[color=lightgreen][center][h3][i][b]Day 1 The World's End Pub Village of Pristupin, Libor Province Republic of Polavia [/b][/i][/h3][/center][/color][hr] [b]Soundtrack: [url=https://pie.yt/?v=https://youtu.be/04F4xlWSFh0?si=mlzZrxPA23jBGWRz&pieshare=1] Let the Bodies Hit the Floor - Drowning Pool[/url][/b] Borys was kind enough to offer alternative alcohol suggestions as she expressed her displeasure with what she had been offered. Oksana’s reply had Rowan rolling her eyes. Like she didn’t know how to create a Molotov Cocktail without her craft. That was an easier way to do it but far less controlled. Rowan had just finished recovering from the nasty shot and placing her order for food when she had asked the obvious question. Felix’s response to the question mirrored her own probability theory so she relaxed a little. [i][color=#39FF14]She could admit she understood why Felix was here. He was almost in a similar situation as her except she had a whole country looking for her head. She had not known that other Reactor teams had been released as well. That would explain the numbers here in this small remote village.[/color] [/i] Reactor had disavowed her team and thrown them to the wolves. She wouldn’t go back to Reactor now if they begged. That left her wondering what to do next. She knew she was being hunted and that there was a price on her head. She had no idea how big the price was or how seriously people were hunting her. She thought about maybe teaming up with some of the other operators. Her reasoning for following Borys inside still held true. There was some safety in numbers. Rowan had been about to reply to Felix when time seemed to slow down around them. She went on alert and pulled her purse off the back of her chair. She unzipped it and reached inside for her back up wand. She slid her purse straps back on with her wand in her hand in the brief moments that the team coming into the pub had made their entrance. A loud voice shouted out [color=8dc73f]"Special Forces, hands where I can see them, get on your knees!"[/color] [color=#39FF14][i]Rowan cackled as she thought like hell! She couldn’t help but think how stupid was he? That he thought any Special Forces Operative would simply do as he asked. She was thinking they were like Team F for Fuck Up but she had to give them props for having a Holding Witch on their side.[/i][/color] That didn’t make him any less ridiculous though. Special Forces didn’t ask you to stop and come quietly, that was the police’s job. Special Forces acted first and sorted shit out later. Rowan was annoyed to have a gun pointed at her. Her lip curled in a sneer at the operative. She waited quietly preparing some things to use when she made her move. She began silently casting an acid spell on the pitcher of beer that was sitting on the table next to her. The man was stupid enough to talk loud enough to be heard reporting in. She couldn’t believe how unprofessional he was. [color=#39FF14][i]Was he hoping to have his whole team annihilated? What happened to operational security?[/i] [/color] She listened in as he reported their status. [color=8dc73f]"WIZ-TAC, this is Battlemage Actual, we've got HVT confirmed. Moving to arrest. We'll be twenty mikes to primary extraction." [/color] Rowan’s uncomplimentary mental thoughts continued as the man threatened Felix. Evidently Felix was their target. She couldn’t help a slight shiver of relief that it was not her. She still was appalled at the guy’s ability. The operative had a nice gun but he was giving too much of their operations away to truly be considered a professional. His remarks indicated he was with a DSR Special Forces Team. [color=8dc73f]"Turn and I'll fucking have fun shooting you in the head, kitty cat. Hands where I can see them! Everyone else, hands high or we'll open fire!" [/color] Rowan cackled again and couldn’t resist commenting.[color=#39FF14] “Really are you sure you want me to raise my hands? You finally are going to threaten to fire at us if we don’t comply. I think you might have your mission parameters and actions a little backward there. AWKWARD!” [/color] She couldn't resist making fun of him. She was a trained military operative and the guy was trying so hard to be a badass but was coming across as a first rate chump to her. Rowan raised an eyebrow as Felix’s remarks indicated that he seemed to know the unprofessional asshole. [color=fff200]"Harry? Fuck me. You guys really wasting taxpayer money on this bullshit?"[/color] The operative responded and only had Felix under control due to the number of guns on him. She was getting really annoyed at this guy. [color=8dc73f]"Shut it, Lyons! We will waste taxpayer's money on whatever the fuck command says, so on your feet!" [/color] Rowan listened and watched as Felix complied. [color=fff200]"No, like, I genuinely didn't think it would be you. Come on. How'd you do it, blood magic, using the others to make me drink....shit, or even getting them as help? Don't fucking kill them. I'll go easy."[/color] Rowan sighed as she now felt like she owed it to Felix to help him out of the jam. That was where their conversation was heading. Rowan grinned evilly as the beer in the pitcher took on a nasty green tone as her spell finished. [color=#39FF14][i]Evidently Harry was not done monologuing for his team. He must really feel the need to tell everyone how important he thought he was.[/i][/color] [color=8dc73f]"Just you, your actions. The honeypot worked." [/color] Rowan’s lips turned up in a half smile as she heard Felix’s reply. [color=fff200]"You're so unprofessional. Fucking doing it in broad daylight, you that brave?" [/color] Oksana: [color=f7976a]"He's an asshole. But would you mind? We were just drinking. So...."[/color] Suddenly, the Holding Witch at the back started to look like she convulsed. [color=f7976a]"Idi Nahui!"[/color] Oksana yelled, in perfect, prim, Polavian, well and truly, a [color=f7976a]"Go Fuck Yourself"[/color] delivered in a manner that felt almost too cinematic. The entire bubble of time burst. The vodka bottled landed and time was flowing normally again as the bar fight began in earnest. Polavian workers joined the fray as their drinking session had been interrupted and one of their own had been injured. She heard Oksana yell out [color=f7976a]"Debil, don't fucking ruin a good thing!" [/color] Rowan turned her attention to the woman standing in front of her. Rowan was being faced down by a thin, dark-haired operator with an M4A1 with the staff in it with a large ruby-like crystal in the end suspended by a light-wood like amber, a SOF helmet with full green MARPAT and a whole plume of flowers across her arm looking like some energy magic was up her sleeve. Rowan met the woman’s eyes as she carefully held the gun on her with a staff in her other hand. Rowan made her move. She used one arm to push the gun away from her as she spun and swept the woman’s feet out from under her. She kicked at the staff in an effort to send it spinning away from the woman. Rowan was once again grateful for her martial arts practice. She kept moving in one smooth motion. She picked up the pitcher of acid and threw it on the mage she had knocked down. She entered the battle leaping away from what she hoped was a now incapacitated mage. Rowan aimed her wand at the babbling idiot Harry and quickly channeled a lighting spell as she threw a glass of whiskey at his head. She was hoping it caught fire and that the electricity would paralyze him. She was trying to fight her way to Felix when another voice yelled [color=8dc73f]"Shit, grab the asset and let's go!"[/color] Felix had managed to free his hands and plowed into Harry. Oksana dived over the bar as she threw a bottle at Harry and another operative. Felix yelled out [color=fff200]"Smashing!" [/color] Rowan waded into the fray using her martial arts expertise to block hands and blows aimed her way. She ducked and used others for cover as she began to work her way towards the door. She had to get out of the building first. She readied her wand once more. Maybe she could let loose a ball of chain lightning to clear a path to the door. She concentrated and felt a spike of pain in her head. This spell took way more power than the one she used previously. She felt a little trickle of blood flow from her nose. She was using her elemental spells to deliver little zaps when her martial arts failed. The mana usage was piling up fast. She could feel the beginnings of mana fatigue. She needed this fight to end. She heard Oksana's voice yell out [color=f7976a]"We need to leave, right now!" [/color] Rowan rolled her eyes. What the hell did Oksana think they were doing? She certainly was not trying to join in the barfight. She spotted an opening and ran for the door. [color=#39FF14]“Come on! That is our exit music!”[/color] She was focused on getting outside and missed Oksana saying she had an idea. [color=#39FF14][i]So did she and it involved getting to her car.[/i][/color] She made it out the door of the pub and started looking for the team as she began moving in the direction of her car.