[DPA Station Twenty-Four, Detroit, Michigan (May 2023)]
"This is some bullshit!" A woman of average height with sandy-blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a grey blouse and black skirt, shouted as she slammed her hands down onto the desk in front of her. "You know that was my rookie!"
Across from her, a man with dark brown hair and green eyes, wearing a pinstriped navy blue suit, smiled as he calmly raised his hands up to his chin. "Correction…that was a free agent. And guess what, he decided to join up with us."
Kristen Devereux, the Deputy Chief of the Grand Rapids Station, looked as if she was ready to leap over the desk at any moment. "Gee, I wonder why?! Probably because you slid him a damn check under the table when I wasn't looking! You know damn well he was already set to come with us!"
Sheldon Blackwell, the Deputy Chief of the Detroit Station, and the person whose office the two were currently in, leaned back in his chair before responding. "Look here, my dear friend, I don't buy agents. I simply invest in the talent around me. Your boy saw the vision, and he made a smart move."
"Bitch, he made a money move!" Kristen immediately shot back. "The only vision he saw was you waving your god damn wallet in front of his face!"
At present, the two Deputy Chiefs were arguing over Sheldon poaching one of the young talents that Kristen had been scouting over the last few weeks. The talent in question being a recently awakened sorcerer who was currently attending one of the local community colleges and was someone that Kristen genuinely wanted to have join her station. The two had never exactly been on friendly terms despite working together nearly a dozen times over the years. And this most recent offense was merely the latest in a long list of grievances that she had against the man.
"See, this is why people hate you assholes from the Nine Families!" The blonde 'fire magic' user continued. "You're always pulling shit like this and expecting the rest of us to just go along with it!"
The brunette 'skin magic' user stood up from his seat and quickly put on an expression of mock offense. "I don't really appreciate the accusations that you're leveling against me. So what if I just so happened to pick up the guy you were looking at? That's just the nature of the game."
"You know I've been looking around for a 'light magic' user ever since Maya Chandler transferred over to the New Orleans station. And the moment I find a fresh one, you drive your happy ass all the way over to my station's territory and take him before we could finalize the paperwork."
"And you know that our station's been short-handed for months." Sheldon replied. "We've been trying to find guys to fill out our roster ever since that incident at Lake Erie last year, and we need all the help that we can get."
"Cut the bullshit! You have just as many people as we do!"
"And we deal with more cryptid activity than you guys every year! Me and my uncle need the extra bodies, and no one wants to come here despite the numerous transfer requests we keep sending up to headquarters."
In Sheldon's defense, what he was saying was the truth. The DPA stations in the Midwest were among the least popular to work in among active agents. Most sorcerers in the country preferred to work in areas with a warmer climate and less harsh winters. It was the reason why places like Dallas, Miami, Charleston, and Atlanta always had a surplus of agents on their roster. So he had good reason to scoop up any fresh talent that he could get his hands on.
Kristen, despite her anger, could at least agree with him on that point. She knew good and well that trying to get people to transfer over to their station willingly was like pulling teeth. Hell, she herself tried to fight being sent up here before she found out that she was going to be promoted to Deputy Chief a few years ago. This, of course, was the reason why she was so upset at the idea that the fresh young talent she had been scouting decided to switch up on her at the last minute and join the Detroit station.
"I don't give a shit about that!" The foul-mouthed woman then said.
"Well, too bad!" Sheldon waved her off. "Andrew Kaiser's already signed the paperwork, and my uncle's already sent it up to headquarters. Better luck next time, loser!"
In response, three baangs infused with 'fire magic' suddenly appeared above the blonde woman's head. And judging by the look on her face, it was clear that Kristen was genuinely considering whether or not to incinerate everything in the entire room.
Never one to back away from a challenge, Sheldon immediately activated his 'skin magic'. His normally pale complexion quickly shifted into a deep burgundy hue, and a notable shine began to bounce off of his body from the overhead lights thanks to him also activating his total armament at the same time.
"Come on! I dare you!" The man smirked.
"I should burn that cheap-ass suit of yours right off your body…"
"Nice try, but this is Armani."
The two Deputy Chiefs glared at each other for what felt like an eternity before they both came to their senses and deactivated their powers. Both of them knew better than to get into a fight inside the man's office. Something like that would easily land both of them in a cell for at least a week. And that was to say nothing of the fact that each of them would see a sizable chunk of their paychecks gone for the next ninety days.
"You're lucky I don't feel like dealing with the fallout of putting one of you nepo-babies in your place."
"Bold words for someone whose aunt is currently on the board of directors for ASB."
"Fuck you!"
"Sorry, but I'm already married."
Before the two could get into another shouting match, one of the younger agents in the station knocked on the door. A second later, a young man with black hair, brown eyes, and olive skin, wearing a simple black suit, entered the room holding a tablet in his hand. The guy looked like he was barely old enough to drive, let alone be a full-time DPA agent.
"What is it, Jeremy?" Sheldon looked at his nephew after quickly getting himself in order.
"Sorry for bothering you, sir." Jeremy Blackwell said almost apologetically as he showed the man the tablet. "But a new cryptid just showed up on the radar. We're pretty sure that it's a waheela, but we haven't been able to confirm it yet. Since Uncle Arthur isn't here right now, we need to know who you want to send out to go deal with it."
The 'skin magic' user rubbed his hand over his face before deciding who should go out and deal with this newest problem. "Send Brandon, Margery Blair, and Gerald Lawton to go handle it. The three of them haven't seen that much action in the last few weeks."
"You're sending three people out to go deal with a waheela?" Kristen quirked an eyebrow at the man. "Jesus Christ, what kind of ramshackle operation are you people running over here?"
Waheela are a type of cryptid that are basically a mix between a wolf and a bear that were barely the size of an average pickup truck. Although physically strong, they typically weren't too terribly vicious. Nor have they ever been known to use any form of magical attribute. In the 'fire magic' user's mind, they were the kind of cryptid that a rookie sorcerer could deal with without too much trouble.
"Fuck off!"
"I'll go tell them right now." Jeremy nodded before swiftly making his way out of the office in hopes of avoiding getting in the middle of whatever argument his two superiors were currently having.
Once the young agent left the room, Kristen decided that there was no point in her staying there any longer. She needed to get back to her station before the end of the day. And the sooner Sheldon was out of her sight, the better.
"This isn't over, Fuckface." The woman said. "I'm gonna get you back for poaching one of my guys!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever…." Sheldon waved her away. "Try not to crash and die on your way back."
With that, Kristen flipped her middle finger at her colleague before storming out of the office and making her way over to the parking lot. Sheldon was more than happy to finally be free of the woman and her horrible attitude, especially since the temperature in the room immediately went back to a more comfortable level the moment she left. With her gone, the man could finally relax a bit before having to deal with whatever nonsense was surely about to come across his desk in the next few hours.
However, just as Sheldon was about to kick his feet up on his desk, the sound of a text message coming through on his phone caught his attention. Not his normal phone, but the secure one that he kept on his person at all times.
Under normal circumstances, the man wouldn't have bothered to even read the thing right away. He would've given himself a few minutes to work up the energy. But in his experience, it was never a good idea to leave an Iznana Branch Head waiting. Especially someone like Elaine MacNamara.
-(o)-
Microphone: Are you busy this weekend? I have something urgent that I need you to get for me.
Horn: I am. I'm working both days.
Horn: But I can send Declan to go get whatever you need.
Microphone: Good.
Microphone: I'll send you the details in an hour. This is important. Make sure he doesn't fuck it up.
Horn: No problem, Boss.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Sheldon
Name: Sheldon Isaac Blackwell
Alias: N/A
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Birthday: March 30th
Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
Height: 70in
Weight: 182lbs
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Green
Race: White
Magic: Body (Skin)
Occupation: DPA Deputy Chief Agent, Iznana Operative
Stat Chart: B
-Physical Strength - 3.5
-Intelligence - 3.5
-Magic Amount - 4
-Magical Control - 4.5
-Magic Sensing - 5
-Special - N/A
Fun Fact:
-Alma Mater: Central Michigan University (BA), Michigan State University (MA)
-Favorite food is poutine.
-Favorite book is "Neuromancer".
-Favorite hobby is collecting exotic skin lotions from all over the world.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Kristen
Name: Kristen Hillary Devereux
Alias: N/A
Gender: Female
Age: 34
Birthday: August 31st
Birthplace: Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States of America
Height: 66in
Weight: 143lbs
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Race: White
Magic: Fire
Occupation: DPA Deputy Chief Agent, Professional Mountain Climber
Stat Chart: B
-Physical Strength - 3
-Intelligence - 4
-Magic Amount - 3
-Magical Control - 4.5
-Magic Sensing - 4
-Special - N/A
Fun Fact:
-Alma Mater: University of Arkansas (BS), The Ohio State University (MS)
-Favorite food is chili.
-Has three pet cats.
-Has successfully solo-climbed Mount Everest, Mount Chimborazo, K2, Kangchenjunga, and Cerro Torre.
-(o)-
Info Card: Blackwell Family
One of the nine families that serves as a major faction in American sorcerer society. With only around 250 acknowledged members, they are among the smallest of the major sorcerer families in the country.
The Blackwell family began with Mark Blackwell, the son of one of the executives of the General Motors Company, who was working as an automotive engineer and helped design military vehicles during the time of the Great Awakening. Mark Blackwell was recruited to become one of the founding members of the DPA through Kenneth Murphy and Florence McKenna. The exact circumstances for his recruitment into the agency are unclear, but it is known that Mark Blackwell received a substantial amount of money from an unknown source that was allegedly facilitated by Ezekiel MacNamara shortly after joining. Money that was used to purchase large stakes in every major automotive company in the country.
The Blackwell family is known across the world as the progenitors of the 'body magic' magical attribute, a power that allows its users to manipulate their bones, flesh, organs, and other bodily tissues in ways that no normal human or sorcerer would be able to. Every 'body magic' user in the world is a direct descendant of Mark Blackwell; this is mainly thanks to the man having many mistresses and illegitimate children during his lifetime. As of 2023, there are over 600 confirmed 'body magic' users on Earth.
The Blackwell family are key players in the global automotive and aerospace industry. The family owns the Pontiac Motor Company after buying it outright in 1980, with significant stakes in the Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Dodge, Boeing, Jeep, Volvo, and Ferrari. Thanks to this, the family is also one of the main suppliers of military vehicles and aircraft for the U.S. Government. Along with many popular civilian aircraft.
This family also owns Blackwell Shipping and Logistics, the largest privately owned land-based shipping company in the country. They mostly deal in commercial goods such as food, clothing, electronics, parcels, fuel, and industrial equipment. Thanks to a partnership agreement with the Blair, Conley, and Watanabe families, the Blackwells control 26% of all goods transported through the continental United States.
The Blackwells have also produced several world-famous autosport athletes, including Andrea Baxter, Ulysses Blackwell, and Clifton Blackwell.
Notable Members: Kirk Blackwell (Family Head), Simon Blackwell, Michelle Halsey, Allister Blackwell, Jacob Blackwell, Danica Blackwell, Clifton Blackwell, Chase Blackwell, Jaelyn Blackwell, Mario Blackwell-Owens, Keith Blackwell, Chloé Blackwell, Sheldon Blackwell, Andrea Baxter, Audrey Blackwell, Brian Blackwell, Hugo Blackwell, Arthur Blackwell-Ford, Ulysses Blackwell, Chester Buchanan, and Lenore Blackwell.
Fun Fact: The Blackwell family has recently announced that they will be opening up a division of the Pontiac Motor Company that focuses on spaceship and rocket manufacturing. They have already begun testing designs for several reusable rockets and orbital vehicles. Evelyn MacNamara has announced that her family will be investing in the venture.