Published at 20th of October 2026 9:31 am

Chapter 211. A short trip

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We all gathered in a large auditorium inside the FBI SID office. On one side stood my peopleLuna, Ophelia, Peter, Myhur, Bakari, and me. On the other side stood the FBI group, consisting of Filip, Rey, Josh, and Marvin. And in the middle stood twelve people wearing a strange mix of modern gear and primitive magical armor. They had all-black military-style uniforms with FBI vests covering their chests. Each also carried a modern-style helmet, with runework visible over the visor. The same went for their body armor. It resembled a modern bulletproof vest, but I could see that the plates underneath were metal and bore runework as well.

Overall, their look was strangea mix of primitive runework, impressive alchemical materials, and modern tech. The weapons they carried were just as unusual, including automatic rifles with magazines radiating magic, as well as martial weapons like swords, daggers, and small axes. I could even see a woman with a bow, dressed more like a ninja than a SWAT member, or whatever the unit was supposed to be.

My side looked very different. Luna and I wore fully enchanted battle robes, and we both carried staffs. Ophelia stood in her fencing clothes, also properly enchanted, while Myhur and Bakari wore almost nothing: the tiger sported only metal claws, and the mushroom wore just his pantsnothing special, just a piece of clothing made from stretchy material designed to withstand his movements.

Finally, there was Peter. With the least knowledge and experience among us, he was also the most armored. His body acted like a shell of sorts on its own, but after the difficult ritual, there was no need to take risks, so we outfitted him with hastily assembled protection made from thick studded leather and shielding magic. He was supposed to stand back and only act once the queen was visible anyway.

Both groups regarded one another in strange silence, sizing each other up, while Elias stood in the middle, gazing between us with barely hidden unease. Although they clearly stared at the massive tiger in the room, they didn't question his presence, apparently more or less aware of the cats nature.

So, Elias said, finally breaking the silence. We will be conducting a joint operation between the FBI and Clan Alhazred, the man began, pointing to a large white sheet where a projector displayed plans for the New York underground. We suspect the terrorist group responsible for recent parasite-related attacks has its hideout inside the abandoned metro line. The line is relatively deep, even for the NY metro. We did not manage to learn much from the personnel who conducted repairs and renovations on said line, so we dont know what were going into, but from what I understand, Mr. Samuel can shed some light on that. The man turned to me and paused.

I nodded and walked to the front.

Well, we dont know much about what were going up against. I did pass the information about possible disease magic to Elias, and you must have heard about the mental influence from our initial encounter with the worms. I can tell you that the hive most likely has built its nest in a large cavern and will be tightly protected by the colonys royal guard, tough opponents to be sure. There is one thing I have recently been made aware of, and it concerns the queen herself. We cant kill her outright, I said, pausing to make sure my words landed.

The man at the forefront of the other group frowned immediately, hearing my words.

Cant kill her? he barked. What are we supposed to do then? Sing her to sleep?

You dont look like a social caster to me, I said, watching his reaction.

The man frowned at my words. Marvin, however, clearly got the joke.

And no, I continued. I have a drug with me that should take her out long enough for us to secure her. But we will have to deal with her guard anyway.

And why cant we just shoot her? asked one of the women in the other group, carrying a long case on her back.

Because the death of a queen can have unforeseen repercussions, from a massive suicide attack to the royal guards going into a frenzy, or even the collapse of the whole nest. And I dont fancy being buried, I bullshitted without a second thought.

Why are we learning of this just now? the man asked, now looking to Elias.

I was not made aware, Elias said, and I could see his facial muscles flex.

He was clearly annoyed, though I wasnt sure whether it was my sudden revelation or the whole conversation. He turned to me, but I cut in before he could speak.

I also learned of this recently, and now Im informing you.

Then we have to postpone the operation and prepare non-lethal means, the man in charge of the FBI assault squad spoke up.

His voice was even, but I could hear a growing edge.

We have non-lethal means, as I said. There is a drug

Our tested non-lethal means, the man cut in.

Right, Im sure you have many tested on humans, but its a queen of a hive, I said, looking at him. No amount of paralyzers, tear gas, and other chemicals will do you any good. Unless you have a hive to run a test on that you didn't tell us about?

Gentlemen, please, Elias cut in. We shouldnt postpone the operation any further. And, Mr. Samuel, I would appreciate being informed about such things right when they come to your attention.

I shrugged, biting back a comment about being informed at all.

We assumed there would be a battle in the first place. If that is still the main concern, why not go ahead with it? Elias proposed.

Its not about the fight. Its about the preparation and the objective, the FBI team leader barked back. Keeping the queen alive is an objective we were not aware of. That means pointing our guns away from her and not using explosives or shotguns. That means, depending on her size and position, a good part of our weaponry might become useless. That means

If your guns can put a scratch on the queen, then Ill eat my staff. The people turned to me once again. The issue isnt that we might kill her by accident; the issue is putting a scratch on her in the first place. If I knew you had a way of killing her quickly, then sure, we go in, you shoot, we go out. The problem is that by the time we manage to deal enough damage to kill her, we will be in the middle of a battle. So you can shoot to your hearts content.

And how would you know that? Withholding information?

We are all withholding information, I said with a chuckle, glancing at Elias. But I believe that you know enough to understand how rare and powerful she is. Beings like that are hard to kill in the world of magic. So whatever your plan is, I say you do it. If you have a means of killing her quickly, go for it. But once the battle starts, dont.

I didn't really believe they could damage her, but then again, I wasnt familiar with their technology or advancements. Simply put, if it turned out they had the means to kill her, then, well, someone had to pull the trigger, and people make mistakes. A kill shot might miss. A bomb might not go off. I needed the queen alive.

Is that okay with you, Dave? Elias tried to get the mans attention. Its your team in the end

Dave finally nodded. Well go in as planned. But we cant guarantee the queen's life. If we find a chance to make the kill, we will.

Fine by me, I replied.

Good, Elias said, giving an audible sigh.

The mans emotions were running rampant today, at least by his standards. He wore his earring, but his usual calm demeanor was gone. Was the mission getting to him that much? Or something else?

This is the entry point, Elias said, switching slides on the projector. The new slide showed New York metro lines, with the closed one marked in red. Elias pointed to the spot where the red line split off from an pen metro line. There are entrances from the ground, but the closed station itself and the stairs were never finished due to the planned depth. We wont be able to get an entire team in through the overground entry point, so instead, the plan is this. He pointed to where the tunnels crossed. You will go at night, taking a service wagon to the split. Once you get there, the wagon will stop so you can unpack and prepare. From that point onwards, we will keep the line closed for maintenance until you are out. Any questions?

Someone on the other team raised their hand. It was the woman with the bow.

From what I understand, we assume there will be a nest. Are we talking about a firefight in tight technical corridors, or are we talking about a dig site? Because nest doesnt tell us much.

Elias looked at me, and I shook my head.

It should be a large room. Whether a cavern or just a bigger corridor, I have no idea, I said.

The woman clicked her tongue, then looked back at Elias.

Well, if that is all, you all have binders with all the information prepared for you. Make sure you are familiar with them before we begin. The go time is midnight, so you have six hours before you have to move.

Wait, Dave interrupted. There is one more thing. Who is the operations leader?

This question brought an awkward stretch of silence before Elias spoke up.

You represent the SID. You lead the operation, he said.

The man looked at me, and I just shrugged.

Sure thing. You give orders, and we follow, assuming the orders make sense.

Not how it works. We wont go in there to escort tourists.

The feelings mutual, I spat back.

We will help to the best of our abilities, Ophelia spoke up from behind me in an even, matter-of-fact voice that eerily reminded me of QShar. I believe our fighting styles have yet to be understood by the other side, and it is better to stay in subgroups whose members know one anothers capabilities. So Id suggest we move as two groups with separate leaders, and you pick the direction.

Technically, Josh will pick the direc I began, but a look from Luna standing beside my apprentice stopped me from commenting further.

Fine, the man agreed. You move behind us. If there is something you can do to help, we will appreciate it, but I need to be informed of any such actions. We dont want chaos when bullets start flying, he said, this time his voice even and calm, lacking the standoffish tone present before.

He seemed like the type to care about his team, even if he was a bit bullheaded.

We can do that. But if you run out of bullets and spells start flying, you do us the same courtesy, Luna spoke up.

The man gave a short nod of agreement, which I mirrored, and we were set.

After Luna, Ophelia, Bakari, and Peter familiarized themselves with the binder, and Myhur and I argued over the efficiency of poison versus punching someone through the head, it was finally time to move.

Until then, we had been kept apart like wild animals, each group discussing the operation on its own, which I found funny. About half an hour before midnight, they brought us to the metro station. The FBI actually managed to close the whole place for maintenance, giving us privacy as we moved underground, dressed like a group of workers. Once there, both teams pulled their gear from their bags.

The only person unhappy with the process was Bakari, who had to be transported in a package and carried down by Myhur, who wore a rather oversized hazmat suit. The arrangement got Bakari from the car to the station, but it was still funny to see.

As wed been told, a metro train with Technical Run written on the LED boards arrived, and we all loaded into the first car, sitting opposite one another. Now it would be a one-station ride before stopping in the middle of the tracks where the other tunnel connected.

I sat across from Dave, my staff propped against my shoulder. He sat in a similar position, with a long automatic rifle resting against his shoulder. We hadnt spoken much up until that moment, mostly keeping to ourselves, but there was nothing wrong with some light conversation.

I was about to ask the man which gods he believed in, but something caught my attention instead. There, in the last seat in our wagon, an old man sat. He looked haggard and sickly, like a pale walking corpse, dressed in tattered grey clothes. His eyes were striking, dark and so lifeless that they reminded me of holes hollowed out in a skull.

And he just sat there, at least to my eyes. My other senses told a different story. There was this feeling as though he had always been there, an integral part of the decor.

I could not tell how he got there or what he was, but I did not need to think too long about it. I could recognize a symbol of death attunement when I saw it.

Get down! I shouted, yet my scream was drowned out by the screech of bending metal.

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