Escort? [Nines solo C-Rank Mission]

Nines was inside the Praetorium when a man asked how he could file for a Magic Council escort. The question was directed towards a young woman who wore the Magic Council uniform, but was so obviously green that Nines practically flinched when he realized who the man was asking. Moving quickly Nines stepped up beside the young woman and smiled at the man.

“Hello sir, my name is Nines, I am a council seeker, may I ask your name?” Nines asked offering the man his right hand. The man accepted his right hand as Nines nodded at the young woman to go about her studies he had this taken care of. She nodded back and practically sprinted off, obviously just as worried about being here and taking a job she couldn't handle yet as he was.

“Hello Nines, my name is Gregory. I run a very successful Lacrima company, we sell and trade Lacrima for Holder style weapons. I have in my possession a contract between us and a few Blacksmiths, some rival companies would be very interested in it, and i'm pretty sure i'm being shadowed by their goons.” The man introduced himself and simultaneously explained the situation he was in to Nines. Pretty good start for a job, means its only downhill from here.

“Alright, i’ll escort you home sir, I believe i'm the best choice for this kind of job anyway” Nines smiled as he told the man this. “I specialize in protective Magic” He finished.

“AH I see, brilliant then, off we go, I don't really live far from here” Gregory stated as he smiled and turned and started off out the door. Nines started jogging to keep up with the extremely tall gentleman with the leg span of a small god. It wasn’t long before they started to get caught up in the crowds in the markets of Era.

It didn't take long for Nines to relocate his hiring party. The man was quite tall, and dressed very fashionably. It took longer for Nines to catch up to him, he was pretty certain if Gregory was being tailed, it was because it was nearly impossible to lose the guy in a crowd. Nines looked around, he was the least subtle man in this crowd, wearing all white and decked out in Magic Council symbols. He walked through the crowd and used his magic getting a few weird looks when he was suddenly wearing a nice business suit. He adjusted his tie and carried on.

It didn't take Nines and the tall man very long to hit the outskirts of the populace area of Era. Thats when Nines started noticing it more and more, the few people who were moving in the shadows. Very much following them, now that he’d seen one of them on multiple occasions. Frustrating is what that was. Gregory went around a corner then stopped abruptly, as one of the men following them was in front of them.

“Okay Gregory, lets be very careful here” Nines said putting his hand on the mans shoulder his armor already back on, drawing his knife from its sheath on his right shoulder. “Wheres your house?”

“A few blocks north of here”
“Start running there, i’ll lead” Nines replied, turning and taking off north followed closely by Gregory. The mages pursued closely, flashes of metal shot across Nines field of vision, and flickered across where Gregory was, however a hard shell was around him, protecting whatever was attacking him from actually making contact.

“Its this one!” Gregory shouted diving at a doorway and pulling out a key. Nines was suddenly donned in his full armor, knife drawn and ready for combat. “Get inside lock the door”.

Gregory wasn't one to be told twice when to hide under something.

Three metal wires speared around where Nines was standing and hit his metal hard. Like it was a whip, they shot back to one of the mages out of the two he could see. The other one swung his arm at Nines and Nines threw his left arm up and defended his face from the metal whip. The whip wrapped around his arm twice and Nines reached forward and grabbed the bundle. The mage pulled his whip, pulling Nines a little closer. Nines wrapped more of the metal whip around his gauntlet, slowly getting closer to the two mages, who started flailing at him with their whips.

Nines armor was getting pounded on, the spell around it Nines could feel was close to breaking, and after that would come the breaking of his armor. He re-threw the spell he threw around Gregory down around himself, allowing his earlier shield sometime to recover. It didn't take long however before they broke throw the smaller barrier and continued their barrage on his stronger one. However he was now in range. Swinging the knife down the blade heated up, and caught the surrounding area on fire, as well as cutting through the wire he had wrapped around his arm. He flicked his arm downwards allowing the coil to fall into his hand and flicked that arm back, letting it uncoil behind him.

The smarter mage was already around the corner, the other one however was caught around the shoulder when Nines flicked his makeshift whip forward. He went down hard and hit the ground, Nines was on him in an instant grabbing the back of his head and smashing him unconscious via concrete. Brutal, but efficient. Nines stood up after cuffing the guy, and picked him up and walked ahead.

Walking out of the alleyway with his unconscious mage friend Nines was ambushed by the other one. The wires whipped around towards Nines and the mans friend then stopped and fell down before they could touch the two. Anti-Magic cuffs, they radiated a small area of anti-magic.
He learned this tactic from his mentor actually rather than coming up with it himself. Guy was a goddamned genius with seals and runes. Nines turned on his heel twisting with his hips and chucking the man at his friend. The unconscious one hit the new guy like a sack of potatoes, and he went down on the sidewalk and started to panic. Wasn't long before Nines had him unconscious as well, and cuffed him.

“Well that was simple” Nines said with a nod.
“Unfortunate as it is, I was hoping they would provide you with some sort of difficulty allowing me to finish you off” Came a familiar voice from behind him.

“Gregory? Please tell me you came to pay me and not stab me in the back right?” Nines asked not even turning around.

“DIE COUNCILMAN” Came the response as wires filled the area around Nines, He reacted the best way he could in an ambush situation surrounded by small metal wires. He slashed his knife straight downwards and activated its magic The area under him caught on fire, burning as if splashed with Napalm. His shield flickered and held, the wires however caught on fire and started to melt together, wearing them down, and slowing them. How that worked Nines had no idea, it just did.

“Damnit” Gregory cursed as he dispelled the wires he was casting around Nines. Nines turned on his heel still on fire.
“You should be running” He said his expression one of outrage, his knife placed back in its sheath. Gregory turned to run and get a start on the council seeker, but Nines was already moving. He kicked the pile of mage, kicking the unconscious one at Gregory, knocking him off balance. He then moved in and punched the man in the gut, hard enough to collapse his diaphragm and make him lose his breath.

Gregory gasped for air, as Nines pulled his fist back again. His fist came around and punched the well dressed tall man in the face, sending him to the ground. With a flick under his coat Nines pulled out a third pair of Anti-Magic cuffs. “Mister Gregory whatever your last name is. You're under arrest, for being a lying dirtbag, who swindles people out of their money, and attacks people from behind. As a council member I am required to say you have some rights, however as a person I feel I should say ‘fuck your rights you tried to stab me in the back’. As such I want you to know, your punishment is being thrown in the dungeons inside the Era facility, along with your friends here.” Nines said picking the man he had kicked and thrown up, grabbing Gregory by the ankle, as he was unconscious as well. He looked at the third guy, who watched this entire spectacle in horror.

“If you come with me, not only will you live, but I’ll treat you better than this guy.” Nines told him looking back at Gregory.
“S-sure” Said the third guy nodding repeatedly and following behind Nines.

After booking the three mages, finding out Gregory was part of an unnamed Dark Guild, and was trying to draw in members, including his two other friends. Nines found out there was an actual Mister Gregory, who did indeed own a company that managed Lacrima trade within Era. As such Nines informed mister Gregory of the group who had stolen his identity. As for how they got away with it, Nines had no idea, the real Gregory was a small squat man built like a dwarf.

Nines wasn’t rewarded for completing the quest, but because of the bounty on dark guild members. Convenient as that was.

”Mission Details”: