Perk Mage.

We eventually arrived in London, after what felt like an eternity in the air. A few hours, they said, but it sure didn’t feel like it. It felt like time had stretched out, pulling us along with it. We managed to slip off the plane unnoticed, our eyes scanning the area for somewhere discrete to teleport without attracting attention.

"This spot isn't going to work," Malachi muttered, looking around. "It’s too open for anything magical."

"Should we head to the front of the airport?" Nikki suggested. "Maybe we could teleport through the crowd. Could work if we time it right."

“That sounds risky,” September replied, her eyes narrowing. “Let’s keep it low-key. How about we just grab a taxi and get where we need to go the old-fashioned way?”

"High risk, high reward," Tisiah said, grinning. “But yeah, let’s keep it simple. We’re not here to draw any attention.”

We quickly moved through the terminal, our footsteps echoing in the hollow space. The low buzz of conversation and the faint hum of air conditioning were the only sounds accompanying us as we maneuvered through the crowd. The airport, bustling with travelers dragging their luggage and rushing to catch flights, felt too exposed for any risky moves.

Outside, the streets stretched ahead, with crowds of people walking in pairs or solo, all seemingly unaware of the quiet urgency in our movements. Our eyes scanned the sidewalks, hoping to spot a taxi or any vehicle that could get us away from the terminal.

But there was nothing. Not a single taxi in sight.

“This is weird,” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. “Where’s all the traffic? There’s usually a line of taxis.”

"Maybe it’s just the time of day or something," Malachi shrugged. "Or maybe we're just unlucky."

"We can transport instantly," I said, watching the empty street with suspicion. "This area’s pretty dead. No one around, so why not?"

"Alright, hold up," September said, her voice calm but determined. She pulled out her wand and closed her eyes. A wave of silence fell over the group as she focused.

In what seemed like no time at all, the world around us shifted. The harsh concrete streets faded into nothingness, replaced by a sprawling field of grass that stretched endlessly in front of us. It was almost too ordinary—just a wide open space, nothing but grass beneath our feet and the sky overhead.

“This is the location?” Malachi asked, clearly confused, scratching his head. “What is this? Where’s the base?”

September looked around, her eyes scanning the horizon. "Yep, this is the BMO base. It’s not much to look at. The entrance is underground. We’ll have to figure out how to access it."

As she spoke, I spotted something strange, partially hidden beneath the thick grass—a wire running across the ground, snaking its way toward the distance. It was too noticeable to ignore.

“Hey, there’s a wire over there,” I pointed, stepping closer to get a better look. "Maybe we can follow it. It might lead us to an entrance."

Malachi raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Interesting," he murmured, eyeing the wire.

Without wasting time, September and I followed the wire. It twisted and turned as we moved through the field, until finally, we found a hatch—an entrance camouflaged by the overgrowth. It was small, almost hidden from view, but it was definitely a way in.

Without waiting for further discussion, I reached for the hatch and pulled it open. "Hey, come on!" I called over my shoulder to the others, who were slowly catching up. "Let’s get in before we’re spotted."

The hatch led us down a narrow, dark staircase. We descended quickly, the air growing colder as we moved deeper into what was clearly a high-tech underground facility. The walls around us hummed with the soft whirring of machinery, and the faint smell of metal and circuitry filled the air.

As we reached the bottom, the space opened up into a large chamber, cluttered with wires that jutted out of the walls like spider webs. The room was a maze of technology—screens, blinking lights, and thick cables snaking across the floor. The sound of whirring fans and the soft beeping of monitors echoed throughout the room.

"Wow, they’ve really got this place locked down," Nikki commented, looking around at the complex setup. "What do they need all this for? This isn’t just a base, it’s a full-on operation."

"Maybe it’s a secret stronghold," Tisiah said with a shrug, his voice full of skepticism.

"It must be," I agreed, my eyes darting around the room, trying to piece everything together. "Why else would they put the entrance so far from the main area? They’re hiding something big down here."

Just as I spoke, we stumbled upon two guards standing in the middle of the room. They were breathing heavily, as if they’d been running. Their presence was unsettling, and it set off a small spark of anxiety in my chest. I instinctively braced myself for confrontation.

“Stop!” one of the guards shouted, his voice harsh and commanding.

I froze, the words not coming immediately. "Uh, sorry," I muttered, trying to hide the nervousness creeping up in me. "We’re TSA representatives from the U.S. We’ve been invited here."

The guard raised an eyebrow but motioned for us to follow. "Please, come with me."

We followed him, our footsteps echoing in the cold, metallic hallway. Soon, we found ourselves in a small, dimly lit room filled with computer screens. A large desk sat in the center of the room, and a few chairs were scattered around it. The most surprising part, though, was the massive server array in the corner, the blinking lights giving the room an almost eerie atmosphere.

"What is this place?" Malachi asked, his voice low.

“This is the war room,” the guard replied, sounding almost proud. “You have access to the system here.” He handed each of us a pair of gloves and a headset. "You can sign in and get started."

“Oh, thanks,” I said, taking the equipment. I sat down at the terminal, sliding the headset over my head and putting on the gloves. I looked at the screen, but it was surprisingly easy to navigate. The password was right under the keyboard, just as if someone wanted to make sure we could access everything without any trouble.

"Let’s see what’s going on here," I muttered, typing in the password and logging in.

"Okay, what do we have?" Malachi asked, peering over my shoulder.

I glanced at the screen. "Looks like the last login was yesterday at 4:00 PM," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Someone’s been busy."

“Click on that one,” September said, pointing to a file labeled "Meeting."

I did as she asked, and soon a video appeared on the screen. A man in a white coat, his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, stared back at us. He looked calm, almost detached, as he addressed the room.

“Good afternoon,” the man said, his voice crisp and clear. "We’re still waiting for one more individual."

The door opened, and a man stepped inside, his presence so overwhelming it sent a chill through me. It was Demeitrus Rocke.

“Hello, everyone,” he said, his voice smooth but cold. "It’s been a while since we last saw each other, hasn’t it?" His eyes flicked toward the camera, locking directly onto us. "Now, I trust this meeting is being documented. I know you recall our previous interactions, but let’s make it official. I’m Demeitrus Rocke, or Mr. Rocke, as you all know me. Now, we all know the plan: We need to apprehend Dr. Jones and find the weapon."

“Weapon?” we murmured, exchanging confused looks.

“What’s the weapon?” one of the men asked.

Rocke smirked. "The Armonk. A cloning device. We don’t know its location yet, but we’re getting closer. Dr. Jones was one of the scientists involved in its creation. We need him to find it."

A chill ran down my spine as he locked eyes with the camera again, as if speaking directly to us. "I’m sure you YMPA kids are listening. Don’t worry, we expected you. My guards are already prepared for your arrival."

I felt my stomach drop. The words felt like a direct threat, and just then, I noticed two guards, standing still, their eyes trained on us, their guns pointed in our direction.

"This is unbelievable," I muttered under my breath.

Before I could react, the guards shouted, "Hands in the air!"

I froze, my heart pounding as I slowly raised my hands. Another guard commanded, "Don’t move!"

In a panic, I tried to stand tall, my hands still in the air. "You think we’d just surrender?" I said, my voice louder than I intended.

One of the guards, unmoved by my defiance, fired a shot straight into my leg. Pain exploded through my body, and I couldn’t hold back the scream that followed. The world spun around me, and I collapsed to the floor, struggling to keep my composure.

But before anything else could happen, a loud bang echoed through the air. I turned to find the source of the noise, but the world was moving too fast. The guard who had shot me collapsed to the ground. A disturbance erupted around us, chaos following in every direction.

"Quick, let’s get out of here!" Malachi shouted.

I tried to get up, but the pain in my leg was unbearable. My body refused to cooperate, the world spinning around me. Without hesitation, Malachi reached out, pulling me up with ease. His hand was warm, firm, and it was the only thing keeping me grounded in that moment.

"We need to leave," he urged, his voice steady.

We sprinted through the halls, the sound of heavy footsteps echoing behind us as we made our way to the elevator. The doors closed just as more guards rounded the corner.

The elevator’s descent felt like an eternity. Once it hit the bottom, September’s radio crackled to life, and Mr. Drails’ voice filled the air.

“What on earth are you all doing?” he demanded. "I already pulled you from this mission!”

September didn’t respond, her face a mask of frustration. She pressed the button to close the elevator doors, the sound of Mr. Drails’ voice still echoing in our ears.

“How did he find us?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“Doesn’t matter,” Malachi replied, his tone grim. “We need to get out before he drags us back to school.”