You don't want no smoke

Their reunion was son interrupted by Kai dashing in. He wore a heartfelt smile as he saw the two brothers hug. It reminds him of how different his brother and him were. It made him feel sad a bit.

"I hate to interrupt, but things need to pick up now."

"Job already? What is it?"

"Cathy found a huge stain in an east coast village called Finn. Rumors spoke that there're occasional gravity anomalies there. We might've found the Gravity ring."

"Finn? I've met someone from there before."

"Good, you need to leave now."

"All right. I've got everything I need anyway."

"Wait!"

Nate caught Kai and Derrick's attention.

"I want to go with you."

"Nope, you can't. It's a dangerous mission. You're still barely a mid-rank sorcerer. And if Shujin himself shows up there, worst case scenario you both die."

"I know. But, I have to go. I froze up when I saw him. I want to get stronger. I have to get stronger."

"He has a point, Kai. It's not just him, his friends too. I want to take that boy from last night."

"Sam? He'll be a liability."

"I'll take my chances."

"I can't have a student die on me, got it?"

"Wait, can my partner come?"

"Sure! Yeah, let's bring everyone on this mission."

"Just her, no one else."

"I don't know where Dan and Laura are. Heath left, again! You better come back with everyone alive. Got it?"

"Aww! Look at you! All worried about your students."

"Shut it. Now come with me to my office."

They walked to the teacher's building and walked up the stairs to Kai's office. It was clean and filled with electric appliances. A computer, a laptop, a TV, a projector, and a whiteboard. Kai hooked up the laptop to the projector then turned the projector on. Kai turned off the lights and stood next to the whiteboard. He had a pointer on his right hand. The projector shined an image of two black male who looked identical. Slick hair, bulky, scarred.

"Elijah and Lamar Williams. Two high-rank grade 1 sorcerer-assassins. Both classified as Anomaly class. Smoke."

"Smoke is their constitution?"

"Yes."

Derrick then looked down and started to hold his chin to think. He looked troubled. He paused for a very long time.

"Are you sure you still want them on this mission?"

"Yes, I'm not changing my mind."

"I'll get Sam and Vic ready then."

IN THE INFIRMARY

Volta laid on a hospital bed. She was stabbed in her stomach, her vitals were grazed. The healing crystal that Derrick gave was enough to heal the wound where rest should suffice to completely heal it. Kai purposely didn't give her more. It was a form of punishment for her.

Sam sat next her on a bench. Leaning to the bed, resting his head on top of his folded arms. His eyes were closed and his breathing was loud. But he wasn't snoring. Volta was wide awake and was staring at him. She felt frustrated at herself for not being able to help much last night. She raised her right palm and patted Sam's head. "Is this something you do?" She asked aloud quietly. Their door was knocked. Then opened. Derrick walked through it.

"Hey, kid."

Volta shakes Sam's head to wake him up. He did, slowly. "What is it?"

"Sam, right? You're going on a mission with me."

"Right now?"

"Yup! Along with Nate and his partner."

"Where?"

"I'll tell you when you're ready."

"Fine."

Sam stood up and left Volta's side. He waved at her as he left her alone. Sam went to his room to pick up his Twin Blades.

While Nate went to Vic's room. He stood in front of the door and stayed still. He then knocked on the door three times. Muffled footsteps got louder and progressively closer to the door. The door opened.

"Hey, Vic."

"Hey. What's up?"

"Mission. But a dangerous one."

"All of our missions technically are."

"I know, but... This is different. We're fighting High-rank sorcerers. I want you to come with me but if you think it's too dangerous, then it-"

"I'm going. Don't need to worry about me, Nate."

"Right. Sorry."

"I'll be ready in five minutes."

"Okay, we'll be waiting at the entrance to the school."

"We?"

"Sam, and my brother."

"You found him?"

"Long story. Now, go. Get ready."

"Right."

Nate went out and walked to the entrance along with Sam and Derrick. Half way there, Vic caught up. She was surprised to see that Nate's brother looked so much like him. It'd be easy to mistake their faces. Only difference would be that Derrick's hair is pushed back and he was a foot taller than Nate. She couldn't stop staring back and forth. It kind of irritated Derrick.

"Yes, I'm his brother! Would you stop staring?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry."

"It's fine." Nate said

"No, it isn't." Derrick disagrees

They all then went to the train station and rode it all the way to the closest station to Finn, which was half a mile away. They rode the train in silence. Weird, considering that Nate and Derrick would've catch up on each other. Derrick seemed to be stressing out for some reason. Nate wanted to calm him down but he didn't know what to say. Sam couldn't sit down normally. Vic was worried for all of them.

The train finally stopped and Derrick got up first. He started stretching his neck and shoulders. He pulled out his blade from thin air and started walking out the station.

"Hey, Derrick."

"Hmm?"

"Where do you put that blade?"

"Void bag. It's this bracelet that I wear on my wrist." He showed his small purple bracelet. It was thin and shiny

"Oh so you just pull the blade out when you want?"

"Not just my blade. Anything I put in. But the downside is that I have to carry its weight."

"Okay, that makes sense."

The four got out of the station and were headed to Finn. The air feels fresh. It was really clean. It clears the mind. You could almost hear the waves in the distance. Derrick could hear it near clearly.

"We're running. Keep up."

Derrick then dashed a hundred meters forward and they were in awe at his speed. Sam ran as fast as he could. So did the other two. Derrick arrived at the village in about three minutes flat. While the other three arrived three minute after him. The majority were wooden houses and few brick houses. A church near the ocean. A stylized well in the middle of the village, viewable from where Derrick was—the entrance of the village.

Derrick could feel it. The weird pull to the ground. The inconsistency of it. Derrick felt light at one second then the other. He immediately jogged to a nearby house. It was almost without thought. He knocked on the door.

"Skylar? You in there?"

The door then quickly opened and a girl stood at the front of it. Her jaw dropped and she jumped in for a hug with Derrick. He hugged her back.

"You're back?"

"Yeah, and for a not so good a reason."

"What?"

"This place is going to be ground zero for a big fight."

"Why?"

"Sorcerers and stuff."

"You want me to do what?"

"Evacuate as fast as you can. Everyone."

"Okay, I'll tell my dad."

"Good."

Derrick then smelled smoke. A thin scent of it. Then the huge cloud of smoke appeared atop of a house. Then emerged from it were two sorcerers.

"Looks like they beat us here."

"This'll be fun."

"Are you Elijah and Lamar?"

"Yup. You better leave now. You don't want no smoke."