First Strike

In their personal office, the seven elite members of the Draught gathered. Limbo, Meatball, Epicenter, Slots, Despise, Useless and Teacher. In fact, this elite formation receives a name of their own. In this place known as the Wetlands, they were known as the Heavy Draught.

— That was a dumb speech. — Meatball says, eating a donut.

— What a mean thing to say. — Limbo says, grabbing a deck of cards.

There was only an L shaped couch with a table in the center. A large television placed on the wall, facing the couch. Massive windows on the wall opposite of the entrance. Slots was standing by the entrance, arms crossed. Limbo, Meatball and Epicenter were sitting together. Useless was sitting on the table to stay closer to TV screen. Teacher was standing by the couch and the table, facing her Captain. And Despise was starring off the windows.

— I tried talking, but I guess no one listened. — He shuffles the cards.

— Don’t beat yourself up. — Teacher said sarcastically. — What now?

— Killergirl is hiding something from the Lapse.

— Like what? — Epicenter asked.

— I wish I could hide myself from the world… — Useless whispered.

— Something about the Anti-Humans doesn’t quite add up. They seem powerful enough to harken us and make those old men shake in their diapers. Yet…

Limbo takes out a queen of hearts, an ace of clubs, a jack of spades and a king of diamonds. He places the cards down on the table, imagining individuals from Killerkill’s team matching on each card.

— They were outmatched in so little time by such an unimportant group.

— Maybe they were just naturally good against those people. — Teacher told him.

— Maybe. But either way Killergirl’s pretty little emerald eyes know it all. And she saw all four of them. What is it that she doesn’t know?

Teacher felt uncomfortable.

— You know what I mean? — He looked over to her.

Epicenter and Meatball look over to one another, not knowing what he meant.

— These Sages have done an unreasonably pathetic job so far. Relics found are not used out of safety measures. They are recovered simply to be stored in a dusty vault. They don’t even bother listening to poor little Killergirl. Leaving her secrets to herself.

— And does Captain Limbo have something against the girl? — Slots asked.

— What? Of course not! I consider her one of my many friends.

Watching the scene, Teacher starts to understand part of what Limbo had in mind. Like all squads, the Draught’s members are free to act on their own and take up missions alone or with other Searchers. However, a squad can be summoned to act together. And the Heavy Draught was summoned to deal with the Anti-Humans, until Killerkill answered Ejo’s call. That alone made Limbo quite suspicious of what wasn’t being told. After assembling, he thought that now maybe was a good time to do something different.

— Unreasonably pathetic… yet, if it occurs to them, that Killer knows something they don’t. It will be her group on their crosshairs. Friends and enemies everywhere… crazy how a few words can change everything.

— …Is our target the Lapse or The Ballada? — Teacher asked.

— Why not both? — Limbo smirked.

Grabbing the four cards, the captain stands up and hands them out.

— Meatball and Slots. These are your cards.

The Queen of Hearts and the Ace of Clubs. The women take the cards and since she wasn’t paying a lot of attention, didn’t realize who these where meant to be. Slots, gyrates on his spheres and slides towards his ally. Gazing over her, he realizes which Ballada members they should hunt down.

— Useless, here’s something for you.

The Jack of Spades and the King of Diamonds. The creepy, hidden woman takes the cards in her small hands and examines them. Her eyes tremble with expectation, as her targets were quite obvious for her.

— Teacher, you can talk to your friend right?

— Of course…

— Great.

Teacher wonders about what exactly this operation meant. Nevermind standing up against him, she couldn’t even understand what he had planned. The cards signified member of the Ballada, so why would she be asked to talk to Juice. If this was some kind of assassination plot, could Limbo not send Despise, or anyone else inside the Draught for that matter. The term talk was the thing that caught her.

— Epicenter, the vault, please.

— Yes sir.

The Vault was an important place. It was located beneath the Lapse. Only accessible through the Sages Room. An underground warehouse to safely store all the located Relics. Something as small as a VSS-filled mushroom that changed colors sporadically to something of unfathomable value such as the Shattered Chapstick. They were all put and monitored there.

— And Despise…

— I will… cut down…

The Meteor Blade turns around.

— Everything.

— Thirty minutes, everyone.

Limbo exits the room, followed by his Draught.

— And I’ll pay Killergirl a visit.

Those so-called Sages, were responsible man. Called together by an ideal, they promised themselves to guard these relics under the Lapse’s protection. Who could even be entrusted with something like the Chapstick? Under any kind of promise that the world would be better if they slapped that sucker on their lips. It was better to keep them away from everyone’s clutches. And maybe one day, if another meteor came around to wipe out half the planet again, those magic tools could be used.

Except in the aforementioned example and the fact that they had to enter the Vault to put a new relic there, absolutely no one was allowed inside. In order to make sure that they’d be safe, every Searcher was, technically, assigned as a guard. And if someone was seen entering that place, an order of execution would be placed on them, and they’d be forced to fight all of the Lapse on their own to survive. Which would be quite the stupid move, admittedly.

The Ballada was united at the rooftops, trying to get a hand on their own Method Developments, whichever they may be. Killerkill attempted in coaching them with the knowledge she had. Ragnarok was suddenly hit in the head, by a book.

— What the hell!? Who did that?!

She and the others look around. There was no one in the courtyards around them to throw the book at them. Killerkill kneels and examines the book. It was 1938s Out of the Silent Planet by C. W. Lewis.

— Whoever just threw that book, your mom’s a whore!!

— Calm down girl… — Evangelist said. — Kiki?

— You know where this thing came from Killer? — Franchise asked.

— No… — Killerkill became frightened.

— Wait. — Imperium said. — What do you mean you don’t know?

After speaking, Imperium was hit by another book. This massive Atlas hit him square in the face, almost knocking the lights out of him. Nobody saw it coming.

— Woah… are you okay buddy? — Juice helped him stand.

Ragnarok, who was arguably the sharpest senses in the team was caught off guard. It was like they fell out of the sky. Franchise and the others look around with more focus, trying to spot a culprit. The orange skies were also clear, no one was up there.

— Are we being attacked right now? — Evangelist asked.