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“Home field advantage” Nicole had said. Perhaps that might have been true in the daylight, but on this tempest-wracked night, Nova Lux’s elaborate gardens seemed just as treacherous and foreboding a labyrinth as the one Guardian Gunslinger Alexis had faced in Season 1, Episode 14- [i]Botanical Battlezone.[/i] In fact, Dana half expected a genetically engineered carnivorous plant to lunge for her at any moment, or one of the statues to start opening fire on her teammates with concealed magitech weaponry. Actually, now that she thought about it, armed statues would make for a pretty cool defensive system, and the golden gunslinger made a mental note to speak with the faculty about that idea after the typhoon had passed. As it was, the blinding arcs of lightning and torrential rains propelled by gale force winds were more than enough of an impediment even without the threat of hidden traps, and Dana grit her teeth as she pulled the wide brim of her hat down to cover her face in an attempt to block at least some of the stinging drops of rain that were slashing across it in a seemly endless torrent. Yet, even if her parma was completely soaked, no amount of rain could dampen her [i]spirit.[/i]

[color=Gold]“Nice of this lightning to help guide our path!”[/color] Dana’s jovial voice shouted over the roaring winds as she splashed through yet another puddle. [color=Gold]“Even if it’s [i]nothing[/i] compared to what [i]you[/i] can dish out, Penny!”[/color] she added, giving her roommate a stardust-trailing wink. Of course, the smiling sharpshooter was doing her part as well, having conjured a small swarm of glowing stars to orbit the team, but she was never one to sing her own praises when she could boost the spirits of her friends instead. 

Soon enough, however, Dana and her teammates would make out another, far brighter source of illumination, a blazing pyre rising up from where the medical wing was located, one promptly joined by an explosion, whose fiery roar seemed to rival the storm’s own peals of thunder. Upon arriving a few moments later, the golden gunslinger gave voice to a gasp of horror at the sight that greeted her. Not only was much of the medical wing set ablaze, but that wasn’t even the worst part. She heard them over the comms mere moments before she caught sight of them with her own eyes: Amanda and Priya’s bloody and battered bodies laying on the waterlogged ground in front of the burning structure, their teammates nowhere to be found. The former wasn’t moving, and Dana prayed she was merely unconscious, but the later…

No sooner had Dana heard Priya’s pained cry than her auric eyes caught a glimpse of movement from within the blazing building behind the injured girl, causing the shining sharpshooter to freeze in her tracks. The figure perched in the second floor window was obviously a hostile Ars Magi, one armed with a sniper rifle of some sort, and while she had yet to open fire, Dana was almost certain that would change the moment she, or any other member of team Radiant Storm dared to move even a centimeter closer. The hostile figure’s choice of weapon made the golden garbed Norban think of Priya’s instructor, the legendary Amara Volkov, but there was no way this was actually [i]her[/i], right? One of the most loyal and respected Ars Magi couldn’t possibly have… No, Dana told herself with fierce determination. This wasn’t the time for what ifs. Her friends were in danger and keeping them safe was what mattered most.

[color=Gold]“Watch out, guys!”[/color] Dana cautioned the rest of her team. [color=Gold]“There’s a sniper in that second floor window!”[/color] she added, pointing out the enemy Ars Magi’s location with a gloved finger. [color=Gold]“Let’s keep her pinned down while we get Amanda and Priya to safety!”[/color]

Not wasting another moment, the golden gunslinger rushed forward, a massive glowing star positioned on her arm like a shield as she fired several auric energy bolts at the shadowy sniper. While Nicole was officially the team’s leader, Dana’s overwhelming concern for her fellow Ars Magi refused to permit her to wait for even a moment before charging to their aid. Indeed, the sight of her friends’ wounded forms called to mind not only Noah, Dima, and the other officers she’d met on Aiya’s yacht, but also Crystal and the rest of Team Kheper. Then, of course, there was Lada, the eccentric scientist whose lab was [i]inside[/i] the now set aflame medical wing. Dana had no idea how any of them were faring, but she only hoped they were all okay, and if not, that they at least had comrades-in-arms poised to come to their rescue…