you just close your eyes and flip the switch. If you really feel sore about it, just remember they are a bunch of assholes working for an evil organization that kidnaps and abuses people. They don’t deserve your sympathy.”
Peter had become visibly shaken, his eyes darting around for anything that might serve as an exit. Anaar had warned he was not ready for a mission of this level, but he thought Anaar was once again looking down upon him. Because he had been so preoccupied of late, he had not been able to witness the growth Peter had worked so diligently to achieve. Peter did his best to breathe, reminding himself that he did not need to kill anyone, he could focus on the good things such as getting them inside and around the building without being detected, and protecting the person they were sent to rescue. He could leave the rest to Codi since it did not bother her.
That night saw Codi in a state of frustration due to both she and Peter both foolishly forgetting an important item like their wallets, which meant Peter could not buy new clothes, and they were forced to eat what little their client had provided in their hotels. Codi thought it would be a problem if she were caught with identification on her, and Peter had simply become accustomed to life at Sophangence where it was not required. Peter could not have been more grateful for the separate rooms given the sour mood Codi was in for the rest of the night.
The morning saw Codi dragging Peter to the site early so they could stake out the situation for a couple hours to ensure their intel was accurate and would not require many changes to the plan. When she was satisfied with what they had gleaned, she officially commenced the operation. Similarly to their last operation, they made their way to the least guarded entry point. Once at the door, Codi was surprised to find Peter had already extricated a small computer from his bag.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m hacking into this door and looking for the closest access point to get me into their systems. Since it seemed I would be fulfilling such a role more frequently, I have been pouring myself into the study of it, and also acquired tools to assist my efforts. It allows me to be much more effective as I now have better context to the information I request, and also better hardware to accomplish the task”
There was a small chime and the keypad flashed ‘Access Granted.’” Codi nodded
with an impressed look, mentally applauding Peter’s speed. She had factored in five minutes of bumbling before they were able to pass the initial doors, with the possibility she might have to short the system and hope no alarms were triggered. With the door practically opening in welcome for them, some of the hope she had for the mission returned.
The first person they saw reminded Codi how much Peter’s outfit drew attention. Directing him to stay hidden, Codi walked by the man, poised for any reaction while she worked her unimportant intern persona. The man did not even look in her direction as he passed, which made her breathe a sigh of relief that for the moment, their cover had not been blown. Before they entered, Codi and Peter had established a communication system with their Vizers and earpieces. Utilizing this to contact Peter, Codi confirmed Peter was not spotted, and that he could make his way to her. Even though it went well, Codi still had reservations about how conspicuous Peter was in his outfit. She decided to have them make their way to the access point Peter mentioned, and have him support her from there. If she was practically invisible, it would make her job much easier.
Thanks to Peter’s size, they found a shaft in the plans that would allow him to access the room through different means than the door. Codi could sense a person in the room, and was sure opening it would alert them. She reminded him of their initial goal to stay undetected or else they would never accomplish the rest of their goals. He gave her a thumbs up and then scurried through a grate, carrying the bag of explosives with him so Codi did not have them weighing her down or raising suspicion. Once he was able to get into the system undetected, as the person in the room was occupied on their phone, he hid himself away and began funneling information to Codi.
“The person you are looking for is located on the eighth floor.”
Codi silently huffed at the hushed tone coming through her earpiece. “Which one?!”
Peter gulped, then continued with a slight stammer. “The one you must… incapacitate? There should be a large office there and per the schedule they are unoccupied at the moment.”
Revelations (Song of Sophangence Book 4) Page 37
