Ops, or operations, was a big, nondescript office building--the center hub of our twisted little community. I live in the apartments, hotel-like places that all the team members live in because we�re never in one place for long. Next to the apartments are the more friendly suburbs that families in the community live in, and near those are the dormitories, which house the older kids who are here alone. The school, and the small college, both are attended by kids in and out of the community. Normal, they are not, but they are some of the most memorable people you�ll meet.
Oh, I forgot to mention---practically everyone here is supernatural. Not in the sense that we�re all wizards, but in the sense that there�s half-demons, half-vampires, werewolves, shamen, shape-shifters, and yes, some wizards. Kids, adults, teen-agers, all of us are not-so-average. We�ve either got powers and we�re using them to help others, or we need the help, or both. Unfortunately, there are many fine distinctions that come with the metaphysical, or magical world. Also, in messing with magic, there are sometimes no distinctions, or reasons at all.
I am a warrior�.female, yes, but not weak, and not much scares me anymore. The power to incinerate things at will usually gives one the upper hand.
To keep things straight, I get my powers from God, not the devil. And if you want to be nitpicky, I AM possessed. God subdued 6 demons from the beginning of time when the world was dark, forcing them under his control and giving them to the humans which he handpicked to control them. This is so we can fight against the scourges of demons and so-called �gods� that plague the planet. The six of us, called �Guardians� or sometimes just �The Team�, have powers related to God�s creations: Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Metal, and Wood.
Fire is me, Nenona. The ability to conjure, withstand, and control fire is my gift.
Air is Erik, who can control air currents and do something called �whisping�, similar to teleporting.
Earth is Aimee, who can cause earthquakes, and lift rocks with her mind.
Water is Bryan, who can move and control water, and also freeze it.
Metal is Marco, who can armor his body by turning his skin to metal and can also control it.
And Wood is Andrew, who can tell plants to grow and capture an enemy, and move trees or plants(don�t ask me how his powers work, I tried to ask once�I was sorry I did.)
I, Erik, Aimee, and Marco are the �big guns� in sense that our elements are everywhere.
Right now, Headquarters is just outside of L.A. The team has only been here a week �. Before that, we went to Japan and then to the Caribbean. Here, we were expected to help track down the bosses of several big organizations on the bad list.
So far, we haven�t come up with any leads. These guys know how to keep their minions quiet�
I heard a noise on the path ahead. Animal. Possible werewolf. I gripped the handle of my knife, a talis one wrapped with black leather and strapped to my left thigh.
It was sunset, but my powers include strength and excellent night vision, I needn�t conjure fire.
I approached the sound slowly, my left hand gripping the handle of my dagger. I was immune to werewolf bites, as was my team, but my job.
The noise I heard was a human changing into a werewolf. I reared up and pinned the werewolf, stabbing him with the knife, which forced him to stop changing. I knocked it out quickly and pulled out my cell to call ops and tell them to send a retrieval team. We can�t remove the werewolf�s curse, but we can make it that much more bearable. The discovery of a more humanoid werewolf in an eastern part of the US has led to a remedy that allows the person to control themselves when they change. The downside is that extreme emotional distress causes them to change also. Many have agreed that this is a small price to pay for the ability to control yourself during full moons. Many of the more humanoid werewolves even join patrol and use their curse as a sort of power. Our seven holding cells for werewolves tend to stay empty because of this. Nearly a hundred have been helped so far. Some are reluctant, realizing that the remedy is not a cure but an alleviation of symptoms, but all go through with it in the end. Everyone welcomes the ability to control the beast inside.
The retrieval team arrived quickly and I got back my knife, wiping it off and sheathing it again..
We met in the Library/weapons/ingredients room of HQ, a huge warehouse of books, maps, potion ingredients(locked in glass cases), and weapons(in a security cage). The weapons in the cage--although we had keys to it--were for students or patrollers. Our weapons were in safes, in our apartments. The entire place was an old-world meets utility look, with beautiful interior walls next to cold gray steel.
The team was already there, gathered in one of the reading niches. Aimee sat on her legs in an overstuffed chair, Bryan sat on the arm of the couch, Marco and Andrew sat on the other couch, and Erik was leaning against a pillar nearby.
I came in, took off my jacket, and plopped down in the last chair.
�What took you so long?� Erik asked, more worried than angry.
�Ran into a werewolf while I was strolling and I had to call retrieval squad.� I explained.
�Where were you?�
�On the forest path--no biggie. You know that we�re immune.�
Erik looked like he would say more, but then the boss came in.
Michael looked like he was in his thirties, but in all truth, he was over a thousand years old, older than the only other known true immortal, an Italian guy with no name.
He jokes that he plans to die someday, and that is why he asked God for help in fighting the evils of this world. We, or at least this company, was the answer. Katty, his secretary, trailed along behind him. She liked Erik once, but that didn�t last long�.Erik and I are two of a kind. We�ve never dated, but we get along really well. Same with Aimee. She�s awesome in the sense that she�s like Rachel off of Animorphs. The girl can shop like a commando. No bargains are same from her fingertips. She�s never gaudy, but always stylish. At the same time, she�s the third-in-command of the team, and an important asset to it.
Michael briefed us on our current case, one concerning some local politicians.