Apache and Penning were Major Crimes Lead detectives, deployed with Tactical Force under a quiet directive to prevent Solace from crossing out of FLEX Nine and gather evidence sufficient enough to justify escalation.
Marcin and Joel were Major Crimes junior detectives sent into High Aurulean to observe, evaluate, and attempt containment. The case outgrew them, so they compiled all the information they had, flagged the severity, and pushed it up the chain. That escalation is what brought in senior detectives.
"When it's time, I want Fantafette and Bishop with me," Penning said, "Karter you stay up here, unless we need you or another squad."
"Yes sir," Bishop said, immediately.
"Damn, why do you get a break," Fantafette said and smirked.
Bishop nudged Fantafette. "Take this seriously for once." They glared at each other for a moment.
"I'm the best one here, I should be dropping too," Karter mumbled, annoyed. After a few seconds he met eyes with Bishop. "I… I'm sorry that was rude, I just think I should be next up for the promotion, and sitting up here won't help me."
Bishop chuckled, "Trust me I get it, I want to be a Tactical Force Chief too." He paused, rubbing the back of his head. "The best one here tho… really." They both started laughing.
"Any idea what we're doing here?" Fantafette asked, cutting off their laughter.
Bishop side eyed him, "So you didn't read the report again, do you ever do anything?"
Fantafette popped a lolly pop into his mouth and sucked on it for a few seconds. "It's blue razz."
Bishop rolled his eyes and started to walk away. "What goes through your head." as he walked past Karter he said, "I absolutely hate working with him."
Karter looked over at Fantafette. "Why do you bother him on purpose?"
Fantafette met his eyes. "Why is he so easy to bother?"
"That's not really an answer," Karter replied, "Do you actually not know what we're doing here?"
"Not a clue," Fantafette replied, "Why bother reading the report when someone can loosely fill me in. Do you know how many useless words are usually in one of those things?
Karter grinned, "It's nice to know you're one less person I have to worry about when it comes time for promotion."
Fantafette bit into his lolly pop and pulled out another. "When I walk away you're gonna ask yourself—" He started unwrapping the other lolly pop. "—How could someone like me get this far with a mindset like that?" He looked over, smirked for a second, then said with a straight face. "And you're gonna ask yourself how did someone like me get the promotion with a mindset like that." He chuckled, put the lolly pop in his mouth, hands in his pockets and started walking away. "Just like the person that told me I wouldn't be a commander."
Karter thought about his words, as he watched him walk away.
The Pinnacle Crew was walking a narrow woodland path. The sky was dark gray, and the clouds blocked the sunlight without cooling the air. Their shoes thudded against the trail, but the forest was swallowing the sound. The woods were quiet, until the Department of Public Order horn sounded. It was a long, resonant tone that carried across the trees, and started vibrating their bones.
Solace stopped cold, and started looking around. The Department Of Public Order airship had been there for a while, sitting above the cloud layer. Now the airship was slowly making its descent, with red and blue lights flashing along the sides, shining on banners that whipped in the wind. White lights ignited along its underside, pinning the terrain below in stark clarity.
"Let's do this well," Penning said, then he jumped.
Before the crew could react, dark shapes started dropping from the airship. They fell in disciplined clusters, five Tactical-force units, twenty operators a unit. There were small bursts coming from their gear that adjusted their fall, turning a freefall into a controlled drop.
Penning separated from the rest, flying past the tactical force operators mid drop. He stretched one leg to the ground, extending it far below him, and used it to slow his descent, lowering himself lightly. Dust and debris lifted outward as his feet settled into the earth. The tactical-force units landed seconds later, and closed the circle.
Each operator wore a full tactical helmet, matte black, sealed tight around the jaw and neck. The visors were dark, angular, and reinforced, hiding faces completely. Their armor was black, layered, and the joints were protected without sacrificing movement. They carried compact shields folded tightly against their backs.
On the upper left chest, stamped white against the black on each vest, were the words. "TACTICAL FORCE." Centered on the vest, larger and impossible to miss, was the squad designation, bold lettering marking exactly which tactical squad they belonged to.They moved together, overlapping and snapping into place as shields slammed down in sequence, anchoring into the ground with force.
This was tactical force, deployed fully as a containment squad. Tactical force is under the major crimes division. It functions as a centralized force for high risk, and non standard situations. There are multiple specialized squads within tactical force, each built for a specific function. Containment squad, Entry and Assault squad, Sniper squad, Heavy Weapons & Hazard squad, and Fauna Response squad were just a few. None of them operated independently, every action flowed down a command chain.
At the top sat the Senior Detective's, the command authority on scene. They decided what needed to happen and when it was allowed to happen. Below them are the Tactical Force Chiefs, they are there to ensure every detail is executed perfectly. They get sent out when different squads get deployed together. If a Fauna Response squad and a Sniper squad get the green light, a Tactical Force Chief specializing in Fauna Response and Sniper squad protocol will be deployed with them.
Below the Tactical Force Chief's are the Tactical Force Commanders, they decide how the detective's objective will be achieved, and how pressure will be applied without violating command constraints. They get sent out when more than one unit in a tactical squad is deployed. If five tactical units all from the Sniper squad get the green light, a Force Commanders specializing in Sniper squad protocol will be deployed with them. Under the Tactical Force Commander's are squad Leads, they are the head of a specialized tactical squad. All the way at the base are the Operators, carrying out commands precisely as issued. Sometimes Tactical Force Chiefs and Tactical Force Commanders are considered operators by their superiors.
Penning is tall and lean with long limbs. One hand rested in his pocket, the other lifted a cigarette holder between his fingers, letting the grey smoke rise. His Paleo skin contrasts with his black hair, it was slicked back but there were a few strands left loose at the front.
He wears a fitted black button up shirt, open at the collar. Over it sits a Major Crimes vest, black with reinforced seams. A white DOPO patch sat on his left shoulder, and a red Northern stripe sat on the right shoulder, next to the mountain insignia.
The vest is protective without being bulky, and the shirt beneath the vest tucks cleanly into high waisted white trousers. A slim belt secures the look, and over everything, a long draped coat hangs heavy from his shoulders. The exterior fades from light to dark near the hem. Inside, the lining is a dark red, revealed only in motion.
"I'm sick and tired of people just dropping in on us." Solace snapped.
"Seriously, how many times has it been now?" Thiago asked.
"Okay, um, what's the plan? I'm pretty sure they're trying to surround us," Arlenna said, panicked.
Solace rolled her eyes, "I'll take the kids and move, let's make sure we don't scar them for life."
"Are you sure?" Arlenna asked, "Aren't you hurt? I can take them both and still move relatively fast."
Solace looked at Thiago and put her hand out, he tossed the earmuffs and she caught them, "I'll be fine. I trust that I can carry them and move better than I can fight whoever jumped out of the airship anyways. She didn't wait for agreement, her hips started to ache but she ignored it, she adjusted the earmuffs and walked. She grabbed both kids, one under each arm, and launched in the air.
Thiago watched Solace launch, then he turned his head towards Arlenna, "Don't scar them for life?"
"Pull your punches bum." Arlenna slapped her forehead, "They're young, they don't need to see someone get violated." Arlenna smirked, "You know… one of these days your gonna turn your brain on and the pinnacle crew will be unstoppable"
Solaces crocs hit bark, then air, then bark again, bouncing from tree to tree in rapid succession. Leaves exploded behind her, and branches cracked every step. She aimed high, angling over part of the containment squad but Penning moved with her. His legs stretched fast, lifting him higher as he spread outward until his body filled twice the space it had a heartbeat ago. His arm snapped outward following her, exploding past human limits. It stretched up and out, flattening itself into a broad, flat slab aimed to slam down onto the tree solace was going to land on.
Solace jumped with her left foot, toward the trunk of the tree she was on and turned heavy density. She kicked off of the tree trunk with her right foot, and launched herself laterally to the opposite side to avoid going forward. In midair she watched as his hand crashed into the tree ahead, and watched as the tree crumbled into little pieces.
Solace turned her body trying to get focused again but slammed into a tree branch, it broke instantly, she lost her balance and immediately started falling backward. She threw Wine and Dine out of her arms and up into the sky. The kids were screaming and grabbing at air.
Solace adjusted herself so she could fall feet first and not backward. As she fell she grabbed a lower branch with both hands, turned heavy density, and launched herself toward Wine and Dine.
"Oh hey friends," Solace said, grinning.
Dine's eyes went wide,"SAVE US." He yelled.
She chuckled, grabbed both kids, wrapped them around her arms and dropped lightly before jumping from tree to tree in another direction. Another limb shot out longer, wrapping around a tree ahead of her. The trunk groaned as Penning yanked himself sideways. His hands came down in succession, slamming down on her left side, then forming a barrier on her right. A widening forearm came swinging overhead, forcing her lower, closer to the ground.
As his limbs stretched his hands reshaped, hardening and widening into massive blunt surfaces and other forms meant for hitting things. When he whipped a limb, It stretched at incredible speed. Branches tore loose as his fingers tangled around canopy trees, then reset as he freed himself without slowing.
Thiago was the first to commit. Him and Arlenna sprinted after Penning and Solace, boots chewing up ground. Thiago lunged in hard with his staff already mid swing. Penning's eyes were still on Solace, the strike caught him on the side, metal crashed into muscle before Penning could harden or widen to block. The impact knocked him off balance, his boots scraping as he slid a half step through torn soil.
Penning was trying to force Solace down, so Arlenna went for the containment wall. She swung and the blade struck the shield wall with a violent crack that snapped the air itself, sparks burst on contact, but the shields answered immediately.
"Don't let her break through," Bishop said.
The anchoring system extended Plates down deep into the ground, the impact traveled through the formation instead of breaking it. Every strike she threw was swallowed, and redirected into the earth. She cursed under her breath and pulled back.
"They're anchoring," Arlenna snapped. She pivoted and ran for Penning, her blades flashed as she drove in, forcing his attention. His limbs began to reshape again, but the timing was wrong, his focus fractured between her and Solace's movement behind him.
Thiago turned the other way, reaching into his pouch as he ran. His weapon expanded in his grip, until it became a mallet of impossible scale. He brought it across in a sweeping arc. The mallet crashed into the tactical force line. A few shields buckled, and the shockwave ripped them out of the ground like weeds. For a second, there was open space. A gap you could drive a carriage through, then it vanished.
Bishop pointed, "CLOSE THE WOUND." Fresh operators surged forward instantly, "STITCH IT UP." shields locked in place as they stepped over the fallen, holding the line while the first wave scrambled back to their feet behind them. Seconds, no more.
No one was watching Solace. She ran straight toward the tactical force, kids locked tight against her sides, crocs pounding as she built speed. Her eyes were measuring the jump when the shot came. A rocket hit the ground in front of her and turned the space into fire. A shockwave erupted, shredding trees and blasting branches into the air as the impact cut off her path with a wall of violence. She skidded to a stop as heat washed over her.
Penning turned toward arlenna instead of stretching after Solace, stance widening as he planted himself in her path. He stepped forward and let his reach explode outward, arms widening to claim the space between them. His fist formed into a brutal spiked ball before the blow landed.
The attack came straight down, Arlenna crossed both blades overhead as the blow came crashing down. The impact drove her boots into the dirt, her arms were shuddering as the force poured through. For a heartbeat, they held, neither giving, then penning pulled back. His arms recoiled fast as he reset, and Arlenna used that as the opening.
Arlenna surged forward, blades already coming down, ready to close the distance and finish the fight before he could reshape again. Apache's bazooka roared, Arlenna reacted on instinct, crossing her blades again but the explosive detonated in front of her face. Fire and pressure slammed outward, the blast knocked her off her feet and she was hurled backward. She hit the ground hard, and skidded across torn earth.
Apache stood on the edge of the Department Of Public Order airship, his boots were planted at the lip of the platform as it hovered above the treeline. The hull beneath him was unmistakable, panels of black and white broken by red striping. The Department Of Public Order colors were laid out like a warning. The ship's engines hummed low and steady behind him, holding position while the forest burned and swayed below.
He was paleo and wore a tailored black three piece suit, custom built for movement. Over it sat a Major Crimes vest, black and reinforced, fitted snug to his torso. A white DOPO patch sat on the left shoulder, and a red Northern stripe sat on the right shoulder, next to the mountain insignia. Over everything rests a long black coat, heavy and draped rather than worn, just like Penning. His trousers are black and straight lined, matching his boots. His head is shaved clean, and his face is scarred. A massive weapon rests on his shoulder the way another man might carry an umbrella.
Every time Solace attempted to create space from Penning, Apache punished the attempt from above, herding her back like an animal between walls of fire. Penning adjusted instantly, letting his body grow broader to occupy more ground. His movements were chaotic on the surface, but deliberate underneath, forcing mistakes, burning stamina, making every second longer while the kids slowed them further. Above, Apache didn't rush shots. He waited for intent, then crushed it. Between Apache in the air, Penning on the ground, and tactical force tightening the perimeter, the Pinnacle Crew was being pinned.
Thiago saw Arlenna get blown off her feet. She hit the ground, slid, rolled, and popped back up anyway. He reached into his pouch and tightened his grip on his staff. Thiago grew the staff straight up and rode the extension with it, climbing fast until the treeline dropped away and the airship filled his vision. He shrunk the staff in an instant, the support disappeared, and his body immediately started to drop.
Thiago rolled his eyes, "Pull my punches… crazy"
As he fell, he grew the weapon again, letting length and weight build above his head. The staff thickened as it expanded, big enough to look like it was dragging the air down with it. As he was driving the staff downward, Apache fired.
The rocket hit the staff mid swing, and detonated, the shockwave ripped the swing apart and hammered the weapon back toward Thiago. The air punched his chest, and fire swallowed the space in front of him. Apache didn't miss a beat. He stood steady on the airship's edge, smoke curling around him, the bazooka settling back into place.
Thiago started spinning, he shrunk the staff instantly, letting it collapse into his grip before the blast wave could turn him further. He shoved it back into a pouch at his side, and a sword flashed into his hand as he twisted with the leftover motion. Still airborne, he grew the sword as he swung, steel surging outward, while weight flooded into it. The air screamed as the edge expanded toward Apache's position. It was a finishing cut, If it had been allowed to finish.
The bazooka bellowed, and the rocket detonated directly into the sword. The force smashed the weapon sideways and stopped the attack before it could finish. Heat and pressure slammed into Thiago's arms, jolting him hard and shoving him back. The second attack died with the first. Smoke rolled between them as Thiago tried to recover his balance. His sword was still in his hand, but his chest was tight.
As he fell he just stared. Above him, Apache hadn't moved, not an inch. Now Thiago knew you didn't trade blows with that man, you survived him, if he let you. Penning didn't give him the chance to recover. An arm stretched upward, the hand spreading wide as it rose, and closed around Thiago's torso. The grip locked tight, then Penning yanked him down hard, hurling him toward the ground.
Thiago reacted on instinct, ripping a shield from his pouch and enlarging it in the same motion, throwing it up just in time to brace behind it. The impact tore through his arms and shoulders as dirt burst outward but the expanded shield took the worst of it.
Penning slammed him down in front of tactical force operators, before he could roll or rise, they were on him.
"Close in fast," Fantafette said.
Shields slammed shut around Thiago. Batons came down immediately, shoulders, ribs, legs, head. These blows were meant to keep him down, and punish any attempt to rise.
Arlenna was already moving toward Thiago, she tried to cut through the formation. The tactical force answered immediately.
Fantafette smirked and pointed, "Watch out for that one."
The line shifted and closed, bodies stepping in unison to cut her off. Every opening she tried to force vanished before she could take it.
"Close her in," Fantafette said.
She swore and twisted back, forced to disengage before they boxed her in too.
In front of her, Thiago was still on the ground. He pushed up on one hand.
Fantafette popped another lolly pop into his mouth. "Keep him down."
A shield crashed into him, forcing him back down. Batons came in from different angles, striking wherever he left an opening. Each hit was placed to interrupt the next move before it could become momentum.
Solace was still moving, she burst through the trees, searching for a break in the pattern. Penning reshaped the ground ahead of her, his limbs were dropping onto her path with brutal precision. Each slam landed where her momentum wanted to go, bending her route, and forcing her lower.
At the same time, Apache adjusted from above. Rockets struck beyond Penning's barriers, not to hit her, but to seal what remained open. fire and force denying any escape Penning hadn't already narrowed. With Thiago pinned and Arlenna held at bay, the trap tightened. The space around her was collapsing exactly the way they'd planned.