723 Extra cover

"They should get here in 30. It's time for us to go," Eirik turned to Freya, "Are you ready?"

"Not really, but it's not like I have a choice," Freya sighed.

"Don't be like that. You guys have the easy work," Becca said through her communicator. This wasn't the short-range version that Hera and the others used; instead, it was a more robust one that could reach the opposite end of the city, even with people on the outskirts.

"I know. I know. I'll stop complaining," Freya turned to Eirik, "Are you sure this will work?"

"Positive. I've tested this particular trick on people at much higher levels and had specific resistances to it, and it worked. All we need is for them to be in the same place."

"OK, OK. And how long do you take to get here, B?"

"If I need to run, and I mean really run. 5 minutes, but to make the golems follow me, I have to pace myself, so it will take 20 minutes."

"And our thing will last how long?"

"Between one to six hours. Depending on how well-equipped they are to handle it. We will have to take them to a safe location, too; don't forget about that."

Freya took a few deep breaths, "Ok, ok. I got this. I hate this, but I got this," she removed her cloak, revealing a red bikini top that would go around her neck. On her waist was the top of a black diving suit tied just tight enough to accentuate her butt and give a clear view to anyone who glanced at her. Her legs were covered by the rest of the diving suit, and her feet were inside a pair of black sandals that mirrored the straps of stilettos without the actual pointy heel.

"Go get them, girl," Eirik tried to be supportive, but it felt weird to say it like this. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Make sure to keep the channel open. That I can hear when you give the signal."

"I know, I know. And B, I don't want you talking while I'm doing… that," Freya said.

"Awww, but that's the fun part," Becca chuckled, but they could hear some wind coming together with her voice. It seemed like she was already on the move. Despite taking 20 minutes to get here, she also had to lure as many golems as possible for the plan to work.

"No teasing!" Freya huffed and took a pill before she started walking towards the outpost.

This checkpoint had eight guards at all times. It was the most well-guarded in this room. The reason for it was the room beyond it. Called Wide Blue, the place was a massive ocean about the size of Spain. However, this increased security wasn't due to the fear of people escaping there. Instead, it was to stop anyone who tried to escape from going to the room and dying.

Despite being mostly water, the room was known for strong currents and was filled with large rocks, reefs, and the occasional monster that would destroy any small boat that tried to sail its ocean. Flying wasn't a good idea either. Aside from the lack of clouds to hide, the monsters in the room seemed particularly aggressive towards birds. If one were to try to pass through the sky, they would have to fight off constant attacks coming from the depths. There was also the option of jumping between the rocks to reach one of the few islands where the doorways were located, but that required a particular set of skills, and a single mistake would mean death. Ultimately, the best option to travel the room was using a large ship. One that was too heavy to be carried by the currents but still small enough to maneuver around all the rocks that could pierce its hull. Not to mention that the ship's captain would have to be exceptionally skilled to avoid all those dangers.

And that was precisely what Eirik had prepared for their escape. Someone who not only had a 'pocket ship,' an item that could become a large vessel to carry all the prisoners but also someone who could safely guide that ship to their destination. But this created the problem that Freya was in charge of solving. Since the checkpoint had eight guards, she had to gather them all in the same place for Eirik's plan to work. If they were spread out, this would become a fight, and they were not confident they would be able to win with just the two of them.

Freya walked towards the checkpoint entrance, moving her hips just enough to attract attention but not to seem like she was doing it on purpose. She had her best 'Cover Girl' smile with glittery makeup around her eyes and a light pink lipstick. The idea was to look like someone ready for a photo shoot on the beach. She approached the group of four guards who were outside. Zestra confirmed that only men were in this shift, but knowing if they would be interested in a woman was another thing entirely. Still, Freya moved with confidence until she reached the group.

"Hi, boys. Is this the doorway to the Wide Blue?" she batted her eyelashes and flashed them an innocent smile.

"It is, little miss. But I don't think it's a good idea for you to go there. By the looks of it, you want to swim, and that is not a good place for that," one of the guards smiled, "I could recommend a different place here in the city if you would like."

"Oh, thank you. But I'm not going there to swim. My agency is in a bit of trouble, and they asked me to go there and pose for a few pictures. I'm even the one who has to take these photos," Freya sighed, crossing her arms and trying to make her breasts look bigger. But there wasn't much to work with, "Would that be ok?"

Another of the guards stepped forward, "I don't think that's a good idea. The beach is very small, and you'll have to be close to the water to take the pictures. You are risking being caught by the waves."

"That's not good… Maybe one of you can be there to help me?" Freya smiled, placing both hands behind her back to show more of her body.

"Sure, I'll do it," the first guard replied, but one of the others smacked him in the back of the head.

"We can't leave our post, miss. I'm sorry."

"No, no. Don't be. You are all doing a very good thing here. Saving people's lives is no joke," she eyed them all as she placed one hand on her chin and bit her finger slightly, "Not to mention you look great in that uniform."

The guards smiled, looking back at Freya, who continued flirting with them for a few moments.

"Don't waste too much time. The pill only lasts for a few minutes." Eirik warned through the communicators.

Without signaling that she heard something from someone else, Freya went in for the next part of the plan, "Well… If I can't go there, my agency gave another suggestion, but I might need some help."

"If we can do something to help, I don't see why we wouldn't. Right, fellas?" the first guard turned around, getting nods of approval from everyone, even the more strict guard.

"Can we go inside and take some pictures in front of the doorway? I would ask one of you to take them so I can pose properly. Then, I cross to the Wide Blue, take a few pictures of the area, and come back without even getting close to the water. The art department can use those pictures to make some magic."

The first guard turned around, "We wouldn't be leaving our post."

"You're not wrong," the strict guard nodded and gestured for them to go inside.

It took another three minutes of flirting and talking with all the guards to gather them in front of the doorway. Freya posed for a few pictures just to make them lower their guard when she said, "OK. Now, they also asked me for a pose with Egypt in mind, and I have no idea what they mean. Any suggestions?"

Hearing their code word, Eirik moved towards the checkpoint. He took a pill himself and pulled a pair of smoke bombs from his bag. Walking inside, he moved as close as he could to where all the guards were and gently rolled the bombs towards them. Freya continued posing for a few more moments until the guards leaned to the walls and fell asleep where they stood.

As soon as the last guard closed his eyes, the model groaned loudly, "I hate this."

"You did great. Now help me get them out," Eirik stepped forward, stopping the bombs and using a different one to clear the air before reaching to carry one of the guards. They had a small campsite nearby where they would drop the people they just knocked unconscious. All this effort was to make sure they would be safe. Part of the plan was to keep everyone alive, including the people they had to hurt. Any deaths could be used to stoke even more the fires of anger or justify keeping people locked up.

Eirik was able to carry two people at once, while Freya only managed a single person. Artemis also helped, allowing them to take five people on a single trip. As they were heading out with the second group, a loud alarm started to ring in the distance.

Freya looked at her watch and frowned, "This is a bit later than expected."

"Yeah, but that's good for us. We should get some extra time. Can you take the rest of the guards? I should be here to reply to anyone who tries to contact the checkpoint," Eirik had already removed all the communicators from the men they knocked unconscious, but someone could try to use the line inside the building itself.

As the two finished things up, Becca was running around the city, covered by an illusion to disguise her appearance. There were many clockwork golems and even guards trying to catch her. But that wasn't something easy to do. The reporter was a fighter, and her [Fury] had changed to something called [Chase]. Instead of an overall buff to her attributes, this allowed her to focus on her mobility and speed. And to recover it, all she had to do was either chase something or be chased by something, which was perfect for the current situation. She was nowhere near her top speed, but it was more than enough to stay ahead of all her pursuers. If the clockwork horses joined, that could change, but lucky for her, they were not a part of the defensive force of the city.

She heard the alarm ringing simultaneously as everyone else in the room and turned a corner, now heading directly to the doorway to the Wide Blue. It would take some time to bring the golems to the checkpoint. Considering how long ago Lysandra sent her signal, Becca would arrive together with the escapees. Her actual escape from the city happened without any problems. The golems tried to attack her but failed to land a blow, and the guards focused on running. Between a hoodlum who was annoying the golems and a prison break, the priority was obvious. The reporter spent 20 minutes running. She was making sure to be far enough not to have to worry about the golem's attacks but not too far to make them stop chasing her.

The checkpoint came into view a few moments before Becca noticed the prisoners coming from the right. Everything seemed to be going well. Hera was carrying someone while on top of Nimbus, and there was someone else riding along. Probably Lysandra, but by their size, it could also be Sylvi or Zestra. They all had a similar frame. A couple of guards in front of the pack also noticed the prisoners and started attacking them. It seemed like they were not worried about killing anyone since the spells were quite destructive. Thankfully, they were completely missing their target, thanks to someone diverting the attacks. Looking back, Becca expected the golems to turn around and face the guard, but nothing happened. This was a possibility she was aware of. They wouldn't change targets because of the amount of spells she launched on the city. Not while she was in this room. Using a boost from her [Chase], the reporter bolted towards the doorway, leaving the Gear Shift Nexus in seconds.

As soon as their target was no longer in the room, the golems turned to all the guards and started attacking, catching them by surprise. A few of the prisoners took advantage of the confusion to create large walls blocking the checkpoint path before they went inside. Some of the stronger fugitives took charge to stop the guards who managed to pass the golems, while the weaker and less apt ones all rushed to the doorway. Freya had already crossed a few moments after Becca since they would need people to quickly guide the prisoners to the boat. Hera was moving with the initial wave of people, with Silah still in her arms, when she transferred to the Wide Blue. She arrived on a small island surrounded by water and jagged rocks. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue, and there wasn't a single cloud in sight. Right in front of the doorway was a boat. One that looked either like a ferry or one of those party boats. The entire thing was black with details in gold that gave it a sophisticated look despite the somewhat dingy appearance with some scratches and bumps along the hull.

Hera quickly moved to the boat, calling Nimbus and Lurize to help anyone get on board. The Empress herself didn't help anyone. Instead, she looked for a place to lay down Silah properly and continued fueling Edge with more mana to help the blacksmith recover.

Back in the Gear Shift Nexus, the battle continued. Hornet, Zestra, Lysandra, and Nethe focused on knocking out as many guards as possible while Sylvi and Eirik helped the people move to the next room. Surprisingly, it took only 10 minutes for the last prisoners to leave the room, and no one was seriously injured. Some cuts and bruises, a dislocated shoulder here and there, but nothing more severe than the condition they were found in. Everyone still seemed to have some energy to continue if needed, except for Sylvi. She spent the entire time buffing everyone with increased stamina and healing them as they ran to ensure no one was left behind. Her mana was almost gone, and her mind was exhausted. Yet she knew her work was just starting. When arriving on the ship, she would have less than a day to heal the prisoners the best way she could before they split off. That wasn't even taking into account whatever was going on with Silah.

She crossed just as the last fugitive left the room, soon followed by Hornet, Zestra, and Lysandra. Nethe was still outside, activating a particular skill that let out a gust of wind, pushing all guards 50 meters back before a hurricane appeared with the checkpoint right in the middle of it. He rushed to the next room, and now there was just one person left. Eirik made sure there was no one else left to cross, grabbed a large bag on his back, and pressed a button on its side. A timer showing 25 seconds appeared, and he placed it on the ground before crossing over to the Wide Blue.

The guards tried to push through the hurricane, but the wind was too strong, and it would mess up most of their skills. Eventually, a couple of them managed to enter the eye of the storm, but before they could get closer, something exploded, and the entire building was encased in a giant block of ice. Even with the best fire spells at their disposal, it would take at least 20 minutes to melt enough of the ice to reach the doorway. By then, the fugitives would be long gone, thanks to the boat the guards knew nothing about.