Over at the Blackwatch Oriental Camp's command center, the mood shifted swiftly as a distress call was imminent. Richard, remembering a previous encounter, recalled giving Andrea a radio for emergencies—should she find herself in a tight spot or in need of help, she could use it to reach out to him. Now, as the radio buzzed, anticipation filled the air and all attention in the room was directed towards the incoming message, ready to respond. 

Sara was the first to move, quickly making her way to her workstation and rapidly typing on her keyboard to triangulate Andrea's exact location. Her eyes scanned over the numerous screens in front of her, each displaying different types of data and maps, as she worked diligently to narrow down the signal's origin.

"Got her! She's at the Expressway TPLEX," Sara announced. Richard, Mark, and Graves leaned over to get a closer look. And it was confirmed, her signal was coming directly from that area.

"We need a visual of her location but it's too far away from the Oriental. The fastest thing that could get to that area is a MQ-1 Predator. Should we prepped 

it for launch?" Sara questioned, maintaining her focus on the screens as she awaited instructions.

Richard, quickly assessing the situation, gave a nod of approval. "Yes, get the drone up in the air as soon as possible. We need eyes on Andrea to better understand what we're walking into.

Sara immediately relayed the order to the drone team, and within moments, the MQ-1 Predator was in the air, swiftly making its way toward the Expressway TPLEX. 

"We need to talk to her," Richard said as he grabbed the microphone and talked through it. "Andrea, this is Richard. Do you hear me?" 

"I-I'm busy at the moment—" came a strained voice from Andrea. 

"Are you fighting someone? Is it a mutated zombie? A Goliath or an Alpha Hunter?" Richard asked, he could hear her swords clashing in the background, which made it evident that she was in the middle of a confrontation.

"No, it's people with magic—I don't know I need help, I'm reaching my limit!" Andrea's voice was filled with desperation and urgency.

Richard's eyebrows furrowed. "Andrea, let me make it clear. Are you saying you are engaged with people with magical abilities? Or did I misheard you?"

"Yes, you heard me right. People. With magic. I've never seen anything like it," Andrea quickly responded, her voice strained and punctuated by the sounds of ongoing combat.

Richard took a deep breath, trying to process the information. This was uncharted territory for Blackwatch Oriental Camp. While they were equipped to handle a variety of supernatural and extraordinary threats, magic users were something they hadn't directly encountered before.

"Alright, Andrea. The drone will be there in a minute, and backup is en route. Try to disengage and find a safe spot until we get there," Richard instructed. 

"I can't do that! And why are you sending a drone?" 

"We need to have a visual first before we can respond," Richard answered. "Andrea, it's crucial for us to see exactly what we are dealing with to plan the next steps accordingly. We need you to hold on just a bit longer."

"I don't know if I can," Andrea's voice came through the radio, now ragged and heavy with exhaustion. 

"Look, the fastest we can get to your location is 48 minutes. But as soon as the drone gets there, we will launch a missile to your location, which will arrive in less than a minute. What I need you to do is to stop fighting them and run along the TPLEX. We are blind here, and there are limited things we can do." 

Hearing the urgency in Richard's voice and recognizing the reality of her situation, Andrea quickly weighed her options. She knew she couldn't hold off the assailants for another 48 minutes, and the promise of support from the drone, even if it was just in the form of a missile, gave her a glimmer of hope.

"Okay, I'll do it. But make sure that missile hits the right target," Andrea responded and she began to run, her breath heavy and her movements swift despite her exhaustion. The sound of her pursuers' footsteps echoed behind her, indicating that they were relentless in their chase. 

"What's the matter? Running away?" Violet taunted. "Who were you talking to? Must it be the Blackwatch?" 

"How did you know about them?" Andrea shouted a reply while still running. She didn't expect these attackers to be familiar with Blackwatch.

"We know a lot more than you think," Violet responded cryptically, her tone full of confidence and malice. "And it will be second on our list once we finish you." 

***

Richard miscalculated the estimated time of arrival of the MQ-1 Predator. Instead of 48 minutes, it arrived ten minutes earlier, much to the relief of everyone in the command center.

"Drone is over the target," Sara announced, her voice steady as she manipulated the controls to get a better view of the situation unfolding below.

On the screen, they could see Andrea running at full speed along the TPLEX, her pursuers not far behind. 

"The fact that she was able for a full 38 mins, their breed does make wonders huh?" Richard commented and continued. "As for her pursuers, aren't they female?"

"They are," Sara confirmed as she adjusted the drone's camera, zooming in on the group chasing Andrea. "And—it seemed that the taller girl had something floating around her, while the smaller girl was shooting energy out of her hands." 

"Oh, what has happened to our world? Now we have magic users. Where did they come from in the first place?" Richard said.

"Isn't that the wrong time to ask? We should help Andrea." 

"Oh, you're right. Mark, contact Excalibur, I want fire on those two unknowns right now," Richard ordered. 

"Copy that sir," Mark acknowledged the order and quickly got in touch with the Excalibur team.

"Excalibur, this is Blackwatch, call for fire, target are two moving unknowns, giving you the coordinates…" Mark started providing the Excalibur team with the precise coordinates they needed for a missile strike.

While Mark was relaying the coordinates, Sara was working to keep a steady visual on Andrea and her pursuers. She was manipulating the drone's controls, ensuring that they had a clear view of the situation.

"Excalibur, confirm when you have a lock on the target," Richard instructed.

"Blackwatch, this is Excalibur. We have a lock on the target. Ready to fire on your mark," came the reply from the Excalibur team.

Richard took a deep breath, knowing that the next few moments were critical. He kept his eyes on the screen, watching as Andrea ran, her energy seemingly dwindling with every step.

"Andrea, the missile is ready to launch. I need you to get as far away from them as possible. It's a supersonic missile and can reach your destination in three minutes." 

"I understand," Andrea acknowledged. 

"Excalibur, this is Eagle Actual, you are cleared hot to engage," Richard ordered.

"Copy that, Eagle Actual. Missile away," the voice from the Excalibur team responded. 

The missile that they used was a Brahmos missile. It is a supersonic cruise missile that is known for its speed, precision, and power. Developed jointly by Russia and India, it is one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world, capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 3. 

It's a good thing that he bought during peacetime. 

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