The waters of the Pacific Ocean rolled in long, gentle swells beneath the hull of the secret US Navy recovery vessel that was steadily making its way through its splendor. Its endless blue now painted in shades of amber and crimson by the setting sun that was ready to dip over the horizon. Nearly sixty miles east of Hawaii's famous coastline, the ocean seemed impossibly calm after a day that had been anything but. Resulting in an image that would make even the most cynical of men stop and take a look at its glory.
Eight hours.
Eight long hours….
That was how long Aoi Watanabe, older brother of Station Nine's Ayako Watanabe, had been standing on the deck of the ship that was currently carrying him across the water. Despite the long day, his energy hadn't faded much. Mainly due to the fact that the sea air suited him. Almost as much as being away from his desk back home at the Seattle Station.
The caramel-skinned man leaned comfortably against the starboard railing of the boat, arms folded as the evening breeze tugged at his long black hair and freshly cut goatee. Even after the long day he had just experienced, he still wore the same relaxed smile he'd had that morning. And he was glad that this surprise mission of his was soon coming to an end.
"Not gonna lie…" The 'water magic' user said while stretching his shoulders. "This has been a pretty nice trip so far."
Franklin Sutton, Aoi's longtime friend and fellow DPA agent, chuckled beside him while sipping from a paper cup that had long since gone cold. He was a bit taller than Aoi, with dark skin the color of roasted chestnuts, deep brown eyes, a handsome face, and a slim yet athletic physique that showed through his form-fitting swimming shirt.
"Y'know…most vacations typically don't involve spending the whole day wrestling with sea monsters in the middle of nowhere. But if you plan on doing something like this again, remind me to call out sick that day."
"It wasn't that many." Aoi countered with a relaxed smile.
Franklin raised an eyebrow at the comment. "We counted twenty-three of them."
Aoi shrugged. "See? Not that many."
Several feet away, Olivia McKenna crossed her arms in annoyance. Her expression making it abundantly clear that she had stopped enjoying this sudden assignment of theirs long after they first set foot on the boat.
The young woman, who had just turned twenty-one a few days ago, was just as pretty as every other member of her family. Her light brown skin seemed to glow under the evening light. Her hazel brown eyes glinted like fine jewels. Her slender build was hidden beneath the dark blue jumpsuit that she was currently wearing. And her long, braided black ponytail fell all the way down to the small of her back.
Well, actually, her braid was so exceedingly long that it had to be wrapped around her shoulders a couple of times until what was left fell down to the small of her back like some sort of scarf.
"I still can't believe we've spent an entire day fighting some damn fish!" The lone 'lightning magic' user of the group said with the same frown she had been wearing the entire day.
"For the last time, they weren't fish." Bailey McKenna, Olivia's older cousin, corrected without looking up from the tablet she was using to monitor some new bits of telemetry data. "Besides, most of them technically qualified as predatory cryptids. So we had to get rid of them either way."
The older McKenna woman was a bit on the taller side, with fair skin and a few light patches of freckles on her face. She possessed an athletic physique, similar to that of a seasoned athlete. Along with a set of deep green eyes barely hidden behind a set of bangs, and her own long brown ponytail that swayed in the wind with each passing breeze.
"They lived in the water, so they're still fish."
"Does that mean that whales and seals also count as fish in your opinion?"
Olivia waved dismissively. "Might as well be for all I care. Whatever they are, they're slimy, annoying, and smell absolutely fucking terrible!"
Aoi laughed at the young woman's plight. "You've been complaining all day, you know that?"
"Because this mission is boring!" The 'lightning magic' user replied. "I still don't see why the guys in the Honolulu Station couldn't handle this. Stuff like this is beneath me!"
True to her word, Olivia was not enjoying the mission she and her cousin had been sent on. The irascible young woman would've much rather been back home in San Francisco doing her regular duties. That being said, she had her own reasons why she even agreed to this nonsense in the first place.
Franklin grinned and shrugged before suddenly adding in his own two cents. "Come on now, at least you got to spend two full days in Hawaii on the government's dime. That has to count for something, right?"
"Are you forgetting that one of those days was spent entirely on this damn boat!"
"You still got Hawaii, though."
"What I got was seasickness."
"And?" Franklin shrugged again. "A small price to pay for all those pictures you forced us to take of you going to every tourist spot you could find."
Bailey let out a quiet snort before Olivia shot them all a death glare.
"See, this is why I hate working with men. You people can never take things seriously."
"Is that so?" Aoi finally interjected. "And here I thought we were all friends now."
"Oh, please…" Olivia rolled her eyes at the long-haired man. "Just be glad that I've decided to be nice to you two. And the only reason I did that is because we're technically cousins, Surfer Boy."
Before anyone could continue the exchange, one of the navy technicians from the ship's bridge stepped outside and caught the group's attention.
"We've confirmed visual contact! The capsule has completed plasma blackout. Tracking has confirmed final descent. Estimated splashdown in three minutes!"
Every conversation aboard the vessel suddenly stopped as both the crew and the group of sorcerers all directed their gazes upward. The western sky had become a sea of orange fire, and above it, barely visible at first, a brilliant streak of white tore across the heavens at blinding speed.
"There it is..." Bailey said quietly. "About damn time."
The returning capsule was truly a marvel to witness with the naked eye. So much so that everyone couldn't help but watch in silence as it made its approach. Even the way that it blazed through Earth's atmosphere like a falling star, trailing a glowing tail behind it, was enough to catch your attention.
It was still crazy to think that the thing was coming back from a place that legally didn't exist.
For the past six months, the three sorcerers inside the oddly shaped space vehicle had been living aboard the newly constructed International Research Station in low Earth orbit, conducting experiments that would normally be impossible to perform under Earth's gravity. The exact details of the mission had been classified from the beginning, just like all the others that had been conducted since the place had been built a little over five years ago. But such was the case for all things related to magical research in this world.
Unfortunately, the situation was not as pleasant as everyone would've hoped.
The astronauts had been expected to maintain communication throughout re-entry. Instead, shortly after leaving the orbital research station, their communications equipment had completely failed. No voice transmissions, no telemetry beyond automated tracking, no confirmation that anyone inside was even alive. Or at the very least, conscious.
The classified mission wasn't the only concern, however. The waters around Hawaii had experienced an unusual spike in aquatic cryptid activity over the past month. This was the reason why the DPA had dispatched sorcerers rather than a conventional recovery team. To come and handle the situation and clear out the area to make sure that the three individuals inside didn't get killed the moment they returned to Earth.
Fortunately, those cryptids were no longer a problem.
Most of them had fled after encountering Aoi, Franklin, and Bailey earlier that day. And the unlucky ones who hadn't fled fast enough ended up being destroyed by the three 'water magic' users and Olivia.
The blazing point of light continued to descend steadily, trailing a ribbon of flame before gradually slowing down. Then, the inferno surrounding the capsule faded as its parachutes burst open high above the Pacific.
Three enormous canopies bloomed against the evening sky.
The capsule drifted gracefully downward.
Everyone aboard the recovery vessel watched.
SPLASH!
A towering column of seawater erupted skyward.
No one spoke at first. Then, with one final splash, the spacecraft disappeared into the ocean.
"Touchdown confirmed!" One of the sailors announced while looking through his binoculars.
Bailey immediately set her tablet aside. "Alright, that's our cue. Let's move."
The recovery vessel immediately accelerated toward the splashdown point.
Before anyone else could react, Aoi vaulted over the railing after stripping off his shirt, leaving him wearing only his swim trunks. Franklin followed without hesitation. Then Bailey stepped neatly onto the edge of the deck before dropping into the sea after them.
The moment each of them touched the water, waves of mana rippled outward. The ocean quickly answered. Then the water wrapped around their bodies like living armor, reducing resistance until they were all fully submerged beneath the surface.
To an outside observer, it looked as though they had become one with the ocean itself.
After taking in a deep breath and allowing his magic to acclimate his body to the new conditions, Aoi laughed as he surged ahead toward the capsule. Just like every other skilled 'water magic' user on the planet, the young man was able to breathe in the ocean just as well as he could on dry land. That being said, he still preferred breathing in fresh water rather than having to deal with the sour taste of the open ocean.
"Another easy day!"
Franklin rolled his eyes while matching his friend's pace. "You say that every mission."
"Because I'm right!"
Bailey overtook both of them without saying a word. "You two can race later. Let's just hurry and get this done."
When it came to navigating the open seas, few could do so as well as any 'water magic' user. Thanks to their powers, the three sorcerers jetted across the water like a trio of torpedoes. Moving as though doing so was simple child's play for them. Sure, people like the MacNamara family may have commanded the skies thanks to that fancy enchantment of theirs. But when it came to stuff like this, not even that group of spoiled rich kids could cover as much ground as they could.
Eventually, the three came upon their target. The capsule was floating steadily several hundred yards away, rocking gently in the swells. Even from here, they could see the scorched exterior hiss as seawater cooled the outer layer of the heat shield.
Aoi was the first to reach the newly returned vehicle. "Everything looks to be in order."
Franklin circled the capsule once before responding. "No structural damage from what I can tell."
Bailey placed a hand against the hull, closing her eyes. "I can feel their mana signatures inside. They're still alive. Thank the universe."
A collective sigh of relief escaped all three.
Using streams of magically controlled seawater, the three agents quickly stabilized the capsule to prevent it from rolling with the waves any further. Aoi then leapt out of the water and grasped the hatch mechanism before looking back at his two partners to make sure that they were good to go.
"Ready?" The long-haired man asked.
Franklin nodded.
Bailey braced the capsule against the oncoming current.
Aoi then used his strength to release the latch. Then, with a heavy metallic clunk, the hatch released and the door opened.
Cool evening air immediately rushed inside the capsule. For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then a familiar voice spoke from within.
"I've never been happier to smell the ocean air in my life." A deep voice said with no small amount of relief.
Aoi's face lit up upon finally seeing the man. "Uncle Roland! Nice to see you again!"
Roland Owens, father of Davante Owens, looked every bit like someone who had just spent six months in orbit. He was a thin-faced man with dark skin, brown eyes, high cheekbones, and a freshly shaven head. His face carried the unmistakable exhaustion of re-entry, but his warm smile remained exactly the same as it always had.
"I know you..." Roland said, laughing. "You're Mallory's oldest kid. Aoi, right?"
"That's right!" Aoi reached in to help him. "We got sent out here to make sure that you all weren't dead. Communications died, and no one had any idea what was going on."
"So we noticed. We lost contact with mission control right when we left the station."
Franklin peered inside after coming back up to the surface. "Welcome back to Earth!"
Behind Roland sat two equally tired astronauts.
The first was Major General Chika Yamashita, the designated pilot for this operation, who offered a polite bow despite still being strapped into her seat. The woman was of average height, with dark eyes, pale skin, and short brown hair hidden behind her cap. She was a member of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, also known as JAXA, and was one of the most accomplished military pilots in recent memory. She also happened to be from one of the biggest sorcerer clans in Japan.
"It's wonderful to feel the fresh air again." The woman said with a heavy accent.
Beside her, Edo Essende leaned back with a relieved grin while carrying what looked to be three carefully secured data drives, which he immediately checked before saying anything else. The dark-skinned man with a thick afro and grey eyes looked a bit cramped in his seat, thanks to how tall he was. Edo, a famous physicist from the CAF, was this mission's primary researcher. And he was apparently the reason why this whole operation had even been greenlit in the first place.
"I don't care how beautiful space is..." The Nobel Prize-winning scientist said while looking toward the open hatch. "I missed gravity. But thankfully, our research data managed to survive."
Franklin laughed. "That's certainly a sentence you don't hear every day."
Roland carefully climbed out from inside the capsule onto its exterior after unhooking himself from his harness. His legs wobbled slightly due to his still trying to get adjusted to being back on Earth. But you wouldn't be able to tell how exhausted he was due to the expression on his face.
"I forgot how heavy everything down here feels. You'd think I'd be used to this by now after five successful missions."
Bailey steadied him with one hand. "Take your time, sir."
"I appreciate the help, young lady." Roland smiled gratefully. The man then looked around at the vast Pacific before letting out a long breath. "Home sweet home."
Even after decades of magical research and multiple space missions, those words carried unmistakable emotion.
Aoi couldn't help smiling. "Good to have you back!"
"It's good to be back." Roland clapped him on the shoulder as he looked toward the recovery ship. "And after the debriefings, the medical exams, the paperwork, and every government official asking me the same seven questions over and over again..."
He sighed dramatically.
"I'm going straight home to Houston!"
"Well, can't say you haven't earned it." Franklin joked.
"What I've earned is a month of sleeping in my own bed next to my wife."
One by one, Chika and Edo emerged from the capsule with Aoi and Bailey's assistance. Once everyone was safely outside, the trio of 'water magic' users used their powers to guide both the astronauts and the capsule back toward the waiting recovery vessel, where everyone was waiting for them.
As they approached, the crew erupted into applause at the fact that their mission was a success, while recovery lines tightened as the larger vessel slowly reeled the capsule in closer. Olivia stood near the boarding platform with her usual composed posture. But she made sure to offer Roland a small smile when she finally saw his face.
"Welcome back to Earth, Dad. Nice to finally see you."
Roland blinked a few times before the realization finally dawned on him.
"Wait…'Dad'? Hold on...Olivia?!" The dark-skinned man said with no small amount of shock in his voice. "Olivia, is that really you? Goodness, I haven't seen you since you were a baby! How are you?! My God, you look just like your mother now!"
The 'lightning magic' user folded her arms and tried her best to look as elegant and poised as possible. But on the inside, she was happy to finally lay eyes on the man she knew to be her father.
Since the sorcerer gene was passed down almost exclusively through the father, it was a pretty common occurrence for the women of the McKenna family to seek out men whom they believed would help them make strong children in the future once they were finally ready to have kids. More often than not, those men would end up being members of the other Nine Families if they weren't able to find a 'fire magic' user who fit their requirements. And like pretty much every woman in their family, Olivia's mother, Cameron McKenna, decided to hire Roland to help her create a child for herself.
From what Olivia was told, her mother and Roland met each other when the woman was working as an agent at the Houston Station around twenty-five years ago, while Roland was still doing his astronaut training. And the man agreed to donate his sperm to her after she beat him in a game of chess. She also knew that the man had come to visit her a few times before she and her mother moved back to California.
"I'm doing well, as is my mother. She was just named the DPA's Regional Director for California not too long ago." Olivia then said to the man.
"Well, that's good to hear. She's always been a hard worker. So it's nice to see that she's moving on up in the Agency."
"I'll be sure to tell her you said that."
With that brief conversation out of the way, everyone quickly got back to work. One by one, the astronauts climbed aboard the ship. And the medical personnel immediately began their routine examinations while the sailors further secured the floating capsule alongside the ship.
About twenty minutes later, Chika took one deep breath of the salty evening air after finally being let free from the infirmary. "I think Earth smells wonderful, don't you agree? Much better than all of that recycled air we had to deal with."
Edo nodded emphatically. "I'd almost forgotten what humidity felt like."
Roland looked around the deck at the assembled DPA agents. "You all kept the neighborhood safe for us?"
Franklin grinned and nodded. "We evicted a few troublesome tenants a few hours before you all arrived. We didn't want you getting swallowed up by something nasty right when you came back."
"Twenty-three troublesome tenants." Olivia muttered under her breath.
"But hey, who's counting, right?" Aoi asked with a slight chuckle.
"All of us, except for you, apparently."
"...Fair point."
Laughter suddenly spread across the deck. For the first time all day, the tension aboard the recovery vessel seemed to dissolve. The mission was over. The astronauts were alive. And the classified research had made it safely home, ready to be shipped back to the CAF, where it would be processed and released for every other space agency across the planet to review and draw their own conclusions.
Roland stretched carefully before smiling at everyone.
"So..." The man rubbed his hands together. "Anybody know where the nearest burger joint is?"
Edo immediately raised a hand and smiled. "I'm not exactly a fan of American food. But anything is preferable to what we've been eating for the past half year."
"That much we can agree upon, my dear friend." Chika said with a laugh. "But I'm fine with anything as long as it isn't freeze-dried."
Baily nodded and smiled in her usual calm fashion. "I think that's the first unanimous decision we've had all mission."
Aoi grinned at the brunette 'water magic' user. "I'm sure we can find these three brave space explorers something good back on the island. There was that one place we stopped by last night. It had a special on pulled pork sandwiches, if I remember correctly."
Roland's smile widened. "Sounds like a plan to me!"
Laughter rolled across the deck as the recovery ship turned toward Hawaii, with the three explorers, a capsule full of priceless research, and a crew already planning the first meal of their return to Earth. As the recovery ship began the short journey back to civilization, the last light of the setting sun disappeared beneath the Pacific horizon, carrying them home across the quiet evening sea.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Aoi
Name: Aoi Watanabe
Alias: Surfer Boy, The Wild Wave
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Birthday: February 8th
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States of America
Height: 71in
Weight: 179lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Race: Black/Asian
Magic: Water
Occupation: DPA Agent, Professional Surfer
Stat Chart: A(+)
-Physical Strength - 3.5
-Intelligence - 3
-Magic Amount - 5
-Magical Control - 5
-Magic Sensing - 4.5
-Special - 4
Fun Fact:
-Alma Mater: Seattle Central College (AAS)
-Favorite food is pulled pork.
-Favorite hobby is deep-sea diving.
-Once got lost on a camping trip for 72 hours.
-Has a collection of over thirty surfboards.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Franklin
Name: Franklin Melvin Sutton
Alias: N/A
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Birthday: March 11th
Birthplace: Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
Height: 72in
Weight: 163lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Race: Black
Magic: Water
Occupation: DPA Agent, Photographer, Videographer
Stat Chart: B
-Physical Strength - 4
-Intelligence - 3
-Magic Amount - 3
-Magical Control - 4
-Magic Sensing - 3.5
-Special - N/A
Fun Fact:
-Alma Mater: Seattle Central College (AA)
-Ex-boyfriend of Ayako Watanabe
-Awakened his powers at the age of ten.
-Favorite food is marionberry ice cream.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Olivia
Name: Olivia Florence McKenna
Alias: N/A
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Birthday: May 2nd
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, United States of America
Height: 65in
Weight: 137lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Race: Black/White
Magic: Lightning
Occupation: DPA Agent
Stat Chart: A
-Physical Strength - 2
-Intelligence - 3
-Magic Amount - 5
-Magical Control - 4.5
-Magic Sensing - 5
-Special - 3
Fun Fact:
-Hates her cousin, Valerie.
-Favorite food is uramaki.
-Favorite sport is basketball.
-Once beat up a kid in middle school for accidentally spilling soda on her.
-Favorite hobby is reading and collecting romance novels.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Bailey
Name: Bailey Anastasia McKenna
Alias: N/A
Gender: Female
Age: 27
Birthday: July 9th
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Height: 69in
Weight: 150lbs.
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Green
Race: White
Magic: Water
Occupation: DPA Agent, Painter
Stat Chart: B
-Physical Strength - 3.5
-Intelligence - 3.5
-Magic Amount - 4
-Magical Control - 4
-Magic Sensing - 5
-Special - N/A
Fun Fact:
-Alma Mater: University of California, Los Angeles (BA)
-Favorite food is grapes.
-Favorite TV show is Kim Possible.
-Is an avid cosplayer.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Roland
Name: Roland Darnell Owens
Alias: N/A
Gender: Male
Age: 49
Birthday: May 19th
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
Height: 69in
Weight: 147lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Race: Black
Magic: Lightning
Occupation: NASA Astronaut/Mission Specialist, United States National Science Foundation Member, Physicist, University Professor
Stat Chart: A(+)
-Physical Strength - 3
-Intelligence - 5
-Magic Amount - 5
-Magical Control - 5
-Magic Sensing - 4.5
-Special - 5+
Fun Fact:
-Alma Mater: Louisiana Tech University (BS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD)
-Time in Space: 1 year, 7 months, 3 weeks, 2 days, 6 hours, and 33 minutes.
-Favorite food is crab cakes.
-Graduated from university at the age of 16.
-Favorite hobby is mountain biking.
-Father of Davante Owens.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Chika
Name: Chika Yamashita
Alias: The Angel of Hokkaido
Gender: Female
Age: 51
Birthday: June 1st
Birthplace: Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
Height: 67in
Weight: 141lbs.
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Race: Asian
Magic: Wind
Occupation: JASDF Pilot, JAXA Astronaut, Aerospace Engineer
Stat Chart: A(+)
-Physical Strength - 2.5
-Intelligence - 4
-Magic Amount - 3
-Magical Control - 4
-Magic Sensing - 4
-Special - 5
Fun Fact:
-Alma Mater: National Defense Academy of Japan (BS), University of Tokyo (MS).
-Time in Space: 0 years, 11 months, 2 weeks, 4 days, 3 hours, and 19 minutes.
-Member of the Yamashita Clan, one of Japan's Eight Great Sorcerer Clans.
-Aunt of Haku Minamoto, currently the Clock Tower's 10th-ranked sorcerer.
-Favorite food is grilled lamb.
-Favorite manga is Akira.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Edo
Name: Edo Essende Cipenga
Alias: N/A
Gender: Male
Age: 41
Birthday: October 3rd
Birthplace: Bukavu, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Height: 77in
Weight: 205lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Grey
Race: Black
Magic: Light
Occupation: CAFSA Astronaut, Physicist, University Professor, Television Personality, United Nations Union of Science Member
Stat Chart: B
-Physical Strength - 3
-Intelligence - 5+
-Magic Amount - 3
-Magical Control - 4
-Magic Sensing - 5
-Special - N/A
Fun Fact:
-Alma Mater: University of Kinshasa (BS), University of Cambridge (MS), University of Cambridge (PhD)
-Time in Space: 0 years, 6 months, 0 weeks, 1 day, 8 hours, and 10 minutes.
-Nobel Laureate (Physics, 2019).
-Favorite food is liboke.
-Favorite sport is soccer.
-Has fourteen pet dogs.