"Hired? For what?" Const wondered if he had somehow created a hallucinogen when he messed with the air quality.
"I don't know anything about hiring, but I'd really like to be lowered!" A voice from overhead interrupted the conversation.
"Ah, right. I should probably deal with you three and your makeshift bombs before conducting business." Noble clicked her tongue.
Her work really was never done!
"Come with me…"
The floating miscreants had no choice. They floated obediently toward the gate.
Noble knocked on it lightly.
When her call wasn't answered, she sighed. The guards were following protocol, but she was too tired to wait.
"Stand down. We are coming over!"
With that, the provost and her unfortunate charges rose over the wall and landed in the courtyard. Thankfully, for her, the new protective array had yet to be installed, and she was able to enter without issue.
The provost regarded the men at the gate with a short nod.
"Lockdown is lifted. You may open the gates. Where is Mori?" Noble was directed toward the man in question as the gates were unlocked.
"What's your business here? Are you with the government?" Noble heard the question as soon as the doors were released.
The scent of cherry blossoms filled the air once again as the visitor coughed. "No, I…Professor Noble asked me to follow her…"
The provost turned around. "Let him in."
Noble had half expected the Const to run for the hills as soon as she passed over the wall, but it seemed his curiosity had won in the end. She waved him forward. "If you'll wait a moment, I'll be right with you."
Const dipped his head to the guards and shuffled forward. It seemed he would have to 'loaf about' for a little longer.
"Ma'am! I am very glad to see that you are alright. I was watching the scene on our cameras. Are these the culprits?" Mori motioned up to the human balloons.
"Yes, and their toys. Let me deal with those real quick, actually." Noble had been distracted by her potent friend before, and it only now occurred to her that she should detonate the other two devices before they could cause trouble.
The two pieces lifted high into the air but well below the city's protective dome. Two pops like fireworks sounded, and then two more balls of metal joined the first for Mori to collect.
A siren sounded outside.
'Finally!'
"Have the officers come here. I will explain what happened." Noble waited for her order to be carried out.
'If I didn't know better, I would think the government waited until the situation was handled to show up. Their response time was uncharacteristically slow.'
Footsteps sounded as around twenty armed policemen entered, their weapons drawn. Mundane agents didn't have a lot of hope against Awakened warriors or even sleepers, so Noble could only assume the officers were wary of a trap by the protestors.
Seeing that things were indeed clear, a man with an extra insignia on his cap ordered the others to stand down.
He approached Noble and Mori with a stern expression.
"Are you in charge here?"
"I am Provost Noble, and this is the chief of security, Awakened Mori," Noble answered the man calmly.
"Captain Tral, I presume." Mori gave a modified salute. "We've been expecting you."
The words were formal, but Noble could hear the accusation behind them. He, too, thought they had taken longer than they should have.
"We are here now." Tral straightened his shoulders. "Care to tell me what happened?"
As Mori explained the situation, Noble let her attention drift to the men and women with Tral. Her heart sank a little.
Government officers were usually relatively calm and confident. These people, in contrast, were wary, uncertain, and full of anxiety.
By the nature of their position, they were not allowed to choose a side in the rising conflict, which meant they had likely been at odds with supporters of both Clans to keep the peace.
Everyone was a potential dissenter who could cause another uprising, so the mundane soldiers were understandably on edge. It was one thing to fight against a known enemy. It was quite another to see usually rational people lash out in unexpected ways at a moment's notice.
'Their nerves must be in shambles.'
Noble was reluctant to offer them calm or comfort. They were still on duty, and they needed to be able to trust their instincts, not relax.
"And Provost Noble was able to contain the explosive devices and apprehend the bad actors." Mori finished, pulling Noble's attention back to the present.
"I had some help with peacefully dispersing the rest of the crowd."
She motioned toward the young awakened standing off to one side.
Tral glanced at the boy. "Oh? We could use more people like you on the force—"
"He's otherwise engaged." Noble cut off the offer. Tipping up her chin, she indicated the three people still floating above them. "Now, if you have some proper restraints, I will release these three to your care."
"Understood. Ultra, Eia, Naz—take those three into custody."
The three officers stepped forward to follow their captain's orders. The assailants were released from their fairy-like flight only to receive heavy restraints.
Tral flicked his wrist, and the three prisoners were carted toward the gate. "We will take them back to the station and handle it from here. May we contact you with any additional questions?"
"Please do." Noble didn't want this to be swept under the rug.
She felt a bit of compassion for those who were caught up in the fervor, but there was no sympathy in her heart for people who resorted to violence at an otherwise peaceful demonstration.
Awakened who caused trouble would be much harder to handle, so Noble guessed this was among their easier calls for the day.
As he reached the gate, one of the protestors finally found his tongue.
"You'll be hearing from my lawyer before I ever reach the station! You can't hold me!"
The corners of Tral's mouth at last moved slightly upwards. "They all say that." In a louder voice, he added. "Do a final sweep of the area outside and make sure there are no more explosive surprises." He nodded at Mori and Noble. "Thank you, ma'am, Awakened Mori. We need all the help we can get these days."
He made a final sweep across the courtyard, and finding nothing else worth addressing, he followed after the men under his command.
"I will have my people do a sweep inside the walls as well, if it's all the same to you." Mori was already pulling out his communication device to check the cameras.
"Inside…and outside after the officers leave. Can't be too careful." Noble knew those little canisters would have done little to damage their walls, but she would feel better knowing that her campus was secure.
Mori saluted. "Understood."
Noble rubbed her forehead. Lifting those people for so long had meant she had to feel their negative feelings. Now that she had released them and they were being carted away, a small weight was lifted from her shoulders.
It was only too bad she had so many other things to press down on her.
That's when she remembered her next order of business.
The man in the red scarf…