Gliding through the air was an all-black helicopter.
One pilot and one passenger. Shade stared out of the helicopter window as it skimmed over the desert landscape below.
It was agreed by everyone that he is not be monitored or be tracked in case Libra was tipped off of any devices in play.
In the distance, he spotted a lone shipping truck jostling down a gravel path. Its presence was so out of place amidst the barren expanse. That was going to be his transportation vehicle for the mission.
"Start your descent," he commanded the pilot.
The helicopter tilted slightly, shifting into a more vertical descent. The wind whipped against him as the aircraft eased down, several feet above ground.
He wasted no time. Grabbing the ladder, he threw it out of the open door and quickly climbed down as the sharp wind hit him. The truck itself was still a bit away, so he would be striding on foot for safety measures.
The heat pressed against him, but he kept moving, undeterred by it. The closer he got, the more he noted the details: rust flecked the truck's exterior, and grime coated its windows, obscuring any view into its interior.
Once he finally approached, he saw a man sitting behind the wheel. The driver's face was mostly hidden beneath the brim of a wide-brimmed hat.
Shade noted the man's posture: relaxed yet alert. More importantly, his gaze fell on the Band encircling the man's wrist—a confirmation that they were on the same side.
"Shade," the man greeted, inclining his head toward the passenger seat. "Get in. It's an hour ride."
Without exchanging any more words, they set off.
The driver maintained a steady pace as they took the winding road through the desert landscape. Nothing was said as miles of sand and sparse vegetation passed by the windows.
Only after they were approaching AU's city border did Shade feel something amidst. The route they were taking was wrong. Where they were headed was a highly guarded area, one that was bound to attract attention to any vehicle.
"Take the back route…" Shade instructed.
The driver shot him a sideways glance but didn't say anything. He steered toward a lesser-known turn-off. They then drove deeper into the dry terrain, feeling increasingly remote. But just as they seemed to be making progress, they were stopped short by a closed gate.
"Now what?" the driver asked in a challenging tone.
Shade looked down, rolling up his sleeves to reveal a gun tucked against his wrist. He pulled out a silencer, slipping it onto the barrel before lowering his window slightly.
Pew-pew. Two clean shots.
A moment later, the gate slowly creaked open.
"How'd you do that?" the driver asked, feeling surprised.
Little did the driver know, Shade knew not just the best routes to take in the city but also where the majority of the security devices were. That was why he was eerily calm for this situation.
He didn't bother with details, so he brusquely replied, "I disabled the security cameras. Now hurry."
One press of the gas, and they drove past many guards patrolling the route. Not a single one of them batted an eye as they slipped through.
Just a few minutes in, and they easily merged back onto the main road again. The silhouettes of guards in the distance faded as they accelerated.
Half an hour passed without an incident, but then Shade spotted a cruiser in the rearview mirror. Its lights weren't on, yet it was gaining speed on them.
"Floor it," Shade commanded, knowing the danger they were in.
The driver argued, "No, just relax…"
Shade clenched his jaw. They were not safe. The cruiser kept coming, and it wouldn't be long before they were pulled over.
Once it got close enough, he recognized the cruiser as one of AU's lesser guards—likely a trainee sent just to scout for any citizens in need of help. That was not good either, as it would compromise their mission.
With no time to waste, he warned again, "What are you doing? Floor it…"
Reluctantly, the driver pressed down the accelerator, but it was too late. The cruiser's lights flashed the moment they gained speed. Then it pulled them over.
"Calm down," the driver said, rolling up his sleeves. "I can handle this."
'Is he going to use his Band?' Shade wondered.
When the officer approached their truck, Shade watched intently.
"License and registration," the officer demanded.
The driver smiled, extending his hand to the officer. "I'm sorry for the trouble," he smoothly said.
"Don't worry about it," the officer said, accepting the handshake. "Just show me your papers so I can verify—"
The moment the officer took his hand, there was a flash and then the officer froze, seemingly encased in ice.
There were many Bands in the world, but Libra was only known to have one ice-type Bandit: 'Cyrus…'
The driver was none other than Cyrus in disguise. It had to be. So, why had Shade not recognized him?
He secretly activated his own Band. And the moment he did, he sensed a cloak Cyrus had wrapped around his appearance. Shade narrowed his eyes, believing this was the working of another Bandit for this mission.
Unbuckling his seatbelt, Shade opened the passenger door and stepped out. Cyrus's eyes widened, but Shade shook his head, signaling for him to remain calm.
"I've got this," he said as he approached the officer who remained immobilized in layers of frost. He reached for the man's radio, speaking into it as if he were the officer. "This is Officer Miller, urgent. We need a medic for a code 1040."
After relaying the message, Shade cut the transmission and stepped back, returning to the passenger side. Code 1040 was the code signaling that an officer was in danger of hypothermia.
Cyrus blinked at him, astonished at what he had just seen. "That buys us time. Straight work."
"Let's keep moving," Shade replied.
He might have bought them more time, but he did not want to tempt fate any further.
They sped off, leaving the still officer behind them. As they drove away, it became quite evident that they wouldn't be followed any longer.
"How did you know what code to call out?" Cyrus wondered.
Shade didn't want to answer at first, but because he knew who his little overseer was, that could work to his advantage.
"All of AU's codes were downloaded into our database," he revealed.
The news should have shocked any rebel, but Cyrus remained coolheaded. Information like that would most certainly add value to TEC once the mission was complete.