Feather of Fate: Eightfold

*Chapter 1: An Outline* 

The air was thick with smoke, and the smell of burning wood lingered the place. The ruins of the mansion still smoldered, casting faint, glowing embers into the dark night. In the distance, the sound of sirens grew louder, cutting through the eerie quiet. Police cars surrounded the site, their flashing red and blue lights creating an almost surreal glow in the smoke-filled air. Officers moved quickly, their voices sharp and urgent as they assessed the damage. 

Everest and J crouched low, hiding in the thick smoke of the chaos around them. Their eyes darted through the haze as a tall shadowy figure approached. He came into view, his short brown hair neatly trimmed and his black-and-white suit looking sharp under a long brown trench coat that swayed with his steps. Behind him, a squad of armed officers followed, their guns aimed directly at Everest and J. 

The man stopped and smirked, clearly enjoying the tension. Then, with an over-the-top spin, he pointed dramatically at the two of them. 

"My name is Agent Calem. Oh!" He spun again, this time even more flamboyant. "This is the FBI, and you two are under arrest for possession of government property. Oh!" 

He snapped his fingers, nodding at his squad. The officers started closing in, their cuffs ready. 

J, however, wasn't about to let that happen. She held up her arm, showing off a sleek bracelet. A small beam of light shot from it, glowing faintly as if warning them to back off. Beside her, Everest raised his gun, aiming steadily at the officers. 

"You really think I'm going to just hand this over?" J said in a sugary-sweet voice, but her tone turned dark, her smile sharp. "Bitch." 

In Everest's ear, a calm, familiar voice came through his comms. "Do you want to shoot them?" Eve's tone was casual, as if she wasn't talking about armed federal agents. 

Everest quickly scanned the area, his sharp eyes catching a faint glint in the distance. On a nearby rooftop, a sniper scope reflected in the light. There, Eve was lying in position, her bubblegum-pink hair unmistakable. She grinned slightly as she adjusted her bright pink sniper rifle. Her black onesie, lined with pink stripes down the arms and legs, hugged her figure as she waited for a signal. 

Everest shook his head and tapped his earpiece, his voice low and tense. "Eve, these guys are feds. We really shouldn't mess with them." 

Eve's amused chuckle came through the comms. "Hmhm. All right." 

Without warning, a gunshot rang out, and Everest yelped as a bullet grazed his foot. He stumbled backward and landed in J's arms, his face twisting in pain and disbelief. "What the fuck, Eve?!" 

He glared in her direction, lifting his middle finger high for her to see. From her rooftop perch, Eve smirked and waved before casually speaking into her earpiece. "You never said I couldn't mess with you. Anyway, I'm grabbing breakfast. Bye, losers!" 

With a dramatic flourish, she dropped her earpiece to the ground and crushed it under her boot, severing their connection entirely. 

Down below, chaos erupted as the agents scrambled to locate the source of the sniper shot. They fanned out, barking orders and scanning the rooftops. Amid the confusion, Calem crept up behind Everest and J, handcuffs at the ready. 

By the time they noticed him, it was too late. The cuffs snapped onto their wrists with a click. But these weren't normal cuffs—they had a glowing blue orb in the center, humming faintly with energy. 

"What the hell are these?" Everest demanded, still awkwardly cradled in J's arms. 

Calem only smirked as he plucked a small, yellow pool ball from J's pocket. 

"Hey! Give that back!" J yelled, dropping Everest unceremoniously to the ground. She lunged for the ball, but Calem easily held her back, towering over her with ease. 

"Relax, little lady," Calem said, his tone mocking. "This doesn't even belong to you. Oh! The FBI had possession of this way before you two did. Oh!" 

J growled in frustration before resorting to drastic measures. She leaned in and bit down on Calem's hand. 

The scene blurred, and the next thing Everest and J knew, they were sitting in a cold, gray interrogation room. The two-way mirror on the wall reflected their annoyed expressions. On the other side of the glass, Calem stood with several agents, cradling his hand, which was now red and swollen. 

"She bit me," Calem muttered, glaring through the glass at J, who grinned smugly in return. 

A brunette woman with a strong jawline, dressed in a flannel shirt and black pants, groaned and rolled her eyes at Calem's overly dramatic antics. 

Stepping forward, she leaned into the microphone that connected to the interrogation room where Everest and J sat. Her tone was calm yet firm. "Good morning, Sparksspar and Brightwind. Apologies for the wait. My name is Florence, the director of the CIA, and I'm here to offer you a new job." 

Before she could continue, Everest interrupted her, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. "Nah, I think we'll stick with our current jobs," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. 

Florence waited patiently for him to finish, her expression unchanging. Then, in a colder, more serious tone, she replied, "Well, it's either take the offer I'm about to give you or serve multiple life sentences. And let's not forget the electric chair, now that we know exactly who you are and who you work for." 

J and Everest exchanged uneasy glances. J muttered under her breath, "Damn, this bitch stands on business." 

Everest sat up straighter, realizing Florence wasn't bluffing. "What are we gonna tell Chanel?" he asked, his tone more cautious now. 

Florence's reply came quickly. "Chanel's afraid of us. As long as you two follow my orders and stay with us, he won't try anything." 

Everest let out a sigh, stretching in his chair as if bored by the entire ordeal. "Okay, fine. What's the deal?" 

Silence hung in the air for a moment before the sound of a door unlocking echoed through the room. Everest and J turned to see Florence stepping into the interrogation room, her presence commanding as she stood before them. 

"The deal is simple," she said, unlocking their cuffs. "You hunt down the people in possession of these pool balls." 

Everest raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning. "Funny. That's exactly what Chanel wants us to do." 

As Florence led them out of the room, she shot him a sharp look. "What Chanel wants is to use the power of the balls for himself. What we want is to stop that from happening." 

J rubbed her wrists, relieved to be free of the cuffs, and glanced at Florence. "So, what do you want to do with the pool balls?" 

Florence stopped abruptly and turned to face them, her gaze cold and calculating. "One of our scientists created them. So, technically, they belong to us." 

She gestured for them to follow and led them into a massive high-tech lab. The walls glowed with advanced holograms, screens, and intricate machinery, all centered around a sleek command console. 

"This is where you'll track the other ball users," Florence said, motioning around the room. 

Everest and J took it all in, their eyes scanning the futuristic space. It was clear this job was about to take them into uncharted territory. 

Florence tapped a control panel, activating the trackers for the pool balls. A digital map lit up, showing dozens of markers scattered across the United States. "These are the current locations of the balls," she explained. "Now, for safety measures, we have to take one more step." 

She snapped her fingers, and the doors swung open. A group of scientists and grunts filed in, pinning Everest and J in place. Without hesitation, they secured flat, metallic watches tightly onto the duo's wrists. 

"The hell are these?" J snapped, struggling to scratch the device off. 

Florence crossed her arms, unfazed. "Those are tracker watches. You can use them to communicate and receive orders. If you follow protocol, your arm stays intact. If you don't? Well…" She paused, her tone nonchalant. "The watch will explode, taking your arm with it and teleporting the ball back to us." 

Everest flexed his wrist, testing the strange device. "Seems a bit harsh, don't you think?" 

Ignoring his comment, Florence tossed J her yellow solid ball. "I'm letting you use high-level military technology. We have to take precautions somehow." 

J caught the ball and shrugged, glancing at Everest, who simply shrugged back. 

Florence turned to the digital map, pointing at one of the markers. "Your first mission is to retrieve the maroon ball, number seven." A detailed image of the ball appeared, showcasing its design and abilities. "This one allows the user to transform into a human-animal hybrid. The possibilities range from something as small as a worm to something as deadly as a dinosaur. Be cautious—this won't be an easy target." 

Everest and J both yawned, visibly unimpressed. "Yeah, yeah, we got it," Everest said, leaning back in his seat. "So, when do we get our weapons back?" 

The scene shifted quickly as the duo was dropped out of a military plane over an undisclosed state. The roar of the wind filled their ears as they plummeted toward the earth. 

Calem and Florence stood near the edge of the plane's open hatch, watching them fall. Everest's panicked screams could be heard faintly through the wind, while J seemed to enjoy the adrenaline rush, her laughter echoing as she free-fell. 

Calem smirked. "You know, you never actually explained how the balls work—or what their powers are." 

Florence glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "My teacher used to say, 'Experience is the best way to learn.' They'll figure it out." 

A small smile tugged at her lips, and Calem raised an eyebrow. "You enjoy this job, don't you? You know, you don't have to be so serious all the time." 

Florence hummed as if she hadn't heard him, turning her focus back to the sky. 

"Asshole," Calem muttered playfully, shaking his head. 

As the duo jumped from the sky, Everest opened his parachute early, the fabric snapping open against the rushing wind. J, though, waited until the very last moment, pulling her cord just before she could hit the roof of a building. Her parachute slowed her descent just enough for her to land gracefully. 

"Well, that was fun," J said casually as she started packing up her parachute. Her movements were quick and practiced, like she had done this a hundred times. 

Everest landed not long after, stumbling a bit as he made his way toward her. "Yeah, good to be back home, I guess," he muttered, limping slightly from the rough landing. 

They found themselves in a narrow alleyway filled with trash and surrounded by walls covered in graffiti. A rusty dumpster sat nearby, and the faint smell of garbage lingered in the air. Above them loomed a massive building with a neon sign that read "Sneak Masters Ink." Cars sped by on the street at the alley's end, their headlights briefly lighting up the area. 

Everest glanced up and noticed a man leaning out of a nearby window. He had bright golden hair that practically glowed and wasn't wearing a shirt, just a pair of cargo pants. The man grinned and waved at them before Everest could say anything. 

"Look at that sign," J said, tugging on Everest's arm. "They spelled 'Inc' wrong. Whoever made that sign is an idiot." She stuffed Everest's parachute into his backpack as she spoke, clearly annoyed. 

When Everest glanced back at the window, the man was gone. All that was left were a few faint sparkles floating in the air before disappearing completely. 

"Things here have definitely gotten weirder," Everest said, shaking his head. 

Their watches suddenly lit up, glowing green. A soft humming noise came from the devices. "Looks like Florence wants to talk to us," Everest said in a mocking tone. He tapped on the screen, and Florence's voice came through. 

"You two will stay here for a few days until you locate the ball user. We've arranged for your lodging and anything else you'll need. If something comes up, contact us right away," she said before abruptly hanging up. 

"What a pain," Everest groaned, rubbing his face as he started walking. His heavy footsteps echoed in the alley. 

"Hey, where are you going?" J called after him, skipping to catch up. 

"To wherever we're supposed to stay," he answered without stopping. 

"Well, don't leave me behind," she whined, grabbing onto his arm. 

Everest rolled his eyes and tried to shake her off. "Seriously, J? You have tech that could kill someone with one touch. What are you even scared of?" 

Ignoring him, J slid down and wrapped herself around his leg like a koala. "Doesn't mean I want to be alone," she shot back, refusing to let go. 

Everest sighed heavily, clearly out of patience. "You're impossible," he muttered, dragging her along as he kept walking. "Why are you so grumpy, anyway?" J mumbled, clinging stubbornly to Everest's leg like a child refusing to let go of a favorite toy. 

Everest sighed heavily, his patience clearly wearing thin, and picked J up by the back of her shirt with one hand, much like a cat carrying its kittens. "Think about it, J," he said, his tone laced with exasperation. "Two organizations are breathing down our necks, demanding we find these stupid pool balls—which, by the way, have insane powers no one saw coming. Not you, not me, not even Eve! And if that wasn't enough, the Mafia's got their eyes on them too. So yeah, almost everyone out there wants the same thing we're after." 

J dangled for a moment, then grabbed his hand and effortlessly twisted free, landing lightly on her feet. She crossed her arms and tilted her head thoughtfully, her gaze drifting skyward. "Okay, yeah, I guess that'd make anyone pretty annoyed," she said, placing a finger on her chin in exaggerated contemplation. 

"Dumbass!" Everest yelled, bringing his knuckles down on the top of her head with a quick thump. 

"Ow!" J yelped, clutching her head as a comical red bump seemed to swell instantly. "You didn't have to hit me, you asshole!" she snapped, glaring at him. 

Ignoring her complaints, Everest pulled out his phone and checked the address they were supposed to head to. "We're almost there," he said flatly, turning on his heel and walking down the street. 

J trailed after him, dragging her feet with a groan. "Do we have to walk? It's already ten in the morning, and we didn't even get any sleep last night!" she whined, throwing her arms in the air dramatically. 

Everest didn't even look back. "You'll live," he said, his voice carrying just enough sarcasm to make J scowl as she hurried to catch up. 

As they left the ally way a long snouted reptilian could be seen lurking in the shadows behind them.

Inside the aircraft, Florence and Calem sat across from each other, the constant hum of the engines filling the air. Calem leaned forward, a look of curiosity mixed with suspicion on his face. 

"So, what exactly did Everest do to deserve a spot in the electric chair?" he asked, his voice low but sharp. 

Florence hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a laptop from her backpack and slid it across the table to him. The screen lit up, showing information about Everest. 

"He's a mercenary," Florence said, her voice calm but serious. "He'll kill anyone for a paycheck. It doesn't matter who he's working for or what company he's with. As long as there's a reward, he's in." 

Calem read through the files for a moment before snapping the laptop shut with a click. His eyes met Florence's, an intense gaze locking onto hers. 

"I saw the files, Valiant," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "There was a time when he wasn't like this." 

Florence's expression hardened, and she pushed the laptop aside, her hand brushing his away. 

"He's always been like this," she replied, her tone cold. "The man shot his pregnant wife. For God's sake, don't try to make excuses for him. He's a killer." 

An uncomfortable silence filled the air, broken only by the sound of the aircraft's blades spinning outside. Florence's words hung heavy between them. 

"Once a killer, always a killer," she added, her voice icy. "People like him—they're just tools. Pawns. They'll kill anyone if it means they'll survive. They don't see people the way we do." 

Calem stood up, his posture straightening as he tried to hold onto his calm. 

"I don't know," he said. "Don't you think we should look into their original boss? He's probably the one who knows the most about what's really going on." 

Florence sighed, her gaze drifting to the window as the blades slowed, signaling their descent. 

"We're about to take a big risk if we go down that road," she said. "Chanel has the Cue Stick. If we make the wrong move, he'll attack. And trust me, we don't want that." 

Calem frowned, clearly confused. "Aren't we the CIA? What's stopping us from taking him down ourselves?" 

Florence gave a humorless laugh, but it didn't reach her eyes. 

"A one-man army with the Cue Stick?" she said. "He could start a world war if he wanted to. We don't want to poke the bear." 

Calem shrugged, still unsure. "But can't our scientists make more? If they made one Cue Stick, they could make another, right?" 

Florence chuckled dryly. "It's not that easy. The scientist had to make three versions of himself just to stay young, and even then, it's a mess. We're having... issues with production." 

Calem laughed, but his amusement quickly turned to confusion. "Wait—what?" 

Florence just shook her head as she stood up, making her way toward the back of the aircraft. 

"Oh, and about Sparkspar," she added, turning back to him with a more serious look. "There's something off about him. The files don't add up, and honestly, I don't think he's cold enough to kill his own family. But... he was the one who pulled the trigger." 

She stepped closer to him, her expression softening for a moment before she suddenly pulled him into a brief hug. Calem stiffened, but she didn't seem to mind. 

"There's something the government isn't telling me," she whispered. "I wouldn't trust everything they say. There's more going on here than they're letting on." 

She pulled back, giving him a quick, tight smile, before glancing toward the aircraft's open door. 

"Alright," she said, her tone lightening. "We've still got a job to do." 

The back of the aircraft opened. 

Florence and Calem stepped off the plane, walking past agents and workers hustling around the runway. The cold air hit Calem's face, and he pulled his jacket tighter around himself. He glanced over at Florence. "What if they don't find the monster like the last group we sent?" he asked, his voice louder than he meant. 

Florence looked at him with a calm expression. "We'll just send in another team," she replied. "But I'm confident these guys will come through. We saw what they did during the mansion incident." Her voice was cool, but there was a subtle hint of reassurance in it. 

They entered the building, the hum of the facility's tech machines filling the space. Florence handed Calem a black briefcase, its surface sleek and professional. "What's this for?" Calem asked, eyeing it curiously. 

"For you," Florence said, not missing a beat. "The government trusts us to keep it secure, but they also said we can use it if we need to." 

Calem opened the briefcase just a crack, peeking inside. His eyes widened when he saw a smooth, white ball glowing faintly. It looked like a pool ball, but the design was unlike any he'd seen before—its surface had tiny, sharp indents, giving it a strange, almost alien feel. 

"Where did you get this?" he asked, still staring at it in awe. 

Florence gave a small, knowing smirk. "A little surprise for you," she said. "Keep it safe, Curie. You never know when you'll need it." 

Before Calem could respond, Florence turned and walked off, leaving him alone with the mysterious briefcase. 

Calem entered a cold room filled with tech equipment and weapons. He closed the door behind him and dropped into a chair, the briefcase resting beside him. He leaned back, staring at the briefcase as if it could tell him its secrets. After a few moments, he sighed and straightened up, reaching for the console in front of him. 

"Alright, Sparkspar," he muttered to himself, tapping in a few commands. "I know you're not a bad guy. Don't let me down." His fingers moved quickly across the keys, and with a quick hit of the send button, he hoped the message would get through. 

A few minutes later, the door opened, and an agent stepped inside. The agent stood at attention, waiting for instructions. 

"You called, sir?" the agent asked. 

Calem didn't look up, instead handing him the briefcase. "Yeah. Take this to the location I've sent you," he said. 

The agent glanced down at the briefcase. "To Indiana, sir?" 

Calem smirked and nodded. "Yeah. Indiana." 

The agent nodded back and left, closing the door behind him. Calem watched him go, then turned back to his desk, distracted by the glowing cue ball still in the briefcase. 

Without thinking, he activated the tracker for the ball, but in his hurry, he accidentally triggered a different setting. The screen in front of him flickered and quickly filled with images of pool balls from all over the world. What caught his attention wasn't just the balls, but the patterns that began to form—a collection of locations marked with strange symbols: dragons, sea beasts, and monsters. As the map continued to fill in, the locations seemed to line up into the shape of a feather. 

Calem stared at the screen, his breath caught in his throat. "Dear God," he whispered, sinking back into his chair as he processed what he was seeing.