I pull their Statuses to see who Auntie V has set me up with.

  Bobby Brookwell (Combat Medic)

  Level: 172

  Power: Regeneration (Tier 2 Epic), Impact Driver (Tier 3 Minor)

  Conditions: None

  Ekatarina Losheva (Mage)

  Level: 161

  Power: Thermal Transfer (Tier 3 Epic)

  Conditions: None

  Bradley Roberts (Duelist)

  Level: 189

  Power: Enhanced Physique (Tier 1 Epic)

  Conditions: None

  This team is no joke!

  Bobby and Bradley are both tall, around my height, whereas Ekatarina must only be just over five feet, petite and pretty. It’s a stark contrast that makes them look like twin towers; Bradley especially looks like he has a physical Power based on his build; he has a wide, friendly face and short, spikey hair that’s dyed white. They give off a noticeable aura of confidence and threat. All EDF or ESF troops can see each other’s Ranks, so there’s nothing visible or overt indicating their combat Ranks or seniority. Just based on experience, they must all be at least C Rank or maybe even B.

  “Thanks again for helping me out at Carter, Bobby,” I acknowledge. “And hi Bradley and Ekatarina.”

  “We were there too,” says Ekatarina, and I vaguely recall hearing her voice when I was injured. “Glad you made it. And call me Kate.”

  “We don’t have a lot of time - let’s get going,” says Bobby.

  “And… Brad’s fine, Calrik.” Brad gives me a toothy smile that makes me think he’s looking forward to whatever is next.

  Above and behind me I hear a noise zooming toward me and my hand instinctively triggers my portable shield generator and I dive to the side. Before I’ve even fully shifted my weight Brad is there to hold me up, his huge hands held back from touching me by my shield. An EDF HoverPad finishes its descent to the road, kicking up some dust and debris, and I grimace at him.

  “Good instincts and reaction time for a normie,” he says with a tinge of respect that seems almost silly considering the massive gulf between our physical Attributes. I shift my weight and he straightens up, then I deactivate my shield.

  We all hop on the HoverPad and the four corner engines rev up to balance out our additional weight and then accelerate us straight up. I look above us and see a small EDF transport with its hatch open. Within seconds despite some crosswinds we slot seamlessly into the sleek black craft and when the hatch doors slide closed below us, the HoverPad lands soundlessly and the engines power down.

  The inside of this part of the EDF ship is smaller than the few I saw when I was younger but looks very similar. The midsection we’re in, taking up about half the ship, is maybe about ten meters in length and width. The cockpit and controls are to the right through a wide hatch. Through the hatch to the left at the back I know from experience will be a combination medical bay, sleeping quarters, and supply storage area. It’s where we are, though, that holds all the magic.

  In the rear half of our section on either side are three EDF PowerSuits surrounded by panels for repair equipment and spare parts. All of them are plugged in and look fully charged based on the icons I can see. It’s clear that one of the Suits on either side belongs to Kate based on their stature and I can only assume the other four belong to Bobby and Bradley. The three nearest to me are light, flexible combat armor and on the other side, ready for deployment, are three suits of heavy power armor that fully encase the wearer. My eye is drawn to them; these look like top of the line models that are known to cost tens of millions of Credits each and be absurdly powerful, which means my three EDF companions are definitely B Ranked. Only the most capable EDF members have access to gear like this.

  “You’ve got good taste, I see,” says Bobby. “Hop in.”

  I look at him in confusion. “What?”

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  “Hop in,” he replies simply with a quick shrug. “Mine might fit you better, it’s the one on the left.”

  “But… these are for EDF troops only,” I state.

  “Rules are made to be broken, Calrik - especially for Vitalis,” says Bobby, and I see no hint of disagreement from Kate or Brad. She must really have the kind of pull she says she does to arrange for this on short notice.

  “Go ahead, Calrik. We’re all looking forward to a Dungeon run and this is the only way for you to tag along. Vitalis wants to see how you can handle a suit and for us to test your combat instincts,” says Brad. “So… strap in.”

  I don’t need any more encouragement and hop across the HoverPad, then pivot and back into the open PowerSuit on the left. I can’t help it, my eyes go wide and I look around as the PowerSuit closes around me and Bobby puts his palm on my chest.

  “User override for Bobby Brookwell. Calrik Corvin granted use for a maximum period of two hours. Maximum range 50 kilometers. Non-lethal ejection measures only. Memory wipe upon ejection.”

  “Acknowledged,” a male voice says from the PowerSuit, then it comes to life including a HUD that shows I’m at full power with all systems active, and material that wraps around me to sense my movements. The feeling is similar to the combat armor I have but classifications higher in Power. They’re actually showing me a lot of trust. I could do some serious damage to the ship and maybe them right now with this on in an unrestricted mode. I bring my arms up in front of my face and the Suit augments my motions precisely.

  “Back on the HoverPad please Calrik,” says Kate, and I notice Brad hop back on from the front of the ship where presumably he’s already taken us the short distance to the Dungeon. All three of them have their light combat armor equipped.

  “Should we use the HoverPad?” asks Brad with a grin.

  “Yes,” Kate and Bobby both respond at the same time. Brad shrugs and the hatch below us snaps open again. I step back on the HoverPad, finding the Suit easy to control, and it descends rapidly, maneuvering to set us down in front of the Dungeon away from other Delvers.

  As we stride toward the lobby of the Dungeon the HoverPad ascends again and disappears into the hovering EDF ship. I notice immediately that people give us a wide berth, which is much different than I’m used to experiencing. As we enter I glance up at the banners that hang from the rafters and wonder which strength and type of Dungeon my new Party might pick. No doubt something fun for them to clear that won’t be certain to kill me, although in this PowerSuit it might take a hell of a lot to do that.

  Vendors don’t bother hawking their wares to us and a few of the people with enhancement Powers look a bit shifty when they spot us, but they don’t move from where they are. I even see Vince and Lara negotiating with a small Party of three Heroes who look new to Delving; their armor is good but mismatched and their expressions are thoughtful. Vince glances up and takes us in for a moment, then takes an unconscious half step behind one of his prospective customers to hide his face. A glance around he steps back to where he was before.

  As I’m trailing the others closely I see Brockil and almost give a wave of recognition, then stop myself immediately. One of the benefits of being in this PowerSuit is nobody will ever know who I am or suspect anything is out of the ordinary, especially as part of an EDF contingent. Probably that’s the whole point and part of the plan.

  Even as a group Bobby, Kate, and Brad couldn’t take on a true Superhero or Supervillain on their own, but it seems they’re more than powerful enough for the Dungeon options here because they go straight to the most difficult ones under the red banners. There are three Dungeon entrances and the middle-aged, serious looking woman manning the desk seems extremely welcoming.

  “I’m glad someone from the EDF could make it,” she says as we approach the desk. “We’ve had a call in for almost a week.”

  “What seems to be the issue?” asks Bobby. It’s not clear whether we’re answering the call or not.

  “The middle Dungeon Portal behind me is showing signs of wavering. It’s been a long time since anyone’s cleared it, plus it had a Mana surge ten days ago. If someone doesn’t clear it out in the next couple of days, we’re going to have to escalate the priority or evacuate the surrounding area. It’s definitely going to overflow.”

  “What are we dealing with?” Bobby asks.

  “Labrynth Dungeon with Minotaurs. Rumor is this Dungeon also creates very strong Alphas but I don’t have any confirmation of that. The EDF hasn’t been to this Dungeon in ages and we don’t have any Delving teams in this area strong enough to take it on. It’s a C Ranked Dungeon, maybe even on the verge of B Ranked.”

  Her concern is clear and her eyes scan all of us, looking for confirmation that we’ll take care of the problem. Bobby looks back at Brad, who gives an almost imperceptible nod, and the woman gives a sigh of relief as Bobby turns back to her.

  “We’ll take it on,” he confirms.

  A C Ranked Dungeon? Even surrounded by the PowerSuit I don’t feel confident about this, but none of the others seem concerned in the least and I remind myself they’re probably all B Ranked and this is no harder for them than it would be for me to take on an F Ranked Dungeon, maybe easier.

  “We’ll be trying out some new EDF technology and techniques,” says Bobby seriously while he looks intently at the woman and slides a silver playing card sized metal box across her desk. “No observation of any kind is permitted for this Dungeon run.”

  The woman nods, fully understanding what he is saying.

  “Do you need your supervisor to approve this?” he asks.

  “No - no, I have the authority,” she says, and picks up the metal box then slots it into something behind her desk. Bobby nods and then motions for us to follow him.

  “Wait!” she says. “I haven’t lodged your DRPs yet.”

  “This one is off the record,” Bobby says, then simply waits for her reply. Silence stretches on for another few seconds before she agrees.

  I follow Bobby and the others through the wide Portal door in the middle under the red banners. This one is blue laced with swirling orange energy, unlike any I’ve ever been through before. As I pass through the Portal stays open for only a second before it dissipates behind us, revealing a thick stone wall four meters across and tall, matching the rest of the square corridor.

  I guess the only way out is through the Labyrinth.

  Brad looks at me with a grin and motions me to the front.

  “Let’s see what you’ve got, Calrik.”