If there was one thing that broke my heart more than Emanuel's death, it was hearing about how the higher-ups chose not to send in backup even when Kyra requested it.
Now, the both of them were dead.
I get your pain now, Klyson. But you didn't have to let go the way that you did.
If only A.X.A. had cared a little bit more about our operation at that apartment, the three of them might have still been alive today.
"Kyra, Emanuel, Klyson. Those three are a result of our incompetence. We need to avenge them!" Sav had said. "At dawn, we're rollin'."
We were discussing the plan to seek out the allegations about the Sin of Discrimination at some abandoned factory on the edge of downtown Melysia.
"We'll find the Sin of Discrimination, find this damned Heathen, and put an end to their shenanigans."
I walked up to Sav as he was speaking. "Don't you think this is a little ambitious for just the four of us?"
"Ambitious? You got Third and Fourth on ya team! The Sin of Discrimination won't see it comin'."
"But we couldn't even handle what happened at that apartment… And back then, there were even more of us…"
Sav's grin immediately faded. He looked shunned for even trying to feel confident. "You're right… But what can we do? The last time we asked for backup, they ignored Kyra! And she's higher rankin' than all of us!"
That fact alone pained me. "I know. I'm just worried about us, that's all."
Sav grabbed my hand softly as to comfort me. "Darlin', I promise I'll make it my priority to protect the rest of you if anythin' rough goes down over there. That's why I learned to warp with more than just my right hand. I can transport people outta danger's way much faster now. You can be rest assured."
Yet still, I was unassured.
It was the implication of what could be at the abandoned factory. The last time we scoped out something we were unsure about—the tenants at that apartment—all hell had broken loose. I was just scared of something similar happening all over again. The only thing that could reassure me was if I knew, undoubtedly, that precautions were set in place. And there was only one person I knew who'd already made an effort like that in the past.
"You want me to try getting the entire first division on the case for you guys?" The chief advisor asked.
"Yes, if that's possible."
He scoffed. "It was already pretty difficult getting J alone to join your guys' operation at that apartment last time. I'll see what I can do."
It was the chief advisor of the clean-up specialists who'd put in a word to Overseer Azrael the last time we ventured, and that got us the assistance of J. This time, with uncertainty of the Sin of Discrimination's presence, I tried my luck at having the entirety of Overseer Azrael's first division join us this time. By the end of the day I'd had that discussion, I received an email response.
[ Cynthia,
As I'm sure you're already aware, Overseer Azrael can be very sparse when it comes to things he himself has not been able to confirm. Unfortunately, this operation the four of you seek out at the factory is one of those things. But, with consideration of how the previous operation at the apartment turned out, he seemed ever-more slightly keen to contribute to this matter in the case that something large were to occur, again. With that in mind, instead of providing you with inadequate assistance in terms of quantity like last time with J, he will not provide any whatsoever to begin with. Instead, he has chosen to support you four only in the instance of a threat truly worth deploying resources for.
To put it simply, Overseer Azrael will provide backup when you need it.
Although, there is a catch. Since you are the one with this specific request, you alone will be wired to a microphone that will relay audio live to Overseer Azrael's second division. Their members are tasked with defining whether the situation is appropriate for backup or not, based on what they can hear from your microphone's audio around the time of your request for support. If the majority vote that it is appropriate, the go-signal will be given to Overseer Azrael's first division, and he will deploy all of its members.
I know this may not be what you were expecting, but I hope it can assist you four the way you intended for this operation.
Good luck,
Chief Advisor Adam ]
The precaution had been set in place.
We'll be okay.
I was finally reassured, until the next day had arrived.
Where the hell is the assistance we needed?!!
Sav was dead. Celeste was dead. Garren was dying. And turns out, Klyson had been alive all this time, and he was the one responsible for all of this slaughter. Somehow, he had gotten so strong that all of our Fractals combined weren't enough to stop him. I requested for backup immediately upon learning this news. Then, within moments of this revelation, an old man presented himself, self-proclaimed to be the supposed leader of Heathen. He used a Fractal identical to the one that controlled us back at that apartment, and now we were all under his control.
"You've done something to bring them here, haven't you?" The old man asked me.
The back of the factory blew open, and finally, better late than ever, the first division showed up.