Imaginary Friends tend to make not so imaginary enemies.
*****
In an ever-populated area once open to the outside lies The Apex, a domed fortress separated into 7 Sites. Running low on resources in their safe haven, The Apex introduces a program tha...
Jazara walked into the room they all chose to meet, opting against meeting in the suite just in case Rhoawyn was there. They didn't want to upset her, even though she had proven herself to be a failure. Jazara thought it might do Rhoawyn some good to see what she was missing out on. She might finally become someone worthy of being on a team with.
Jazara pulled the envelope from her pocket as she approached everyone standing in a huddle. She opened it.
"Looks like they accidentally gave me two," Jazara said, narrowing her eyes at the card that kept itself hidden against the weight of the first one.
"Two? I thought we were only supposed to have one mission? Flinch asked, brow creased.
"It was probably just a mixup. Doesn't matter anyway, we're good enough to take on two missions," Jazara said.
Well, what do they say?" Flinch asked.
"The first one says there's an underground Mare hideout that connects The Apex to the Fringe. They say they have reason to believe Mares are kidnapping and killing citizens down there and we have to go raid the place," Jazara paraphrased with a deep sigh.
"That must be why Rhoawyn and I had that run-in with Paraly. He must have been taking the boy we saved to that hideout," Eli recounted, rubbing his non-existent stubble.
"Paraly? You mean the Mare with the void?" Luci asked.
"That's the one..." Eli paused, raising an eyebrow, "but how do you know about him? I finished him off way before you gained Imaginary status."
"That can't be true. Jace and I had to abandon our first mission because of him. It was only two days ago. Neither of us has the manifestation to counteract his void. It's why he sent me alone. He had to report Paraly's appearance to the head Techromancers," Luci explained.
"But I counteracted it. I literally sucked him into it," Eli asserted.
"Hey, Eli, didn't you tell us that he used it as a portal?" Winfrey chimed in. "Maybe that's its only use and when you wielded it, you only managed to teleport him to some other place."
"But that's not-"
"Can we get back on task here?" Jazara complained, placing a curling fist into her pants pocket.
"Jaz is right. It doesn't matter. We now know that he's still out there, and he might be the one helping the Mares get a hold of so many Apex citizens." Winfrey reasoned, shutting Eli's trap and refocusing the group on the mission at hand. "What does the second card say?"
"It says that we are also to keep our eyes out for this device called a dreamcatcher," Jazara read.
"A dreamcatcher? You think it releases a noxious gas that puts people to sleep...but permanently?" Flinch asked, bouncing on his heels at the idea.
"I doubt it. Did they give you a description of it?" Winfrey inquired.
"Description, no. Illustration, yes," Jazara confirmed, revealing the device to everyone huddled in the group.
"Well, let's get this show on the road," Winfrey declared, ushering them into the corridor.
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