Azrael

Eight

"Viper7, this is Command. We have a 10-60 at Nevsky street, with one confirmed fatality. Suspect was last seen fleeing the area on foot. We need you to apprehend and bring him in for questioning. Arrest warrant and GPS coordinates are being transmitted to your unit now."

Emeraude sat up, unsure if she had heard correctly.

Nevsky street?

That was in the Northern quarter. Way out of her assigned section in the Eastern. She knew there were several agents in that area and by all means they should have been the ones being given this task.

"Questioning your superiors is not part of your job description," Emeraude murmured to herself as she started up her car. "Serve and protect."

She tracked the suspect's path as he made his way down to the Eastern quarter, and groaned when she saw where he had taken refuge.

Emeraude exhaled deeply as the of a Raven-class helicopter reverberated off the towering buildings that loomed above her. She gazed skyward to catch a glimpse of the shadowy form of the chopper as it weaved its way across the street, the glint of a long rifle in the open doorway catching her eye.

Jasper had been sent by Command to accompany her once she had relayed information on where her target had chosen to hideout.

She tapped her earpiece in. "I thought I told you to be subtle."

"I can't watch your back while on the ground," Jasper replied from the other end of the line. "Up here I can see everything!"

"You're also a big target hovering above a city full of pissed off supernatural criminals."

There was a short pause while Jasper digested what Emeraude had said. "Are you sure this is possible?" he asked.

"I'm sure it's not," Emeraude said. "Otherwise it wouldn't be any fun. They've installed new barriers using thick concrete walls and heavy steel doors, complete with a secondary layer of defense featuring fortified windows and high-security locks. Impenetrable."

"Really?"

"No."

The sky above was a dull and lifeless gray, with a misty rain that seemed to coat everything in a dreary haze. Emeraude turned down the street and veered right onto 7th Avenue, expertly avoiding the throngs of protesters that had taken up residence on Main Street. She continued on toward the bustling Starlight Plaza, where towering holographic displays flickered and flashed at irregular intervals. The "Starlight" sign still worked, despite the blank spots that now marred its surface. It had been a while since she had last walked these streets, but nothing much had changed. The city still had the same drab stone buildings, grayed with smoke and covered in graffiti on every visible side. The streets were littered with trash overflowing from bins that hadn't been emptied in ages. The place was fairly deserted, abandoned during one of the biggest human-supernatural clashes in recent history. Jupyter had further declared that the entire division was off-bounds to humans and that it was not responsible for anyone who got caught trespassing by the rogue supernaturals.

Said supernaturals had slunk back into the dilapidated buildings as soon as they had caught wind of Emeraude and her aerial escort. The buildings that stood here were little more than charred, skeletal remains, their walls blackened by fire and their windows shattered.

She was well into the deeper parts of the Eastern quarter, and the people here were much more confident. Emeraude kept her eyes straight ahead but could almost feel the burning gazes of the people around her boring through the red and black Jupyter jacket she wore. Some jeered, spat, or cursed at her as she passed them, but none dared to touch her.