Violet Spark Utility Users manifested singular abilities with barely any versatility to them; Green Spark Users gained extreme yet specific enhancements to their physical bodies; those of the Blue Spark gained their powers through extracting the meaning in universal symbols, gestures and other abstract phenomena; Gold Spark combatants could predict the future or freely view the past.
There was no rarity between these four Spark natures. In fact, Violet Spark Users, for instance, were extremely abundant and made up the majority of Utility Users.
Each Spark nature had the potential to lead a human or beast to the top of the food chain.
However, the Silver Spark was special.
It was the rarest of the lot and the most difficult to grasp for any living thing with the ability to wield Fint.
The powers granted by the Silver Spark, in a nutshell, granted their users the ability to set Restrictions and Penalties. Under very specific circumstances, the users could temper with reality, limiting certain functions of objects, living beings and even the world depending on how strong they were - Restrictions. They were also allowed to set Penalties, punishments for those who didn't obey the Restrictions.
The Restrictions set in place could also have minor stipulations, but only the rarest of the rare even among Silver Spark Users could do this.
As ridiculous as such a power was to have, Silver Spark Users had to deal with severe conditions for the use of these Restrictions, and even after they were activated, these Restrictions often had loopholes that could be exploited, just as with the Utilities granted by any other Spark.
It was this line of reasoning that made Ess frown and think deeply upon what Rufus had just said.
"No one can approach the bank building without facing the Penalty of being trapped in a coffin. The same happens from the inside. And no violence is allowed," Ess recited.
Everyone turned to him.
"What do you think?" Ratchet asked.
Despite being only twenty years old, Ratchet knew how much of a genius Ess was when it came to combat. His hellish training as a child hadn't been for naught and he had been strong enough of a Utility User back in his Heathen days to be a recipient of countless personal requests for his skills from large corporations and even small nations.
In short, he had more experience fighting Utility Users than his siblings and even Ratchet.
"Has anyone attempted to come out of the bank?" Ess asked.
Rufus nodded.
"Yes. A lot of people attempted to escape yesterday, once the chaos began. Regular civilians. Their fate was the same. A few minutes ago, this old, bald man tried to escape too, but…hmm," he said with a shrug.
Ess walked up to the counter of the store and then back to the group.
He then looked at 'Elliot', who flinched. Bee did too.
"Have any regular people tried to enter the building?" he asked.
Rufus first wore a puzzled look, and then his face slackened with realisation.
"Right. Now that I think about it, the Bureau has a working theory. So far, only powerful officers and Agents have attempted to invade the building. The rounds we used to try and break open the front doors were Fint-reinforced. I believe this is what you're getting at, right?" Rufus said to Ess. "That Fint-related matter is what's being restricted, and nothing else?"
Ess nodded and said:
"But neither the Bureau or the police force is willing to test out this theory with living humans, right? What about regular objects?"
"I'm not sure. The police department has the lesser authority when the Bureau is on site. They don't really share with us what they are thinking or what they have done so far until later," Rufus said, sounding bitter.
"Is that right? Then we can conduct our own trial," Ess said, much to Rufus' surprise.
...
Soon, the group was over a particularly tall building, watching the flashes of blue and red, and commotion below.
The combination of Twist's Utility and Rufus' had made the journey rather easy.
The latter's Utility was called Lurk. Normally, Blue and Gold Spark Utility Users didn't assign names to their Utilities, but Rufus was different. He focused on a single application of his Spark's allowances.
Lurk allowed him to turn invisible by embodying a specific meaning of the number zero – nothing.
Rufus could extend the influence of Lurk to several other people, but at the risk of the overall effect of the Utility weakening with each extra person added to the fold.
Of course, with the darkness and how short the distance they needed to travel was, there were no issues.
Twist then simply threw six stones over the roof of the building they had chosen and voila.
"So those are the coffins…" Bee said, her eyes narrowing at the scene below.
She and the others saw the tens of large, dark, unimpressive coffins standing tall over the steps into the bank and around the fountain beyond them. There were also a series of tiny coffins no larger than pebbles or fingers fixed in the air.
"Bizarre," 'Elliot' said, unnerved. He had the weakest sight out of everyone there, but he couldn't help but remark when he saw the odd scene. He felt bad for the people inside the coffins.
Were they even alive?
This question was probably why the Bureau refused to try their theory with a live human. Perhaps, they should have tested it with a goat or something instead. Or maybe they had already done so.
"Bee," Ess said and his sister nodded.
"Don't overdo it," Ratchet said and he folded his arms. "And to make sure we don't get caught immediately, try to aim a little higher" – he then turned to Rufus – "Just in case, be ready to make us all as thin as the night."
Both Bee and Rufus nodded.
Since there was no way of knowing if the Bureau had already confirmed the loophole Ess spotted or not, the group had to try it out themselves.
The best person for this, was Bee.
She held a rock the size of a fist in her hand, and took a breath.
"Just get it over with, will you?" Ess urged irritably.
Bee cocked back her arm and threw the rock with such force that the night air crackled.
The rock flew in a very, very wide arc, one that would make anyone wonder which country east of Green Lolli Bee intended for it to land in.
However, after a split second, the rock suddenly surged towards the top of the Bloomburg Austerity Bank building and struck its very sturdy wall before shattering into tiny pieces right after.
Rufus and Ratchet scoffed at the same time.
"That proves half the suspicion," the latter said.
Rufus nodded.
"Yeah. Then I guess the Bureau must be trying to work around the Restriction by using some kind of standard robotic device. Or—"
Rufus was interrupted by an abrupt scream.
Ess had suddenly grabbed 'Elliot' by the collar.
"Don't you dare, Ass!" Bee rushed over and grabbed Ess' shoulder, her placid face showing the tiniest hints of fury.
"You knew it was going to come to this already. We have confirmed that he will be able to pass through safely," Ess said. "Now all we need to do is hurl him at just the right angle and have him share what he sees with us from the inside."
"We haven't really confirmed that living things won't be Penalised, brother," Twist said and Bee nodded vehemently.
"Let's find a chicken or goat first to confirm that 'Eiden' will be absolutely safe," Bee argued.
Ratchet gave a loud cough while barking, "Time!". Everyone ignored.
Ess scoffed at his sister.
"Bee, your obsession with this thing is starting to get annoying," – Ess shook 'Eiden' who ubrbrbrbrbrbrbred – "Quite frankly, it matters little if he gets trapped in a coffin or not. If he doesn't, that's good. If he does, then that essentially means we will have to get a bit more aggressive."
Twist looked from Ess to Bee, as did 'Eiden' who looked horrified.
"I can find a bird really quick. We can use that to make doubly sure," Twist said. "We might run the risk of being caught if Bee's boyfriend gets Penalised."
Bee almost leaped in joy.
"That's right!" she exclaimed. "And-and we can find someone else to throw into that bank. Look there! There a party on the roof of that building. It's within Twist's range."
And indeed, there was a party visible from the height and distance. Many men and women were dancing around a rather large swimming pool.
Ess looked at it and his hold on 'Eiden' loosened.
"Fine. Find a bird," he said, looking at Twist, and then he turned to Bee. "But we're still using this guy after Twist confirms."
Bee's brows furrowed ever so slightly while the rest of her face remained creaseless.
"Why does it have to be him?" she asked.
"Because we don't have time to find some other wimpy human being who will probably choose to cower in a corner rather than to actually be useful once they are inside the bank. This guy –if you recall – was brave enough to scold Twist about those little brats with the football yesterday. He has balls and a decent enough sense of justice towards innocent lives."
Bee breathed out a harsh sigh and looked at 'Eiden' who was furiously shaking his head while mouthing, "No, I don't!"
"Brother makes some good points," Twist said with the nod of his head.
"No one asked your opinion, Twirp!" Bee snapped at the boy and rushed to get 'Eiden' out of Ess' grip.
She smoothened his bomber jacket and gave him the same passionless gaze she normally gave everyone else.
She then grabbed his shoulders and said:
"Don't worry. Don't worry. You're not going to get hurt. If I have to fling you to that building" – 'Eiden' shook in terror but couldn't say a word to defend himself – "I promise you won't have to worry about a thing."
'Eiden' was evidently unable to believe this.
"Just in case, I should ask," Twist said as he focused on the skies, hoping to glimpse an owl. "How will we get information from the inside? How will we even make sure that 'Eiden' doesn't get killed immediately upon arriving?"
Indeed, it was a great question.
The answer to it…
"I think I might be able to help with that," Rufus said.