Yasmine sat atop the parking garage as night fell, a cigarette smoldering between her lips. Her receiver turned to a swing station. She took another drag and flicked it onto the growing pile at her feet, staring at the glowing building right across the street. Another drone drifted by, its camera passing over her as a faint glow rippled across the lens. She glanced over at Tommy who was sitting against the wall not far from her, he hadn’t even looked at the drone to distort it’s feed. She chuckled and lit up another cigarette, blowing out a small cloud and checking her tab. She heard a laugh in the distance and looked up, a few people were walking out of ASTA headquarters, leaving work after a long day.

She raised her tab to her ear and the phone rang once before Amon answered, “Yes?”

“Closing time,” Yasmine said, “Get over here and pick up the package.”

“On it,” Amon said and cut the line. Yasmine turned around, swinging her legs over the ledge and dropping down onto the pavement behind her. She stretched and walked over to Alec who was sitting crosslegged on the ground. The big orc rolled his neck and looked up at her with a grin before getting to his feet. He walked over and slapped Jacob on the back who jerked and frowned before looking up at the sky and sighing. Leaning against one of the vans, Tabitha fingered the saber on her hip and strode over to meet the other two bruisers.

Yasmine came to a stop next to the van that Tabitha had been leaning against and banged on it a few times. Inside, Flipp let out a groan of pain and she stepped around to throw open the rear doors. Flipp was sitting up, rubbing his head. Across from him, Erik was sitting with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. One eye opened and focused on Yasmine. The doctor nodded and slipped out of the vehicle before shaking her hand. Yasmine crawled in past where he was sitting and began to pull boxes out, handing them to Sylva who had run over to help.

“Masks at the ready,” Yasmine said, “Do not forget to put it on before we go in,” She warned, looking sidelong at Flipp who frowned at her.

“I’ll be fine, thanks,” He said, taking one of the mouth-and-nose respirators that Sylva pulled out of the box and handed to him. He turned it over in his hand, eyeing it, “Where’s the strap?”

“Newbie,” Sylva laughed.

“No strap, it affixes to your face and forms an air tight seal,” Yasmine said, holding up her own mask and pressing it to her mouth and nose, she pressed down on both sides of the mask with her thumb and index finger. There was a hiss and she released the mask, it remained on her face. “Straps can be cut by a skilled fighter,” She explained, her voice distorted by the mask to sound gravelly. “The masks also change your vocal profile so you can’t be identified by voice-id sensors. Feds have been using microphones to track crime recenly.”

She reached up and removed the mask and gestured toward the other van as it pulled up. Tyler in the driver’s seat. It parked next to the first van and Yasmine went around back to open it up. Flipp gawked, there had to be dozens of guns inside. He wasn’t sure which was more illegal, the anti-mana serum that they’d acquired from Talia Darlton or the weapons in this one vehicle. Yasmine crawled in and started plucking handguns off of the side of the interior. She turned around and started handing them out one at a time. Even Erik and Tommy took one. She offered one to Flipp and he held up a hand, “No, thank you though.”

She frowned at him, “Take the damn sidearm, shoot first, magic second, I don’t tolerate burnout. If we can avoid using ice during the job then we did it right,” She hissed, shoving it into his hand. He winced but took the offered weapon, it felt cold and heavy in his hands. She turned back and pulled out what looked like crayon boxes. She started handing them out as well. She put one in Flipps hands and he grunted at the weight. She turned to her crew, “Those are nines, depleted mana shard cores, they will burst on contact, do not get close to the frag. Understood?”

“Got it,” Sylva said, her good humor vanishing as she inspected the weapon before dropping the clip with practiced ease and loading it from the small box. The others did the same. Tommy crawled into the first Van and began to load his weapon casually while whistling a cheery tune.

“Depleted mana shards?” Flipp asked, alarmed, “You stripped shards from dead batteries and put them in bullets?”

“I didn’t,” Yasmine corrected him, “I know someone who does.”

“That’s-” He was cut off by a boisterous laugh from Alec.

“Need to know little buddy, just take a breath, you’re going to be fine. We’re the best there is,” He said, raising a fist to his chest, “Just stick close to the boss when we go in.”

“I’m going in?” Flipp asked, “What?”

“Of course you are, I don’t know what this thing looks like and you know exactly where it is,” Yasmine said, slipping her weapon into her holster and nodding to Tyler who got out of the car and sat down next to the vehicle, opening his dufflebag. In a matter of minutes he had assembled one of the largest guns that Flipp had ever seen. Tyler got to his feet and grabbed his bag, slinging the weapon over his shoulder, “Good shooting,” Yasmine said.

“Always,” Tyler said, grinning before walking away toward the far side of the parking garage. He set his weapon down on the ledge and reached into his bag again, pulling out what looked like a tarp. He threw it over his shoulders and head before vanishing from sight.

“Tyler is only covering us if necessary, that thing makes one hell of a bang,” Yasmine warned.

As the others nodded, Amon stepped out of literally nowhere. Flipp jumped as he felt a breath of cold air wash over him. The dreary man stopped in front of Yasmine and threw his thumb over his shoulder, “I’ve located the hub for the ventilation system, shouldn’t take long for it to spread. Tommy’s map was good.”

“Great,” Yasmine said and walked him over to the first van. She grabbed the box that Sylva had been holding back at the apartment. “Burn the whole thing.”

Amon nodded and stepped backwards before sinking into the ground and vanishing. Flipp stared at the spot and looked up at Yasmine. Lyssandra, who had been relaxing in the first van’s driver’s seat brushed past him and adjusted her glasses. “Amon practices the umbral ballet, it’s a type of natural magic,” She said, “He can walk through shadows.”

“Incredible,” Flipp said, “Why doesn’t he just-” he froze when he saw the look on Yasmine’s face.

“Nothing is that easy,” Yasmine said, “Ever.”

“Right.”

Yasmine’s tab buzzed and she glanced at it, “Alright, Amon’s in position, Hannah’s waiting for us in the lobby. We’ll need to pass her a mask as soon as we see her,” She said and finally reached for the last item in the back of the first van. She pulled out the metal case containing the serum. She plucked out five at a time and started passing them out. “You lot know my policy on this shit, don’t waste it, don’t give yourself the runs I’m not cleaning up after your stank ass.”

A chuckle rumbled through the group.

“I’ll take care of your rear,” Lyssandra said, “The materials shouldn’t be a problem.”

Yasmine grinned, “Good, last thing to go over is exit strategy,” She said, “Tommy is prepping the vans to go full auto and gun it as soon as I give the signal. They’ll keep going until they either get away or are destroyed. Figure Tommy’s program is good enough to do the former, right kid?” She asked, glancing back at Tommy who gave a thumbs up. She pulled up her tab and turned it over, setting it to speaker as two lines picked up on the other end, “Good, all of you have your own way of getting the fuck out so I’m not gonna sit here and preach. Meet back at the original parking space one floor beneath us. There’s a feddy ATV waiting. Erik will be there in case there’s any injuries. We clear?”

“Like a milkshake boss!” They all said at the same time, two voices coming out of her tab as well. They all laughed.

She spluttered and shook her head, “You asshats, alright, we’re doing this. Time to shit on Queen Sonya’s parade. Take what can fit in your pockets. Don’t get stupid. Don’t get greedy, and most importantly… Don’t fuck up.”

“Right back at you,” They all chimed back at her. She smiled and shut off her tab, slipping it into her pocket and turned to Flipp. “You ready to see how the best get it done?”

Flipp let out a breath he looked at the assembled team. They seemed so strange when he had first met them but in a matter of hours they had proven to be nothing short of a disciplined and methodical group. He scratched the back of his head and nodded, “Let’s do it.”

“Alright,” Yasmine said and lead him over to the side of the parking garage. She gave him a wild look and grinned, wrapping her arm around his waist and jumped. Flipp almost let out a cry of fright but was silenced by a pinch from Yasmine. Behind them, the others charged forward and leaped off the side as well, landing on the sidewalk alongside her. Without a moment of hesitation they broke into a run, charging toward the entrance.

Flipp ran as fast as he could, a cough already rising in his chest as he glanced toward the fenced area where there had been guards hours before. His eyes widened when he saw nothing but bodies laying face first on the ground. When had that happened? He looked up at Yasmine who’s steely gray eyes were fixed on her target. A few employees gasped, one shouted something in alarm. Sylva turned in their direction and threw something in their faces, they collapsed into heaps as she darted back toward the group.

Yasmine threw the doors open and they stepped into an enormous room. It stretched wide to the left and right, benches and tables set here and there for personal meetings and relaxation. Screens hung from the ceiling repeating various advertisements for ASTA products. A huge white sculpture of what looked like a phoenix hung from the ceiling and glowed faintly, magic snow falling off of it before dissolving about ten feet off the ground. Ahead of them a single security desk sat just to the right of a hallway lined with elevators.

“Masks!” Yasmine barked. Flipp quickly put the mask over his nose and mouth, squeezing the sides. There was a loud hiss and he felt the mask pinch the skin of his face before forming a seal. Yasmine pulled her arm out from around Flipp. A security guard standing behind the front desk got to his feet and she drew her weapon, firing off one shot center mass. A tiny blue flash erupted from his chest and he was flattened against the wall behind him.

Alec, Jacob, and Tabitha spread out through the room, as smoke began to billow out of the vents. They raised their weapons and began pointing at various members of staff, demanding that they take out their tabs and put them on the ground. Hannah, standing among the group, hurried over to join them. Tabitha passed her a mask and a gun and the sweet girl turned to join the three other front liners in suppressing the remaining staff members. Hannah tossed a card to Yasmine who marched with Flipp towards the Elevators. Sylva joined them a few moments later as laughter began to spread in the atrium.

“Looks like that was some good stuff,” She chuckled.

“Have to buy some from Abrin later,” Yasmine said, waving the card over the reader next to the polished steel elevator door. There was a low tone accepting the card and the door opened. The three of them hurried inside and Yasmine tossed the card onto the floor outside the Elevator. She reached up to her temple and Flipp felt something reach out and touch him from both close by and far away. He shivered as he felt Yasmine’s mind caress his own. Soon he could hear her voice in his head.

Card’s on the ground. We’re heading up. What’s our max floor, Hannah?

A sweet voice came next into Flipp’s mind. Thirty five.

Yasmine tapped the number on the keypad and the doors closed. Security?

Tommy’s voice came next, Cameras are out, alarm system is down, they know something’s happening, though, resistance is incoming.

Figures, Yasmine’s voice came, Lyssandra?

No one’s getting out through the front. Lyssandra’s sultry voice came through. As soon as she said that, the ground shook and Flipp stumbled. He looked up at Yasmine wide-eyed.

“What did she do?” He blurted.

“Lyss has some pretty neat powers,” Yasmine laughed, “She can control existing materials almost freely, she walled in the front door and windows.”

Reinforcements coming out of the rear barracks. Tyler’s voice this time.

Any of them with something big enough to get through Lyss’ walls? Yasmine asked.

Of course not, just rifles for now. I’ll deal with it once they come out with something bigger.

Flipp looked up at the indicator marking their position. They had just passed the twentieth floor. He turned around and looked out the back of the elevator and through the glass. Men in white were running this way and that in the grassy central courtyard. Elevators were starting to rise on every side of the five-sided building. He glanced at Yasmine who casually checked her weapon before raising it to point at the door. Sylva did the same, adjusting her hair a little in the reflection on the door as she waited.

“Really?” Yasmine asked.

“You can’t be the only one looking good while you work,” Sylva quipped back.

We’re heading up. Jacob’s voice came into Flipp’s head.

See you soon. Yasmine said back, Don’t hold back if they stop you. Lethal force.

Finally. Hannah’s voice came through, her tone filled with bloodlust.

Flipp looked up again at the indicator, fiddling with the gun in his hand. He’d never shot anyone before! He’d dueled a few times with magic but that was a controlled duel! He took a deep breath, he hadn’t signed up for this. He looked at Yasmine and her steady gaze, unflinching as she pointed her weapon ahead at head level. He swallowed and took one step back as the door let out a chime. He was about to see something he’d never seen before in his life. That he thought he’d never see in all of his years.

The door opened and Yasmine pulled the trigger. The head of the scientist on the other side whipped backwards and he dropped. Sylva’s gun went off next, a guard taking a bullet in the chest. Yasmine fired a third time, yet another guard dropping. The action had taken all of two seconds. Flipp’s ears were ringing. Blood was everywhere. Three bodies lay motionless on the ground. Yasmine lowered her weapon and gestured to the scientist, an id-card clipped to his shirt leaped from his body and into her hand. Sylva stepped over the bodies and glanced around, “Clear.”

Tommy, going to wave a card on this elevator, what floor can it take us to?

Yasmine took two steps, waved the card over the elevator scanner and it made a welcoming chime. A few heartbeats passed before Tommy had a reply. It can take you up to forty-five.

See if you can’t copy that card and override Hannahs.

On it.

Yasmine stepped back into the elevator and glanced over at Flipp, grinning at him, “Having fun yet?”

Sylva joined them, tapping their new destination on the keypad before positioning herself on one side of the door instead of right ahead of it. Yasmine moved to the opposite side, leaning back far enough not to have any of herself exposed when the door opened. She glanced at Flipp. Flipp just stared at the ground, his eyes wide, he’d never seen so much blood before. He felt sick. He raised his hand to his mouth just as Yasmine grabbed him by his collar and pulled him into her chest. She squeezed him tightly just as the friendly chime of the Elevator went off.

A horrendous buzzing sound erupted just as the doors parted, streaks of light ripping through the air and shattering the glass in the rear of the elevator. Holes peppered the ground and obliterated the floor. Flipp closed his eyes tightly, wishing the violence would end. Instead, he felt himself get pushed backward and he landed on his rear. He looked up to see Yasmine’s slate gray eyes begin to glow and a spark trace down from her shoulder to her hand. To his left he saw Sylva press herself further back against the wall, watching Yasmine’s movement. Yasmine swept her arm out, down, and then around the side of the door.

The flash, the sound, the force that followed, he had only just enough time to cast a protective spell around himself, a cocoon of force protecting him from the explosion of raw power that erupted from Yasmine’s fingertip as a bolt of true lightning ripped through the hallway beyond the door. There were no screams of pain, no shouts of surprise, no roars of defiance. Instead, when Flipp released his spell the only thing he could see was death. A dozen bodies littered the ground, scorched beyond recognition. Yasmine turned her head and looked down at Flipp who looked up at her.

“You good?” She asked.

For psions, magic came to them naturally. Specifically their Psionics. There were numerous ways to use that form of magic but one of the most difficult was the manipulation of energies. Telekinesis, Pyrokinesis, they were all powers that any Psion could manifest with the right training. However, ultimately natural forces were something that Psions struggled with. Breaching reality so viciously and producing something reserved solely for nature, it was just something that even most talented Arcane mages struggled with. An arc of electricity, certainly, he could do that with no problem.

There was a reason the city called her Lightning Queen.

Yasmine grinned a grin of madness at him, “I thought you were tough,” She said, sparks jumping off of her skin as she knelt down and got in his face, “Show me those balls of steel, big guy. It’s only going to get crazier from here.”