It was a trap. The Miracle Worker's goal was to end the feeding frenzy by any means necessary and we fell for their latest plan.
No.
I fell for it.
I thought that after the failed assassination attempt, their only option was to get protection from Mikail. But as it turned out, that they had one last trick up their sleeve.
What happened to me? I couldn't remember anything else after Minerva took over my body.
However, I could feel one thing.
Cold.
That was all I could feel.
"Good. I put his body on stasis and Christina's ice should give him a few hours."
Was that Chakob? Damn bastard. Why does he sound so calm?
"Dad! Dad! Please wake up!"
Christina...
See Chakob? That's the right reaction.
"Alright, I'm here. Let's bring him to the hospital."
Mr. Han. He was calm too. What's with the old men around me?
As I lament my horrible role models, the bit of consciousness that I had faded.
I couldn't feel my body. I didn't even know if I was breathing.
I sighed.
When was the last time I was this badly hurt?
Oh... right.
A huge migraine pierced my brain as the memory came back to me.
Mozambique.
It happened months before I met Maria in Mexico. The SPD sent us to Mozambique on a mission to protect the newly elected president there.
It was a volatile country that was being ripped apart by human warlords who vied for power and it was unwelcoming towards Fantasia Natives. However, despite those odds, a Halfling was able to sway the hearts of the common populace and was elected president.
President Finnad Mistvale.
Our post that time was in an abandoned building with incomplete concrete walls and dusty floors. All we had for comfort was a small stove to heat water and cook things, a comforter, and our weapons.
"Hey there lover boy," a sultry voice of a woman called to me as she hugged me from behind.
"Blair, we're on duty," I said as I cleaned the barrel of my sniper rifle.
"Boo, you're no fun when we're at work," she pouted. "Actually, you're no fun in any way," she chuckled. "Which makes me wonder why I fell in love with you in the first place."
Blair Nyzette. She was part of SPD's experimental Special Ops division. A human who clawed her way to where she was through sheer effort.
When Fantasia appeared on Earth, humans were doused in mana for the first time. However, unlike Fantasia Natives, they didn't manifest highly specialized magic. Instead, their bodies adapted to the mana in the atmosphere and they developed the ability to access all kinds of magic through study and practice.
Based on pure strength of magic alone though, humans were average at best. But their creativity and versatility made them a force to be reckoned with during the Great Wars that preceded Integration.
I paused my work on my rifle and turned to her.
"Beats me," I replied with a shrug. "You're the one who said yes when I asked you to be my girlfriend."
"I think I was drunk at the time," she said.
"To be fair, you're drunk most of the time," I replied.
That earned me a punch to the arm.
I've forgotten this memory. I've forgotten her dark, greasy hair. Her unnaturally pale skin. The well-toned body she honed through hours of training. The piercings on her nose and her ears that her superior told her to remove many times. And her laugh that sounded like a drunken sailor's.
I loved her.
No, that's wrong.
I still do.
"Rush him to the ER immediately!"
My consciousness faded back in and the first voice I heard sounded like a doctor. He sounded panicked. Oh, boy...
"My boy! Hang in there!"
Dad?
I chuckled to myself.
Why do you sound like you're crying? This is so not like you. Where's your happy-go-lucky attitude? That's... what I kinda need right now.
"Are we ready?"
My consciousness went back to Mozambique at the voice of our mission supervisor at the time. I forgot what his name was, but I remembered him being a military man. Gruff personality, scraggly beard, and 270 pounds of pure muscle.
Blair and I nodded to his question.
"Good," he replied. "Let me introduce you to the person you're protecting."
After he spoke, a three-foot tall man waltzed in the room. He was a humble-looking man with average features and a bit too smiley for my taste. For a president, he didn't wear an air of grace or splendor. Instead, his entire being emanated a sort of friendliness that was in short supply in this country. Just seeing him made it clear how he got the people's vote.
"Hey there agents," he greeted with a wave. "Thanks for your services. I wish we could've given you some comfort during your stay but as you can see, I haven't gotten to cleaning up this country."
I gave him a wry smile.
He just said something so heavy with such a lighthearted tone. I couldn't decide whether he was just confident or ignorant.
Blair approached him and offered a handshake.
"We promise to protect you, Mr. President," she said. "Even if it cost us our lives."
Finnad gave her a sad smile and shook her hand.
"Please do value your lives more," he said. "You're still so young and I'm sure you still have dreams you want to fulfill."
His eyes then wandered towards mine and at that moment, the entirety of my being screamed at me to protect this man.
"Alright, enough with the meet and greet," our supervisor said. "We need to get this guy inaugurated asap."
"Yes Sir!" Blair and I responded in unison.
"Well, you two," Finnad sighed. "Shall we go through a hail of bullets together?"
I woke up again. But darkness still surrounded me like mist.
The beeping of the heart monitor told me that I was on a recovery bed. I guess they managed to stabilize me.
I tried moving my fingers. Nothing.
Shit...
"How is he, doctor?"
It was mom this time. She sounded angry...
"He's alive, but his Mana Circuits are totally fried," he replied. "He'll be paralyzed for the rest of his life. And even if they miraculously heal, he won't be able to control magic ever again."
Minerva's words flashed in my mind. "Tremendous future repercussions" was it? What an understatement.
I wanted to cry at this point, but being unconscious made it impossible.
I should sleep. Maybe a good dream can get my mind off things.
However, reality had other plans. As soon as I drifted, I was back in Mozambique.
We were in a car this time. A miniature tank really. Reinforced plate armor and all-terrain wheels, complete with a machine gun turret on the roof.
Finnad wore a bulletproof vest, but if anyone really wanted him dead, a magic-imbued bullet should do the trick. Armor with antimagic properties belonged to higher beings like Dragons so they were in short supply.
"Why do you look so worried?" Finnad asked me with an amused smile.
"Oh don't mind him," Blair replied. "He just takes his work seriously. He's probably thinking of plans B to Z should things go sideways."
I narrowed my eyes at her.
"And I can't count how many times those plans saved your ass," I replied.
"Oh? Really?" she replied mockingly. "Then in that case. Oh how great are you, Lord Andrew Roberts. God of contingency plans," she said while bowing.
Finnad snickered at our display.
"Amazing," he said. "You two could not be more different yet love sparked between you regardless."
My eyes went wide. Seeing my reaction, he gave me a knowing grin.
"Awww so poetic," Blair said and wrapped her arms over my shoulder. "Hear that Andrew? Love SPARKED between us."
"Yes, yes and it's still burning," I said as I gingerly take her arm off me. "We really need to focus. We're in hostile territory and-"
Explosions boomed in front of us. The car screeched to a halt and soon after, the dull clink of bullets hitting metal rang as lead pelted the armor of the car.
"Get down!" I yelled as I yanked Finnad to the ground.
"Hey, supervisor! What's going on up there?" Blair shouted.
"An ambush!" he replied. "What else do you think-"
And then he was silent.
Shit!
The bullets continued to rain down on us as if they had an infinite amount of them. Some even managed to pierce through.
"Andrew! You got any plan in that head of yours?" she screamed.
"If they're normal bullets, I can hold them off long enough for you two to escape!" I replied.
"IF?" she exclaimed. "Andrew that's fucking reckless!"
"WE HAVE NO CHOICE!" I shouted. "Now, on three."
She clicked her tongue and grabbed Finnad's collar.
"Three," I counted. "Two. One!"
I clutched my fist and at once, the wind twisted to my command. It spun and spun, until a tornado formed. Nuts, bolts, and metal plates flung out as the winds ripped apart the car.
When the chaos was at its peak, I turned to Blair.
"Teleport him out of here!" I shouted.
Blair nodded and after a brief incantation, the two of them disappeared.
The gunshots still rang all around me. However, the bullets were normal so they followed the path of the twister. Thank god!
If that was the case, there was only one thing I had to do.
I stretched out my arms and the tornado expanded. The rushing wind tore the ground, houses and cars fluttered up like paper. And soon, the muffled screams of people joined the roar of the twister.
And then after a few moments, they were no more.
Assured of my safety, I dissipated the tornado until all that was left were sunny skies and a dusty city.
"Blair!" I muttered.
Whenever Blair teleported, she left a purple blue trail that led to her warp point. It was a side effect of the spell she used to move through space-time and was the reason why she almost never used it to escape.
But for this situation, I was glad she hasn't found a way to remove it.
I followed her trail as quickly as I could using my hover board.
There was a safehouse bunker only a few kilometers from where we were attacked. However, her trail led me further into the heart of the city which was in the complete opposite direction.
I furrowed my brow as I continued to follow the trail.
The city has been deserted and thus, dangerous. My eyes darted with every shifting shadow or slight change of wind.
"Blair, can you hear me?" I asked through our earpiece. "Blair?"
No answer.
What the hell happened? Was she intercepted? My heart rampaged as I imagined every worst scenario.
"Please be safe. Please be safe," I muttered to myself as I put in more power in the thrusters of my hoverboard.
The trail led me to a cluster of tall buildings. The light of the residue was getting stronger which meant that I was closer.
"Blair," I tried the earpiece again.
Nothing.
I weaved through the buildings as fast as I could. Caution thrown in the wind.
All I wanted was to see her safe.
Then as I turned a corner, my throat seized up and my lungs were petrified.
"Blair?" I managed to say weakly.
She just stood there, with an assault rifle in her hands. Crimson liquid painted her face and clothes. I scanned for Finnad but he was nowhere to be found. Then, my eyes turned to the blood spatter on the bullet-ridden walls.
My stomach knotted and its contents flew out of me.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" I shouted.
She turned to me with blank eyes then sighed.
"You weren't supposed to see that, darling," she said.