Michael was face to face with a far too familiar ceiling. It was the hospital, of course. Especially back in training, it was a common place for him. It's not easy to harness fire, one of the most harmful magic types. Michael had to have heat-resistant gloves created, though, he doesn't use gloves all the time now. He turned over and saw some stats on a display. It was one of those newer electric devices, called a computer. It was connected to what they called a server elsewhere in the hospital, and was honestly pretty innovative. As he moved his hands down to his chest, he felt a burning sensation. Looking at his palms, the mark on them looked larger, and more dark than the usual blood-red hue. On his bedside, was a calendar, which showed how it had been about three days since the last mission, and, there were some flowers next to it, so clearly someone was thinking about him, despite no one in the room. That fact disappointed him, surprisingly.
Michael says, to himself, "I'm such a idiot. I could have easily beaten that thing if I was more effeciant. Instead, it got drawn out... and..." He would have a disappointed look in his eye.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened, with Joseph, and Roy walking in. Roy was an older man, in his late 30's, compared to Michael and Joseph being 21. Roy had brown hair, not organized in any discernible way, and had bronze skin. He had his military uniform on, it being a light gray color, apart from his right arm, which was mechanical, created from a dark gray metal. He got it when he was defusing a bomb under enemy fire, and a bullet had hit it. The arm was imbued to Roy's mana, making it feel the same as a real arm.
Joseph says, "You're finally awake!"
Michael replies, "Yeah, no thanks to me, really."
Joseph angrily replies, "Shut up, it was a tense situation! Don't be down on yourself for surviving!"
Michael sighs, "Yeah, but I didn't work as well as I ne-"
Joseph slapped him on the back, and said, "Yeah, in a perfect world, where everybody's a robot, you could have done better. But, we don't live in that world, and in this world, there's a very clear gradient of success between "Dying" and "Not Dying"."
Michael would rub his back, and would lighten up a bit, with the thought still at the back of his mind, "Yeah, I guess that's right. What happened after we left, anyways?"
Joseph says, "Well, after we got back, we informed the force about the situation, and they sent a team out to find the leader of the gang who was at that factory. However, our people weren't there first. The leader, Samuel, was found, dead in a hundred different ways. I wasn't there myself, but from what I hear, it doesn't sound good."
Michael replies, "And, what about the "Angel" itself?"
Roy grimaces, "Unfortunately, the remains were too charred to be analyzed, and most of the documents were destroyed in the fight itself, the one's that are left are being analyzed right now in the lab. They were able to find a correlation with other mysterious events in the city, though."
Michael's face darkens, "So, you don't think that was a one-off occurance?"
Roy says, "From what you and Michael found yourselves, with everything else, I'd doubt it. Though, we don't have any leads right now. We were gonna wait for you to get back up for anything we were gonna do anyways."
Michael would say, "Alright. How's the new recruit?"
Joseph perks up, saying, "Oh, she'll be here anytime now! Her name is Lena, she's an electric magic specialist from Eldra! They say she's a prodegy, and I was actually planning on picking her up from the station after this!
Michael turned to Roy, "And, what about the new barracks?"
Roy says, while tossing one set of keys to Michael and two sets to Joseph, "I moved most everything in, you're good."
Michael has a sigh of relief, saying, "At least everything that could be handled, was handled while I was out."
Joseph says, in a joking tone, "So, you didn't trust me to do the work?"
Michael says, half-joking, "I have my doubts sometimes, but you did pretty well from what I have seen. Also, it might be a bit belated, but I gotta thank you for those rockets you gave me, they really saved my ass."
Joseph blushes, saying, "You don't have to be so kind, dear leader! Anyways, you can go with Roy. I'll pick up the new gal, and take her to the barracks, we can meet up there!"
Michael says, "Alright. Roy, I guess I'm going with you."
Joseph speaks, jokingly, "Make sure not to pull something, Michael."
Roy says, "I'm fine with that. I don't want to go playing parent for the new kid right away like I had to do with you two, anyways." Roy would have a hearty laugh, before starting to walk out of the room, leaving only Joseph and Michael.
Joseph turned, to Michael, and says, "So, about what happened back there, at the factory."
Michael says, "Don't worry about it, I get it."
Joseph grimaces, before saying quietly, "You're nothing like him, I understand you hate what you did, but don't beat yourself over it."
Michael replies, with a hint of dishonesty in his voice, "I know."
Joseph left the room, after that.
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At the local train station, it was a normal day, filled with bustling commuters and trains flying across the railway. In between the busy laborers, was a woman with long, curly, black hair, and blue eyes of similar color and deepness as the ocean. She had a black military uniform, with a dark blue overcoat, and was holding a large suitcase. As she was scanning the station for someone, she was surprised to see a strange, blond man running at her. That man, obviously being Joseph. However, as Joseph neared her, he slowed down, seeing a man in a bright purple trench coat, with a similarly colored cabbie hat on. The man whispered something to her, before walking into the train. Whatever he said, placed a troubled expression on her face. As Joseph walked forward, she quickly calmed herself.
He said, "Are you Lena?"
She responded, with no sign of her prior discomfort, "That would be me. I assume that'd mean that you're Joseph?
He pointed at himself, saying, "That'd be me!"
Lena looked unimpressed, saying, "Uh-huh. So, where do I have to go?"
Joseph would reply, feigning offense, "That's so rude! No exposition or anything?" He'd sigh, before saying, "I suppose we should get out of this area, wouldn't want to get in the way of anyone." He'd motion to follow him, and Lena would grab her bags.
"So, how far away is this place, anyways?" Lena would say.
Joseph says, "Not that far away, anyways. So, do you have any questions? You're new to the area, from my understanding."
Lena replies, "I do have one. Who are the others in the group?"
Joseph says, "Well, there's me, not much to say that you couldn't realize already, Michael, he's my best friend, and our leader, he's really cool and does a lot of the work, and Roy, who brings us back down to earth, and does the same thing to our targets."
Lena says, "Sounds like quite the rogue's gallery."
Joseph says, "Yeah, well, I think you'll fit in just fine."
Lena smiles, before saying, "You might be right."