"We're also here, Dean Mark," Bryce said while maintaining an air of arrogance. "I have eyes to see Bryce. Your team has arrived." Hudson and I sneered at Bryce as Dean remarked of him while Bryce scowled our way.
"Colton and his crew have never been on any missions together; thus, phoenix, you better not mess up this assignment." Finally, Bryce let off his resentment at Colton and us.
"Bryce, if you talk to my team captain in that manner, I will show my authority, which you cannot fucking stand." The vibrations caused by my power as I scowled shook everyone, and my magic flashed with rage. I can see that Colton is a bit surprised as I stand up for him.
"This is ridiculous, Bryce. Watch your tongue in my office, or else I will see you have a place on the bench for the next several months while other squad members take over as captain." Unfortunately, the comments made by Dean prevented Bryce from speaking back, and I could sense Colton's fury as well, although he masked it very well.
"Get to the task as soon as possible. You guys are a real pain in the neck." Then Dean snarled, and he opened the vortex. We let Hex go first and then the rest of our squad, one at a time. When we arrived at the spot, I saw the hustle and bustle of the human streets greeting me, and I realized how much I had missed it. As soon as we couldn't solve the enigma and establish the existence of aliens, he and his team had already moved into a temporary apartment and taken temporary employment until we could.
The Hex crew had already returned to their rent flat, which provided them and us to remain in, and temporary employment. As long as we cannot solve the enigma of the aliens and their presence is not proven, once the Alien's presence is confirmed, we will have other teams working to take them down.
"That's where our apartment is." when I inquired. Colton showed me the building and strode. "Are we remaining in contact with the Hex team?" Maggie asked, disgusted. "There aren't any in our tower. I made sure of it." Colton stated this to me as he glanced at me and then at the structure we were going to.
"That's great to hear," I mumbled. "Here, grab your keys and settle into your flat, and you know about temporary employment duties, right?" We all gave Colton a nod and took the keys from him. We all lived on various levels, and going inside the rental apartment brought back memories of the one I had rented before enrolling in the Dark academy.
My new job as a cashier at a bakery business begins today. As part of my duties, I will try to contact my neighbors to get information on any weird occurrences they may have seen or heard. This socializing with neighbors assignment gives me a headache, but I must complete it. Next, I need to get to work, so I take my uniform from the local store and head to where I encounter an old lady.
"You arrived on time." The elderly lady said. I look around, and fewer folks seem to sit and enjoy the warm beverages and cupcakes. "Mrs. Baker, I'm Aria Hart," I said, introducing myself to the elderly woman. "It's a joy to meet you, young woman, and I appreciate your willingness to work with this venerable figure. Also, I'd want to extend my gratitude to Mark for bringing you on board."
I warmly shake her old and frail hands. "Could you kindly assist me in finding the bathroom, Mrs. Baker?" she nods as she walks along the passage, showing her the rear of the kitchen where a young lady baked goods and prepared hot drinks, and she smiles as I pass by. I dressed in the uniform, took my position behind the cash register, and started taking customer orders. Since she was feeling unwell, Mrs. Baker had to leave her cafe early to return to her house. While working, I attempted carefully check my surroundings and use my magic to detect if anything I picked up on any unfamiliar energies.
I turned around and saw Colton walk into the café; his coming here left me perplexed since he could have quickly alerted me about the assignment using his phone. But so many people are staring at him and giving him a grin. "Ms., may I have had a black coffee?" He spoke as if it were the first time we had met, and I was aware of the act to go along with it, so I did so. He pays the bills and leaves a terse letter for me to read, which I do.
"Meet me at the coffee's rear store after your shift." I fold the paper and put it in my pocket before seeing to a few more customers before we shut for the day. The young girl who works as a pastry chef is Aiya, and when I chatted with her, I discovered she sleeps just next to my room. I had an excellent first impression of her since she seemed so calm and kind.
After I finished my shift, Aiya offered to go with her on the route back to our building together. I politely declined, and while Aiya was a distance away and I strolled the rear of the cafe shop, I saw Colton standing with his back resting against the wall and his eyes closed.
"Please explain why we're meeting in this manner." I inquired, and he stared at me. "Since my shift finished earlier today, I met you after work." His hand went to the back of his head as I raised my eyebrow, and he appeared apprehensive. "I want to take you out to dinner." When he stated it, my eyes widened in surprise. "Aria, please don't misunderstand. This isn't a date. Thank you for helping me with a meal, and I.. need to chat with you." I've never seen Colton's anxiousness and shyness coexist before, but it's endearing to watch.
"Of course, I'd like to have dinner." At that exact moment, an unladylike rumble came from my gut, and I saw Colton trying to hide a giggle, but as I laughed, he laughed too. We went to a restaurant, but not a nice one; it was just a typical one, and we ordered our dinner as we walked through the streets. Colton seemed to struggle to talk, so I waited for him to calm down before allowing him to speak with me. I devoured the meal, and Colton smiled as I ate so unladylike.
"Come on, Colton, say something; we have also finished the meal." He nods as we pay the money and exit the restaurant. "I'm at a loss for words." He said.
"I know you're suffering after your brother went missing; I'm sure Dean will help you locate Dan, and even I will aid you after this assignment is finished." I offered him a modest grin; he glanced at me with a sorrowful expression and averted his sight.
"I didn't want to come to this mission, but Dean showed me that it is tied to Dan's disappearance, so I rejoined the squad." The words surprised me how Dean discovered such a mysterious link to this. "Initially, I didn't accept Dean's comments, but he provided evidence to the contrary."
Colton showed me photographs on his phone of the markings on Dan Dragger that could be seen in magic. I was confident that the markings shown in the photos belonged to the alien race known as the Vrerciks. These extraterrestrial beings are avian. There are four large wings, four relatively short legs, and a massive tail. They caused many fatalities in a previous existence, and fighting these aliens is difficult since they have a considerable amount of energy and can renew themselves again. They are hazardous because they can change in shape or form. These aliens are also more intelligent than humans.
"Vrerciks, they must have entered the wolf world in human form and abducted Dan, but why is the question?" Colton slipped his phone into his pocket. "Aria, we are humans' last best chance in this battle against the aliens who want to make our planet their home. You, the nature vrerciks, are intelligent just like us, and they know the weak points of supernatural human beings. In addition, the Dark Academy played a part in their plot to hurt or remove whatever supernatural Human people treasure."
"Now I get Dean's argument since we're hunting for vrercik aliens nearby." Colton sighed loudly. "Are you capable of withstanding the constraint of captainship in this mission?" Colton's eyes widened in response to the query. "That came out incorrectly." I instantly said that I did not want to enrage Colton. "I mean, you're under a lot of mental stress; if we raise the wolfbane magic, would you be able to control the wolf again?"
"Staying upset won't help at all, and Dan must be in agony and suffering, so I need to keep a level mind and put my emotions aside," He said.