The Milita base was enshrouded in darkness, with only the main entrance and a few rooms being lit. The monolithic structure highlighted how minuscule Johan and Akeelah were. Before them currently was a massive iron gate with two stone rooms parallel to each other, these rooms held two guards each with shaved heads and muscular builds. Upon noticing Akeelah and Johan the guard on the left spoke up.
"Stop right there you two! What business do you two have here!" This caused both Akeelah and Johan to stop in place.
"Brigand Akeelah Obafemi and Captain Johan Franz returning from a mission. We were instructed upon our return to report our findings to the leader." Akeelah said stepping forward, removing the glove on her right hand. The guard on the right observed the two for a few moments, taking in all the details he could.
"Well you two know the procedure, we'll need to verify your alchemic marks, so step forward quickly!" the right guard commanded. In response both Johan and Akeelah both stepped forward to one of the guard posts, making sure their alchemic marks were clearly displayed. The guards then dipped their fingers into a container which contained a red powder that they smeared the the pairs alchemic marks. after a few seconds the powder evaporated and the two guards nodded and wrote down something on their notepads.
"Alright, welcome back Brigand Obafemi, Captain Franz please have a good remainder of the day." the right one spoke before opening the gate. It rattled and shuddered before opening at a moderate pace, it's bottom a few inches away from the ground.
"Is Mela awake?" Johan asked without looking at Akeelah.
"I'm not sure." she replied as they drew nearer to the main entrance, a large archway opening itself to a room with oak floors, and chiseled stone walls. A large stairway was central leading to an upper floor with several steel elevator doors. Ignoring any potential distractions they headed directly towards the elevators, entering as soon as they reached them. They rode it in silence each on opposite sides, Akeelah cautiously gripping her knife. 'She I ask him more about his mother?' she thought to herself stealing a glance at Johan. His eyes were empty, his lips completely still and he held an unsettling air around him, this however did not stop Akeelah from staring at him.
"Keerr-Kooch." The elevator shudder as it came to a stop, the door opening them unto the tenth floor. The same nigh-endless hallway from earlier in the day stood before them, calling them to become its new travelers. Several minutes of travel finally led them to the Sigmund's office; Johan was about to knock before from the room Sigmund spoke.
"You may enter Akeelah, Johan."
Without hesitation the flung open the door and quickly entered before going on one knee, before the seated Sigmund currently doing paper work.
"We're here to report on the Reversionist incident sir." Johan said with monotone.
Without sparing them a glance Sigmund replied, "I understand why you are hear Johan, but what reason do you have Akeelah."
"I have information that relates to Johan's mission sir."
"Very well, get on with it then."
As soon as they were prompted they recalled the events of the night to Sigmund, the contact with Montgomery, the fight and subsequent explosion, making contac with Johan's mother , the Geister's potentially attempting to take control of the Reversionists and Johan's mother likely being their leader. Despite all the information received Sigmund didn't raise his head or suspend his paperwork, he did however grow quiet upon hearing about the power demonstrated by Johan's mother.
"Quite the eventful night." Sugmund uttered, "It seems I underestimated how much they had progressed, although they are not a threat currently, they have the potential to be."
He opened on of the drawers of his desks and pulled out three manila envelopes. He placed them on the desk and gestured for Johan and Akeelah to take one. They both stood up, took an envelope and viewed its contents. They contained pictures of several individuals with handwritten notes about each of them. The first was of a man in his seventies wearing a suit with several bodyguards surrounding him, the second depicted a short white woman wearing a maid outfit, the third was of a tall man in a guard uniform.
"Those pictures you see are related to your next mission." Sigmund said before snapping his fingers.
Immediately a short woman, around five feet three inches, with lower back length black hair appeared, two dead bodies in her hands. On closer inspection the bodies revealed themselves to be the young man and woman in the picture.
"Buenos días Johan." Dela said dropping the two bodies.
"Did you not see me here Dela?" Akeelah questioned.
"¿Debo saludar a un animal?"
"What did she just say?" Akeelah asked confused as Johan was holding back a laugh, as Dela turned to Sigmund.
"Maestro, lo entiendo, Johan, pero ¿por qué deberíamos llevar a este animal? ¿De qué nos serviría en una misión de espionaje?
"Are you going against my orders Dela?" Sigmund asked looking directly at Dela. Immediately she fell on one knee and bowed her head.
"I apologize master."
"Your input will not be required for the remainder of this meeting." Sigmund replied going back to his paperwork. Dela simply nodded in response and remained kneeling.
"As I told Johan before, this mission is divided into two phases. The first phase of the mission was to make contact with our informant and receive the details about the Reversonists he was going to give us, then you were to eliminate the alchemists who allied themselves with the Reversonists. The effort at accomplishing this was satisfactory at best." This caused Johan shrink a little and avert his face.
"However, there were several unknown variables and you dragged into combat before you could gain proper information, so I will not be judging your handling of the situation. The second phase of the plan remains the same, that being: infiltrating the manor of sir John Cramlin, the elderly man in the picture." he then looked at Johan and Akeelah.
"But the situation has changed." he then stood to his feet and approached the bodies, "Due to these, "Geister" individuals and you mother who seems to be the leader, the initial plan of having Johan and Dela become Cramlin's new alchemist's won't work. He'll be hyper vigilant as he likely is work with or for Geister. As such Johan and Dela, you two will be required to infiltrate his manor as these two."
"This is Ebert Collinger," Sigmund spoke pointing to the young man, his hair and build the same as Johan, although he was a foot or two shorter than him. "he is twenty one years of age and is currently employed as a guard for Mr. Cramlin's manor. The rest of his information is in the folder attached to his picture." "Johan, while you are disguised as Ebert, you will primarily be in the exterior of the manor and the guard's quarters. I want you to register everyone that enters and exits Mr.Cramlin's manor and anyone other information you think is necessary."
"Yes sir!" Johan exclaimed, intently studying Ebert's corpse. Sigmund then turned to Dela and tapped her shoulder. Immediately she shot to her feet and begun saluting.
"Please tell me your orders master!" she shouted.
"Dela, you will disguise yourself as Maloka Santiago, that is the lady there," he spoke pointing to the young lady's corpse, "She is a newly hired maid at nineteen years of age, however as an immigrant from Sparinda she does not speak any Brescian, although that should be no problem for you. You will be required to make copies of important documents and record all conversations, he has with anyone."
"I will do your will." Dela retorted bowing her head.
Sigmund then stood to his feet and picked up a pen on his table, and looked at a wall. A 'Squealch' emenated as the pen pierced through a gecko on the wall, it's eyes piercing red. The other three immediately turned in surpise.
"So we were being observed." Sigmun uttered, removing the pen from the gecko's body. "There will be a change of plans. Johan, Dela you two will go as detectives investigating the murder of Ebert Collinger and Maloka Santiago." Johan and Dela looked at Sigmund astonished, 'We were being observed?!' Johan thought 'I didn't sense a thing! Just how strong is he?'
"Tomorrow Johan and Dela will go to Siegfried, so he can disguise you. You've been given your orders now leave."
"Yes sir!" they said in unison before exiting, Akeelah observing Johan a frown plastered across her face. Akeelah then stood to her feet and opened the remaining envelope, it contained a single sheet of paper with a few paragraphs. As Akeelah read her disbelief grew until she spun around to look at Sigmund.
"Leader! What the hell is this!" Sigmund turned his head just enough to look at her out of the corner of his eyes.
"Can you do it?"
"You wouldn't have given me such a mission if you didn't think I could."
Sigmund chuckled and walked towards his the large window in his office and held his hands together behind his back.
"You answer well, I expect great things."
"Yes Leader!" she said saluting before leaving.
"It has been a long time since I have faced such an interesting opponent. Your move, miss Franz." Sigmund spoke looking upon Vorst completely submerged in darkness.
~Unkown Location~
A man in an entirely white suit with long blonde hair walked through a long, dark hallway occasionally illuminated by small lanterns. Eventually it expanded into an open room with eleven chairs forming a semi-circle and a large throne at the end of the room. The man kept going before kneeling in front of the throne, more specifically the lady that sat on the throne.
"I have my report my lady." The man said bowing, his hair splitting to show an '11' tattooed on the back of his neck. Johan's mother smiled, before turning to the chess board that lay next to her, only the e pawns had been moved to the e4 and e5 positions respectively.
"Let us begin our game, Mr. Augustus" she spoke taking hold of the white knight preparing to move it.