Painted in Red Pt. 1

The sun fell past the horizon, casting a blinding red light upon the city. Dusk is approaching, marking the end of a quiet day. Residents from every nook and cranny arose from their den to start the night, be it drinking, partying, or planning a sabotage mission at one of the High Order's underground weapons facilities.

A truck with heavily tinted windows hovered down the road at ground level. Here, the natural life of the city could be seen. Pedestrians commuted on foot, some with phones to their ears while others were snacking on whatever they bought.

"Seems peaceful, huh?" Loki chuckled in the backseat. "It's a lot different than it was seven years ago. I remember when these streets were riddled with defective activity. Didn't seem like there was a single corner in the city that was safe."

"And who, pray tell, do we have to blame for that?" Simon Barley satirically asked from the shotgun seat.

"Beats me."

"Honestly... You Calypsos should've stayed in hiding. Now that the High Order knows you're back, they will stop at nothing until you are all apprehended and executed."

"You really think they can do anything to us?"

"It would be unwise and ignorant of you to assume that they can't."

"Enough," Holiday demanded as she turned the steering wheel. "We are not here for idle chat. If you have the free time to reminisce, then go over the plan on your own. If you have questions, now's the time to ask. All you need to do, Doctor Barley, is ensure that you get us in, undetected."

"Normally, under these circumstances, I'd refuse. I'm not one to do favors without a price, you see. Ah... but it seems like I have no choice this time, do I?"

"We've already established that, sweetie," Loki smirked. "Try anything fishy, and you're dead. Got it?"

"Crystal clear, madam."

Holiday drove the truck into a driveway, where a few other vehicles were lined up. Surrounding a massive tower was a steel wall barbed by an electrical current. In front of them, a large gate stood tall, where a number of armed guards were thoroughly searching the vehicles.

"We're up next," Holiday said. "Helmets on."

Loki handed one of two helmets to Holiday, and they both pushed it on, completely covering their heads.

"Quite the flawless disguise, if I do say so myself, madams," Simon chuckled. "Had I not known any better, I would've thought that I was just coming in for a routine inspection."

"Just do your part, Doctor Barley," Holiday said.

"There's no need to worry. As you have gone through the trouble of taking me hostage, I plan to do just that."

Holiday pulled the truck in as the gates were closed off by a symmetrical pattern of blue lasers. The many guards approached the vehicle, armed with kinetic rifles as they studied the exterior. One of them knocked on the window, a signal for them to roll it down.

"Identifications, please," he said.

"Here you are," Simon replied as he handed him an ID.

The guard let out an audible gasp. "Doctor Simon Barley! I... W-what a surprise. We were not expecting you today, sir."

"It is quite literally my job to appear without notice simply to make sure you lot are doing your jobs correctly. I'd be more surprised if you knew that I was coming. In which case... I would suspect there is foul play at hand, hm?"

"N-no, sir! Not at all!" the guard exclaimed, before he turned to his colleagues. "Oi! You lot! Let the truck pass! It's Doctor Barley."

Just like that, the lasers barring the gate fell, allowing them safe passage into the facility. Simon elegantly reached for the tie around his collar and tightened it.

"How convenient," Loki scoffed. "That was way too easy."

"Well, when you're with an individual with as much authority as myself, infiltrations become a cakewalk," Simon replied.

"Oh? Sounds like you've done this before."

"The High Order has many enemies, madam. You are not the first to ask for my services, and you most likely won't be the last. But, I will say that you are my biggest client to date."

"Whoa~ Quite the side job for a councilman, don't you think?"

"Like I said, they have many enemies."

"We're entering the vehicle depot," Holiday said.

The truck pulled into a massive garage filled with military-grade vehicles. Hundreds of guards were patrolling around while engineers were doing their checkups. As much of a sight as it was to behold, it was also a sign of looming danger.

"And here I was thinking Sector Zero was an underground facility," Holiday muttered. "What the fuck are all weapons doing above ground?"

"You should know the High Order better than that, madam," Simon said with certain malice. "The city of New Olympos is growing restless. Ever since Calypso's insurrection seven years ago, defective activity has been on the rise, now more than ever. These weapons are contingencies. They will most likely never see usage, but the fact is clear; the High Order will not tolerate insubordination, and they will do whatever it takes to maintain their authority."

"Nasty bastards..." Loki growled.

Holiday parked the truck at the small opening, where other transport vehicles were also docked.

"You seem to speak ill of the High Order, Doctor Barley," she said.

"And you were never one to partake in unnecessary conversations, Madam Holiday," he scoffed.

"Consider it a minor curiosity from a former colleague. The things you do make it seem like you support the High Order and their cause, yet what you say directly contradicts that. You were like this in the past as well, albeit to a lesser degree."

He let out a faint chuckle. "In order to ensure a future in the great city of New Olympos, you must be willing to submit. Of course, not all of us are so inclined to accept that."

Holiday remained silent, as he was making a direct reference to Calypso themselves. Seven years ago, they refused to submit, so they were stripped of any possibility of a peaceful future. It was a choice that caused them a great loss, but they will never come to regret it.

"We should move," Holiday said as she reached for her earpiece. "Astrid. We're in."

"Reading ya loud and clear, Boss," Astrid replied. "Comms have been bugged from the outside. Security is way too tight for me to access their cameras. You know what that means, right?"

"There's something worth hiding that their cyber security is this strong."

"Bingo. And I can't imagine it's because of a single iron cell. Keep your eyes sharp, Boss. EMP is ready whenever you need it, just say the word. I should also let you know that it won't last long."

"How long?"

"Hm... Maybe thirty seconds? Hard to tell. This whole place is a freaking battery that charges itself. I can bug the electricals, but it'll take no more than ten seconds for it to come back on. In order to shut that place down for good, we'll need to manually rip out the power source."

"Thirty seconds is all we'll need if things go south," Loki grinned confidently.

"Let's move. You first, Doctor Barley," Holiday said.

"Very well."

Simon exited the vehicle while the other two followed behind him. As they walked, all eyes turned to meet them. It was not so much that they suspected anything, more so that Simon was a respectable man of the highest standing.

"Now then, madams," he whispered. "Let us get started, shall we?"