Thermion
Moonrise Palace
"No definitive proof at all, Director?" Octavian asked, though he already had the answer from the man's face.
"Unfortunately not, Your Grace. Every piece of evidence we could gather points to the fact that he never left the hospital."
"What are your orders concerning the protests?" the prime minister asked.
The vigilante's destruction of the table was followed by a massive evidence file released to the network. The illegal dealings of the organization were laid before the public: assassinations, bribes, smuggling, and the protection rackets.
The citizens of Aurum City were quick to march to the mayor's palace and the locations the vigilante had not touched. The city guards did not have a chance against the furious crowds. To avoid any incidents, they were ordered to only act to provide protection to the emergency service units.
"Let them run their course. Make a press conference but avoid any overly hostile remarks against the vigilante," he ordered. That vigilante had just become a hero in the people's eyes. Promises of arresting the perpetrator would be laughable without any idea who they were targeting.
Swearing to resolve this event within the boundaries of law would be a preferable commitment.
"Understood."
"Dismissed, unless there is anything else."
The Prime Minister gave a small bow and left. He ended the call with the director of RIA and was left alone in the room with his wife and eldest sons.
"A ghost of a vigilante left a trail of corpses and burned buildings in his wake, and we don't even know where to point fingers."
"We are going to look like fools."
"If you two are sure it is Thairon, then isn't there anything you can do at all?"
"We know he is the one responsible. We just can't prove it. If we go and accuse a member of the royalty, it will only serve to damage our prestige."
"What about Skyler and Kael? Maybe the RIA can learn something from them."
"They tried." Octavian knew it would be futile. These two would never sell Thairon for any reason and were too quick-witted to deceive. They had stuck to the same rhetoric to the end.
"Then we should focus on damage control. Redirect the public attention to the Table and their crimes, away from the fact that our law enforcement failed," Meran said. Public opinion was ever so malleable after all.
Octavian smiled at his eldest. A mirror copy of him in both looks and mind, he truly was proud.
Leander was not to be outdone, quickly adding his piece. "Have all the news channels and social media pages release the same news. Saturate public perception while sneaking in bits about the illegality of the vigilante's actions."
"Good suggestions, both of you," Leonora said, her voice lighter than it used to be minutes ago.
Octavian turned his attention to the report the RIA had received from the RIC Committee.
—
Aurum City
King Roland Hospital
"Get in," he said, opening the doors.
"Holy… What the heck is this car? Never saw anything like this before," Skyler said with a breathy voice, laying his hands on the sleek, silver vehicle. It reminded him of a large cat ready to strike at a prey. Larger than its contemporaries to make space for Thairon's size, it was a spacious vehicle.
Kael was in the same state, walking around the car to examine every single part. Smooth edges, with a low chassis that looked as if it were gliding. The neon blue lights sliced the panels apart along the hood and the sides.
"Custom-made." It was a gift for Skyler, left rotting in the labs while he was trying to repair the damage to his body.
"I want one," Skyler said, unaware it was technically his.
"Me too." Kael jumped in.
"Fine. Just get in."
Kael had strategically positioned himself to take the front seat, while Sky glared from the back seat.
"One would think this wouldn't be anything impressive considering what you have on your wrists," he grumbled. He never saw the appeal of cars, though; it could be because he always had personal
"This is different. The purr of an engine, feeling the machine push past the limits of what a human is capable of, cutting through the wind. The magic is in the journey, not in reaching your destination with a snap of your fingers."
"Very poetic, but he is correct."
"Where to first?"
"I am starving. How about lunch first?"
"Sure," he said. It was Kael's day after all.
The car drove silent and smooth. With real-time satellite connection and Nax' access to the traffic systems, he charted the fastest paths.
His little brother knew the city inside out. The best spots for each of the most popular foods, the locations worth seeing where it wouldn't be crowded by tourists, and the famous attractions.
Nothing amused his younger brothers more than the attention he received from females. He resorted to buying a cheap cap and sunglasses after the fifth time a woman tried to give him her number.
"You know, I think it was better when I was the chick magnet," he said after swallowing the spoon full of ice cream.
Sykler pointed at Thairon with his utensil. "You enjoyed it. He doesn't."
"Good thing his girlfriend doesn't know about this." Kael nudged Skyler with his elbow. "He'd be in trouble otherwise."
"Maybe we should take him to a doctor. Get him checked out."
Thairon growled, though there was no bite to it. "How about I check you two into that ice cream machine?"
"I'll pass. Zero-calorie nuts and I don't get along well," Skyler said. An allergy that was passed on to him from his mother, Thairon had already treated it. He still didn't like eating it due to almost dying last time.
"I," Kael raised a finger, "could be persuaded if it came with chocolate."
"It will come with a lot of pain."
Kael scrunched his face. "Maybe later."
"Changing the subject before you kill us. I finally made up my mind on what to take," Skyler said. He had taken his time choosing. Unlike Kael, he did not have prior experience to help him reach a decision.
"Go on."
"Gravity plus hyper speed," he said. Or Graviton and Velocity Segments, as Nax had named them.
"Sure."
"I can't help but wonder. How did you even create these powers?" Skyler had a better grasp on science than Kael, but he could not wrap his head around these upgrades.
He thought he should be over the moon, knowing he was about to receive post-human powers. Yet, he was too calm about it.
Perhaps he didn't feel anything due to the unreality of the situation.
"I was searching for a way to supply enough energy to my body. DNA strands to draw energy from higher, untouched dimensions led to the Continuum and Graviton Helix strands. I tried to rewrite reality to increase the energy my cells could produce; I ended up with the Veil Sequence. None would work without a fusion reactor the size of a car," he explained. He considered
"Damn."
"How did you fix your condition then?"
"I found the arrival point and managed to chart a path to a dying universe rich with time particles gathered in clusters for easy harvesting. Some subatomic sculpting on my DNA, and I can now produce chronon particles that keep my body in a temporally locked state," he said.
There was only so much he could shrink a reactor and put enough fuel in it. Living with a mechanical part that would be an easy target did not fill him with joy either.
"Which bypasses the need for continuous energy production entirely," Skyler said, forgetting to breathe.
"You're a brilliant, brilliant man." Kael reached across the table, trying to hug Thairon. His face met the older man's palm, and he was pushed back to his seat.
"The rest is a matter of gathering enough energy to use your powers. The temporal segment is coded to always lock on a higher state of energy."
"We have to eat a lot then," Sykler reasoned, but he couldn't get something else out of his mind. "Can we store enough with chemical energy alone?"
"No." Thairon shook his head. "Since I just extend my consciousness through electrical arcs, I don't need much energy; food in great quantities makes up for it."
"I am simply going to charge you two with the fusion reactor after the gene modifications are over."
"Huh. Nice," Kael said. He didn't know about being electrocuted with a fusion reactor, but if his brother said it was safe, then it was.
"Are there no drawbacks, though? You just create unlimited energy like that?"
"There is. Chronon radiation builds up due to the temporal lock. In small quantities, it does nothing. In large amounts, it causes time to break down. Localized loops, rewinding, forwarding, speeding up, or slowing. Anything could happen."
He took a breath. "I am working on something to use that radiation as more energy."
"You just said fuck you to the laws of physics," Skyler said as their drinks arrived.
"It wasn't easy. I almost died for it."
Kael raised his glass towards Thairon. "To you, the greatest mind, and more importantly, the greatest brother on this planet."
"To you," Skyler joined.
He raised his drink as well.
—
"Here," he said, uploading the cyber key to Skyler's bracelet while gesturing to him to take the wheel.
"You are giving it to me?"
"It was yours anyway. I just forgot to hand it to you."
He pointed a finger at Kael, who looked ready to make love to the car. "I'll send you one soon."
"Are you in a hurry for something?" Skyler asked, suddenly worried.
"I have a date tomorrow."
Kael clamped a hand over his mouth, a strangled laugh escaping. Skyler averted his eyes, whistling a merry tune.
Then both broke into laughter.
He cuffed them behind the ears before teleporting away.
—
Kael parked his new car in the field reserved for the beach manager. Before his brother handed him the means to teleport like it was not a big deal, he used to take public transport.
The morning after their celebratory trip in the city, he was ready to go back to work. Just as he left the door, he saw a brand-new car, the same one Thairon had handed to Skyler, sitting outside his apartment.
Naturally, he took the car to work.
Taking the back door to his office, he froze. They were removing his name tag from the wall, and his office supplies were being moved out.
"Hey, what is going on?" he asked, seeing the local director of the Lusar Management Services.
"Kael? You are back?" Maylan turned to him, shooing the workers away.
"I am. Again, what is going on? Why are they moving my things out?"
Maylan winced. "Come in; the best I can do is explain it in private." He gestured at Kael to follow, taking him inside the drink storage.
"Listen." Maylan laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's nothing against you, but Arlene and her family dying right after she almost killed you, and not to mention this whole vigilante business, got the upper management spooked. I don't know what exactly happened, but apparently, someone heard something, and they want you out."
"You can't be serious," he said, staring at the older man, expecting it to be a joke.
"I am. I tried to tell them that this was unnecessary, but RIA agents came to take the recordings we have, citing royal business with a court order. My hands were tied after that."
Of course the fucking RIA would come. "That's it? I am fired like that?"
"You are getting your severance pay and everything promised in the contract in case of a termination without probable cause," Maylan said. It was cold comfort to Kael. He had spent three years making the beach into a place for everyone, only to be fired like that.
"Take care, Maylan." He turned around with those words.
"I know it doesn't mean much, but I am sorry I couldn't do more."
He left without looking back, taking the boxes he cared about.
At least he didn't have to consider how he was going to juggle the beach business with his future adventures.
It still hurt.
—
Back in his car, he drove away without waiting; boxes moved to the back seats. He waited, hands on the steering wheel, gazing at the blank screens inside the vehicle.
He drove away.
He tried to distract himself, looking at the date of his thesis defense. Now that he was unemployed, he could fully focus on it.
He was about to embark on a different kind of life where it wouldn't be useful. Perhaps he should consider just leaving it all together. He scowled and drove home. Just three more days wouldn't hurt anyone.
—
Glassport
He checked himself on the holomirror, ready to go out. There were no ruptures in sight, and he didn't have anything urgent to deal with.
With a thought, he was gone.
—
Meltral
They would be meeting at a mall. Since she was the one taking him out this time, she had chosen something more mundane. After the events of the last date, he agreed it was a nice change.
Appearing between trees with cameras in sight out of action, he strolled toward the building. She was waiting at the entrance. He noticed her unique, vibrant hair coloring among the sea of people swarming the mall in an instant.
"Hey," she waved, a smile blooming on her face. Unconsciously, he felt his lips rise in return.
"Morning," he said, taking a page from Kael's book and landing a light kiss on her knuckles.
"You too. Come on, let's get breakfast." She wrapped her arm around his and dragged him forward.
"Lead the way."
"How is your brother doing?"
"He is fine. I cleaned up his system. The doctors released him yesterday; we even went to have a small celebration."
"That's good to hear," she said, her steps slowing down. She seemed to be far away but shook her head to return to the moment.
"Got a special place for breakfast?" He tried to distract her, and she smiled, welcoming it.
"Special for me, at least. I always have breakfast there whenever I get the chance. It's like a slice of home here."
He took a seat, letting her order for him. Conversation flowed as they waited, starting with the censer in the room.
"How did you do it? I get the cameras, but to erase memories? Lots of people are freaking out." It did not take long for the RIC to realize their mysterious savior was the vigilante who had carved a bloody path in Aurum City.
"The device releases a photonic energy wave from me. People don't see it, but it disrupts their memories so anyone who sees me can't remember what I look like."
"You are one scary genius," she muttered.
Just in time, the first part of their breakfast arrived.