Diana takes in the surrounding which was filled with weeds, some thriving, some lying dead in the mud, having drowned during the last hard rain. The warehouse was huge and reeked of rust and oil.
Diana turned and started towards the warehouse's exit. "I thought you were driving us to the airport?" She had spotted a small purplish flower in the wilderness, an impostor among the vast green grass, and quickly moved to pluck the flower before sticking it in her hair.
Max followed after the snow-white-haired woman. "I was going to send an official request for the Alpha Sector to send a strike team here."
Diana turned to face the red-eyed woman. "What did you find?"
"Based on my sources, a weapon. A huge one," said Max.
"Do you have a location?"
"Yes, it's --"
"Save it," Diana cuts her off. "You can tell that to the strike team when you're back at Sector 5," she said.
"You're joking, right?"
"No," said Diana. "My job here is to ensure you return to Sector 5 safely. I'm pretty sure Camille thought you would be in a hostile environment but thankfully, you weren't. I won't let you throw yourself in harm's way, we're going back to Sector 5 now," she declared.
"The flaggers are mostly non-mystics and do not have as many resources as the Ibrahim Group," said Maxine. "Do you want me to beg?"
A smile flickers on the snow-white-haired woman's lips. "As satisfying as that would be, no." She began walking into the warehouse and towards the car they had arrived in. "Fine. Let's go find that huge weapon."
"Thanks."
"We'll be doing this my way, deal?" Maxine nods.
.
.
.
Diana pulled over in a tinted car in front of what looked to be an abandoned building. In front of the building were two men in black suits standing guard.
"Hi, is this the venue for the party?" Diana asked the guards.
"No, miss, move along," said one of the guards.
"Are you sure? This place is called the Old Factory, isn't it?"
"There's no party going on here, miss. Fuck off!" The second guard cussed.
"Woah!" Diana frowned. "There's no need for such foul language. I know there's a party here; I was invited!" She exclaimed.
"Hold on; I'll show you my invitation card," she said reaching for the seat next to hers in the car. "I have it right here." Diana grabbed two small, round objects that resembled a bark. She throws it at the men and it goes through their skulls, killing them.
Diana got out of the car and moved to the trunk where she grabbed a pet carrier containing a kitten.
"Hello there, cutie," she said before picking up the carrier and a twig that was also in the trunk before walking into the factory.
They were guards, lots of them, stationed at different spots in the factory. Diana snorts before setting down the pet carrier. "And the guards outside were saying there's no party going on here."
Diana removes her jacket, leaving only a white crop top and denim trousers. She drapes the carrier with her jacket before breaking the twig into two and using her mystical ability to turn one-half of the twig into a shield for her carrier and her cat before clearing her throat to speak. "Hey boys," she started drawing their attention. "I'm looking for a non-mystic named Ibrahim," she said but none of the guards responded.
Incensed by the silence, Diana uses her abilities to elongate the other half of the twig and snap off one of the guard's heads from his body.
"What the --"
"Intruder! Open fire!"
The guards opened fire on the year 4 elemental who had turned what was only half a twig earlier into a full-grown tree.
The snow-white-haired woman places her hand inside the tree, easily piercing the hard bark. Diana forms hundreds of roots from the tree and sends them all around the walls and ground of the old factory while the guards exhaust their ammunition.
Using the roots to listen, the elemental was able to pinpoint the location of every one of the shooters. The Metropolitan school student then uses the roots to strangle the men.
Diana removes her hand from the tree. "Easy peasy lemon squee--" Before she could finish, someone crept up behind her with a device that resembled a fire extinguisher strapped around his back. The snow-white-haired lady picked up on the man's footsteps and turned to react but she wasn't faster than him. Her peach-colored eyes widen as the man pulls the trigger.
*1 YEAR AGO*
•West Lionwell, United Republics.
A man sits in his office wearing a military uniform adorned with multiple insignias signifying his high rank. The man had only gotten out of a call with his secretary who was warning him about three angry women heading to his office when three angry women barged into his office.
Olivia Ra, Camille Lovelace, and Diana Maddison.
"Ladies! Always a pleasure to see you three!" He exclaimed.
"Cut the Janus bullshit, General Elliott. If anything you're livid we're here," Olivia asserted before throwing a file on the desk in front of the general.
"What am I looking at?" He asked staring at the file.
"You tell me, this was a report by our weapons research team on your secret facilities."
The general picked up the file and flipped it open. "You're spying on us," he said calmly.
"I sanctioned a clandestine operation after a brave whistle-blower brought it to my attention. From what I've seen I'll say I made a pretty good choice," said Olivia.
"This weapon is the top priority for 'non-mystics' - as you like to call us," the general explained.
"Why? The Bureau has promised to protect the United Republics from any attack by a mystical --"
"Please, Olivia. We all know it's not about that!" He cut her off. "You want me to drop the Janus shit? Fine, I'll be straight with you." He leaned forward. "I've seen Camille taken out multiple regiments by herself," he said pointing at the red-eyed woman.
The general then turned to face Diana. "I've seen this one create a forest of trees from a half-dried leaf and use those trees to repel an army of attackers, and she was only nine at the time." He turned his gaze back to Olivia. "And let's not forget that freak that didn't even have a scratch after 50,000 tonnes of explosives were dropped on him. And there are other 'realms' of people just like you ... Billions of people with powers of gods." He paused.
"I'll tell you the truth: Everyone is scared of the Bureau. Senators, congressmen, presidents, prime ministers, Kings, Empresses; even the great Northland that every politician in this part of the world whispers their name with fear haven't done shit in years because they're afraid of you. We ask ourselves: what happens when you forsake us? What happens when you turn on us and decide you want this 'realm' for yourselves?"
"That would never happen," claimed Camille.
"I'm sure all the non-mystic Kings who were killed during the Class Wars thought so too," said General Elliott.
"The Class Wars was started by a non-mystic called Cal-Ra, know your facts before you speak, stupid," Diana frowned.
"Excuse me?"
"You know, Cal-Ra claimed to be something he wasn't and tried to attain powers he couldn't control, which led to his downfall. It seems you and your republic friends are set for the same fate, you're already halfway down the route."
Olivia swiftly steps in front of the snow-white-haired woman before she can say anything else. "Look ... I'm willing to do whatever is necessary to preserve our relationship with West Lionwell and the other republics of the United Republics but this?" She placed her index on a page of the opened file which had an image of a fire extinguisher-looking machine in one of its pages. "This could kill us all ... It cannot exist."
The General leans back and crosses his arms. "Then you know exactly how we feel."
.
.
.
*PRESENT TIME*
The man pulls the trigger releasing a light blue wave that hits Diana. The wave didn't cause the snow-white-haired woman any pain but she could feel the energy sapped out of her and her surroundings rendering her mystical abilities null.
Diana frowned and her peach eyes turned a deep shade of red as the man moved to pull the trigger of his weapon once more, only this time the snow-white-haired woman was much faster than he was.
Moving at an unnatural speed, Diana broke a branch of the tree she had created earlier and stabbed the man with it. The wood going through his mouth and coming out through the back of his head.
Her eyes turn back to its natural peach color with her energy slowly returning to her. Using her mystical abilities, the snow-white-haired woman broke the shield she had formed around her pet carrier and unlocked the carrier. The kitten walks out of the carrier and turns into Maxine who picks up the jacket Diana had draped over the carrier and uses it to cover her body. The brown-skinned woman looked around her before turning to the peach-eyed woman. "Your plan was me not doing anything?"
"You're goddamn right." Diana smiles. "I did leave the big boy for you though," she said pointing at a locked door in the back causing Max to roll her eyes.
"Hey, isn't that the weapon I gathered intel on some time ago in the United Republics?" The curly-haired woman asked.
"Yes, it is. And just in case you're wondering: yes, it works."
They walked towards the door and Diana took out the flower in her hair and used it to break the lock.
Maxine pushed the door open and the duo walked into the room.
"Oh my God!" Maxine exclaimed.
"This is ..." Diana stuttered. In front of them were rows and rows of the fire extinguisher-looking weapons.
.
.
.
The door slides open and Maxine and Diana walk into the room where they see Skylar carrying a box.
"Maxine," she smiled. "It's nice to see you."
"Seriously, Skylar? I'm right here," Diana frowned.
Skylar turned and started towards the med bay. "Ooh! Are you going to the med bay?" said Diana excitedly. "I am headed there too. Maxine wanted me to show her my husband," she said following after the doctor.
"Why w --" Skylar sighs before turning back to look at Max. "Camille is in the mech room. She said to let you rest when you get back but I'm sure meeting her is better than what this creep is trying to drag you into."
Max laughs. "I'll be heading to the mech room then," said Maxine, turning on her heels.
"Aw, but you promised you'd see him."
"Rain check?" Max said before said before disappearing down a corner.
Diana turned to Skylar and pouted. "Why do you refuse to bless my union, Mom?"
Skylar snorts, continuing towards the medical room with Diana closely behind.
They walk into the large room and Diana races to the pod to look at the sprite. "Um, Skylar ... Where the hell is Hunter?" She asked.
Skylar points at a compartment to her left where Hunter was lying on a bed. "Why isn't he in the pod?"
"Because he doesn't need it anymore," Skylar replied.
"Oh."
"Why do you sound disappointed?"
Diana bites her lips, trying to stop herself from saying what she was thinking.
"Get out."
The snow-white-haired woman throws her hands in the air. "I didn't even say anything," she said with a big smile plastered on her face.
"Out!"
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