Threshold: Advent Mage ~ Ashiaka & Arcamonde

The year is 2017, but unlike our history, technology developed along another path. Discovered early, a certain type of crystal, known today as Mana, contained within a strange power called magica. In time, people began to harness this power with their will alone. However, only a select few could accomplish such a feat. And so technology developed along a path so that any man or woman could also utilize this phenomenon, which came to be called magic.

In current society, everything is run by magic, from simple flashlights, to massive weapons of war capable of leveling mountains. Magic is ever present, an integral part of society. But the same cannot be said of Mana. Unknown to the public, Mana troves are being depleted, and it is not entirely known how Mana forms. Governments the world over are racing to find a solution, even as tensions rise between them.

Rumors, however, have begun to spring up about a unique individual. Not much is known of them, except that they can harness and manipulate magica by will alone... without Mana. Such information has led to a worldwide manhunt. In a lucky break, a name was discovered. Weyland Venture, student of a University in London. The question now, is whether or not who can reach him first.

Weyland Venture walked briskly down the side alley that ran along the side of the large building. He knew that he was being watched and perhaps even followed. His breath formed ice crystals in the air and he turned up the collar of his jacket, it was made of wool, and fell almost to his heels, quite suitable for the weather that gripped the city during the winter.

He turned down another alley and walked for a bit, without warning he spun around and looked behind him, he was rewarded with a flash of clothing going around a corner. He paused to collect his thoughts.
The thrum of spell gauntlets pulsed through the air. He was unsure why, but he had always been able to sense their presence. This hardly meant that someone was after him however, as the presence of the gauntlets was natural in the city, they were everywhere. With a final intake of breath he spun around to continue his journey, he meant to take the train out to the countryside where his family had an estate, it was the last of his legacy, as his parents had died in a Mana breach accident years ago. He just had the feeling that his apartment was no longer safe. He may have been being paranoid, but he had to get out of the city, until the end of winter at least. He had already taken leave from the University, he was not due to return until spring term.

"Confirm target," The woman speaks into her mic, observing her troops following the young male.

"Visual identification confirmed, target Weyland Venture," leader of the squad replies.

They've been following the male for close to a half an hour now, however, it had almost seems like the man suspects they were there. However, her squad had not been compromised. But action had to be taken soon, there was no telling when another squad would show up with their sites set on the boy.

"Isolate target then engage. Target is to be acquired alive, injury permissible," She barks into the mic, watching her team scramble, cutting off men and women, while the technicians do the same for flow of traffic from the control room around her.

Succeeding in isolating the target, the leader, a tall latino man makes his presence known.

"Weyland Venture," The man calls, holding out his right hand an revealing a spell gauntlet, "stay where you are, any attempt to run will be met with hostile force," he warns.

Weyland looked on in surprise, he had known that he was being followed! He saw the spell gauntlet and felt the force humming around it. He panicked, as always he felt the Pulse, the surge of power flowing into him that accompanied his abilities. Raw force cascaded towards the man, sending visible ripples through the air as it traveled. Without waiting to see the connecting blow he turned around and ran, fear gave him great speed as he ducked down into another alley.

"Shit," the latino man mutters, flexing certain fingers in order, switching the assigned spell to barrier, before opening his palm quickly, fingers tensed and spread out as far as possible. Right before the cascade impacted into him, an invisible barrier stopped it.

"After him!" The man yells, the squad members who had witnessed the action already after the boy.

A slender man was hot on Weyland's heels, and readied his spell gauntlet.

"Relámpago," He calls, an arc of lightning bursting from his fingers at Weyland.

Above, another squad mate, a female, was chasing after them on the rooftops. As the approached a fairly flat roof, she took am and fired her own spell, manually pressing the activation button on her spell gauntlet. From her index finger erupted a large spike of ice directed the fleeing young man.

Weyland could feel the forces taking shape behind him even before they had taken shape. His heart was pounding in his chest.

"I have to get out of here. " he said, gasping for breath.

He turned his head around and saw the lighting bolt taking shape before him as well as a conjured bolt of ice.

He threw his hands up in the air and let his fear direct the power. "Stop!" He cried out. Magic filled the air as the lightning bolt was turned around back to its master, larger and greater, fueled by his desperate spell.

He staggered at the amount of power that left his body, his head was pounding. He was barely aware of the ice bolt that shattered above his head. He glanced around and ran to a chained door.

He summoned another small surge of power and broke the chain in two. Struggling to even draw breath, he pushed the door open and ran into the abandoned warehouse.

The man who had shot the lighting curses under his breath and rolls out of the way, covering his head as the augmented bolt causes the wall near him to crumble, bringing debris raining down on him. Two of his teammates run past him, as the leader stops to make sure he is okay.

The woman on the roof lets out a sigh of relief, however, as the boy ducks. The random turn had changed the trajectory of the ice, setting it on a course for his head, almost killing him. The consequences of that would have been... catastrophic.

"He's entered an abandoned warehouse on 13th and Maple St, cover the exits! Valezquaz, Aparicio, if you can't catch him, direct him outside!" The leader calls into his com.

The two designated members burst into the warehouse thirty seconds after Weyland did.

Unknown to the original team, another squad hides in a nearby building, hoping to take advantage of an opening, if it appears, to grab the boy for themselves.

Weyland leaned against a shelf deep in the warehouse, catching his breath. The pounding in his head slowly subsided. He had almost passed out from that last exertion.

He heard voices at the entrance he had passed through. Warily, he looked around. The warehouse seemed to be abandoned. There had to be a place he could hide or at least another exit. He moved slowly to avoid making sound. The voices were now silent, he could only guess at their position. He was not confident in his abilities to match their spells in a prolonged encounter. He would need to proceed carefully.

Using hand motions, Valezquaz and Aparicio decide to split up to spot him faster. Highly trained, both move with nary a sound, Valezquas taking high ground, as she was shorter, with Aparicio taking low ground, because he was taller. After a good ten minutes of useless searching, the female commando signals to her partner to begin a different approach. Nodding his head in agreement, he begins to make a ruckus, using force cascade spells to either randomly hit the fellow or to flush him out.

As her partner did so, Valezquaz made sure to keep a sharp eye out for any sudden movements. Either the boy would run from the falling debris, or get spooked and try to run. Either would tip her off enough to give chase.

Weyland felt the man's spells take shape and fly through the air. He jumped in surprise as a shelve was blasted away to his left and flinched when a container struck his arm. He tried to sense the man through his casting, when he had a good idea of his location Weyland took off towards an end of the warehouse where he believed an exit was.

When Valezquaz sees the target take off, she immediately begins to follow him on the rafters. She glances at the general direction he's taking, and notices he's heading towards the exit.

"Target is heading towards north-eastern exit. Be ready to converge," She calmly replies while signally to Aparicio to follow her.

Weyland ran with a desperate speed. He turned around the corner and saw a door, he could not see a visible lock on the door. With a final burst of speed he ran towards the door.