After a few hours of hard work, my plans were complete. A team of 4 robots, coded to track and identify the Mindless, were waiting in the main warehouse, equipped with nets and stasis webs that would hold them. All that was left was to see if they worked, but I was going to have to test them on the go. I also made sure that they had numerous non-lethal rounds so we could test to see what worked the best.
I made sure to lock up the warehouse before leaving, hoping to keep everyone out until I returned. Then, armed with my plan, I left the warehouse to go meet with Alizra.
---
"All five are in place," Thomas said into the Communication Bracelet on his wrist and then tapped on the Farseer Goggles that he was wearing to switch between each of the Order members' sight.
"Wonderful! If you can capture this creature, I will be sure to give you an amazing bonus!" Ned said from the background before Orion could reply.
"What about the Mindless? Did Keith send them yet?" Orion asked from the control station.
"2 of them, but you know how much they talk. I would just as soon stay away from those, but considering how dangerous this Numerian seems, I am almost glad to have the weirdos, but that little girl is creepy," Thomas replied, thinking about the deadly-looking little girl he had just seen walk slowly into an alley.
"Keith has the other 2 on their way. I do wish you luck, Thomas," Ned said with a smirk before Orion cut off the communication.
Thomas sighed and then closed his eyes to focus on the Mindless. He had prepared for this, knew what was expected of him, and he wasn't about to let anyone down. That meant capturing the Numerian, and then his life could go back to extorting people. For him, that was much more enjoyable than trying to catch a killer machine, but when it came to orders from Ned, Thomas was not given options. The question of Ned and why he was cursing their goddess was still on his mind, but Thomas knew that this was not what should be on his mind.
The sun was gone, but this part of the city was one of the few parts that stayed lit up. This was only because the other criminals knew better than to come into an area where the worship was as thick as it was in Deaths Grove. The only reason the Order was in this area was because of the deal with Alizra and the desire to catch the Numerian. This was also the reason they needed the Mindless.
Deaths Grove residents didn't take kindly to strangers or anyone that didn't live here, but that didn't stop the Order from poking around and twisting arms where they needed. The criminals of the city thought that they owned the place, but deep down, they all knew the final straw was always pulled by Ned, and that was why Alizra was willing to stab the new boss in the back just to get info about their sister.
Thinking about that made Thomas rub his head and then grit his teeth, but the pain had been worth it, and Ned had been listening to him the entire time. While assaulting Thomas alone wouldn't be enough, Alizra's days and her Manta clans would be numbered, and then the other two would tear each other apart, and then the Order of Salvation would clean the rest up.
That was, as long as they got rid of Razor first, here and now. Without his removal of him today, the future was not certain, and currently, the Seer would not speak more than that the 'Edge' needed to be killed for Ned's goals to be realized. That meant that whatever future she could see was not good, and killing the Numerian was something that had to happen tonight. The problem was that there was too much chance that Alizra would not reveal the plan to Razor, so Orion and another team would be heading through an underground passage to a nearby staging house in case something went wrong.
Thomas was about to walk out of the alley to go look for the other Mindless, but instead, he pulled back deeper into the shadows, ducking behind a crate. The ground was trembling slightly in a rhythmic pattern that was getting closer, and Thomas was almost certain he knew what it was. The moment a massive cloaked figure walked in front of the alley, the movement stopped, and Thomas started to sweat because he knew what this was. The Numerian.
---
'I found him, and he is hiding behind a crate,' I said, but internally to Kilna, not out loud, as I turned away and kept walking. It would be so easy to start the fight now, but I was just here to get a scan of him and try to figure out what kind of magic he was surrounding himself in, but I got nothing back from my scans.
'I will keep the insulated drone on him from a distance, and I will let you know if I identify the item that is generating the barrier. If electricity is what affects your bugs and you, then I am sure Ned knows that, and he will have told Thomas and then others. Fortunately, rare magical items that can do that are even rare now since they can't be used as magical items, nor is platinum allowed to be used to make new ones. Steel and some other alloys work, but to create effective barriers, platinum must be used because it is the only metal that can be fed magic. The rest can only store the basic amount for the initial use of the spell, making them unable to create a constant barrier because you have to empty the item with the cast and then refill after the spell is done,' Kilna explained as I kept going, following the map in my mind, and looking around at the people that walked the streets of Deaths Grove.
Considering how the rest of the city was just criminals and the rougher type walking around, Deaths Grove was alive with... normal people wasn't the right word, but they definitely didn't look criminal; just a few screws loose. Regardless, this is what I expected to see in the rest of the city. The fact that it wasn't meant there was a lot of untapped potential for earnings by making the streets safer at night. All this violence on the surface was bad for business and was one of the major reasons why this city looked like such a poor shithole, even in the nice areas.
That is, except for 4 locations. The three crime families' bases and Ned's castle. Those all were in great shape and made the buildings around them look even worse because of the stark contrast. This, to me, was stupid, but I was the type to stay in hotels, constantly moving. These people all seemed to think they were safe in their pretty homes, but I was going to break that illusion like glass.