Sons of the Earth

Sahara Desert, February 2nd, 2020, 20:15

     Ordinary humans, the Wizard thought irritably, were depressingly predictable. But none were more so than those who were aware of the supernatural. These climbing out of the helicopter now were no exception. Armed men in grey armor pointed weapons at the two while a tall black man with short hair and a neatly trimmed beard approached. The Wizard barely gave the weapons more than a glance, his full attention fixed on the approaching man. He couldn't keep himself from taking a step protectively in front of the Swordsman, one hand slightly out to shield his friend. For his part, the Swordsman's eyes had been fixed on the man since he'd emerged. The grey coat that billowed in the wake of the chopper identified the man as one of the Foundation's Grey Coat Hunters. "Careful," the Wizard said to the Swordsman, leaning to speak into the younger man's ear to be heard over the helicopter. "Remember, if this is a Hunter, he'll have abilities of some sort or another. Watch your step and follow my lead."

     The Swordsman gave a quick nod in reply, his eyes still on the Hunter. Only the tightness around his jaw let the Wizard know of his discomfort. Naturally. The Swordsman's history with the Foundation for Supernatural Activity was not a good one. He was all too ready to let the Wizard take the lead.

     The Hunter stopped about four feet away from them and offered a slight incline of his head in greeting, making sure to keep his empty hands in sight. "The Wizard and the Swordsman?" he began. "I'm Hunter Donner. I'm here to escort you to Oasis, our base here on the African continent."

     "Charmed," the Wizard replied, seeing the Swordsman nod at Donner. "I'm surprised to hear an American accent."

     "I'm just the available Hunter considered best qualified for a situation like this, if there is such a thing when meeting with a couple of demigods. Sorry," he said quickly, raising his hands as the Wizard frowned and the Swordsman flushed and scowled. "I mean no disrespect. I know you prefer to call yourselves Sons of the Earth. But please understand, within the Foundation, you're classified as demigod Artifacts. It's nothing personal."

     "It's absolutely personal!" the Swordsman exclaimed, bristling. "You're completely dehumanizing us."

     "Trust me, you get used to it after a while. I can tell you that from experience," Donner sighed. "The thing is, we're aware that you're human. In fact, you're more than human."

     "Explain yourself," the Wizard ordered.

     "In time." Donner waved back toward the chopper. "We need to get back to the Oasis as soon as possible. We'll need you to be blindfolded..."

     "Absolutely not! Before you start about protecting the location of your base," the Wizard went on over Donner's objections, "you should know that after our last, shall we say, disagreement? I made it my business to learn everything I could about your Foundation. I know exactly where the Oasis is. I know where most, if not all, of your large bases are, up to and including the Lighthouse in the States. That is also why I know that, in all the world, you are the only ones who might be able to provide any real help. So no, we will not be blindfolded, nor will we be bound, and we're certainly not about to give up our weapons. You surely know better than to ask. Now, shall we be off?"

     Stepping past the now-silent Hunter, they climbed into the helicopter.

     Their journey remained in relative silence. The helicopter moved at high speed, taking them back the way they'd come as they chased after Mason and over the ruins of the base. Donner seemed especially interested in it, peering down at it as they passed and then frowning in disapproval at his guests. Both the Wizard and the Swordsman ignored him, content to watch the scenery. Half an hour later, they were setting down outside of what looked like a collection of brick buildings close to the shore of the Mediterranean. Located some distance from the nearest town, the installation was surrounded by fences topped with razor wire. Armed guards and dogs patrolled constantly. The signs at the gate, the Wizard knew, read "Oasis Biological Research Center." It fit with the cover story the Foundation spread about the area and wasn't that far off from the truth, now that he considered it. Here, the Foundation did the bulk of its experimentation, trying to develop new breakthroughs, both in the never-ending battle against Artifacts and in medical science. Its presence so near to where Mason had been held had already raised several questions, questions the Wizard wanted answers to.