Interlude - Haze and Bishop

"So..., got the readings?"

"OF Course I got the readings." Mr.Black/Haze said as he held up a device.

It looked like a mobile device only with rock instead of plastic and runes carved into. The runes were giving off a soft glow as an app pulled up and displayed a picture of both Cole and Raven. Before even heading towards the store, the two had figured it would be best to get a reading of their magical ability, just to be safe. The device could do that by measuring a few different factors.

"I'm surprised you're actually up for all this cloak and dagger stuff; half expected you to just kick down the door and drag them off for questioning." Bishop fished out a cig as they walked, the two staying ahead of the random cops he pulled in to come with them. This was a bit above their pay grade to hear. "That would save a lot of time and effort on your part."

"Eh..., I could, maybe. But that isn't as fun, and besides the higher ups have been on my case. I don't wanna drag them in without really good evidence least it's my own neck on the block. I mean, why do you think I'm on the streets like this." Haze gestured around towards the sidewalk they were on, "Now lemme see what we're working with." He turned his attention back to the device.

"So you said that yeah..., what are the readings." Bishop asked as he leaned over to look at the screen.

"Mr McKay is listed at...., 2.142. Not abnormally high..., heck I think you beat him out.." came the muttered response.

Bishop himself was sitting at 2.47 but all that really meant was he could light his cigs without a lighter and warm up something without a microwave. If he could generate more juice maybe he'd be a welder or something rather than busting his butt on the sidewalk in the mists and rain. But then he'd have all sorts of possible restrictions on him and more controlling bosses and... well maybe it was better this way. Least he had freedom.

"What about the Mrs?" he asked as he the cig as they walked.

"Juuuuuuuuust under three.., maybe a little over." Haze answered as he looked at the result, tapping at the screen and giving it just a little shake, "Just kinda on that line and… flickering between a couple digits, so her power is like on the edge. She can parlor tricks with that level but still not high enough to be of interest..."

"Average is about 1.7 so that's not uncommon." Bishop flicked away some ash, "But both of those readings are no where near what the boys listed down about who threw down in that alley. Both sides. Scuttlebutt says your shadow mages were... Class Five... no Six, at least."

If that was true that would put them at about 6k Jewels. It was something the egg heads put together years ago, the Jewel scale. It came about between a combination how many Mana Jewels would it take to bring you back up to full Mana plus how many Mana Jewels it would take to equal a mage's highest-powered spell or feat. It was being tweaked all the time by the researchers, but it was a good base line to start from many agreed. You weren't even classified as a 'Mage' till you hit 10 on the scale they were using, which meant it took ten jewels to restock/equal your mana.

Once the grade got into the thousands, that's when they got addressed as Classes. So, a Grade Six would take Six Thousand Mana Jewels to equal. OF the standard measurement size of course, they had bigger and more efficient ones but that was getting into nitpicks at that point. It was a fast and lose scale but got the point across. Whoever these Shadow Mages where, they were heavy hitters. At least according to rumors.

"That's just scuttlebutt and you know it. Not of lot of your guys have seen a Shadow Mage in action anyway, so I wouldn't put money into that betting pool just yet. One of them IS someone very technical with their powers. That alone probably messes with our grading anyway." Haze answered as he walked, turning a corner.

"Mind if I take a look?" he asked, gesturing for the device.

"You break it it's your paycheck." Haze handed the device over, he gave a stretch and adjusteed his glasses, putting on a small grin, "So since you're in with the grunts, any other rumors going around on the street level?" he gestured with his head towards the two beat cops behind them.

"Heard there's a bill being talked about to lower the classification for Mages from Ten to Eight." he paused from looking at the device and turned to the Agent, " You know anything about that?"

"I can't say anything about that." Haze ansered with perfect poker look on his face and walked onward.

“Mmm…” he grunted as he turned back to the device.

There was something, odd about Mrs. McKay’s reading and it was bothering Bishop. Usually, it took a bit for the reading to come up. Double checking Mr. McKay's reading proved that. Hers by contrast just instantly filled up both the gauge and the numerical read out when pulling up the measurement. Maybe a bit too fast. He keyed the command to recalculate a few times, straining to watch anything odd about it. It was just a hunch of his. Didn't get to stay in this kinda work for long if you didn't play on your hunches from time to time. This was the only time he'd probably get to check with this sort of tool anyway. Or at least, an Agent's level of device. Had to make it count...., count?

Then it hit him.

Her reading wasn’t three. It was much higher.

That was it. It wasn't even counting up like Mr. McKay's, it just flatlined all the way to the top. To the point the gauge looped in on itself at least one time. You had to strain to catch it. Distracted by anything else, you’d miss it. He tapped the device with the palm of his hand and gave it a shake which got a snicker from Haze.

“Fancy tech and it still sticks between numbers huh? How high does this go?” he asked the Agent.

“Class Five. Why?”

"Just curious." Bishop shrugged, "On the **** ours goes to class Two. Granted once people get into Class grades it quickly gets out of our pay grade. So I don't know how high you guys in the field measure it. I'm sure in the labs and what not the measurement is more precise."

It could go to Class Five and she broke it. Not broke it just surpassed but looped it. What would the eggheads think if they heard that. Class Five scanner and she blew past it to land back on a three? Would that make her Class Eight? Would a stronger reader work on her? Or would she just break that one too? Scuttlebutt was Class Six, but this threw that idea out the window.

"So, what next?" he asked as took another puff as he played with the device a bit more

"Easy. Check their alibi. She said something about the Memorial park, start there. Then work along their route and see how it shakes out." Haze said, rotating his hand a bit, "Shouldn't take too long."

"What about the kidnappers case?” Bishop asked, picking up the pace. Haze seemed to have started to go faster for some reason, "You know, the actual problem case... or is tracking down two unsanctioned mages that much more important."

"You should know it is. More so if they're Shadow Mages." Haze answered over his shoulder, "Besides, we got some info from the thugs finally as I hear. As for the mom and daughter, they’ll be fine. Placed in protective custody. They shouldn't be targeted again. Now if I could..." he extended his hand over his shoulder.

Bishop handed the device back to Haze who took it and placed it into his jacket pocket. Hopefully the Agent wouldn't realize the readings were tampered with; just a bit to better mask Mrs McKay reading. He wasn’t sure if Haze had noticed it but he wanted to see if he could buy the couple just a bit more time before the Agent lost his chill.

He had a feeling about them. And right now them getting pulled into custody wasn’t going to help.