Chapter 10

(Author's note: I made a mistake in the last chapter. The earth-manipulating member of Squad S is codenamed Granite but I called him Boulder in the last chapter. I apologize for the mistake and confusion I made.)

Along one of the hallways of the subterranean headquarters, Siegfried Doron walked with concern and apprehension. Today was supposed to be VANGUARD's launch. It was supposed to be Cade and Arthur in that briefing. And it should've been them at the training room now, strategizing the plan to defeat the demon. But with Defense Secretary Ortiz' decision, none of that happened. And that decision has what gotten him wound up right now. He was actually quite tensed since Cade and Arthur's presentation that it was a miracle that no one noticed it during the briefing. He's worried for the two Scions and the fate that awaited them now that they've been labeled as dangerous.

The worst thing that he can imagine for the two would be a lifetime of surveillance and custody. These two would always have eyes trained on them, treating them as if they're ticking time bombs. He has already came so far. With the creation of the Deviant Response Force, his once small independent group grew into an organization recognized by all. It also helped create a law that would protect the Deviants from the prejudice that once befell on them. And now, because of the Defense Secretary, he can see things going back that way. He could only sigh as he thought about the future.

He stopped and then looked in front of him. He was now at the recreation room. This is were the agents of the Deviant Response Force unwind and relax after a mission. As of the moment, the two Scions occupied this room. With things so hectic, he didn't get the chance to explain things to them. He has some free time now so he figured this to be the best time to talk to them.

He took his ID then swiped on the card slot on the wall. The small red light on the device turned from green to red then followed by the door sliding open. Inside, the recreation room's vast space greeted him. At the center of the room was a lavish set of couches surrounding a small coffee table. There were games installed inside like a dart board, foosball and billiard table. There were shelves with books and magazines on one side. A flat screen tv was mounted on a wall which was connected to a surround sound system as well as a video game console. On the far end was a complete kitchen for agents who find cooking as a form of relaxation.

On one of the couches, Cade sat with a book held in his hand. He was so engrossed in it that he didn't take notice of the Siegfried entering the room. That, or he simply chose to ignore him. On the other side, Arthur sat in a reclined position, tossing a rubber ball in the air then catching it. This one didn't need much reading. He was bored and he didn't care who entered the room.

"Good afternoon, boys." Siegfried greeted. Arthur simply grunted in response. Cade lowered his book then turned to Siegfried. "Good afternoon, director." He returned the greeting. Siegfried then sat on the couch. "I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think the Defense Secretary would be changing his mind soon. Squad S would be taking this mission." He said.

At the mention of this, Arthur squeezed the ball after he caught it. For a brief moment, Siegfried caught him sneering but stayed quiet. "It can't be helped. The mission still needed to be carried out. Squad S is the only one qualified to do this." Cade said. As usual, he remained calm and level-headed, never letting his emotions flare out. But Siegfried can see in his eyes that he was also upset about the outcome. He couldn't blame him. Cade was an excellent team leader of his own squad before he was discovered as Scion. After the discovery, he was pulled out from his squad to undergo training in order to hone his new set of powers. It was all for the preparation of VANGUARD's launched. Now that it wasn't happening, he has to deal with the fact that he was being benched. For Cade, nothing upsets him more than being without a purpose.

"Hah!" Arthur scoffed. "Don't patronize yourself, Cade. Why don't drop the prim and proper look and just admit that you're just as upset as I am!!" Arthur yelled. "And really?! Squad S?! I outclass those guys! I can take them all at once!" Arthur declared.

"There it is. That barbaric and brute attitude of yours is the reason why we're here. I'd be concerned too if I was the Defense Secretary. Wild beasts like you shouldn't be out in the streets." Cade insulted.

Arthur smirked. "Are you that disappointed, Cade? You have nothing to vent your frustrations on so you decided to dump it on me? Pathetic. Why don't we go for a round? That would relieve some tension." Arthur challenged.

"Enough!!" Siegfried bellowed. "You're acting like children. I understand how you're feeling but this is not the way you should act." He chastised. "Look. For now, I can't do anything about this. My hands are tied. And I'm sorry for that." He apologized as he lowered his head. "All I can say for you now is to stay put here. The Defense Secretary's eyes are hot on you. To him, you're just dangerous, living weapons that needed to be locked up. So don't give him a reason to do it. Understand?" The two Scions stayed quiet and simply nodded their heads. "Very well. I'll be going now." He said then turned around, leaving them alone again.

****

"Alright. I'm certain that covers everything we needed to know about this demon. After many trial and errors, we now have a fool proof plan to neutralize this demon." Flare said. The confidence in his voice was evident. "I agree with our team leader. I see no more areas to explore in fighting this demon. The only course now that we have to take is to get adequate rest so we're ready for this evening." Granite seconded.

"I still can't wrap my head around this. Before, we were only tasked with high-profile and black ops mission. It's why we can never reveal our faces, not even to each other. Now, we're demon exterminators. I mean we're going to fight and kill an actual demon that we all thought was just a fairy tale in our country's history. I almost feel like we're in a video game or something." Torrent shared.

"What's unbelievable is that we're taking over this job. This was supposed to be VANGUARD's job. And in terms of power, those two guys who currently make up that new squad could totally mop the floor with us. I trust the plan and all of us but I can't shake that twinge of self-doubt in me. Those two were specifically chosen to do this job. Also, Scions were the ones who fought demons in the past. And I can't stop thinking that we stole this job from them. So, should we really do this?" Breeze said, voice filled with concern.

"I agree with some of what you said, Breeze. Yeah. They were chosen for this job specifically because of how it was dealt with in the old times. But those were the old times. They didn't have Deviants those days. And just because they have they the blessings of so-called gods means that they're better than us. We're just as qualified as them for this job. And we're not stealing anything. It's only natural for somebody else to take over when they're not available." Voltage reassured.

"I suggest that we go and take a rest now. Instead of overthinking this mission, let's just relax and unwind for a bit like Granite said. And Breeze, Voltage is right. We're not stealing anything. There's a job that needs to be done and we're the ones available. And never lower your worth. That goes to eveyone of you. We all have our own strengths. No one is more special than the other. That's it for now. Dismissed." Flare commanded. Afterwards, they left the training room and went to their individual quarters.

****

After surviving his killer, extracting information from him and studying the place where the policeman he was working for was taken, Hale returned back to his trailer to plan for his rescue. He still have the element of surprise. Right now, he was still believed to be dead. He took extra care in returning here to make sure it stayed that way. There was still a few hours before he can do his job. He was anxious and worried. He didn't know what's the current situation of the detective and it was getting him all wound up. With each hour that passes, who knew what was being done to the detective. He couldn't help but blame himself for this. He should've been more careful. He wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to the man who he once saw as a father.

"No. Don't think like that. Be rational. The detective holds crucial information. They won't do anything to him until they knew the amount of information that he knows." He said to himself. He knew that he was just doing this to convince himself but it's the only thing he can do. He has to trust that the criminals see value in the detective to not dispose him immediately. This was the only way he could function at his best.

On his bed was the blueprint of the warehouse the detective was being held. It was a painstakingly hard task acquiring this blueprint since the building itself was old. Fortunately, the detective have a few connections in city hall that were willing to help him. He studied the structure, noting which way he'll enter and which way he'll exit. He figured that leaving would be more difficult since he's with the detective. He also noted that the detective's condition. It would be naive to think that they wouldn't beat him up. "Alright. Best course of action is knock out any guards on my way in and the guards in my exit path. Only then would be the best time to get him out. Problem is......where are they keeping him?" He asked himself then scanned the blue print. It took him a while but he figured it out. "This office on the second floor has a large glass window that overlooks everything below. Also, from a the view point on the ground floor, every one can see what's happening through the window. My best chance of finding him will be there." He said.

After coming up with a plan, he went to his drawer and pulled out a small case. He opened it and retrieved the .45 caliber inside. This was the detective's going-away present for him when he decided to make a life of his own along with the promise that he'll only use this when it's absolutely necessary. He has never used this ever since he got it. But now, it would seem that he needed to. The detective's life was on the line and he was prepared to take some to save one. He then proceeded to load bullets in the magazine before sliding it in the gun. He then pointed the gun to check its aim. Afterwards, he put the gun in his bag. "Hang tight there, Sarge. Stay alive until I arrive." He said then went out.

****

After attending to their personal matters, the four people who gathered to combat the new threat have once again met in the meeting hall. "That Squad S were quite the team. Had I known that they were that skilled then I would've suggested them instead of those.......other individuals." Secretary Ortiz said, careful not to say anything derogatory to the Scions. "That's why they're only assigned to the most dangerous and difficult missions, sir. You've seen their data. Their accomplishments speaks for themselves." Siegfried said. "That's why I'm planning something for them. But that matter shall be discussed after this. So, is everything thing ready?" The Defense Secretary asked. "Yes, sir. At 0600 hours, the operation shall start. By tomorrow, this demon will no longer he a threat." Siegfried answered.