Two days later, Daniel drove in Scrapmetal with Lunare to the airport to see him off. Greeve had reluctantly given him time off to catch up with his friend, assuring him they would make up for it later. For now however, Daniel was just happy for a break.
The two friends spent the time off relating their different experiences. They discussed the latest gossip at their different academies, compared notes on their classes, and even sparred a handful of times. Their fights made Daniel realize how behind he was with his training. He had seen great improvements from where he once was, but he still lagged behind his former teammates.
All too soon, the two days were over. Daniel waited until Scrapmetal was safely stowed in the cargo hold to say his goodbyes to Lunare. The two of them embraced and Daniel slapped his friend on the back.
“It’s been nice Lunare,” Daniel said as they released each other.
“I agree, Daniel,” Lunare said. “I would stay longer, however I fear Goodwitch will hold our team back a year should I take any further time off.”
“Well, come back when that’s sorted out then.”
“Without a doubt. I have been working on something I would like to show you. It should be ready the next time we meet.”
“Can’t wait to see it,” Daniel said. “Now get going, you and Scrapmetal have a plane to catch.”
Lunare nodded and turned toward the terminal. He had taken a handful of steps when he turned around and addressed his friend. “Is there anything you would like me to convey to the rest?” he called back.
Daniel thought for a minute before responding. “Nothing I don’t want to tell them in person.” he shouted back.
Lunare studied him for a moment, then nodded and was on his way. Daniel watched him until he disappeared past the terminal. He left the airport and walked through the parking lots and maze of roads until he found a secluded overpass. At first glance appeared deserted. He pulled out his Scroll and dialed Greeve’s number. “Hey, he’s headed out,” Daniel said once his leader picked up. “I’m outside the airport, pretty sure no one’s around me.”
“Is your generator turned off?” Greeve asked.
Daniel pulled the application up on his phone and checked the readings. “Powered down. Ready to try that location thing.”
A hand tapped Daniel on the shoulder and he jumped in shock.
“Hey man, got any Lien for a taxi?”
“No portal no portal no portal!” Daniel shouted. He shoved the man away as a portal opened up where he’d been standing a couple seconds before.
“Daniel, what’s going on? Report!”
“Some guy who needs some Lien,” Daniel said. “Portal almost ate him.”
“Get some distance and try again,” Greeve responded.
“No, I’ve got a couple Lien, I’ll call you back,” Daniel said. He ended the call and turned to the man he’d just saved. “Are you crazy? You can’t sneak up on people like that. What if I was a bad guy or something?”
The man pulled back his hoodie and ran his fingers through short spiky blonde hair. “You don’t seem that bad to me man.”
Daniel shook his head and reached for his wallet. “Whatever. Just take the Lien and go.”
The man pushed the offered Lien away. “I don’t really need the Lien. I really just needed an excuse to stop you.”
“Stop me?” Daniel asked. His brow furrowed as he studied the man. There was something familiar about him, He could’ve sworn they’d met recently.
“Indeed. We met the other day, but I didn’t have the chance to congratulate you on a job well done. A gunrunning bust tends to make these discussions difficult to have. Wouldn’t you agree Mister Grigio?”
The man’s voice lowered with the last sentence, and Daniel realized who was in front of him. He backpedaled and fumbled for his Scroll. He had to call Greeve before the man attacked him.
“By all means, call up that false leader of yours,” the man said calmly. “We can ensure he can’t come. It’d be a waste of resources on our part though, so I’d prefer if you didn’t try. We just want to talk after all.”
Daniel slowly lowered his Scroll. Something about the man gave him reason to believe him. It was like he had planned for his every move ahead of time. “What do you want?”
“I just said. To talk. And to ask you a question at the end.”
A quick glance around told Daniel that his brief scan of the area had been accurate. They were very much alone. And without his saber or pistol there wasn’t much that he could offer in the way of resistance. He had one trick up his sleeve, but Daniel hadn’t lost control in over six months. The beast had hardly raised its head in that time and that wasn’t a streak he wanted to break.
“Fine, but I’m recording this,” Daniel said. Instead of opening the voice recorder he activated his Aura generator. He felt the rush of energy as it bloomed to life, and with it came a small sense of security. He doubted he could win a fight, but he could at least take the some blows if it came to that.
“Ah. We didn’t know your stolen Aura came with a recording semblance,” the man said.
Daniel shivered. Apart from Team GREYD, Lunare, and the rest of his former team, there were only a handful of people who should know about the generator. As far as he was aware, this man wasn’t one of those people.
“Who the hell are you?” Daniel demanded.
The man wagged a finger at Daniel. “Names have power my ginger friend. We don’t know each other that well yet. Call me Oskar. It’s generic, vague, and completely irrelevant in the grand schemes of the world. For now, at any rate.”
“Okay Oskar,” Daniel said, “What do you want? My Aura?”
Oskar shook his head. “Heavens no. That machine in your back is an innovative parlor trick at best. It’s certainly useful in a pinch, but can’t compare to the real deal.”
“Then what are you here for?”
“In short, you Mister Grigio. Your unique ability gives us a chance at solving the Grimm problem once and for all. That Aura Atlas gave you is a bandage that hides the gaping wound beneath. We’d prefer to fix the wound, not just hide it.”
If the mentioning of his Aura had sent chills down Daniel’s spine, this was like being shoved into arctic water. His breath quickened, and he took several steps away from Oskar. “You work with Glas,” he stated in horror.
For a moment, Oskar looked as surprised as Daniel did frightened. Then realization dawned on his face and he gave a laugh filled with real humor. “Oh, oh my word. You thought that we were allied with, that old man? After all that he did?”
Despite the situation, Daniel’s shoulders sagged in relief. He still didn’t know what Oskar wanted, but at the very least Professor Glas wasn’t involved.
“No, Dr. Glas was only interested in eradicating the Grimm. It’s a noble goal I suppose, but it’s also a horrible one.”
“But if the Grimm were gone, then there wouldn’t be as many dangers,” Daniel said. “Humanity could expand past the kingdoms,
“And with it would come complete anarchy,” Oskar said. “Without the Grimm there is no reason for the kingdoms to exist; not in their current state at least. What good are protectors of the world if there’s nothing for them to protect against?
Daniel frowned as he tried to wrap his head around what Oskar was saying.
“So the Grimm are bad but you don’t want to destroy them? What’s the point of this we you keep saying?”
Oskar began pacing in front of Daniel. “There’s a delicate balance to the world Mister Grigio. We want to preserve that balance, while also shifting it to our favor. You can help make that goal possible.”
Daniel folded his arms. “You want to use me then. Like Glas.”
“Like Atlas. You don’t think your generator was a bit of charity from the bottom of their hearts, do you? It’s a sidelining. To put you out of everyone’s thoughts so nobody considers the greater implications of your ability. You can—"
“Stop,” Daniel demanded. “The only implications of my ‘ability’,” he said using air quotes, “is that I can hurt a lot of people if I don’t control it. If you want to use that I’m not interested.”
Oskar shook his hand at Daniel. “That is a curse by all meanings, despite the marginal benefits it can produce. I’m talking about your other ability. The one that is also suppressed by that generator.”
Daniel knew what Oskar was talking about and didn’t like where the conversation was going. “There isn’t anything else,” he said, taking a step back. “All I get for not having an Aura is this, this stupid beast inside my head!” he tapped his temple, emphasizing his point.
Oskar laughed his shrill humorless laugh and took a step toward Daniel. “Don’t bother lying Mister Grigio, we have access to your records. You probably noticed it during your first mission with Team GREY. How the Grimm that didn’t even notice you until you lashed out at them. Was an Aura really worth loosing invisibility to Grimm?”
Daniel was backpedaling furiously now. “You stay away from me,” he demanded. “I’m not buying this.”
Oskar shook his head. “Come now. Join us and we can put an end to the Grimm menace. In return, anything you want. You could stay in Atlas if you’d like; several of our members are on Atlesian payroll. We could even have you transferred back to Beacon with your old team; an option I’d recommend honestly. After all,” he smirked, “You want to take out a death stalker’s stinger before anything else.”
The cold grimy concrete of an overpass slammed into Daniel’s back, trapping him from moving. Oskar halted as well, watching Daniel’s reaction. “Well Mister Grigio?”
Daniel whipped out his Scroll and hit Greeve’s number. It hadn’t finished the first ring when his leader answered.
“Daniel, what—"
“Greeve I need backup!” Daniel said frantically.
There was a moment’s pause, then a portal appeared to Daniel’s right. Greeve burst from its depths, the wires of his gloves already unravelling to deal with any threat. He glanced over at Daniel to ensure his safety before turning to face the man. His eyes widened, and he slid into a defensive posture. “You,” he spat.
“Good morning Greeve,” Oskar said with a smile. “How’s your mother doing?”
Greeve’s fists clenched and Daniel was certain he was going to attack him. Then they relaxed and he stepped away from the portal. “Daniel get back to the others.”
“Come now Greeve, I was merely talking to the boy.” Oskar said while inspecting his fingernails.
Greeve pointed a finger at Oskar. “You stay out of this,” he demanded. “I’ll deal with you in a moment.”
Oskar paused his inspection and lowered his hand. “Very well then. I’ll leave you with a final parting question Mister Grigio. Whom does the grand Atlesian army serve? the people or itself?”
@0@0@
Rojoe, Ebon, and Yarrow were watching the portal with concern when Daniel fell through, his back awash in flames. He hit the ground screaming and rolled back and forth, desperately trying to put the flames out. Rojoe, who had been filling her tonfas with ice Dust before Greeve got the call, grabbed a handful of the crystals and threw them at her thrashing teammate. They exploded upon contact with the flames and covered Daniel in a thin layer of ice. The fire extinguished, she grabbed a tonfa and struck Daniel in the side. The ice shattered, and Daniel’s body relaxed. He moaned as he lay on the ground, his clothes a charred ruined mess.
“What happened?” Rojoe asked as she rushed to his side.
Yarrow slid off his bed and rolled Daniel onto his back. The skin around the Aura generator was a mass of angry red burnt flesh, the generator was seeping smoke. Yarrow twisted the battery free and examined it. “Battery short; not good,” he said as the battery gave off several angry sparks. “Going through the portal must’ve drawn too much power at once, this baby is gonna blow in a couple seconds.” He tossed it up to Ebon who in turn bent over the back of his bed and smashed it through the closed window. A moment later it detonated outside.
Rojoe tilted Daniel’s head to the side and peeled back an eyelid. “He’s barely conscious,” she said. “Ebon, get the door. We need to get him to the doctors.”
Ebon pounced from his bed and landed at the door. Rojo pulled Yarrow’s mattress from his bed and went to pull Daniel up onto it but Yarrow swatted her hands away. “Wait a minute Ro, let the engineer give the implant a checkup first.”
“Yarrow this isn’t the time,” Rojoe exclaimed. We can check the generator after the doctors see him. He needs medical attention.”
“Which is why I’m making sure his internal organs didn’t get fried,” Yarrow said. “If the fire burned through the insulation, his heart and lungs are in danger. Get some more ice dust, we may need to freeze him again.”
Rojoe did as he asked then watched with Ebon as Yarrow disassembled the generator. The room was silent, save for the occasional moan from Daniel and the clinking of parts as Yarrow removed them, lining them up on the mattress as he went. He pulled a penlight from his pocket and shinned it into the crevasse. After a moment, Yarrow turned it off and reassembled the generator, slotting it back in. he leaned up and let out a long sigh.
“Well?” Ebon asked.
“The insulation is seared but intact,” Yarrow said. “He should be safe to move.”
Rojoe breathed a sigh of relief and helped Yarrow move Daniel onto the mattress. As they lifted the mattress up a portal appeared on the wall and Greeve stormed through it. Haunted Toll was a tangled mess, and there was a groove cut through his hair but otherwise he was unharmed. He inhaled sharply at Daniel’s charred back.
“Greeve what happened?” Rojoe asked before he could speak.
“Never mind that, what happened here?” he demanded. “What’s Daniel’s status?”
“Battery overload,” Yarrow explained. “Generator seems intact, we’re taking Daniel to the doctors right now.” He and Rojoe took a step toward the door as Ebon opened it.
“Wait,” Greeve said.
In different circumstances the command would make them stop out of respect. It’s use in the situation made them stop out of shock.
“What’s the status of his spare battery?” Greeve asked.
“It’s charging, but why do you-” Yarrow glanced over at the spare battery, charging on top of the desk. He motioned to Rojoe to put down the mattress. He moved to stand between the battery and Greeve. “You’re not putting that in.”
“You said the generator was intact,” Greeve said.
“I said it seems intact,” Yarrow corrected. “I’d need to do a complete checkup before turning it on again.”
“Yarrow you’re a technomancer, and you know more about the generator than any of the doctors will. A cursory glance is all you need.”
Yarrow stepped close to his leader, staring him down. “I can’t guarantee it won’t short circuit again. I won’t have that on my conscience.”
Greeve glanced away and conjured a portal. “I’ll take it on mine,” Greeve muttered. Another portal appeared near the desk where a spare battery was charging from a Dust reservoir. He disconnected but Yarrow clamped down on his arm and stopped him from pulling it through.
“Drop the battery Greeve,” Yarrow said firmly. He pushed Greeve’s arm deeper into the portal, his own hands a hairsbreadth away from touching it. Ebon and Rojoe moved toward the two but Yarrow waved them off with his free hand.
“Let go Yarrow,” Greeve said. He tried to pull his arm free, but Yarrow’s grip was unyielding. “You know what happens if you go through.”
“I also know what might happen if you put that battery in Daniel,” Yarrow countered. “So what say you and I,” he said as he pushed Greeve’s arm deeper, “get a little dangerous?”
Greeve immediately let go of the battery. It clattered to the desk, and Yarrow let him pull his hand through. Ebon went and retrieved the battery, putting it into his pocket.
“Greeve, I think we all would feel better if Daniel was treated by doctors,” Rojoe pleaded. “We still don’t know a lot about the generator, we should probably get it looked at before turning it on again.”
Greeve was breathing heavily. His eyes darted around the room, eventually settling on Ebon. Ebon’s tail was flicking and he crossed his arms, glancing down at the mattress.
“Rojoe get the other side of the mattress,” Greeve said in a deadpan tone. “We’re taking him to the infirmary.”
“I really need to stop waking up in beds after a fight,” Daniel said. “It’s not like it’s the manliest of situations.”
“For now your manhood can wait,” Rojoe said. “You’re certain there isn’t anywhere else that hurts?”
“No just my,” Daniel winced as Ebon applied aloe vera to another patch of burnt skin. “My back. It’s like a really bad sunburn.”
“Then you should be safe then,” Yarrow said. He was kneeling on the other side of Daniel from Ebon, removing components of the Aura generator. Greeve stood next to him, supplying tools to Yarrow as he held out a hand. “If it was anything more you’d be in for hell. But a sunburn we can deal with.”
“What about the generator?” Daniel asked. “Can it still work?”
Yarrow frowned and took a hex key from Greeve, using it and a pair of tweezers to remove screws from the housing. “I don’t know Daniel,” he warned. “The insulation kept you from being fried, but the generator wasn’t designed to handle loads like that.”
“How long until it’s fixed?” Greeve asked. He opened a plastic bag for Yarrow, who dropped another screw into it.
“Well, we’re looking at a complete overhaul,” Yarrow explained. “Most of the parts I can get or make on my own, but do you remember those bits in the manual labeled ‘classified, see us if it gets damaged’?”
Greeve sighed. “Let me guess. They’re damaged.”
“Fused, slagged, frosting in a microwave, take your pick. I couldn’t retro-engineer this if I wanted to.”
“Guys, I’m really sorry about this,” Daniel said. “It’s my fault the generator is ruined.”
“Extenuating circumstances,” Greeve said. “Forget about it and focus on getting better.”
Rojoe, Ebon, Yarrow, and Daniel all stopped what they were doing and turned to face Greeve almost simultaneously. Daniel noticed the pause and lifted his head up. “What’s going on?” he asked.
Ebon wiped his hands on a towel and capped the bottle of Aloe Vera. “Greeve never gives us time off for injuries. Yarrow got impaled by a Boarbatusk and you had him running laps the next day.”
“Yarrow has an Aura and functioning legs,” Greeve said. “Right now Daniel has neither.”
“That reminds me; gotta get a new spinal bypass in here,” Yarrow said. “Greeve, make a note of that.”
“I’ll put it on my to do list,” Greeve said shortly. “How close are you to being done?”
“Just wrapping up,” Yarrow said. He finished scraping the sides of the generator with a small knife and fixed the covering over the top.
“Great, I’m starving,” Ebon said standing up. “What was for lunch today?”
“It’s dinner at this point,” Rojoe said. “Mashed potatoes and tater tots were on the menu.”
“Ah, play-doh and ursa droppings, my favorite,” Yarrow said as he stood up.
Rojoe made a face and Ebon slapped Yarrow on the back of the head. The three of them went toward the door but stopped when Greeve didn’t follow.
“Go on ahead, I’ll keep Daniel company until you get back.”
“Now I know he’s not well,” Yarrow said. “Greeve is never sentimental.”
“You can stick the thermometer up his ass later Yarrow, I’m hungry,” Ebon said. He pushed his teammates out the door and shut it behind him.
As the clicking of the latch echoed through the room, Greeve bent down to Daniel’s level. “Daniel, I need you to answer me truthfully. What happened between you and Oskar?”
“You know him?” Daniel asked. He tried to sit up only to let out a swear and collapse in pain.
“Don’t move, just answer the question,” Greeve said. “What did he do to you?”
“Nothing, we just talked,” Daniel answered. “He wanted me to join his group, said he wanted to use how Grimm ignore me if the generator is off.” Daniel took a deep breath before continuing. “Greeve, I think I know what they want with me and it scares me.”
“It should,” Greeve said. “Oskar’s group is nothing but trouble and I want you to keep your distance if he shows up again. His people talk about shifting the balance but all they want is chaos.”
“He said he could keep you from arriving before he talked with me.”
“I don’t doubt it. He has a way of manipulating events to get what he wants. And once you’re in his pocket there’s nothing you can do until he’s done with you.”
Daniel shifted his weight onto his side to get a better view of his leader. “What’s going on Greeve? I need to know if he tries to come for me again.”
Greeve shook his head. “That’s classified. Need to know basis. I’ll see about getting you access but until then keep this quiet. Not even the rest of the team can know about this, understood?”
Daniel nodded and Greeve stood up. “Then we don’t have anything left to discuss. Get some rest, I’ll begin fabrication for your new battery.”
Greeve strode over to the desk and began pulling out tools. Daniel lay back down and closed his eyes. He tried to do as Greeve instructed, to fall asleep and begin to heal.
But try as he might, sleep refused to come. The day’s events swam through his mind. He had hoped Greeve would give him some answers. All he got was more questions. How did Greeve know Oskar? Why did he seem so secretive about them? And the parting question Oskar had left him; whom did Atlas serve?
Sorry for the delay. Last week was finals week and a lot of things came up that made updating impossible. I'd like to say that this won't happen again, but I can't say that for sure. If you want to stay updated, consider following my Tumblr @the-writing-wrenchinator. At least for however long Tumblr remains open.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsWAazIAAg
