Flagged (Ch.5)

The chill of the night hung heavily in the air, over the grimy streets of the hollow as Vanya and her crew exited the den. Their boots echoed faintly against the cracked pavement, but the sound was drowned out by the ever present hum of distant machinery and muffled voices.

The cold air bit Vanya's face and she pulled her hood tighter around herself to fend off the chill. The den's loud and booming noise faded behind her but she barely noticed, her mind still reeling from the strange encounter with the werewolf, replaying his words over and over again.

Ren scanned the streets behind for Maestro Black's men who might be lurking in the shadows to snatch the treasure and after a moment, he jogged up to Vanya, his face etched with concern. "Something's wrong. I've got a bad feeling." He murmured.

"Black wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything." Lynne replied, also scanning the environment. "He stands to gain nothing if the void crystal becomes public knowledge...he wouldn't dare." Still, her hand rested lightly on the hilt of her dagger.

"It's not Black I'm worried about." Ren said, his voice low.

Before Ren could explain his concerns, Kael's energy scanner crackled to life. He held it up, his expression darkening. "Eyes up, we're being shadowed. We've got company." He muttered.

Though her heart quickened, Vanya's strides didn't falter. She subtly glanced at a storefront window, the dirty glass reflecting faint movement across the street. Figures cloaked in dark armor weaved through the shadows, their presence too deliberate to be droid or survival zone enforcers.

 "UHF," Vanya whispered, her tone sharp. "Fortified zone rank."

Ren stiffened. "What the hell are they doing here?"

Enforcers from the fortified zones rarely ventured into survival zones without purpose... and their one reason to show up was a direct order from the UHF command to capture and bring in an outlaw, but one thing was certain, they never came down to the slums for something trivial.

"Kael... confirm." Vanya ordered quietly.

Kael pretended to adjust his energy scanner, using the gesture to subtly scan their pursuers. "Armored, weapons holstered but visible. Too clean for this area." He observed. "They're sticking to the shadows, avoiding attention. No doubt about it...UHF agents."

Unease churned within Vanya, she had managed to stay out of the UHF's radar this long, that would not change now. "How far out?" She asked sharply. 

"Not far enough." Kael replied.

"Split up." Vanya ordered immediately, "Ren, take the crystal. We meet up at the cave later."

"But..." Lynne started to argue, but Vanya cut her off with a glare.

"Do it. Now!"

Vanya's harsh tone banished any further hesitation. Ren took the satchel containing the void crystal from Vanya and the group scattered into the shadows. Vanya swiftly turned down a darker alleyway, her instincts guiding her away from the main streets of the hollow.

The sounds of boots echoed faintly behind her, steady and unrelenting. From their barely audible steps, Vanya could tell these were trained hunters, amongst the best of the UHF bounty squad. 

She took a sharp left, weaving through the labyrinth of dirt strewn alleyways, though her heart pounded wildly, her breath was steady. A glance over her shoulder confirmed Vanya's suspicion, the entire squad was on her tail, not one had gone after her crew, their focus was entirely on her.

They had come with a purpose indeed, and for whatever reason, that purpose was her. 

'They're hunting me.' Vanya realized, the realisation sparked anger in her. She had broken her fair share of laws in the past year since defecting... perhaps a little more than that, and Vanya did have a decent bounty on her head... perhaps a little more than decent,

Yet, she had given her entire life and more to the UHF and all the rules she had broken had been flawed in the first place, they had no rights!

Vanya rounded another corner, but three UHF agents stepped out of the shadows ahead, weapons poised. Vanya spun, ready to double back but the sound of footsteps were already on her and the group of four on her heels also showed up.

They had her boxed in.

The first agent to step forward was a tall woman with a chiseled face framed by her helmet's visor. Vanya recognised her instantly, Captain Rael, one of the most decorated field commanders of the UHF.

Behind Captain Rael, more agents fanned out, their weapons were drawn but not aimed. Vanya slowly drew her plasma blade, the blade pulsed with energy, lighting up the dim hallway.

"Agent Vanya Hale." Rael said, her voice cold and authoritative. "For you." She said, handing Vanya a comm link.

Vanya stared warily at it before stepping forward, she hooked it up to her ear and received the incoming communication.

"UHF to Agent Hale, report to Central Processing immediately." Came the order from the familiar mechanical voice of command.

"Central Processing? Whatever for?" Vanya hissed. "I was relieved of duty a year ago."

"You will be briefed upon your arrival." Command responded.

Vanya frowned slightly. "Look, whatever this is, take it up with the department of Rift Demolition."

"No, Miss Hale. This order is for you alone." The voice that responded this time was different and unfamiliar.

"Who...is this?" Vanya asked in suspicion. Her brows furrowed in concern at the change of her title.

"This is Delan Tracks, with the Department of Supernatural Relations, Office of Resource Allocation." The man's voice was cool and unwavering. "You've been flagged under Project Mate. Congratulations Miss Hale, you've been matched."

The words took a moment to register and when they did, Vanya's pulse spiked. 

'Project Mate', she had heard the name before. It was the UHF's exchange bargain with Lunaris...a grim exchange of human women in return for their protection.

"Matched?" Vanya repeated, her voice sharp. "This has to be some sordid joke. I am a retired UHF Agent of the Void Containment and Rift Demolition Department, Vanya Hale. You may contact Chief Galen Tross at UHF for confirmation of my retirement. I did not volunteer candidacy for any program, neither does my clearance allow me the liberty to."

"Confirmation is not necessary. I know who you are, Miss Hale. Everyone does...yet we have your profile." There was a pause, as though he expected Vanya to be grateful.

"Your participation is mandatory, Miss Hale." He finished in a tone of finality.

Vanya's stomach churned, her free hand clenched into a tight fist. "Listen carefully, Tracks. I have no idea how you got my blood and I do not give two shits about your match results. I'm not interested in being a part of your glorified breeding program. I'm a demolition specialist, not some government tribute..."

Vanya's voice trailed off as a shadow fell over her. Captain Rael had moved closer now, her pulse gun armed.

"This is not a request." Delan Tracks continued over the comm. "Return with Captain Rael. Resisting will only complicate matters."

"Like hell..." Vanya barely had time to react before one of the agents strode forwards, he held a device that emitted a sharp, high pitched tone. Vanya's personal comms blinked red, the signal overridden.

"Command has authorized your capture in the event of resistance." Captain Rael was still speaking as another agent moved in a flash, 

He locked a cuff-like device around Vanya's wrist. A sharp bolt of electricity jolted through her body, potent enough to force her to her knees.

Pain blurred her vision and Track's voice came again, as calm as before. "The cuff is just a precaution to ensure your compliance. It will not be activated again unless you attempt to flee."

The agents hauled Vanya to her feet, Vanya gritted her teeth, rage flaring through her. "You can't do this! I have rights!" 

Tracks sighed. "All due respect, your rights were signed over the moment your blood sample was entered into our database. Your Rift Runner license has been suspended, effective immediately. You belong to Project Mate'... thank you for your service, Agent."

Vanya's heart raced, she had never volunteered. Her blood sample getting into their database had to have been a mix-up, but with her blood sample taken on every post mission check up, how could she even know when this mixup had happened? How long had she been entered into this glorified breeding program?

The agents guided her towards the vehicle, their grip ironclad. Vanya struggled, twisting against their hold but the cuff pulsed, making her legs buckle.

"Miss Hale," Tracks said, his voice now tinged with impatience. "You are one of the few who can secure the future of our world. This is an honor, I suggest you start acting like it."