From Stormwind with Love
I remember my first mission; one that was designed not only to test my skills as an agent, but also to cement the bond between myself and my partner. A bond which would be tested true in times ahead.
I had been contacted early that morning by Agent SP, my supervisor and commander for my future missions. He told me that I was to be tested; that I would need to prove my worth to HI-5. I was more than eager to do so.
“Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to pick up another of our agents and venture into Stormwind.” He had told me. “We have received word that those blasted Alliance are planning on a surprise attack on the Horde using a super-explosive disguised as a water fountain. You and your co-agent are to find and disarm this explosive before those alliance scum have the chance to set it off. We have aproximately three hours before they launch.”
“And who would this other agent be?” I had asked.
“He goes by the codename 'Sparkles', and is a trained and intelligent helboar. He is currently undercover in Hellfire Peninsula, you are to retrieve him immediately.”
“Right away sir.” I had told him.
And with a salute, I mounted 'Aston', my hawkstrider, and set off for Hellfire Peninsula, accompanied by Moneycopper the raptor. Thankfully, the magi down in the Cleft were willing to provide a safe teleport over to the Dark Portal.
From there, it was only a small ride away into the portal itself, which would lead me into the shattered world that that was the Outlands. HQ never told us how large that blasted thing was.
Nor did they care to tell me that Hellfire was a rather large place with a great many helboars. A cursory ride around revealed no sign of my fellow agent.
And the few times I tried to interact with the local population of helboars did not work out very well, sending them into a rather disconcerting rage. One had hoped that Sparkles would be far more pleasant.
Disgruntiled helboars were, I soon discovered, the least threatening thing in Hellfire Peninsula.
Thank goodness I had not been assigned to take one of those bastards out. Aston, Moneycopper and I searched long and hard for any signs of this hidden agent of ours, only to find him hiding amongst the buzzards of all things. One wondered how it was that his cover hadn't been blown so far.
Alas, by approaching him I had inadvertent revealed his existence to the buzzards and he was kicked out. He had attached me in a rage, but I had not been unprepared. With a quick freezing trap, I froze him to the spot ant attempted to calm him.
This thankfully worked, and I was able to speak to Sparkles. Calmer, he bowed down to his re-assignment, and we soon set off for Stormwind.
My troubles locating Sparkles had, however, shaved a great deal of time away from our mission. We had only two hours left to disarm the fountain bomb. So, knowing time was of the essence, we left for Stormwind. We were forced to trek though Murky Mires...
… Wretched Wastelands...
.. Frightful Forests...
.. And Accursed Alliance territory, where any number of foes could leap out and attack us.
It wasn't long, however, before we found ourselves not too far from Stormwind's gates. Entering though them, however, would have been suicide. And so Sparkles and I plotted to enter the city via their harbour, which would be less protected. It was, however, a long swim.
We soon found ourselves outside of the docks. Our target was not far away, and time was short.
Sparkles and I had carefully sneaked our way to land and, keeping as much to the shadows and walls as we could, moved out way upwards to our target. There were many times when I fared we would be seen, however we were thankfully undetected. We soon made our way to the fountain in question. Had I not known otherwise, I would never have guessed that the device was an explosive, primed to destroy Orgrimmar. Sparkles and I had quickly set off to disarm this device. It was nerve-wrecking work, with the chance of a guard interrupting us at any point. I had been quite surprised to learn that Sparkles was quite the demolition expert, almost as skilled as I. Between us, we swiftly disarmed the bomb mere seconds away from launch.
Mission Accomplished. We hearthed back to Orgrimmar just in time for tea and scones. Agent Slumlost and Agent Sparkles, out.
))
