The heavy doors of Overwatch HQ opened, letting in the tired, dusty Squad 7 and the other deployed agents. Relief washed over the faces of the trainees who had remained behind.
Gabi watched from a nearby bench, bandages still tight across his chest, with internal frustration in his gut. He should have been there. He should have been fighting.
Klein spotted him first, a brief nod acknowledging his presence before turning to give instructions to the returning agents. Kurt followed, looking tired but unharmed.
Aiko walked slower, her gaze distant, her uniform smudged with ash and something darker. Mark trailed behind, eyes scanning the familiar halls as if seeing them for the first time after witnessing the palace's ruin.
As the others dispersed towards the medical bay or their barracks, Klein approached Gabi. His expression was hard, eyes sharp with a cold anger Gabi hadn't seen directed at him before.
"Astrea," Klein said, his voice low. "My office. Now."
Gabi pushed himself up, wincing slightly. "Yes, sir."
He followed Klein down the sterile corridors, the silence between them heavy with unspoken events. Klein's office was small, functional, dominated by a large map of Exyllum and surrounding territories on one wall. Klein closed the door, the click echoing in the small space.
"Sit," Klein ordered, gesturing to the single chair opposite his desk. He didn't sit himself, instead walking to the window, looking out at the city skyline, parts of which were still hazy with smoke in the distance.
"The Castle of Assembly," Gabi started, "I saw the dome from here. What... what happened?"
Klein turned, his gaze fixed on Gabi. "Attackers. Masked. Wore an insignia we haven't seen before. Highly coordinated. Powerful. They hit the palace directly." He paused, his jaw tightening. "They killed a Royal Guard. Civilians caught in the crossfire."
Klein walked to his desk, picking up a piece of crumpled, blood-stained cloth. It was dark, with a distinct, stylized wolf's head insignia. "They left this behind. Some of them were captured, but most escaped."
He held the cloth out to Gabi. "Does this look familiar, Astrea?"
Gabi's breath hitched. The symbol. The mask. The court hearing. "The... the Crimson Wolf," he whispered.
Klein's expression didn't change, but the air in the room grew colder. "Yes. The Crimson Wolf. The same mask you described from the attack on your family. The same mask I saw years ago."
He crushed the cloth in his fist, his knuckles white. His voice dropped, raw with suppressed fury. "That mask... that organization... they were the ones who attacked Primero City two years ago. The ones who caused the disaster. The ones who killed my squad. Ashera. Kim. Lyne. Ling. Regil."
The target of Gabi's vengeance and the killer of Klein's lost comrades were one and the same.
"We're investigating them," Klein stated, his voice regaining its hard edge, though the pain still lingered underneath.
"Officially now. Kurt and I will be leading the Overwatch side. You're on this case with us, Astrea. Your connection, your testimony... it's crucial." He looked Gabi up and down. "Once you're cleared by Medical, you're on active duty for this. Understand?"
"Understood, sir," Gabi said, the frustration replaced by a grim determination. He finally had a direct path.
Meanwhile, in the Overwatch Gymnasium, the air hummed with focused energy. Sweat glistened on mats, and the rhythmic thud of training exercises filled the space.
Apprentice Aiko stood in a corner, away from the main sparring rings. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, her hands held out in front of her. Before her, a small pile of concrete rubble from the palace cleanup sat on a tarp.
She focused, her eyes narrowed. The air around her hands shimmered faintly. She clenched her fists, and the top layer of rubble crumbled, not from force, but as if its very structure dissolved, turning into fine grey dust that settled onto the tarp.
Shhhk.
Aiko exhaled, a visible toll on her stamina. Her shoulders slumped slightly. Breaking molecular bonds wasn't easy. It drained her.
Mark leaned against the wall nearby, arms crossed, watching her. He wasn't training, just observing. He'd seen her using this ability during the cleanup, turning debris into dust.
It was a strange, unsettling power, quiet but absolute. He watched her struggle, saw the exhaustion on her face, the lingering shock in her eyes from the day's events.
He pushed off the wall and walked over, stopping a few feet away. "Tough one, huh?" he said, his voice softer than usual.
Aiko flinched slightly, not having heard him approach. She nodded, looking down at the dust. "Yeah. It... it takes a lot." She didn't mention the images flashing in her mind, the collapsed buildings, the bodies she'd seen. The power felt... too final. Too much like unmaking.
Mark didn't press. He just watched her for another moment, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, before turning and walking towards the sparring rings, leaving her to her quiet, destructive practice.
--
High above the city, on the pristine, cloud-ringed Exyllum Sky Castel, Seraphina knelt before the assembled Councillors in a room of polished marble and stained-glass windows depicting the seven known deities.
Sunlight went through the divine images, lighting up the dust motes dancing in the air.
"The attackers were repelled, Councillors," Seraphina reported, her voice clear despite her weariness. "But the damage to the Castle of Assembly is extensive. Casualties among the Royal Guard, Military Garrison, and civilians are significant."
One of the Councillors, a stern-faced woman whose window depicted the Deity of Justice, leaned forward. "And these attackers, Knight Seraphina? Did they identify themselves? Their allegiance?"
"They wore masks, Councillors," Seraphina replied. "A mask, bearing an insignia we have not catalogued. Their power sets were varied, but their coordination suggested a single organization." She paused. "They fought with a ferocity and disregard for life."
Another Councillor, representing the Deity of Order, spoke. "A direct assault on the seat of government. Unprecedented in recent history. This 'Crimson Wolf,' as the initial reports are labeling them... they are a greater threat than anticipated."
"We must allocate all necessary resources," the Justice Councillor declared. "Royal Guard intelligence, Overwatch investigative units... every effort must be made to identify and neutralize this organization immediately. We cannot have the populace believe the capital is vulnerable."
The Councillors murmured in agreement. The investigation into the Crimson Wolf organization was now a top priority, backed by the highest authority in the kingdom.
Far from the glittering Sky Castel, across the tall steeled-concrete borders into the foreign country of Exstasem, the Crimson Wolf and his remaining squad moved with brutal efficiency.
CRACK! THUD!
Border guards, expecting routine patrols, were overwhelmed. Their standard firearms were useless against the attackers' plating and abilities.
The Wolf, despite his injured leg, moved with a savage grace, his remaining eye glowing, temporal markings briefly flashing on his skin as he weaved through defenses, now visible due to his broken armor.
SHATTER! A wave of glass shards erupted from his hand, tearing through a guard post.
It wasn't a prolonged battle. It was a swift, decisive strike. The border was breached, the guards neutralized or dead.
"Casualties?" Bernard, the Crimson Wolf, rasped, still favoring his injured leg.
"None on our side, Bernard," his friend replied, checking his own gear. "Looks like we got through clean enough."
Bernard nodded, looking out at the alien landscape of Exstasem stretching before them. "Good. We disappear now. Let Exyllum chase ghosts for a while." He coughed, a dry, hacking sound. "We regroup. Plan the next move."
They melted away from the breached border, leaving behind a scene of destruction and dead guards, a clear sign of their passage into foreign territory.
Back at Overwatch HQ, the mood was tense. In the office of the Company Captain, Sergeant Ivan (a no nonsense man), and Lieutenant Anya Sharma, sharp eyed and strategic reviewed the initial reports from the Castle of Assembly.
Klein, Kurt, and Gabi (now out of his most restrictive bandages, though still favoring his side) stood before them.
"Detective Klein, Officer Kurt, Officer Astrea," Sergeant Ivan began, his voice deep. "Your preliminary findings align with what the Royal Guard intelligence is telling us. This 'Crimson Wolf' group is organized, dangerous, and hit hard."
Lieutenant Sharma tapped a finger on a report. "The Council is... displeased. They've allocated significant resources. This is top priority now. Your investigation needs to move fast."
"We understand, Sergeant, Lieutenant," Klein replied, his gaze steady.
"Good," Ivan said. "Because we just got reports from the Extasem border. A guard post was hit hard about an hour ago. Matches the attackers' methods. Looks like your target just crossed the border."
Lieutenant Sharma slid a map across the desk. "They've gone to ground in Exstasem. That makes things complicated. Foreign territory, different jurisdictions."
Sergeant Ivan fixed them with a stern look. "But the order is clear. Find them. You three are the core team on this. If you need more manpower, more resources, you tell us. Don't hesitate."
He stood up. "Get your gear ready. Coordinate with border patrol and Extasem authorities where possible, but your primary objective is locating the Crimson Wolf and their leadership."
Lieutenant Sharma added, "A transport is being prepped. You leave for the Extasem border within the hour. Good luck, officers."
Klein, Kurt, and Gabi nodded, a shared look of grim resolve passing between them. The investigation had just become a pursuit, taking them out of Exyllum and into unknown territory. The hunt for the Crimson Wolf had begun.
"Also, bring some civilian clothes, we are going under cover."