Time Is Up

The day had come. Each team was set up around the Auction house.

Mato's Squad was given the task to set up the Defensive Team. They set up barriers around the perimeter, with strong defensive Sorcerers set up on street ends and inner roads leading to the greater city of pairs. Mato himself was set up on the highest peak in the city, the Eiffel Tower.

Marry's Squad was tasked with creating the Attacking Team. So she gathered up her best ten Sorcerers and put them in an abandoned building across the street from the Auction House. They were ready at any second to jump in and take out the Rogue Sorcerers.

And finally, Red's Squad was tasked with the Infiltration and Reconnaissance Team. They had to go inside and find any information that would warrant a raid or siege on the Auction.

"Ok, the teams are set up into two groups." (Red)

"The first group consists of Yaku Tanoki, Qway Wan, Oliver Swift, and John Mulligan. You three are tasked with infiltrating the backstage. Be stealthy, get disguises, and don't get found out." (Red)

"The second group consists of Jack, Emma, and me. We're going through the front entrance to participate in the auction, we will look for any noticeable oddities, but if something goes wrong backstage we will have to secure the exit until the Attacking Team arrives. Got it?" (Red)

"Yes, Captain!"

---

Meanwhile, in the abandoned building across the street from the Auction house, ten Second-Class Sorcerers are standing around chatting about. Colt is laid out flat on the dirty floor.

He laid looking up at the dusty ceiling, his mind wandering, tired, bored.

"Uhhhhhahhahahah..." (Colt)

He moaned and groaned, bored out of his mind.

A Sorcerer walked up to him.

"Hey, Colt, you ok?" (Second-Class Lieutenant Sorcerer, Squad Marry, Francisco)

"No I'm not ok... This is the most boring mission I've ever been on." (Colt)

He pulled up a chair and sat in front of him.

"Well, at least you're getting action. Imagine if you were put on the Defensive Team with Mato's Squad." (Francisco)

"Haha, yeah... That would suck. But do you know what sucks even more?" (Colt)

"What?" (Francisco)

"Being here with you when I could destroy that entire building in a flash, wiping out all the bad guys in seconds." (Colt)

Another Sorcerer walked up on the conversation.

"You're very funny, Colt. You have a dark sense of humor, but we can't let you do that. What if you kill civilians like the last time you went all out?" (Second-Class Sorcerer, Squad Marry, Williams)

Colt sat up.

"That wasn't a joke." (Colt)

"Huh?" (Williams)

"All those people in there. How many Sorcerers will we lose fighting them off? How many? Because simple math states that on average one Sorcerer saves a thousand lives in their whole lifetime. What will happen if ten Sorcerers die. Will the cost be worth it?" (Colt)

Another Second-Class walked up on the slouched Colt.

"That's just your opinion Colt. That's why you're so hated. Because real Sorcerers... They save any life, no matter the cost. That's what we signed up for isn't it?" (Second-Class Sorcerer, Squad Marry, Caleb Mark)

Colt mumbled to himself.

"Sign up?" (Colt)

Francisco stood up from his stool. He turned toward the empty door on the other side of the abandoned space.

"Red, put you on our team because you embarrassed her at the assembly correct?" (Francisco)

"Yuparoo." (Colt)

"Then why don't you help us fight? We need your power and if you do good and don't kill any innocents then we will help you get revenge on Red. How does that-" (Francisco)

Marry stormed through the rusted metal door. She slowly strutted across the empty dirty, destroyed space. She stopped in front of Colt.

"Sorry but that's not happening. Colt's staying right where he is." (Marry)

"But we can use his power to-" (Williams)

"Williams, no buts or stuff, just a big fat no. And Colt don't get the wrong idea. I was going to let you help out, but this is bigger than Red's deal and your beef with her. This is coming from all the way up, from the highest orders, from above the Grand Sorcerer." (Marry)

"Above the Grand Sorcerer?" (Caleb)

"Hey, Franci, what's above the Grand Sorcerer?" (Williams)

"No clue." (Francisco)

Colt stood up menacingly. His pale white powerful eyes peering into Marry's bright brown soft stare.

"Here." (Marry)

She tossed a slip of paper to Colt.

He opened it up quickly, reading across every line and every sentence.

"Shit!" (Colt)

"What does it say?" (Williams)

Williams tried to get a peak but before anyone could see anything Colt ripped the thin piece of paper into shreds.

"Heheheheh... I guess that X-Class monster was their last straw, they really can't have me doing any more fighting. Too much of a brand risk. Plus I gotta go back into that hole. Damn... DAMN! Those old fucks are crazy." (Colt)

Everyone turned confused by Colt's undescriptive explanations.

"Colt what do you mean by..." (Williams)

"Y'all should leave. The oldies are pulling out all the stops this time. This has gone above the Magic Force, above the Grand Sorcerer. They're putting me back in the playbox." (Colt)

"Playbox?" (Francisco)

Red grabbed Francisco by the shoulder. She whispered something into his ear. The rest of the Second-Class Sorcerers slowly backed away to the metal door on the other side of the building.

Colt slapped his two hands together.

"Leave quick. My collector's coming." (Colt)

Marry opened the rusted door.

"Plan B has been commenced! Teams Francisco, Williams, and Caleb are to split up at points A B and C! No complaints! We are leaving Colt behind!" (Marry)

All the Sorcerers started funneling out of the abandoned building on that single command.

The last person out was Caleb.

"Bye-bye Colt. Oh and by the way, I hate your guts, you disgust me." (Caleb)

Slam!

He shut the door behind him.

"That's fair." (Colt)

---

Meanwhile.

In the middle of the streets of Paris. The long winding paths. The staircases that went from stone to brick. The railing of the night sky reflected in the midnight puddles. He stood in the shadows. His black-uniform in the shadows, his red-flowered pin in the shadows, his face in the shadows.

He snapped his fingers.

Pink flames.

---

Colt sat down on the stole in the middle of the abandoned building. The walls of broken brick and smashed concrete. The light was gone from the small oil lamps that fizzled up, all that was left was a soft glow from the holes in the walls.

The metal door opened.

He stepped in.

"What's up Toby? Long time no see. I guess it's that time of the decade again?" (Colt)

"I had to travel halfway across the world for this, so can we just make this easy, so I can go home to my girlfriend?" (Toby)

"Sorry bud, but there are no easy paths in life." (Colt)

They stood staring at eachother blankly.

"When was the last time we fought like this?" (Toby)

"Back when we were eighteen and you were in Diana's Squad." (Colt)

Toby reflected on those times.

"Times have changed haven't they?" (Toby)

"They sure have. Now your working with that Grand Sorcerer, and you've left Diana with me." (Colt)

"Well, it would be weird being with another girl when I already have a girlfriend." (Toby)

"True." (Colt)

Snap.