Missiles & Magic

Eagle convinced the other two directors to give Lioness some space to prove herself.
Even a tailing mission was better than being caged in HQ.
The mark was a low key potion maker with some possibly interesting connections.
The bustle of Old Town created perfect cover, but it was easy for the prey to slip away unnoticed into one of the many passages.
But not *just* for them.
"You do realize you're distracting me, trying to watch me from afar, Herron?" Lioness growled from a dark nook at a colleague, who was keeping an eye on her, making him jump.

Lioness glared at the two figures, her instincts torn between fight and flight. She pulled her daughter closer to herself, as the toddler reached out to touch Turtle.
"They are not evil, mommy," Thea said. "They want to help you!"
"I don't need help," Lioness snarled, inching closer to the door.
"We just wanted to remind you we're still part of you," Galilhai clone smiled. "And together we are stronger than apart. You're stronger than you know, Maddie."
The agent drew herself up to her full height, gave them one last look, and backed out of the door.
"I know."

Suddenly her daughter bolted out of the room.
"Thea, wait!"
Lioness followed her down the corridors. She shouted 'excuse-mes' and 'watch-outs' to fellow agents, until finally she found herself in an empty utility closet.
"Took you long enough," an alto spoke.
"We were starting to wonder," a second voice said.
"You're not here," Lioness told (inexplicably glowing) Turtle.
"Imprisonment won't make us disappear," the woman answered kindly.
"Nor will it free you from us," the other one (Galilhai look-alike) said.
"You're not real!"
"Ask Thea..."
"Mommy!"
Maddie picked up the toddler, cowering in a corner.
"Who are you?"
"Magic."
"Empathy."

Unfortunately, Swan and Wolf didn't quite share Eagle's opinion.
"We can't risk it. Sarmad might have put some secret programming inside the ritual, and who knows what happens once it is triggered..." Wolf explained. "Here in the HQ we can deal with it, but sending Lioness out even on a routine mission would be pushing it. Especially since it's almost certain he *is* watching her."
The subject of their debate, meanwhile, prowled the floor of one of the guests suites, pretending to be a cat for her toddler's amusement.
Just like the last two years, she thought a bit bitterly.

"What about that one?" Eagle pointed out a man probably Thorne's age.
Lioness squinted in focus.
"I'm sure I've never seen his face," she mumbled to herself. "...but..."
There was something familiar about him.
"Wait. That's impossible! He's... dead."
"Was," Eagle nodded and added: "It's a long story. But Osprey brought Phoenix back."
Before she said anything else, someone tapped her shoulder.
"Hey, stranger."
The woman was unfamiliar. Except her... aura? No, not aura... something hung in the air.
She focused again.
"Lion!" she laughingly smacked her friend's shoulder.
"It seems you still have it, Lioness," Eagle smiled. "Welcome back."

"I think it's time to give her a break," Eagle came into the room and offered Lioness a hand: "I'd like to see what you can do now."
She actually smiled.
"How?"
"Can you still identify people the way you did when we first met?"
He led her into the HQ cantina. It was full of people she has probably seen couple times before.
"Tell me, what do you remember about them?"
She looked around and pointed at a young agent:
"Lust. Not surprising, he's about nineteen... maybe younger. Tried to convince you he's older so you'd take him in."

Lioness sat once again with Wolf and Swan. Mouse was there too, tinkering with an artifact, asking questions here and there.
"I can't remember any more," Lioness tossed her hands up.
"Tell me," Swan prompted. "What really made you do it."
"I was... scared. Of being left out in the cold. Hung out to dry," her voice was just above whisper.
"We don't leave our people behind. We would have pulled you out of there."
She nodded.
"And we won't stop until we fix this."
"...and if we can't?"
"We won't abandon you, no matter what. You KNOW that, Lioness."

Maddie wasn't sure Thorne will make it home that night.
She put Thea to bed and then retired herself, hoping a familiar bed will bring her rest.
But her sleep was as filled with sneers, taunts, unsettling images and feelings of dread and hopelesness, as when she was in the cell.
But then a deep familiar voice called out her name, and with a gasp, as if she just emerged from the depth of sea, she opened her eyes to find Thorne holding her.
Something deep inside told him he needs to protect the woman he loves - even from herself.

Mouse peered at the sketches that Lioness made.
"These markings look slightly familiar, but..."
She reached into one of her shelves and pulled out a tome to refresh her memory.
"Yes, see here..." she turned the page to Wolf. "They might be letters that she misremembered, or they might be a modification we haven't seen yet."
"What do you think is more likely?"
She sat back in her chair.
"Traditionally people from the East don't mess with established patterns. But you know Sarmad better than I do... is he a conformist or innovator?"
"Trend setter, he would like to think."

Ten den byl smolný od samého rána.
Hotelový pokoj byl načichlý cigaretami. Thorne by se býval i vyspal, kdyby jeho kolegyně kvůli tomu celou noc teatrálně nevzdychala.
"Co taky čekat, v Brně," poznamenal u snídaně.
Agentka Osprey protočila oči. "Radši se o ten český humor nesnaž."
Načež přišla urgentní zpráva, že se sledovaný objekt magicky přemístil někam, kde neměli pravomoce. Povolali je zpátky do Prahy.
"Šalinou nebo po D1?" řekl Thorne.
Osprey prskla a otevřela si portál.
Nezbylo mu, než jet vlakem. Víčka se mu klížila už od Pardubic.
Další, co uslyšel, bylo už jen:
"Ústí nad Labem, hlavní nádraží."