The Underground

"A police warrant? That sounds unfortunate." Iruel kept his voice mild. "What exactly is it that happened to you?"

Azeneth took a moment to write down more things on her clipboard before looking up at the newcomer, who was shifting her weight from side to side nervously. Azeneth's eyes narrowed as she identified the newcomer. She cracked a half smile, and crossed her arms, clipboard still in hand. "I didn't expect you do have a change of heart so quickly, Sassy Glassy..."

"I didn't, and don't call me that," The woman replied. She was short, like almost dwarf short. She was a bit rounder in shape, with freckles that crossed her pale skin and down her shoulders. Her brown hair was in a messy bun, and her puggy face was contorted into a stern scowl. She had a clear staff that seemed to made of either crystal or glass strapped to her back with a blue silk ribbon.

"So you didn't come to join us? That is disappointing. I thought the Reserve members were..."

"Shut up! For once in your life, shut up!" the woman exclaimed, clearly upset. "I've had enough of you, your interference in Reserve affairs, and you refusal to take the consequences of your actions seriously! Ugh! Someone other than her, please tell me, which way to the courthouse?"

Azeneth sighed. "Chill out, Glass Mass..."

"Don't call me that!" the woman said, and turned to the other two, her face nearly pouring with sweat. "I asked, which way to the courthouse?"

"Thank you, Sir," the woman said, regaining a bit of her composure. "I need to stop a trial before the Underground makes a terrible, terrible mistake..."

"You are too late, Glass Master," Azeneth said, getting back to her clipboard. "The trial is over, and besides that: This isn't a Reserve problem."

"She was a Reserve member!"

"She is now an Underground member."

"She was my mother's apprentice!"

"Then you mother ought to have come herself," Azeneth replied, coldly. "Now, why don't you tell us what you actually came for. I am sure the Reserve wouldn't allow you to come interfere with our justice system."

"The Underground had no problem interferin' with ours."

"You let a guilty man walk free."

"Y'all just let a mass murderer go free!" the woman replied, slipping into a bit of a southern accent.

"Murderess. Be respectful," Azeneth corrected. "And we were simply following the Reserve's precedent. You really have no room to complain. If you have a problem with our legal system, you are free to take it up with the council. However, if you have a problem with me, we can solve that right here and now, Crass Glass..."

The newcomer reached for her staff, while Azeneth's hand gravitated to the dagger at her side.

The Reservist was stunned into silence, while Azeneth removed her hand from her dagger and murmured something about acting just like him. "Alright, Whitney, I understand you're pissed we failed where you guys failed..."

"We didn't fail!"

"The truth is, we have bigger problems right now. I can't say much, since most of it is classified and so I haven't been officially briefed on anything, but there are rumors going around that Zane wasn't alone. There are other dens. Yes, Zane is dead. Yes, Takara definitely killed him, although we cannot prove that. However, there have been several incidents where our kind have mysteriously gone missing all around the world," Azeneth explained. "These people are organized, and well hidden. They don't like to leave tracks. Takara is one of those tracks. If we leave her to wander the world, they will find her, and when they find her, we will find them. Now, if you will excuse me, I have  a job to do."

Whitney turned to Cinder. "I-I see... I apologize for my intrusion..."

"We are the Underground, and it is our sworn duty to find, protect, and connect with all beings which cannot exist openly within human society," a young female voice recited. It was a young, dark skinned girl with frizzy brown hair who was peering out of a ground-floor window next to them. She looked to be around thirteen or fourteen, with bright pink make-up that those familiar with the Underground would know was little Aya's handiwork (she loved doing that sort of thing). "It is also our duty to bring order to a world that is untouchable by modern society, by creating, maintaining, and upholding laws to protect the people and values of the Underground. That is what we do."

"Sparrow, you are late," Azeneth responded.

The girl climbed out the window. "I am sorry, I got called away to the council chambers," she apologized, then turned to Iruel. "Professor Iruel! Councilwoman Roxanne wishes to speak with you about taking on an excursion. Actually, she wants Azeneth as well. I'm supposed to handle the new recruits from here."

Azeneth shrugged. She grumbled something about seeing this coming.

Sparrow turned to Cinder and Whitney. "Where are the other two?"

"Other two?" Azeneth asked.

"Yeah, there are supposed to be four new recruits, and they were supposed to be here a half an hour ago..."

"I'm not a recruit," Whitney said quietly in response. "Thus I didn't come through here via Rune. Our teleporter, Zoey, sent me through. So I have no idea what is going on. It could be the other three are just very, very late. Or, they could be very, very dead."

Azeneth nodded, and turned to Whitney. "You should probably report what you've learned to your mother, but you didn't hear it from me," Azeneth advised. Whitney sighed and nodded. She stepped onto the teleporter pad and disappeared.

Sparrow was jumping up and down, having already grabbed Cinder's arm. "Master Vrish has agreed to watch the teleporter pad from the roof, encase the others come late, so it is time for you to come with me! First stop is the lab, then we go to the medical center, and then we go to the office and get your I.D., and then we can go to your room, and then I get to show you the paint closet so you can paint your room whatever design you want, and then we go and meet your mentor and then..."

Azeneth walked away, leaving Sparrow to her excited rant. As she was walking, she spoke to Iruel. "This is bad. They don't summon me unless it is really bad. Last time I specifically was summoned for an excursion, there were seven elder dragons that were trying to awaken from a ten thousand year slumber in Dallas, Texas, and an army of cultist protecting them..." She made eye contact with Iruel. "And I imagine they don't send the literal angel out for just any old mission."