Quantum Katana Online: Websuit 0.E (Archived)

Chapter 11: Construction of Memories (Part 2 of 3)

After the rest of the party had returned from scouting out other opportunities, a heated discussion ensued. In the end, everyone agreed that stealing the quantite was the only choice. They'd decided to initiate the raid at 0300 when all twelve of the moons would finally disappear below the horizon.

Now at 0300, they stood at the back of the warehouse in front of the single door that opened into the alleyway.

"Greg, your fireteam's got the back," Betsy said and left Greg and the two Tanuki warriors, Jeremy and Pete, the cook. Qian's team automatically took point, as Betsy directed the rest of them around the block of buildings to the huge double doors on the other side of the warehouse. Betsy pointed at the fist-sized padlock on the metal doors. "Gideon."

After five minutes, Gideon said, "Didn't work. I could try again?"

"Time's a wasting. Hopefully, this won't wake the neighbors," Betsy said and turned to Rox. "Your turn."

"Cover your eyes, everyone." Rox touched the tip of her short staff to the padlock shackle and chanted, "Execute lightning."

A small but blinding flash. Bang!

The padlock shackle sizzled and glowed a bright orange. A stream of smoke spiraled up from the padlock and then it dropped to the ground.

"Qian," Betsy said, "we don't have the tactical team chat nor the bindi. So you're on your own recognizance. Report back in forty-five minutes."

"Understood, Sarge," Qian said and then turned to Gideon, the short kitsune shinobi. "Do it."

"Yes, Ma'am," Gideon said, snuck up to the warehouse doors, and tossed in two black marbles. Without a sound, they rolled into the darkness. After half a minute, Gideon pulled down his common magical night vision goggles and sprinted in.

"All clear," Gideon yelled back.

Qian motioned for her team to follow her. Prasuna queued up behind Qian, and then Stef brought up the rear. All clad in black bodysuits, they disappeared into the maw of the warehouse.

Betsy led Ken, Rox and Marge, the other mage, into the warehouse and closed the door behind them. They waited in silence. Even though Marge was normally part of Greg's team, she'd decided to keep her back since Marge also doubled as the associate medic. Not that she was expecting any casualties on a stealth mission. Plus, their level two offensive magic was laughable. Lots of flash and boom but actual damage would be negligible against well-armored opponents. And with a dispersed team and no communication, she wanted to maintain a larger reserve. She'd learned that the hard way on their encounter with the Berserker King irregulars on the road out of Ishigumi. To get hit with a major encounter when everyone had been knocked down to level zero had been the worst timing ever. But with sheer luck, there had only been minor injuries and everyone had leveled up to two. But an effective commander never relied on luck.

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Prasuna covered the corridor from the left approach and Stef the right. She perked up her ears. A loud neighing, then screeching and banging echoed from deep within the warehouse. Prasuna opened the door a crack. "Qian, did you hear the horses?"

Qian stood with her shoulder against the wall and scribbled in the black notebook in her other hand. "Yeah, so what," she said without looking up.

Gideon squatted in the corner in front of a safe.

"They sound scared," Prasuna said.

Gideon sniggered.

"It'll have to wait," Qian said and stuffed her notebook and pencil into an inner pocket of her bodysuit and zipped it up.