"You can't go back to the office. Let your assistant handle that for you." The system manager's neutral voice popped in my mind as I drove across the city.
"What if he needs help."
"That would only mean you need to close more cases... on the field. That is the only way to make those papers go away." I can't argue with logic and I find myself saying something I never thought I would.
"Then find me something to do." I really don't want to go back home.
It's been a few days since Peter moved in and I can't fathom going back to that. He constantly complains about his girlfriend. I try to listen as much as I can, but I can't give any advice. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I know it won't solve anything. I know exactly what their issue is, but I don't have the heart to tell him. He spends too much time gaming.
It's always the same. He meets someone online, becomes infatuated and they move in together on his mansion. At first everything is fine, the new girlfriend would be dazzled by his mansion. The problems begin when the girlfriend realizes all he does is work and play. He doesn't go out to fancy restaurants, he doesn't spend lavishly and actually enjoys staying in. Not that I blame him. Even I have to admit it's really cool. Peter has all these gadgets that make life easier. Even his toilet runs on technology that hasn't yet spread to the world.
Even that would be fine, but he doesn't make any time for connecting, dating or actually doing anything. Plus, he snores. And that is when the new girlfriend becomes the old girlfriend.
"I'm sorry, there's nothing at your current level."
"Then can I at least train or something?"
"I appreciate your motivation, but there's currently nothing for you," I'm desperate. I love Peter like a brother, but he doesn't do chores, hoards my gaming system and shouts at the screen all day. Plus, he snores. I was losing all hope when the system popped in again. "actually, there's a sting operation going on today, but I don't know if you're ready for that."
"I am." The moment I said it the street was highlighted in yellow leading me to the outskirts of the city through the path with less traffic.
"You really are a slow driver."
"Better to be slow and make it than to drive fast and crash." I shrug.
"If you don't pick up the pace then you'll be too late." The system warned and I realized I had yet to turn on the emergency lights. It was my first time and I liked it. It was a child's dream coming true and I have no shame in admitting it.
"You must be the new guy, I'm Nathan Hale." The lead agent greeted me the moment I showed up.
"Bob."
"Just Bob?" Agent Hale probed and I nodded. "alright just Bob, this is the situation. I'm in charge of this operation. As long as you don't forget that we'll be friends, but if you get on my way..." He let the silence do the threatening.
Agent Hale was taller than me for just a couple inches. His hawaiian shirt contrasted with my neat suit and he also wore the badge around his neck like a TV agent. Or maybe it really is what field agents look like and I'm the one breaking dress code. Guess I'll have to take another look at the book.
There were fewer agents than I expected, but that didn't come as a shock. Few agents learn about the existence of other worlds and among them even fewer pass the minimum requirements to become field agents. In a sense, I was now a part of the bureau's elite, though I wish I wasn't.
"One of our agents infiltrated a criminal organization that specializes in smuggling items from other worlds. Right now he's pretending to be a buyer and the moment they show the goods we come in. Bullets are likely useless, so just focus on using spells."
"I don't think that's an option."
"What about scrolls? Wands? Anything," Agent Hale let out a huff when I shook my head. "then what can you do?"
"I can defend myself in close combat."
"Hey, Rita, why did you send us this piece of trash?" The same agent who seemed so friendly now looked at me like I was a hindrance rather than support.
"Who's Rita?"
"Holy shit, this guy doesn't even know his system manager's name. This is bull! He comes from a fucking desk?" Agent Hale blurted out with a frown then focused on whatever his system manager told him. He then proceeded to dispatch agents left and right while completely ignoring me.
"What should I do? I don't have any directives." I ask the system.
"Then remain on standby. It's better to not get on their way," I followed the action inside the warehouse on a screen as that was the only thing I could do. The infiltrated agent intended to buy light health potions, the most basic kind of healing potion in any market. I almost fell on my butt when they discussed pricing and the smugglers replied they went for one million dollars a piece. "it's cheap considering how effective they are. The charges might change from smuggling to counterfeit or maybe just fraud."
"This operation is going to fail." I say as I jump up from the chair and approach Agent Hale.
"I don't have time for babysitting. Just stay quiet and let your betters do their job." Was all I got in reply. I could have just sat it out like he said, but I couldn't. Not while lives were at the stake.
"I request permission to enter."
"Denied." The system replied.
"Understood, guess I'll have a lot of paperwork waiting for me back in the office." I can't help but smile at the thought of the piles of paper I would have to fill after disregarding a direct command and ignoring my supervisor.
I run towards the entrance followed by agent Hale's commands to stop me. The agents converged on my position, but they're too slow. I didn't even make it to the door when an explosion took place inside the warehouse that blasted part of the wall making a perfect entrance for me.
Our agent was outed and resulted badly injured, probably even dead. It's unfortunate, but not rare in stings operations according to statistics. That's the thing about us desk agents, we might not be bold enough to face the odds but we know them to the letter. That is why I knew that from the moment I broke into the warehouse all the odds were against me.
A flame arrow crossed my side scratching my suit, there was no need to dodge it. The volley that followed, on the other hand, forced me to seek for cover. My first instinct was to grab my gun, but this time I knew better and instead waited for the opponent to approach my position and I tackled him down before he could see me. Then I moved around the pallets using the night as a cover.
They knew I was there but they couldn't pinpoint my location. I knew this because they kept firing shots at the place where I just been which didn't bode well for the man I dropped to the ground. I shook off the instinct to rescue him and focused on saving the people that deserved to be saved.
It may sound cruel, but rescuing a downed opponent in the middle of a shootout would only result in adding one more worry to the equation. Right now my top priority is to rescue the agent and get out. The agents outside blindly fired rounds providing a much needed chance for me to move forward.
"Explain your actions." The system manager ordered.
"There's no time." I say already closing in on the fallen agent.
"You have to give me something or else you'll be classified as a hostile. I know you probably mean well, but they'll pin this failure on you. You will be considered a rogue agent unless I say so."
"The smuggler... I saw him before. He's the guy I checked up on a few days ago." It was the guy who said he liked the internet over magic. It turns out, he wanted both. The reason I knew this operation was going to fail was something I read on his file.
Most returnees find loopholes to get back into our world, some look for outside help. But this guy, he supposedly defeated all evil in the world he was sent in and fulfilled the requirements to return. In other words, he was among the most powerful returnees which meant this operation was bound to fail from the beginning. The system manager informed our superiors and I was given permission to act. Not that it changed anything for me as I was already administering one of the light healing potions to our fallen agent.