A Second Generation Whateley Academy Adventure

Silent Mountain

by

MaLAguA

Part Seven

Sunday, December 25th - 1:29 pm
Silent Mountain Base - Level 2 - VIP Lounge

A sleepless half-nap. A pause while the timer still ran. A very long heartbeat in the blink of an eye. Describing the state of stasis was a strange feeling, almost like being split in two.

Half of Lightning’s mind was still stuck in that moment in time when things grew dire. He and Censer were biding their time in the Silent Mountain base, ready to test the kids the Syndicate would support, when the strangers barged into the place. They were strong and prepared, with tools designed to counter his own powers. It was a losing battle for him. No… he knew he’d lost and had no other recourse but to shamefully make a retreat, only for one of the members to shoot him with some sort of devisor gun. He watched as his entire world slowed down and froze while everything outside accelerated into a blur. Even the air congealed and solidified into something that looked like a thick layer of glass.

There he stayed, in mid-run, waiting to take the next step in any second now…

The other half was in a semi-aware state, taking in everything his open eyes saw and quickly forgetting about them like the faintest of dreams. The world grew dark and bright, with the blur of faces and figures that passed by. A drone-like state of mesmerized concentration and distorted passage of time.

And yet, when the feeling of movement returned to him, it was as though both ‘minds’ were smashed together in a chaotic sense of panic that never left, with all the surprise of being jolted up from a dream. The stasis hadn’t robbed him of any momentum, and the next steps were just as if nothing had happened. And yet, it was apparent that everything was different.

His sight was blurry as a side effect. He could only see the rough colors of the walls, the floor, the light and, more importantly, humanoid figures standing just before him. Their arms were raised but, with his mind jumbled, the memory of the invaders was still clear and at the forefront. The same could be said about his hearing, where everything felt distant and clogged.

Without even thinking. Not wanting to risk a stop, he raised up his fist and mustered what little energy he could produce into it. Electricity crackled and flashed, brighter than it could’ve been back then, but not even close to his regular output.

And yet before he could get within striking distance, something hooked his elbow, forcing him to spin around to meet someone else. This stranger stood so close all Lightning could do was react with another attack, fearing it might be that brick of a man that nearly stopped him before.

The figure appeared to be trying to speak, but the words were garbled as his senses were still recovering from the stasis. But even then, he was sure his body was in peak condition for a fight–and yet the stranger masterfully dodged the first two hits. And when he launched the third one, the figure just sidestepped, grabbed his arm while avoiding the crackling volts that exuded from his fist and, before Lightning could piece it together, he had his face meet the floor in a surprisingly gentle judo pin.

Whether it was the movement, the still-painful contact of his skull against the floor or just whatever effects of stasis wearing off but, suddenly, the words around him began to make sense.

“Easy there, sparkplug,” said the man pinning him down. It took some effort between struggles for him to realize who had stopped him–although considering how that brief exchange went down, he should’ve had an idea from the start.

“Cole?” Lightning asked. “The base… it was taken over…”

“It’s fine. The matter has been dealt with.”

Words that came took a weight off him, allowing him to ease off in his breathing. “How… How long was I out?”

“Under twenty-four hours. So… Merry Christmas, Linus.” Cole gently got off Lightning’s back and offered a helping hand.

A chuckle escaped Lightning’s lips once he was back up on his feet. “Leave it to one of the Syndicate’s top operatives to retake a base on Christmas.”

Cole answered the sentiment with a half chuckle. “Saving the day on Christmas. Savior of Christmas. Has a nice ring to it… but as much as I’d want, I can’t take the credit. The kids were the ones who made the difference while I was on my way here.”

“Really? The kids did it?” Lightning blurted out

“Yeah. They, and Censer, were the ones who sorted the whole situation.”

“How many casualties?” Lightning asked.

“None. Some of them are a bit bruised and injured, but they’re all alive.”

Lightning let out a laugh but it was strained and had a bit of a grumble underneath. “I’m never going to live this down if it’s true.”

“We all experience defeats and need others to overcome obstacles sometimes,” Cole said, carefully helping the still partially blind Lightning to one of the lounge cushions that hadn’t been destroyed in the chaos.

“I guess you’re right,” Lightning said, taking a pause to try to get himself out of combat. And as the world regained some sharpness, he noticed the figures standing at the back of the room, the ones he tried to attack first. They were members of the support team, the ones who provided mechanical, logistical and IT support to the bases. They were still looking somewhat shaken about almost getting thunder-punched.

Cole turned to them. “He’ll be fine. Go ahead and carry on up to the hangar to fix the open gate and assess the cleanup that’ll be needed. Also, be sure to prepare the medical room.”

“I’m fine Cole. My eyes are still blurry and my hearing is a bit off… but I’m getting better.”

“Better not to risk it. Besides, Lifeward should be coming over in the next couple of hours and she’ll want to make sure everyone is safe and sound before being sent off.”

Lightning shook his head. “She really is a former heroine, isn’t she?”

“And is that wrong?” Cole challenged as he moved over to the remains of a coffee table, nudging them away to a corner with his foot.

“So, when did you get here?” Lightning asked as he looked in the vicinity, noticing two of the support team members standing before the main office door, which now sported a carved hole on its surface, looking for a way to fix it.

“Well…” Cole began. “After I tried to reach out to both you and the base but failed, I sensed there was something wrong, so I set off double-time at seven in the evening.”

“You made your way here from Vancouver?” Lightning asked.

“It wasn’t easy, I’ll tell you that. By the time I left Vancouver, the sky was already dark and the snowstorm was starting to pick up the pace. Fortunately, someone left a supercycle in the hideout. Thanks to that, I could make it to the nearest not-quite ghost town..”

“Sounds fun,” Lightning noted sarcastically.

“After I stashed my transport, I covered the rest of the way on foot.” Cole shuddered. “It was hella cold and all that snow was a hassle to trudge through… but in the end, I made it to the base at an hour past midnight.”

A chuckle escaped his lips. “Imagine my surprise and disappointment to find out I had arrived an hour too late. That there had indeed been a catastrophic problem that had already been dealt with. The kids managed to fend off a home invasion on their own.”

Lightning sighed just to not frown at himself. It really shouldn’t have come down to that…

“All six invaders had been rounded up, dragged and locked in the hangar, well, except for the werewolf who is still locked in the warehouse’s container,” Cole noted as he spun a large splintered piece between his fingers, a habit he had to keep his hand busy. “Afterwards… Well, there wasn’t really much to do but to keep guard and call for backup. I spent the remainder of the night sitting in the security room, reviewing footage while trying to reach out for the support team to clean and fix things up, which isn’t an easy thing to do on Christmas Day. Fortunately, I got them to come here a couple of hours ago.”

“It took the tech experts some time, but they eventually figured out how to unfreeze you. And that’s how we got to where we are now,” Cole said factually. “I did get you some gifts for your wife. Hope small, beautiful ceramics are to her liking.”

“Thanks, Cole,” Lightning grumbled, prompting a small smile to hide the crestfallen mood. “Although I’ll be in trouble after this.”

“No need to beat yourself over it,” Cole said, kneeling by his peer. “I saw the footage, there was nothing you could’ve done.”

“Don’t coddle me here!” Lightning snorted. Normally, he would’ve gotten up and raised his fist to back his words… but he knew better than to try that with Cole. “I’m no loser.”

“Not saying you are. You were fighting at a disadvantage and still gave it your all. I don’t think I would’ve made any decision differently.” Cole noted. “When the report goes out, I will make sure that the words would paint you as flatteringly and unaccountable as possible. It wasn't your fault.”

Lightning looked up at Cole with a frown. How dare he treat him like that? They were supposed to work for the criminal organization, not some therapy group. The man should’ve been more stern and sought to punish him for the failure. That’s what other parts of the organization would do. Both him and Lifeward had the wrong idea as to what their work was… and yet, he couldn’t help but feel the weight of guilt lifting off him. “I appreciate it.”

“Good. Now, onto another matter,” Cole said. “Censer told me that you stocked up the base’s pantry and were planning on throwing a Christmas dinner for the kids. Wondered if the offer was still on the table and could be expanded to encompass everyone here present.”

Lightning blinked and shook his head. “Well, my eyesight is almost back so… why not? I can get to work on it but it will take a couple of hours to get everything in order and ready.”

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” Cole said as he helped Lightning up. “The kids are in no rush to have their meal. Right now, all they want is a well deserved rest after last night.”

Sunday, December 25th - 2:15pm
Silent Mountain Base - Level 1 - Lounge

To think that just yesterday the kids had bounced from dread, to awe, to horror and panic as they discovered that the villain base they were in had been taken over by a bunch of intruders seeking to either kidnap or kill everyone. Now that the waters had settled and the rollercoaster of emotions that was their adventure had reached the point where the worst was over, the base acquired a different light. No longer needing to survive or tend to the base’s issue, all that was left for them was to enjoy things in peace.

The support crew in place made it all feel not as desolated as back then, as the neatly uniformed technicians moved back and forth between the rooms to assess the aftermath from last night and made preparations for maintenance.

Fortunately, the kids got to take it easy.

“Just a moment here… I connect the HDMI cable to the TV… then connect the other one to the computer, which one was it?” Josh mused, mostly to himself as he worked out the cabling for the inventions he brought: the VR headset system he dubbed LightEX.

Honestly, to Vic it was still surprising how manifesting as a mutant granted his friend the skill to become more technically savvy. A year ago, he wouldn’t have trusted Josh to set up a gaming system, let alone one he put together.

And part of Vic didn’t envy him. Watching him go through the bundle of cables, it all was more trouble than he was willing to understand… but that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious about learning. “Is all of that necessary? Seems like a hassle.”

“Well, usually it would just be the headset and the gloves,” Josh said as he typed on a laptop borrowed from the security room. “All this is just to get a better feed as to what you see. But yeah… it’s too much. So, I’m planning to have the system and future iterations much easier to link up.”

“How did you say you put this together?”

“Pieces of broken down electronics that get to the recycling center or spare parts that Junkerer keeps in the warehouse,” Josh said as he typed into the computer. The young man waved his hands in a small celebration to indicate everything was in working order.

“And what about the software? Did you also program it?”

“Nah… It’s all actual games, software assistants, and plug-ins I managed to stitch together. I don’t fully know how to code, but I do get a sense of how things go together. If an error does happen, I can rely on Junkerer’s system to help me fix it,” Josh explained as he moved over to the couch to pick up the main part of his system, a VR headset. Nothing too shabby, but not as ostentatious, either, as it appeared to have been tweaked and repaired, as shown by the off colored panels.

And with it at hand, he offered it to Vic. “Care to try?”

Vic looked around, almost as a reflex. “Um, sure… This is safe, right?

“Of course, I’ve tested it. It hasn’t made me vomit in a while,” Josh said. Vic couldn’t tell if he was just joking or if it was true.

“Alright, fine,” he conceded. After all, he’d been too excited to share his invention with him.

“Here you go,” Josh said, handing Vic a pair of gloves that appeared fitted with tech. “Do you want to try it later?” he asked the other two people that were lingering nearby.

“Hm… maybe later,” Leslie answered, curious about the thing.

“I’ll pass,” Raffina dismissed offhandedly, focused on her phone. “I’m not interested in dork entertainment.” She seemed to have gone back to the haughty attitude Vic really disliked her for. After all that was said and done, it hardly felt that they’d moved past yesterday’s argument by the river at all.

“Aw come on,” Josh insisted, but she ignored the comment.

“Leave her,” Vic said as he looked down at the gloves. The things were made with thick fabric and had a padded density that revealed a certain function hidden within the things. A pair of cables connected to USB ports located at around the wrist. “Got them on,” he said, flexing his fingers, feeling the oddly rigid stuffing within.

“Yeah, all set,” Josh said as he helped strap the VR headset on Vic’s head.

“Is it normal for it to be this heavy?” Vic asked. Once again, this was the first time he’d used VR equipment, so he had no idea what to expect.

“The next iteration, I hope to have better hardware,” Josh answered as he finished fastening the strap around his head and moved over to the laptop.

A couple of clicks of the mouse and the black screen lit up to reveal a different space. He knew he was in the lounge within Silent Mountain, but he felt as though he was standing in the middle of a surreal void, with soothing dark and neon colored lines projecting themselves into the distance with pieces of geometry floating about, among which was the squared platform he was standing on. The realization that he could lean onto the edge and look at the distance to the floor beneath started to give him some vertigo.

Fortunately, that passed quickly as he backed away. “This won’t mess up my eyes, right?”

“Nah, that’s about one of the first things I made sure of–but, if the world starts spinning, close your eyes, okay?”

“Um… Okay,” Vic muttered as he looked down. Naturally, he had no body here, but he did see his hands, or rather the gloves he was wearing. They floated in the middle of the air, mimicking his own movements. “This is weird…” he noted, watching his fingers move in response to his own gestures with no delay involved. “But it’s cool.”

“Yeah, just wait. Onthe back of the gloves there are a couple of buttons you can use. In the UI, you should see one that says ‘HOME’ that should bring up the list of games you have available,”

“I only see one… Says, NeonSaber.”

“Yeah, that’s the only game I was able to install. It’s a fun one, though, so give it a try,” Josh encouraged. “If you make a finger gun you can point at it and get it started.”

“Alright,” Vic said as a line traced from his fingers like a white colored laser pointer. It shot at the app to get it running.

A loading symbol appeared in the air for a couple of seconds before the world began to suddenly shift. The background darkened itself and, as the geometric shapes and the ground were pushed away, it was replaced by grid walls that created an aisle in the distance. The walls glowed up in different hues of neon as soothing elevator music began to play from the headphones at the sides of the helmet but also from the TV.

“So, pick your weapon, and I’ll show you what it’s all about,” Josh noted as he opened a UI window within the digital world, showing up the settings as he tweaked things.

“My weapon?” Vic looked around, only to find an arsenal just behind him: a wall rack from which hung multiple swords with blades of lights–basically lightsabers with conventional hilts and pommels. “The version I had contained data for other types of weapons, but, by accident, the files got corrupted just before I headed out to this trip. But again-”

“Next iteration?” Vic completed as he reached out to grab a blue sword from the wall.

“Yeah, next iteration. There were some really cool ones, like the Darth Maul double lightsaber, or a pair of tonfas from that Star Wars game.”

“Aw that’s a shame, I’ll just settle with being the regular jedi,” Vic joked as he picked up one of the swords on the wall only to be surprised by the gloves. The moment they made contact with the weapon, he felt the resistance of the glove around his palm in the form and size of the cylindrical sword’s handle. “Wow… I can feel it.”

“That’s the gloves. Haptic feedback, right? Not only are they compatible with the interface and perfectly precise, but they can simulate solidity perfectly.”

“How strong are they?” Vic asked as he held the sword in his hand. Despite the thing being completely digital, holding it with what felt like his own hand made it real enough. When his fingers touched the blade, he could also feel the finger sections of the glove bend back slightly to simulate resistance.

“Very sturdy. These were kept in Junkerer’s specialized storeroom, so you know they’re good. Think he also mentioned he has upgraded versions he uses for combat readings, and can also simulate weight plus a lot of little tricks I haven’t discovered yet. So don’t be afraid to force them.”

“Alright.” Vic smirked as he moved the sword about, tracing lines through the air while also getting a feel as to how light it felt. Feeling confident, he grabbed a second sword to try dual wielding. “Think I’m ready.”

“Good, let’s begin. Here’s a cool one,” Josh said.

The world darkened up before the lights appeared in the distance, like the opening notes of a concert. The electric guitar riff got him thinking of a rock song. The video of a concert began to play off in the far background as UI boxes popped up on the side. It was just the usual counting the number of misses and the current combo. Vic wasn’t the most musically inclined of people, but he could still recognize the Aerosmith tune before Steven Tyler’s voice rang in. And along with it came colorful blocks that tumbled in through the darkness, barreling their way down towards him. He did what was expected and swung the swords as they tried to pass by, watching them get sliced like butter and fall to the ground before disappearing.

The first couple of slices were just surprising enough of an experience to make him lose a few hits, but as he got in the groove of things, he found his rhythm, and eliminated more and more of the boxes. Darting under, reaching out, swinging the sword to trace out a path, it was surprisingly fun.

“You look so dumb,” Raffina noted, but Vic didn’t care.

“So, what do you think?” Josh asked as the song reached it’s end.

“It’s fun. Very,” Vic said as he swung the digital sword around, just to see the line it traced in the air. “And are there more songs?”

“I can upload any song into the system along with its music video and the software assistant will create a track. But for today, I only got a bundle of twenty or so…” Josh said, typing into the computer again. “Let’s go with another song. How do you feel about the original Digimon song?”

“Better than the rap,” Vic mused as he saw the menu open up and Josh’s cursor move around through the files to select the song. Just like before, the world around darkened and revived itself as colors traced through the lines of the grid. The screen in the distance began to play out the opening of the show, just like Vic remembered it, as the notes began to draw near.

This time, he was ready.

A couple of songs later, Vic was very invested in the activity. There was something about the spectacle, the movement and the relaxing nature of the game that made him just want to go one more song just to play around with the digital swords. But, he opted out of the VR headset for a small pause as Leslie inquired if she could play, too. “Got any songs in mind?” Josh asked as Vic unhooked the headset and took it off. he switch between the digital to the real world was surprising, but not as jarring as he might’ve imagined. Not much had changed, fortunately. He was worried that there’d be people looking at him while he was playing.

He took off the gloves as well and passed them over.

“Hm… Can I check the list?” Leslie asked as she slipped on the gloves.

“Sure. Any questions or problems, let me know,” Josh said as he helped get the headset strapped onto the girl’s head. Vic moved onto the side to give them some space.

<Now I get to see how silly I looked.>

“Very silly indeed,” Leslie said. “But it looked fun.”

“Well, then now it’s your turn,” Vic shot back.

Looking around, he noted that Raffina had drifted away, towards the other side of the lounge with her ear on the phone. She was far enough for Vic to be unable to make anything out of it, but she looked quite busy with it.

“And away we go,” Josh mused as Leslie selected a song.

Vic would’ve been curious to watch, but it was right after that the door to the entrance opened to reveal a familiar friendly face: Caroline Kythe, also known as Lifeward, the woman from the syndicate that recruited him into the organization, got him into Whateley and would be hosting him for the foreseeable future when out of school, acting as his legal guardian.

Sunday, December 25th - 2:32 pm (A couple of minutes earlier)
Silent Mountain Base - Main entrance

The woman known professionally as Lifeward emerged from the warper portal just outside of the base, where the travel anchor had been set. The site was guarded by a couple of armed units that were a full pay grade above the standard henchmen program. The idea was to make sure that no one would find out about the lair, but Caroline just found that as defeating the purpose.

After telling the men to conceal their rifles and to patrol the perimeter with a more discreet cover story, she made her way to the cavern entrance. Cole awaited her arrival.

“Merry Christmas,” she greeted as she entered the facility, with the door closing behind her.

“Merry Christmas,” he answered. “I hope you had a pleasant travel.”

“As well as could be,” Caroline noted. “Thank you for tending to this matter and handling part of the aftermath.”

“No need,” Cole shook his head. “This was an emergent situation, not our standard assignment. You’re not obligated to take responsibility for this.”

“I honestly couldn’t believe that the kids managed to deal with the problem on their own, but I’m more than glad to know there weren’t any casualties. I wouldn’t have been able to properly put up a mask throughout the day.”

“It’s all well and good,” Cole said as he invited her into the large elevator that connected the entrance to the main area of the base. “Everything alright in the family?”

“Everything was as fine as it could be,” Caroline repeated. “Just came from leaving Dereck at the airport. Feeling like I already miss him but I’m happy I got to hug him before his trip.”

“And Sophie?”

“I asked the neighbors to look after Sophie. She stayed up late and woke up early today to open her presents, so I suspect she’ll either be having too much fun or already crashed by the time we get back.” Caroline shook her head as the elevator began to make its leisure ascent. “So, tell me. Anything you can gather on the attackers?”

“They appear to be members of the previous tenant’s specialized staff who managed to avoid capture by the police in Vancouver. They stocked up, made a plan and came back with a vengeance.”

“Should’ve had a better way to deal with this sort of problem.”

“I know, but it’s not as easy as going into the prison’s office and striking a deal to take in our unwanteds.”

“Why not? It would make it much easier to keep things secret. I mean, from the area records I checked, I think a couple of the local heroes know about the base’s existence.”

“I know. According to Lightning, it’s some high ranking members of a local team. As long as we keep vetting customers, weeding the more malicious ones out, they don’t care much about looking that deeply into Silent Mountain or some of our other hideouts. Only exception is if a case leads them here.”

“And, as a result, the base here has never been breached by heroes in all of its history,” Caroline noted. “We’ll argue about it later. Back on the topic of the intruders, what else can you tell me?”

“There were six intruders. Starting with the two baselines: Guy Oleg and Guy Travis, they were from the henchmen program and thought they could make much more money by tagging along with the dumb idea. While Lightning spared them during the eviction, they still opted to join the invaders.”

“Not a wise decision. Should check with the training facilities to see if they’re failing on the benefits offered, or warnings for that matter. What else?”

“Well, out of the bundle, we have a gadgeteer that goes by Toolbelt, a woman brick imaginatively codenamed Brickette, a second-generation werewolf, and a power mimic by the name of Rival. They’re all accounted for and restrained in the hangar and warehouse awaiting judgment.”

“Hm… I would say throw them into jail. Not just leave them within snatching distance of the police. Syndicate-ran prisons just feel wrong as a concept,” Caroline said as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. “Anything else to add?”

“The gadgeteer had a couple of devises with him that appeared to have been purchased or on loan. We recognize the signature style as one of our own in the area. We’re reaching out to his workshop to determine when he sold them, but he appears to be out of the city for the holidays.”

“What bad timing for this to happen,” Caroline shook her head. “Or maybe just as perfect as could be.”

“What are your thoughts?” Cole asked as they resumed their walk, him giving a dismissive wave to the security guard stationed behind the checkpoint.

“I’ll have to check the logs and footage to get a proper report.” Caroline sighed at the prospect of work to be done around these dates. “But from the outset I can already tell what the main issue is: lack of security. Namely, running a skeleton crew when there was no need for it.

“Protocol dictates bases taken back from debtors should be put under the security of a team that will sweep through the systems, check the security mechanisms and value the goods left behind. But this time, there were only two people staying behind to perform the regular operations and guard the place. Granted, Lightning is a good operative who had a hand in throwing them out in the first place.”

“Which was part of the problem, as they were prepared for him,” Cole noted.

“But it never should’ve been that way. If I had to guess, someone higher up wanted the base ready for the next customer, even though the real estate turnover for these properties isn’t as high as the regular. So they wanted to fast-track the process by having it done over Christmas holiday, or at least started. Lighting and Censer just happened to be available and willing to get the extra money, but the rest of the service staff was allowed to take the holidays to avoid paying them extra.”

“And, since they were probably guessing this was a good idea, they also decided to cut costs on what they might’ve considered low-grade candidates before the end of the year by just throwing them into the pot.”

“So, just as a measure to save on costs, they decided to keep the place open.”

“It’s not exactly the most reckless of things, but still unfortunate,” Caroline noted to Cole as she stopped by an intersection before the main lounge. Looking down the side path, she spotted a member of the support team standing before the door that led to the barracks, doing some inspections on the lock. “But unfortunately everything seemed to work against that plan. How easy would it have been to seal off Silent Mountain?”

“Very. You just disable the main elevator that cuts off the main entrance, leaving intruders to climb the mountain’s face as their only option.” Cole thought for a moment before nodding in understanding. “That is, unless visitors are expected.”

“Seems sketchy,” Caroline said as she carried on walking down the main path towards the lounge. “The elevator isn’t disconnected, the strangers arrive and make their way up to the top, manage to subdue the barebones crew we have in place, taking advantage of the holidays so resistance will be limited and reaction times will be much delayed. The chances for all this were minuscule and yet, it happened.”

Caroline took a deep breath before looking at Cole. “Granted, this is only from what I’ve been able to peruse from the files on the base. I’ll have to ask Lightning and Censer for more details before making the report. I should have it ready in a couple of days… hopefully.”

With that, the door opened to the lounge area for the only people around who were allowed to have fun and rest after the incident. A well-deserved reward. While Raffina was standing to the side in conversation with someone, Vic, Josh and Leslie were playing with a VR setup and screen. The telepath was currently slicing blocks to the tune of Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night”.

Their presence did not go unnoticed. Vic looked from his seat and visibly perked up. Josh did the same, raising a hand and waving her way with a large smile.

“You wouldn’t believe what we just went through,” Vic said. The young man was trying to sound tough, but she could tell there was still some lingering fear from the last night's events.

“I’m glad you’re all alive and unharmed” Leslie was about to stop mid-song to interact with them, but the telepath felt the shake of her head. “Kids, don’t stop what you’re doing. Just keep on enjoying your Christmas Day.”

“Okay,” Leslie said as she continued swinging the air.

“That’s a nice setup, Josh. Did you make it?”

Josh nodded. “Want to try it?”

“Maybe later. First, I need to get a copy of the security footage and go through some of the key events Cole noticed,” Caroline said.

“It was a wild night. I disabled a reactor from a meltdown and then blew up a ship,” Josh bragged.

Caroline had to look at Cole for confirmation. Her partner nodded, mimicking the explosion before pointing up in the hangar. That only made her sigh at how far awry things had gotten.

“Well, this was an unfortunate set of circumstances, but I’m glad that, in a way, you all prevailed. Is everyone alright?” Caroline asked as she took a step to inspect Vic. She had him turn his face to show the side of his cheek where a cut was still raw. There were also bandages wrapped around his right hand.

“Yeah… I guess we’re alright,” Vic said, allowing Caroline to inspect the bandage and fasten it properly. She knew what wounds might mean with his recently discovered condition and could see the tinge of anger and annoyance that was nestled in the boy’s eyes. Still, she kept quiet about it for now.

“In any case, I’ll want to check each of you before we send you back, if that’s alright.”

No one raised an objection, but there were questions.

“Wait!” Josh said from behind the computer. “You mentioned sending us back, right? Does that mean there won’t be any tests?”

Cole and Caroline exchanged looks, shrugging to each other as if of the same mind. “Well, considering that the support team will be occupying the base for the foreseeable future for repairs and maintenance, I guess it’s safe to assume that the Syndicate exercise has been canceled.”

“Yes!” Josh celebrated. Leslie took a moment to brandish her semi-imaginary sword in celebration after the song was over.

“But does that mean there won’t be any tests?” Vic inquired.

“I can’t say that for sure. It’ll be up to the higher ups to decide. But let’s leave the matter as that for now.” Caroline had no desire to delve into organizational politics of a group as Machiavellian as the Syndicate.

And yet, thinking of which, Raffina rejoined them now, her phone call concluded.

“Lifeward. Glad the Syndicate’s investigator is here. Now can you tell me what are you going to do with the cretins that almost stole our Christmas? Because I may have beef with some,” the girl spoke with familiarity.

“That’s confidential, Raffina. And it probably won’t be up to me to decide that,” Caroline told her.

“I’m just saying. I don’t want to think that they’ll just get ‘recycled’ into the organization.”

“It’ll be what it’ll be,” Caroline reasserted. “For now, just try to enjoy the afternoon.”

“About that… I was on the phone with my father just now. He heard about the incident and was asking for me to return home. He’ll probably ask for you to use the warper and portal service to send me back.”

“Really?” Cole chimed in. “Lightning and Censer are thoroughly focused on preparing a good Christmas lunch for everyone.”

“I did think of staying just to have some,” Raffina admitted.

“Okay,” Caroline said. “After lunch, we’ll be sending each of you back home.”

“Sound fair?” Cole asked in general.

“Yeah.” “Alright.” “Good for me,” were some of the mixed answers of those present.

“Good,” Caroline continued. “Now, I have to make a stop by the security room to get the data and a clearer version of the events. After that, I’ll be in the clinic to check on everyone’s health.”

She and Cole were stepping through the northside door to the room when the door in the south opened again. A winded Root entered the room, carrying a hefty backpack. Half the weight appeared to be frost and snow. “Dang, it’s cold outside. I hope you got the game set up, Josh,” he spoke before actually spotting Caroline and Cole in the room. “Oh, sorry, sirs.” The switch from casual to formal was commendable..

“Root. Where were you?” Caroline asked.

“Oh… I was just out picking up my bag. We had to leave it behind yesterday on our way here,” Root explained as he set down the bag by the couches. His gaze drifted towards the game.

“Oh, thank you for bringing my boot,” Leslie chimed in between movements.

“No problem,” Root said.

“Good job on dealing with the crisis.” Caroline noted the bandage wrapped around his leg. “I’ll make sure the heads of the operation know that. Consider yourself an official operative. You do still have some work ahead of you to meet the standards, but we’ll cover that as we go. For now, as we were telling the others, rest well and enjoy the result of a good job well done.”

“Thank you,” Root said, relieved.

And with that, Cole and Caroline left the kids to their own devices and entertainment. With the former giving his partner the notes of the events that could be discerned, such as the destroyed ship and the near meltdown.

“Sadly, don’t think we have the time to watch the full movie. We’ll have to copy it and watch it again in Oregon,” Caroline said as she produced the hard drive.

“I’ll bring the popcorn,” Cole said. “There is some really good material there.”

Caroline sighed. “I didn’t expect to be dealing in Syndicate matters during the holidays.”

Sunday, December 25th - 2:54 pm
Silent Mountain Base - Clinic

“Hm… interesting,” Caroline noted as she spied the wound around Vic’s torso. Where the knife had once been plunged through, now there was a plug of micro scales where the flesh had been healed, of the same colors that had been appearing on Vic’s arms.

For a clinic in the middle of a villain’s base in the middle of the mountain, the place was quite cozy and well-equipped. It had to be; they couldn’t just make a trip to town anytime someone suffered from frostbite. There was a small room for checkups and an operating room around the corner. Caroline found all the tools and supplies needed for a quick patching-up as well as some draughts to boost her magic.

“May I?” she asked as she extended a latex-coated hand to the wound.

“Sure,” Vic answered. By this point he was done with prodding his most recent development, in the hope that it would just fall off. That wasn’t the case, so there was no point.

Still, feeling someone else’s hands do it was a different experience. His body tensed up and the still-lingering effects of the pain inside flared up.

“Does it hurt?” Caroline asked.

“A little bit…”

“Just a little bit?” Caroline blinked.

“It bothers me… but I can manage.”

“How did you survive?” Caroline asked. “Did you tap into that spirit’s energy?”

“I… I actually talked to her,” Vic noted. “I think I heard her voice.”

“Her?” There was a bit of concern in her voice but she let it slip.

“Yeah… it was a female spirit, the same one from the dreams I’ve been having.” Vic mumbled, not really wanting to delve on this matter, yet it was unavoidable.

“Must’ve been a sensory deprivation effect. Making you more receptive to the whispers out,” Caroline noted.

“Think she’s getting louder.”

“If that happens, It’d be for the best to have a talk.” Caroline said. “So you’ve been having dreams?”

“Sometimes, I dream of things of the past… but then my dreams get intertwined with hers.”

“And what do you see in those dreams?” Caroline asked. “About her?”

Vic thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I don’t remember much when I wake up. I don’t even know what she looks like. I only saw her practice magic using ink. She used power similar to mine to raise the thing into the air and create a spell circle.”

“Well. If you’d been able to use magic, it’s probably what I would’ve suggested, but the visualization is a complicated matter,” Caroline said before adding. “You mentioned you talked to her. Was that after you were injured?”

“Yeah… She reached out to me, offering her help.”

“Out of the kindness of her heart? Or did she ask for something?”

“I don’t know. I want to think that she believed her ‘life’ depended on mine… but I can’t know since I don’t know anything else about her.”

“If that is her reasoning, then maybe she isn’t the unreasonable kind. What did she do then?”

“First, she had me control my blood to keep me from bleeding out. Kept it coursing through my veins as best as I could. She then had me use magic. Asked me to create a spell circle with water before she infused it with the mana she said she gathered…”

Caroline heard the retelling with intense curiosity as Vic explained bits of the conversation, but in particular focused on the entire process that kept him alive. “And what of the spell? What did it do?”

“Something to accelerate the healing… and whatever the thing is that’s been happening to me. I wasn’t in the position to ask.”

“And are you okay with it?”

“I didn’t have a choice, really. I kinda realized how stupid I would be if I were to refuse her help…” Vic justified. It still felt bitter that he was even forced to do that in the first place.

“I see…”

“After that, she was gone. Said casting the spell would disperse her consciousness so I haven’t heard back from her.”

“Well, you did magic, so I assume that’s the case,” Caroline said before thinking for a moment. “Anything else?”

Vic thought for a moment. “It’s not about the conversation or entirely about the spirit, but I think I know where I caught it.”

Caroline looked up. “You know where?”

“I think it was back in Massachusetts. The tanker incident,” Vic said. “Back then, remember when I was under the bow? The place that was filled with antiquities?”

“Yeah,” Caroline thought for a moment. “I don’t have the notes at the top of my head but that’s where they had the anthropological artifacts that were headed for a museum, right? That’s when I lost contact with you until after the thing sank.”

“While I was in there, I got thrown against one of the items. I thought the thing was sturdy, made of rock and metal, but when I crashed into it, I felt the hollow layer crack. Thought nothing at the time then but-”

“You believe that’s where you found the spirit?” Caroline thought for a moment. “I’ll take note of that. We might hope to find any clues on the matter… Although considering how things went, I don’t think it’ll yield results immediately.”

“It’s not like I’ll discover a way to release her.” Vic said, mostly to himself.

“Now, I’ll use my magic to detect internal injuries,” she informed, raising her hand.

Vic nodded.

With that, she adjusted herself, reciting a quick spell that had her gloveless fingertips start to glow just before they came into contact with Vic’s skin. He felt them cold… or rather soothing, in the same way as a fresh breeze that radiated past the surface of the skin, almost tickling the organs within.

“Things seem alright,” she said, her eyes closed in deep focus. “I do detect some leftover injuries and frail organ tissue scars. It shows that this spirit isn’t a full healer, but she still did a good enough job.” To that, the cold feeling became strangely fizzy within him. It was discomfiting for a moment, but something about it told him it would wear off.

“These injuries… they’re going to mean more of the change,” Caroline noted.

“I’m not okay with that, but it feels unavoidable at this point…” Vic said slowly, as if trying to convince himself. “I’m still worried, and don’t want it, but will try to face it… provided it doesn’t turn me into a full monster. Still, I’ll be more of a freak.”

“Don’t say it like that. We’re all freaks,” Caroline said.

“You know what I mean.”

Caroline held her words as she finished treating Vic. The magical feeling from the wound retreated away from his flesh, letting his body’s ‘heat’ move back in until it all felt normal. He felt little difference, but it was a positive, regardless.

“Alright. I think you’re all cleared.” Caroline said. “From what I heard, you performed very well in the situation, despite everything. Telepathy, tinkering, magic and even managing to keep yourself stable. You’ve earned the rest for the break, at least till the insanity that is Whateley.”

She was trying to cheer him up, that much was apparent. So he humored her. Even if he had so many thoughts crossing his mind, at least he took solace in that the threat was over and that he somehow managed to earn some off time. “Okay, I’ll go back to the lounge to have some game time.”

“That’s the spirit,” Caroline said, leaning to check her phone for messages as she moved back to the doctor’s chair. “Should still be quite some time till lunch. And, in the meantime, could you tell DayDreamer to step in?”

Sunday, December 25th - 6:32 pm
Portland, Oregon

One would think that, today being Christmas, the roads would be cleared of any traffic, with people going and staying at friends and family meetings. But as it turns out, there were also plenty of people who were just on their way home after the day out.

But all things considered, Vic didn’t really mind. Still unable to let go of the need for rest after the long couple of days he’s had, he found himself more than content to just sit on the car’s passenger’s seat and watch the city go by. Now enjoying being out of the metaphorical and literal woods and back into civilization.

“Well…” Caroline, at the steering wheel, broke the silence. “Normally, I would ask ‘how was your trip?’ But we both have an idea of how it was. No need to repeat bad memories.”

<Definitely,> Vic thought to himself as his hand idly reached to his stomach where the wound laid. The pain was gone, but he was still upset. At the back of his mind was the thought of how bad things would get. At times, the question of what the spirit looked like would pop into his mind, assuming that’s what would be used as a template… But more often than not, he preferred not to entertain the idea. At least Josh was right in that it could be something worse, like a sea slug or snail.

He shook his head to shunt those thoughts away for now. Everything was going to, hopefully, be fine. He hoped.

“Well, the food was great,” Vic admitted. After his checkup in the clinic he’d moved back to the lounge to keep playing with Josh’s prototype LightEX. The thing was far more fun than Vic had originally imagined, which made it all the more promising when his friend mentioned that any game could be loaded into the system and that Junkerer had a vast collection. Whether he would be allowed to use them or not was a different question. Still, it certainly revived that gaming instinct within him.

Not long after that, the men from the support team came into the lounge to join the tables together for the banquet prepared by Lightning and Censer. Turkey was finely roasted and carved, mashed potatoes were served with a side of gravy, and there was steamed rice with veggies. Vic could still taste the desserts.

It was certainly an odd situation. To sit down with people he hadn’t known just three days ago, along with members of the Syndicate, to have a holiday feast. Even the members of the support staff joined in every now and then to pick some plates to share with the rest of the team that was still out working. It wasn’t something Vic could’ve expected back when he’d signed up with the Syndicate. But he wasn’t exactly appalled by it, either.

“It was, wasn’t it?” Caroline agreed, her eyes focused on the road. “Cole told me Lightning was taking cooking classes. I see they paid off well enough.”

“Yeah,” Vic conceded, then took a pause to think. “I guess today wasn’t a bad day. All the bad stuff came from yesterday. I was even a bit sad when it was time to leave. I do hope everyone else made it home safely.”

“I’m sure they have.”

After the lunch was done, the five members of their odd team had to go their separate ways, back to their homes or lodgings for the rest of the break.

Raffina left first, being given a special portal by her father, who Vic guessed had to be either an important client to the Syndicate or a high ranking member. She gave the rest of the team a tepid farewell before leaving for the portal point.. Leslie assured Vic that the girl was the kind that had trouble making friends.

After her, Josh departed after finally untangling the wires and fitting every piece of equipment he’d brought back into his bag. He left through the portal alone, just like Raffina. According to Caroline, there was a designated portal anchor near Junkerer’s workshop, so it would be an easy walk for him. Having exchanged contact information, they would be able to stay in touch now.

The same with Leslie, although they would probably see each other at Whateley. The telepath left shortly after, happy to have the psy-dampening collar among her belongings and looking forward to the next upgraded version. She was accompanied by Cole to ensure her safe transit, and (probably) give her family a good impression of the organization.

After that, it was Vic and Caroline’s turn to step through the portal as it appeared just before the anchor, while Root was scheduled to stay in Silent Mountain for a while longer. Now mindful of his steps, Vic emerged into what appeared to be the basement of an office building. According to his legal guardian, this was a space owned by the organization and rented to businesses to maintain a cover. She had her personal clinic and office there as well.

Because of the holidays, at the time, there was no one there, so they quietly left the building and climbed into her car before they set off back to her place. With the heavy traffic, it was supposed to be a thirty-minute ride, which let him look around at the city’s outline and streets, taking in the similarities and differences from all the cities he’d been in. Definitely, it had a much higher skyline than Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It made it seem more urban.

“So this is Oregon.”

“Isn’t it nice? I’ve been here for only a couple years and I’m already quite fond of the city,” Caroline said, before adding. “I do hope that you feel comfortable here.”

“Thanks,” Vic said, not wanting to feel like he was taking advantage of her generosity. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Oh, don’t worry… The house already has quite some space, which just feels a bit too big right now for my daughter and me.”

“You have a daughter?” Vic blinked. “I mean, I knew Dereck was your son but didn’t know he had a sister.”

“Don’t worry. Sophie is a good girl. She’s smart, friendly and has a golden disposition. She likes meeting new people. When she heard you were going to stay with us, she was both curious and excited. About you and the kind of things you like and do. I hope you two will get along.”

“Well, I’ll be on my best behavior,” Vic said. He wondered if befriending this new sister would just be another item in the growing list of grudges Megaton had over him. And if he should actually go out of his way to do it or just avoid it.

“Speaking of which… There are the house rules I need to go over with you,” Caroline said as the car took a turn down a side street to prolong their voyage just a little bit more. “First and foremost, my… or rather our, secret. I’m not sure I should point this out but Dereck, being a member of the Future Superheroes of America and the son of a superhero, has no knowledge of my current status as a high operative of the Syndicate. Well, except for my codename, which he happened to glimpse in an unfortunate incident… so he kinda thinks I’m a vigilante.”

“I had the impression that was the case… Still, I never make any mention of the Syndicate while at school,” Vic asserted. It wasn’t quite the truth, but close enough. “I’m glad. I trusted you would be discreet on the matter,” Caroline thanked him. “Still, the same applies to Sophie. Avoid mentioning the Syndicate or any potential illicit activities in front of her. So far, I’ve managed to keep my nose clean when on the job, but even then that doesn’t really wash away the reputation of the organization. My cover is that I run my personal clinic in the office building you saw earlier, and I help the ER a couple of blocks away every now and then. That’s mostly true, but I do it as a part-time hobby, when I’m not doing jobs for the organization, making proposals or… filing reports.” Vic could feel the ‘ugh’ stuck in her tongue. He felt bad that she was going to present a case for the Silent Mountain Incident.

“So, she knows nothing?” Vic wondered, thinking back to his old life in Maryland. Back then, he knew that his mother worked as an investigator, although he’d always thought of her as a detective. Back then, she’d tended to skimp on the details whenever he pried. Now, he knew she probably did it to spare him the truth about some of the cases. He wondered how he would’ve reacted if he’d been told she had a more normal job? Or if she'd been in Caroline’s same line of work…

<Definitely would’ve been more shocking…> Vic thought as Caroline continued.

“She doesn’t know about the jobs. She knows Cole, who also lives in the city, and a couple of the organization assistants that babysit her when I’m away. She just thinks they’re friends from the same building,” Caroline noted. “I told her that you’re a mutant kid from the streets that was awarded with a scholarship for Whateley but had no home.”

“Well, that’s not untrue,” Vic conceded. “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”

“Glad to hear that,” Caroline said. “There are some more nuances on that matter that I’ll share with you, but the general gist is to be discreet.The other rules are pretty standard. Try to keep the place clean, make sure you don’t leave the water running, no loud noises after nine and so on.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior,” Vic agreed. Considering he’d spent months keeping his abandoned hideout in Massachusetts clean despite Josh’s disorganization, this part felt like a breeze.

“If you want, you can use the PC in the main living room under the username “Guest”; just make sure to not hoard it if Sophie wants to play or do her homework.” Caroline nodded as she steered the car back into a more residential zone. “You can also use the kitchen and anything in the fridge. Within moderation, of course. Shopping trips are on Sundays, so let me know of anything you take so I can add it to the list.”

“Okay,” Vic nodded.

“Normally, I do the cooking at home but with what just happened, one or two of these days I’ll have to go to work. Usually, I either have one of the assistants or the neighbor take care of Sophie’s lunch,” Caroline told him.

In a way, Vic could also understand where this came from. Back then, Mom would absent herself very often because of work, leaving him in the care of the apartment neighbors or Danny and Lizzy’s mom. While they were good and fun, he always noticed her absence and a few times, even found himself sad or angry about being left alone. Still, she always came back and made it up to Vic, cherishing the moments missed into time of fun together. Moments like those hit a thousand times stronger nowadays.

It probably wasn’t that different a situation.

“If you want, I can try to help out,” Vic offered.

“You know how to cook?” Caroline inquired.

“Not to Lightning’s level.” Vic thought for a moment. “I can make some basic dishes.”

“Really?” Caroline said pensively. “Well, you lived alone, but I don’t recall you having a kitchen in that refuge.”

“Before that, I began when I was eight or so, since my mom used to work till late. The first time, I surprised her by making ‘pizza’ on flatbread, after that I began doing more normal things, like rice and chicken.” He thought for a moment. “Although, I may be a little rusty.”

“You told me that you ran away from your father and stepmother… but you never mentioned your mom before. If it’s okay for me to ask,” Caroline said.

“I guess I haven’t mentioned her before,” Vic sighed. “I used to live with my mom in Maryland. She ran an investigation agency with some colleagues, dealing with many special cases…” A pause followed. “But, eventually, one of those cases went wrong and… and I was told she passed away. Never knew what happened. Shortly after that, my biological father came to take me out of the state. Sometimes, it felt like an old dream, only I’d wake up and lose hope that she’d ever come back.”

“I see,” Caroline said thoughtfully. Maybe she’d heard that before… “I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t tell you.” Vic shook his head. “But it’s fine.”

“Hm… Rivera is your mother’s last name, right?” Caroline asked.

“Yeah,” Vic nodded.

“Where was she from?”

“From South America. A bit of a mix, she used to tell me she grew up in the Andes, that her family traveled a lot in her youth.”

“No wonder she taught you Spanish.”

“Sí,” Vic answered with a slight smile.

“Oh, we’re here,” Caroline said as she began to slow the car and steered towards a nice two story home. Looking from the outside, there wasn’t really much that stood out from it, just a normal suburban house with, what he guessed, minimalist design elements, and a small yard. It certainly felt like a fancy place.

Once the car was parked in the garage, the two of them moved into the house proper. The door opened into the foyer, she gave an abridged tour of where everything was. Just another change of environment for Vic as he took in everything he saw. The house was clean but somewhat bare, at least when compared to the home of five in Rhode Island, and their cozy apartment before it. It was definitely a step up from the abandoned building in Massachusetts and the shared room at Whateley.

He would’ve explored, but a yawn escaped him.

Caroline pointed to the stairs. “If you go upstairs and follow the corridor, you’ll find the guest room with your stuff already there. I have to head out for a moment to pick up Sophie, so make yourself at home. I shouldn’t take long.”

Following the instructions, Vic eventually found his room. It was nothing too ostentatious. Just a simple modest-sized space with a closet, a desk, a TV mounted on the wall and a rather large bed. It all felt like a luxury, like he was staying at a hotel now. And as he made the analogy, in his mind, he wondered ‘for how long?’

“Better enjoy it,” Vic said as he moved over to open his luggage, checking his clothes were there. He didn’t notice that the lock he used to close the thing was broken–but then again, after so much time playing with it, he assumed that inner mechanisms were ajar. Everything inside appeared to be untouched.

Donning a change of clothes, he moved over to check the place. He opened the closets just to see how much space he was working with, tested the chair, and, finally, sat on the bed just to feel how soft the bed sheets and mattress were.

“I’ll lay down for just a moment,” he thought to himself.

And yet, the moment his body fell on the cushy mattress, all the pressures and exhaustions from the days before came crashing in. The exhaustion of the hike through the woods, the poor sleep in the tent with Josh after the two hour watch, the life or death fight from yesterday after another long walk, the janky uneasy short sleep once the dust settled and what was, admittedly, a great yet somewhat active afternoon…

Every one of those things stacked up. And three seconds after he closed his eyes, his plans to get the proper tour of the house and meeting Sophie were involuntarily postponed.

Now, this felt a bit more like a winter break he’d been looking for.

Monday, December 26th - 7:51 am
Plymouth, Massachussets - Seaside junkyard

Monday after Christmas, the time where everyone was coming back to work for the final week of the year. Because of that there was an odd air of laxness and neglect about. With the revelry and joy of the night before still being present in the back of everyone’s mind, along with the bitterness as to why the holiday fell on the weekend, the general feeling was encompassed by the idea of “I don’t want to work today.”

A man of uncertain age and his bodyguard, a man clad in a hooded coat, approached the pier services within the largest port in the area.

“Hold it there,” said the security guard by the perimeter booth, holding out his hand. “What brings you here?”

“I came over to check on something. Please move aside,” the man said.

“Do you have any papers?” The man asked, his eyes fixated on the bodyguard. It would’ve been strange if he hadn’t: a man that stood about half a head taller than him, whose warrior-like physique was noticeable underneath the all-encompassing coat. His face was concealed by the low-hanging hood only letting his defined chin and thin lips be seen.

“We do,” the man said before the guard would pose another question. Reaching into the bag that hung from his shoulder, he produced a stack of papers marked with the harbormaster’s seal. “I have some deep-sea scrapers search out the remains of the-”

“–the ship that sank in the bay at the start of autumn, right? I understand.” The young guard cut in to speed things up, handing the papers back. The man didn’t appreciate the lack of respect, but whatever would get the matter going. “Step in, things should be in warehouse 11, that’s the first one to the left at the bottom of the corridor.”

Without saying much, the man and his bodyguard carried their way down the piers. Today, there was barely a soul there to annoy them.

“There’s no one here. Why did you even bring me here… I have to-”

“I know. Pay a price to appease your guardian deity in exchange for magic and enhanced strength,” the man scoffed. “I know the terms of your agreement you and the enchanted weapons have. Enough to know that you’re getting scammed.” He chuckled, looking back at the bodyguard with a mocking smirk. “One spiritual feast a year. One taste of blood before your weapon starts to rust. No wonder few people serve your spiritual wolf.”

The man growled as he reached behind his coat to wrap his fingers around a handle of a ceremonial knife. Only to feel them suddenly go immobile. His fingers, his wrist and even his arm were frozen in mid motion. Muscles contracted and blood vessels sealed, and the veins swelled out visibly beneath his skin. It was the magical marks… the binding marks, representing chains around his wrist tightening his flesh, making every second of painful struggle much worse.

All the while, the man ahead had his grin replaced with a frown as his raised hand glowed up with gray magic that could be lost in the morning mist. “Are you going to try it? I would’ve thought that after six years of being at my service you would’ve learned not to even threaten me–but then again, this dog still barks.”

“You promised… you promised you’d let me go,” the bodyguard growled..

“I only told you that the mark on you would fade away after five years, I never said anything about not replacing it with a better one.” He snapped his fingers and the bodyguard exhaled as the man’s body regained movement. “Maybe if you make me happy one day, I’ll consider it, but it won’t work if you keep on trying to draw a knife on me.”

The bodyguard growled.

“I still can’t believe you complain,” said the man as he kept on walking. With a flick of his finger, the bodyguard’s body jerked forward. “Haven’t I given you a lot of free time? Haven’t I given you lots of people to satiate your blood pact?”

The bodyguard hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I want my freedom.”

“You have your freedom, as long as it aligns with what I want,” the man said as he stepped into the open warehouse.

The smell was terrible, and that was saying something considering they were just next to the ocean. The damp stench of water. Of metals rust and putrefied wood from the pieces that had long since drowned in the water. But there was indeed a haul to be seen.

Statues, art pieces, pottery and even metal pieces scattered about. All ruined. Unique patterns, colors, decorations and structures deformed, broken and useless. after having been left at the mercy of the currents for what might as well be half a year. Treasures collected from the western waters of the Pacific… or eastern, depending on how one read the map that once held some cultural worth.

“Hm…” The man held a handkerchief against his nose as he walked around the piles of junk. The men that picked things up did a decent job recovering a good haul… but had terrible respect for the items, throwing them together haphazardly as though it was just junk. He was starting to fear they would not be able to find what he was after.

“Move that metal frame out of the way,” he ordered his bodyguard.

Begrudgingly the man did, moving a chunk of metal that two men would have struggled to achieve.

Scraping and screeching, the things were thrown out of the way and sent tumbling to the side to reveal what he was looking for. A sculpture of stone made round with faded off markings that were framed and reinforced by a frame of a strange metal that glimmered and changed colors as the faint light hit it.

“This is it…” the man said and yet his tune changed into a curse as he hastened his steps the moment he saw the cracks and missing pieces to reveal the hollow inside.

“No…” He trailed off and, with a whisper of a spell and a wave of a hand, light encircled the sculpture, pulsating every time he exerted more focus on it… looking at it over and over, hoping the strange metal was messing with his reading–but it wasn’t.

“No…” he repeated. “It’s ruined… there is nothing there!”

“What was in it?” The bodyguard spoke, just to not let the corners of his mouth twist themselves into a smirk.

“The key to my plans…” the man said as he stared, “Someone that could guide me. That could help me find what I’m after.”

“It’s a shame,” the bodyguard said disingenuously. “So, can we leave?”

The man was close to using the control mark to have his bodyguard stab himself with the knife from before, knowing well enough that his thrall could survive it. But that was unbecoming of him, unworthy of his attention. He reached into his bag’s pocket and produced a book. A tattered journal, centuries old.

He spied the cover and opened the pages to read through the preserved entries and drawings. He’d sifted through it multiple times, so it did not take him long to find a crude depiction of the vessel before him.

Resigning himself to the bad news for his plan, he shifted gears. “At least this further validates the journal. If that is so, then there shall have to be other ways around and, eventually, I shall find it… the kingdom of many forms, frozen beneath the waves.”

The End