The Knights of the Vulture's Claw

Mission Impossible

The crowd rose up in disapproval as Hunter's words hung in the air. Trying in vain to wipe all the streams of blood from her face and hands, Ginevra felt worthy of doing an almighty flop a hundred and fifty feet to the ground.Beside her, Lisha was spitting with anger, cursing with words Ginevra had never heard before. Every once in a few seconds, she would whip her head around to glare at Ginevra, and her eyes were so full of rage Ginevra actually felt unnerved.

"Unfair... don't know what he's thinking, that ....you.... why?!" Lisha spat for the fifteenth time.

"Really, Lisha?" Dragomir snorted from beside Ginevra. "What I can't believe is how you almost beat the pants off all of us."

"That just goes to show!" Lisha snarled. "You think I'm just a kid—"

"Which you are."

"Dragomir!"

"Sorry, Bella."

"You think I'm just a kid who can't do anything? I've been training since I was three and I've been a regular field agent since I was eight!" Lisha yelled.

"Yeah well, my parents were forced to hide, they were Unquestionables!"

"Big fat hairy deal!" Lisha screamed. "My dad's an Unquestionable, and he's in the thick of it all! Mom was killed when I was eight. I took her place as an agent of the Council!"

"Wait—your what?" Dragomir gasped.

"Oh, Sharakor." Lisha hissed. "That crowns it. Me and my big fat mouth."

Dragomir looked haunted and didn't speak until they were in the Shack awaiting briefing for their mission.

"Look, Lisha. I didn't realize—"

"Oh, just shut up!" Lisha snapped. "Shut up!"

"Jeez!" Dragomir whistled. "She's angry!"

"She has a right to be!" said Bella, but she didn't roll her eyes like she usually did. "I mean, she's stuck in this Top Form thingo, she's barely a teenager, obviously you don't know flukey about her—"

"Flukey?" Ginevra cut in, trying to keep a grin off her face.

"What ever!" this time Bella did roll her eyes. "What I mean is—"

"Yeah, talk about me like I can't hear you." Lisha sneered. "You think—"

"Okay, now really, Alexandra Eishel. Enough is enough!" a voice, half amused, rang from behind the door.

"Don't you call me—" Lisha broke off as Hunter came striding through the door. "Uh, sorry, sir."

"Quite all right. Now, about your mission. The Underminer's loyalties are extremely questionable. You will have to be careful. It was actually a good idea to send all four of you—look at what happened to young Ciel Black after he faced the Underminer alone."

"Oh!" said Dragomir, half laughing. "I thought his loyalties were un- questionable!"

"Not funny, Drago." Bella whispered, catching a glimpse of Lisha's face. "Not funny at all!"

Suddenly she looked up. "Wait. Ciel's face is all mangled and scarred because of this Underminer dude?"

"Yes, well, mostly. He's been on the front line a bit, too. But it was mainly the Underminer, Operation Hyperion, to be exact. We're rather fond of using Greek mythology-oriented names here, don't ask why, bad story. Ciel was barely fourteen—it was a bit of a stupid decision to send him, but it was either him or Cygnus, so..."

"I get what you mean." Ginevra nodded, thinking of Cygnus and imagining him inconspicuously tracking down a hired assassin. "But what exactly are we going to ask this Underminer guy?"

"Well, you're going to tell him that Hunter Cairn Aquil has a matter to discuss involving the evasive Sphinx. Use my full name. Don't forget that. And whatever you do, don't give your names! Act brash. Say you're from the Entourage. Do NOT use the name Vultures or Knights of the Vulture's Claw." Hunter gave a piece of paper to Bella. "Your coordinates. If he is reluctant, say it involves the bank. If he pulls out a weapon...that's why there are four of you." Hunter said, in a rather grave tone. "Any questions?"

"What do you expect him to do if we succeed in convincing him?" Ginevra asked, feeling a little excited.

"Your middle name is Cairn?" Bella asked.

"Your last name is Aquil?" Dragomir asked.

"I knew that." Lisha announced.

"You brat!" Dragomir couldn't help hissing.

"You prat!" Lisha hissed back.

"Miss Wolverine, that was not a question." Hunter said calmly. "Yes Miss Black, my middle name is Cairn. Yes Mr. Zurichov, my last name is Aquil. And Miss Artolius, I expect him to get into the spy plane I will provide you with and come quietly. I know this man well. I even know his name, but I won't be telling you, you may let it slip and compromise this mission—Operation Hades."

"Oh, one more thing!" Ginevra suddenly said. "Who are Carrigan and Palmer?"

Hunter snorted, almost laughing. "Ariel Carrigan and Hansel Palmer are Jaron's agents in the Lighter Brigade. They're in total discredit. If you want to know why, ask Harry Aberline. He's part of their—problem."

Lisha snickered.

"Uh, what's funny?" Dragomir asked. "I mean, okay, they're in discredit, but—"

"Obviously you wouldn't know." Lisha made a big deal out of rolling her eyes.

"Don't be a Bella!" said Dragomir.

"Excuse me?" Bella yelped.

"REALLY!" Hunter growled.

"Sorry."

"Ok. Anything else?" Hunter shot a sharp look at Lisha.

"Yeah." said Ginevra. "Where are my parents?"

It was the last thing she had expected herself to say. In the heat of Dragomir's and Lisha's argument, it had slipped out. "I daresay you'll find out soon enough." Hunter said gravely. "Vincent is a very persistent man with an extremely superfluous outlook."

"What does that mean?" Ginevra snapped.

"It means you need to get out of here and get started on your mission." Hunter said, with a dangerous edge to his voice.

"Wait, what's going on?" Ginevra persisted.

"Miss Artolius, you are just as bad—no, worse than Vincent. Ten degrades. get out of my face." Hunter sighed. With that, he turned and walked out of his office.

"I reckon he's gone of the deep end." Dragomir said. "Starting to act like Cygnus."

"If you only knew what we Vultures have to put up with!" Lisha said loftily.

"If you'd just tell me—" Dragomir started, but Bella cut in.

"Leave her alone, Drago. Let's go."

Dragomir and Bella were both silent until the spy plane took off.

"So." Bella said. "Any ideas on what we're going to say to the Underminer?"

"Um." Ginevra thought. "How about, exactly what Hunter told us to?"

To Ginevra's surprise, Lisha nodded. "Yeah. It's straightforward and safest. Last time, Ciel got beat up since he tried to be too charming. I think they would've killed him if his father hadn't intervened."

"What?" Bella stared. "What happened? And how do you know?"

Lisha turned to face Bella, and Ginevra noticed she looked very pale and haunted. "I was there." she whispered.

"No way!" said Dragomir. "What did you do?"

Lisha's face closed. She took a shaking breath, closed her eyes, opened them again, and glared at him.

"I was a hostage." she spat. "Happy now?"

Dragomir gaped. "Whaaaaaa?"

"That must've been hard." Bella said sympathetically, also glaring at Dragomir. "How?"

"Captured." Lisha said shortly. "Jaron's forces were using the Underminer, too. They decided to hold me hostage in exchange for a Hat."

"A hat?" Ginevra said, incredulous.

"Oh, you wouldn't know the term...it's a Vulture-discovered substance with high alchemical properties. Well, it kinda worked after Ciel failed...so Jaron has a Hat." Lisha looked sour. "My fault, as my father keeps reminding me."

"He's really hard on you." Ginevra said. "I've noticed."

"Oh, he's not that bad." Lisha said dismissively, but her voice trembled. "He's just...lost."

Nobody said anything for a while.

"I'm hungry." Dragomir said.

"DRAGOMIR GIDEON ZURICHOV." Bella said dangerously.

"Eat up." Ginevra stuck her tongue out at Bella, and tossed Dragomir a whole chocolate bar.

"Ginevra—" Bella started, but Lisha jumped to her feet.

"Turn around and go back!" she said hysterically.

"What?" Ginevra, Bella, and Dragomir all said at once.

There was a loud roaring sound, and the plane seemed to land on a grinding sheet of metal.

Lisha gasped, her face the color of glass.

"Lisha, what's wrong!?" Ginevra shouted.

Lisha seemed to have lost her voice. She mouthed wordlessly as the door of the plane was kicked in.

"Come on!" a rough voice shouted. "I've got a reactive Hat loaded in my musket! Get out!"

There was a soft laugh from beside him, and two cloaked figures entered. They were holding muskets and wore golden badges reading GLB.

Lisha threw herself onto the floor. "IT'S THE LIGHTER BRIGADE!" She screamed.