So, I'd rather leave this here at the start so it won't be as likely to be ignored.
I meant to post this a whooping ten days ago but I've been busy job hunting, cause I'm Jobless but I haven't reincarnated yet, then I got a really unnecessary ear infection and spent a week half deaf and you get a me that only bothers to imitate a plant being miserable.
I'm better now though, damn ear still hurts at times but I got my hearing back, so there's that, I guess...
Anyway, enjoy the chap and let me know how it turned out, I'm trying to improve the dialogue so the characters don't feel so uncanny but the last seven plus years I spent working corporate, and being ESL the extent of my use of the English language was writing long ass emails, carefully worded veiled insults at idiots at the company and reminding upper management of their particular brand of stupidity when they got creative with their nonsensical ideas that crashed and burned because, and this came as a surprise to them, people are not robots. But that's just me venting, the point is that I'm trying to improve my prose to be more casual and not so squared and bland, hope it comes out okay... ish.
***
As we stood there, under the half lidded gaze of one particularly dexterous mechanic and the measuring eye of the towering Thiren I could only think of one thing.
'So Thirens aren't just anthropomorphized animals, huh? At least not all of them, anyway,' and wasn't that a thought. I got used to in-game models being limited and just using standard body sizes plus certain Thirens like Lucia, Elen or Seth not being particularly large versus others like Ben or Lycaon that even if the seemed standard sized they somehow appeared to be much taller.
As I looked at Big Daddy, I concluded that yes. Some Thirens were bound to be actual beasts compared to your average schmuck because the boar in front of me easily went over two meters in height and Lighter was about 185 centimeters, give or take, and I barely reached his shoulders.
'I suddenly don't feel like meeting Ben fucking Bigger, no matter how mild mannered he seems.'
Being careful not to reflect my inner ragings, I looked at the duo in front of us while Latenna decided to step up at my side while behind us Dane moved Annie behind his legs and Old Nick hugged his wife to his side, "Judging by your somewhat similar coloring one could guess you two belong to a Biker Gang."
"And there's a particular Gang making its comeback with a Boar Thiren at its helm," continued Ratena, her eyes moving from Big D to Piper, who stood two steps behind the Thiren. Half amused and half done with everything already.
"Yeah, well... You yunguns know how it be," casually shrugged the tiny blonde, "things go up, then back down only to rise again. This big fella is currently taking us into that third phase, y'know..." She continued with a carefree pat on the Thiren's side.
Said Thiren simply grunted in acknowledgement of her words, crossing his arms and staring me down. Like, staring staring. It almost would've felt gay for a moment, if I wasn't still reeling after everything that happened and getting blindsided by them showing up so to let off some steam I decided to do something smart and stupid at the same time.
I stepped up to him, looked up at him and returned his stare with one of my own.
It might've been because I came from a fight, my first life-or-death fight ever, but the Ether in my body was restless. Current developments not helping, because a faint haze began to ooze off of me, distorting the outline of my body ever so slightly.
"Let's get to the point," I said after a few seconds into our stare off. "You people seem to know of us, we know of you as well. Now, we're either duking it out or we're talking like civilized people. I don't care which, I vent with one and I calm down with the other." I stood unmoving I'm front of him, almost feeling a physical weight pressing me down.
'Is he Physical aligned, perhaps?'
I could almost feel Old Nick's disapproval at my choice of words, but took care not to voice his opinion in front of them. I'd surely be hearing from him later though.
And logically I knew I need not be so confrontational, but between dying, reawakening, not knowing if I'm Lighter or Lawrence or maybe Lighter Lawrence now? Anyway, then realizing my new reality is an apocalyptic one where corruption is the name of the game and a death cult was rampaging behind high socialites bringing about pain and misery since Hollow fucking Zero already went off, displacing thousands and thousands of people into the still unfinished New Eridu while some of us had to settle for the Outer Ring...
So yes, my apologies if I seem I bit on edge.
I bit my cheek to center myself, "Look, we just came from a clusterfuck. I need to find a damn fox to skin so I can feel better before I start feeling like a human again, so, what can a humble mercenary troupe do for a big bad Biker Gang?" I asked as I forced myself to calm down, the haze around dying off even if Big D and Piper looked on curious about it. Mostly, looked at me up and down curiously.
'Trying to find a well hidden W-Engine, most likely,' I thought to myself, releasing a deep sigh.
Piper, on her part, besides the curious looks and a faint chuckle, just crossed her arms behind her head very casually and looked at the big guy instead.
" You mean Faraday," Big D stated rather than asked. " You won't have any luck. That old fox skipped town for some reason and no one's seen him since yesterday, more or less."
His rumbling voice was calm, even well articulated for someone his size and expectations as a biker in the middle of damn nowhere. And yet, none of that mattered, because that fox had vanished. After giving that death sentence to my crew, without any intention of paying even if they came back. He just handed them a death sentence and washed his hands off them. And now he can't be found.
That alone rankled me the most. I won't find him, not now. Maybe not ever. But if he had something to do with the strange Farbauti fighting each other then he either got himself in bed with the Exaltists or some corrupt cell from TOPs with delusions of fighting Ethereals with Ethereals. So, by sticking close to Phaethon I might get a chance to get my dues since they end up in the eye of every storm.
"Great, ain't that a big fucking surprise..." I settled for grumbling. "He hands out a dea-," I cut off remembering Annie was still here, along with some other children and youths and corrected myself. "Ahem, a crappy job and he ups and vanishes without even paying. Can't even trust the meds he sponsored," I air quoted.
I shook my head, a million thoughts and ideas cruising through my mind. I took a deep breath, a dozen ideas taking form in my mind. I released my breath, a course of action decided upon.
I looked at Ratena by my side, my sister from another mister. I felt Dane and Annie behind us, the pair of siblings not torn apart by death this time. Same with Old Nick and his wife, a man from before the old capital fell and who still remembers Eridu at its peak.
They, like many others, moved to the Outer Ring after Eridu fell. Some even before then thanks to Eridu and New Eridu being constrained in matters of capacity. Many didn't have the means to get their way into the almost certified expansionist success that would become New Eridu because they already struggled during Eridu's time. Many didn't have any other choice than settling in the Outer Ring where lawlessness ran rampant and people did anything to make ends meet.
Dane's parents died during the Fall, Annie barely remembers them. Old Nick and Helen lost contact with their son and daughter and still hold on to hope that they somehow made it into New Eridu. Ratena, she lost her fiance while escaping Eridu, and decided to stop crying about it long ago and fight to live for both of them.
No one lives in the Outer Ring because they have the benefit of choice, unless your name is Luciana Auxesis Theodoro de Montefio that is. Everyone has their own stories to tell and their burdens weighing down on them.
Lighter himself lost his dad and older brother, their mother having passed away when Lighter himself was a kid, and during the mass exodus caused by Hollow Zero's expansion they got separated. In that regard, he's like Nick and Helen.
Holding on to hope that they are alive somewhere in New Eridu or the Outer Ring.
I shook my head again. I've been doing that a lot today, going on tangents and getting trapped in my mind.
"Okay, let's do this," I said with a small clap to break the small tension. "Dane, Tena, Nick, why don't you take Annie and the kids and tell them about our daring adventure and escape today? I'll be with you shortly, okay?" I smiled at them, though it was hardly a suggestion and they knew it.
And they also knew there were too many people still around for anyone to speak freely.
With one last worried glance from Ratena they herded the children away, the adults following along, while Dane's grandiose tale and Nick's amused corrections faded off.
"Okay," I muttered to center myself, "okay. We're doing this. Big Daddy, Piper, come with me so we can speak freely." I turned around, motioning for them to follow along and completely unbothered by the fact that I used their names when they hadn't introduced themselves yet, regardless of how relatively known they may be.
A fact that didn't go unnoticed by the Thiren and the Piper just shrugged off, "Sure, sure, lead the way, young leader," her hand waving off any tension built up by Big Daddy's squinting eyes.
With an amused smile at her expected nonchalance I led them to our base and into what widely functioned as our meeting room, living room and Annie's toy box, as evidenced by the various plushies spread around the sofas like high executives meeting for business.
"Excuse the crowded room," I nodded towards the plushies. "Annie's been watching Mafia movies and recreating some scenes," the fond smile at the tyke's antics couldn't be fought of by Nineveh itself as I gathered the plushies.
Piper, on her part, just looked on amused by my words and took a seat in the freed sofa, Big D doing the same before crossing one leg over the other knee and staring me down as I sat across from them. My elbows resting on my knees and lacing my fingers.
"So, look," I began a bit awkwardly, "I guess you'll be curious by my knowing of your names. After all you're knowing around the Ring, but not that well known. And I'm not exactly known for my banter or smart wordplay." I said while doing my best to look at them despite by nervousness.
"Big Daddy," I looked into his eyes, "you're from the old capital so chances are you heard of some weird stuff happening inside Hollows considering how active Helios Academy must've been at the time. And weirder things are yet to happen in years to come," despite talking in a quiet if clear voice, the silence following my words was deafening.
"Do you understand what I mean by knowing what's yet to happen, Current Leader of the Sons of Calydon and guardian of the Future Leader Caesar King?" I asked pointedly, not mincing my words, or not too much.
The thing is, there were many things I could still correct or change for the better. Has Anby tried to off herself yet to spare Soldier 11 or is their squad still alive? Before I ended up here, there were tales of a snake Thiren that after some twists and turns ended up with N.E.P.S. so I may be able to add another promising member to the gang if the devs bothered enought to give her a backstory. Pulchra could be brought into the fold before her friend vanished with their life savings and avoid having a kitty with a chip on her shoulder.
And with more prominent members from the start, Caesar would have a better time being taken seriously after she takes over. Even better if the Silver Squad is still around and we can mess with that branch of the military.
"I'm old, boy," Big D brought me out of my thoughts, "but not that old. And while not many know of the little brat, she is a known quantity in the gang. You want us to believe your tale, try harder," I could see he was pushing for more, even Piper was intrigued by what I implied.
I was more than happy to oblige.
"Has Billy already mentioned leaving after Caesar's dad vanished and she lost her arm? Only to be replaced by a spare one from Billy, causing her to break things with it by mistake which resulted in Burnice teasing the heck out of her. I can mention a whole lot of things, Big Daddy, Piper, but most of that would mean nothing to you either because you wouldn't know who I mean or is years away still." I leaned back on the sofa, waiting for their response even if I was a nervous wreck on the inside.
"Say we believe you, boy, why tells us?"
I looked up at him, hundreds of justifications running through my mind based on the meta knowledge I had before I shook them off, "Because you're a man with honor. Enough honor to raise your leader's daughter to become the future head of the group instead of just taking over yourself. Because you let a deadly Intelligent Construct go after he said he was tired of fighting and being known as the Calydon Reaper. Because, Big Daddy, you're a man who can see the bigger picture and strives to help the Ringers like your leader once did," my words, even if heartfelt, were almost spilled all over the place. But they were the truth.
Despite everything he was doing or about to do, it's what he already did that makes his character stand out. He didn't abandon a child who lost her father or reprogrammed a valuable Intelligent Construct, he cared for one and let the other find his way.
"And because I know that out of everyone I could tell, besides my crew, you and those that will one day become Caesar's inner circle are the most trustworthy, rambunctious, well-meaning misfits out there," my smile was sincere as I spoke.
"I saw many things while entering the Hollow earlier, many were tragic and I can't do anything about them because they already happened," at this my eyes strayed to the side. Astra Yao, Miyabi, Yanagi and Soukaku, Yixuan, Manato, Alice and Yuzuha. Many tragedies already took place, but many are still in the horizon, even if close at hand.
Pulchra and her runaway friend, the snake Thiren I don't remember much about, Silver Squad...
I turned my eyes back to them, clearing the dark thoughts away, "But there are many that can be still avoided. And doing it will only benefit the Ring and the Sons of Calydon if done right."
I pat my chest for my cigarettes, "You mind?" I asked them and received shaking heads. "You want one?" Same response. With a shrug I lit one up and took a deep drag, blowing the smoke up.
"You know, those three with me? Ratena, Dane and Old Nick, they were supposed to die in that Hollow today," I began explaining. Half truth, half lie, because you never talk about reincarnating or transmigrating or whatever it was called these days.
"I was meant to only find their tags days later after they didn't come back, take I huge loan to give their families or close ones and pay it off by joining the Underground Fighting Ring. But a nagging feeling ate at me and when I entered the Hollow after getting a nasty hit to the head and entering the Hollow something happened and I saw a lot of things," at this point I was half venting but I soldiered on. "And the surrounding Ether messed me up further, because I don't find myself needing some fancy weapon or W-Engine to channel Ether anymore."
I raised my hand and lit it on fire. This would help me explain the fact I don't need extra equipment to use Ether or my throwing prowess when I showed it. As I said, half truths. And Vivian was known for her harrowing visions as well, so some precedent existed even if they didn't know it yet.
They were reasonably surprised, maybe a bit alarmed, when they saw my hand on fire and the glaring lack of a weapon to resonate the Ether with.
I cut the fire off with a shake of my hand and my gaze sharpened, "I also know why Hollow Zero went off," I revealed suddenly, "and who's behind it. And they're still out there, plotting and hiding in plain sight."
This was perhaps my biggest gamble yet. It would either earn me their support or make me seem like a madman with delusions.
And here's the thing, I need their support. The Sons of Calydon can absorb our group and we can use the advantageous bits of my knowledge to get the best deal possible out of every event. When, and if, I become the next Champion of gang, I will be able to further benefit the whole group with my actions being the gang's rather than just a lone agent.
Piper for her part, almost choked on her own spit at everything I just threw at them, "Hold on, hold on hol'on," she stood up in alarm and began pacing back and forth. Her reaction surprised me, I mean, I expected it from Big D instead of her. "What do you mean they are still out there or that they caused the fall of the Old Capital?!" At this point, having her get on my face and grabbing my shirt was so out of character I even doubted what I saw.
I red, gloved hand gently grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, "Young man," Not 'boy' anymore, huh? "You must excuse her reaction. It's the only reaction anyone that lived that day can have after hearing you. Outrageous though it might sound when someone so young says he knows what happens when he barely must've known what a Hollow was." He directed Piper to sit beside him and pat her head. His hand comically large on her head, even if I couldn't find it in me to see the fun of it.
"I'm Lighter, by the way," I said putting out the butt of my cigarette. "I forgot we still don't know each other. And no one knows how weird it all sounds more than me, that's for sure. It was like seeing everything from multiple perspectives besides my own and I'm a breath away from a complete meltdown," the nervous laugh I let out wasn't scripted.
Everything was happening too fast, too suddenly for me to stop and process it correctly. Everyone in the stories I read had a few days of calm, or at least hours, before shit hit the fan.
"Now, I didn't just spill all this just because I wanted to cause problems or I fancy being thought of as weird. And I'm sure many others would've expected me to act upon it and get an advantage," rubbing my hands to bleed off some of my nervous energy helped distract me, but not much so I just shook them off and looked at them.
Piper was leaning forward, elbows resting on her knees and hands half shrouding her face. She looked so intense I almost bit my tongue to calm down. Maybe some of those online about Ether being related to her youthful appearance despite talking and treating others like a granny could have some merit?
Big D, because I vehemently refused to call him Big Daddy in my head, looked almost relaxed but those eyes were too sharp for me to not take his veiled vigilance seriously. I guess old people just have that acquired ability stand there, menacingly...
"I'm sure you had your reasons for seeking us out, but you coming so early into all of... this," I waved my hands absently around us, "gives me a chance I feel I should take and gain a sort of moral compass, and more importantly, resources to act upon the things I saw." I sat down and stared them back.
Now, although I don't have a clear timeline of all the events that took place, I know some of what I could try and see if they already took place. Miyabi wasn't a Void Hunter yet, but that means Yanagi already was taking care of Soukaku, and Asaba should have graduated from the academy along with Seth, so Zhu Yuan was already in the force with Qingyi.
Trigger likely already went through her origin story, Soldier 11 should still be in that facility where they get copy-pasted, can't remember much of Seed and Orphie was likely being created. Can't say I remember everything correctly since I finished my campaign around the time Yunkui Summit pulled a Sound Four from Naruto around the whole city to clear the... Miasma, was it?
So I was bound to miss a few things and hopefully luck out on others. Like maybe finding the snake Thiren that apparently comes from the Ring and finding Pulchra before she loses faith in humanity.
But the biggest payout would be to find the Silver Squad before they are wiped out and find a way to get Soldier 11 from the lab she stayed behind in thanks to over training. Despite everything, this wouldn't be too complicated.
The whole experiment was too expensive for so little results, and the chance of people from New Eridu finding out about unethical cloning facilities and discrimination against the clones themselves would have the most vocal civil and online warriors rising pitchforks and torches against the Defense Force as a whole. Not to mention the media until TOPs attempted to sweep it all under the rug.
The Mayflowers are still a mystery though. They could be as much a grey coloured ally as they could be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
But back to the point, Hoshimi Miyabi wasn't a Void Hunter. That means that Argos Hollow would soon expand, TOPs would try to blow the Shiyu Pillar and Miyabi would refuse. Strongly so. Then wrap it all up in three minutes and found Section 6 to use her new influence to find information about the fall of the old capital, where her mother died via family sword.
If someone were to tell her a cloning facility was found and would soon terminate the test subjects to cover it all, that should get her going, right? More so, if she were told that info on the culprits of the Fall could be exchanged for support.
Having decided on my course of action, no matter how morally questionable it may be, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Released and looked at them.
"Argos Hollow is about to go critical and expand. We will get a new Void Hunter out of the deal. Said new Void Hunter can help us right a wrong that, unless changed, could snowball years into the future. And I'm taking about a dozen, maybe more, lives being rescued from a suicide mission. I want to change this and many more things, but I'm just one man and can only be in one place at a time. And I know I'm rambling and talking at you more than to you, but there's too much going on up here," I dragged my hands down my hair and face, trying to find a miracle non-existent answer in the ceiling.
With a deep, soul weary sigh I laced my fingers with my arms resting on my legs and looked at them. Both exhausted and very motivated to make things harder for a lot of assholes out there, "As I said, I know how it all sounds and I know I may not be able to change everything. But I saw so, so much that I can't change and I want to do all I can to change whatever I'm able to. Would you wait to hear news from the city about Argos and our new resident Void Hunter before you go writing me off as an Ether Corrupted nutjob?"
"Lighter," Big D's voice was a touch softer, but still as firm as before, "how sure are you about what you said regarding Argos Hollow?"
For a moment he seemed to hesitate, glancing at Piper whose eyes didn't stray from me, and sighed, "And about the reason why Hollow Zero swallowed Eridu?"
"Very," was my monosyllabic, short answer.
I may be unsure about many things because the timeline was never officially recognized, but what already happened and was about to happen I could more or less guess because early game I decided to no-life the game lore so Miyabi was a certainty because she wasn't known as the youngest Void Hunter yet.
Big D was silent for a moment, scratching his grey beard while Piper closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "And the old capital, who was it that caused the tragedy, young Lighter?"
There was something in her voice that reminded of grandpa talking about the old times, like Vietnam war old times.
I sighed and decided to answer honestly, for the most part, "A death cult. They go by the name Exaltists and follow a mysterious leader known only as The Creator, who they revere as some sort of Messiah. They believe Hollows are meant to swallow the world and we'll all be equal once refined by this Creator in them. And by refined, I mean that they will create a serum that induces a powerful Ether Corruption process and turns the person into a powerful Ethereal.
"It wasn't clear to me, but a woman called Carole Arna seemed to help them, the Carole Arna everyone blamed for the Fall, but she wasn't an Exaltist. More like someone that saw a means to an end and decided to go for it."
I shook my head for the next part, "She had two foster kids, siblings, that survived the Exaltist attack on Helios Academy where Carole was kidnapped by some giant white hand and they decided to become Proxies to find answers and clear Carole's name. They go by Phaethon now."
"Wait! That Phaethon? The up-and-coming Proxy everyone is talking about lately?" Huh, that seemed to surprise her more than anything I said until now. Is it because Phaethon is a renowned proxy while the Exaltists could be made-up by me?
"Yes, them. I know who they are and where they live. But forgive me if I don't disclose that information without their consent," I put my foot down on that.
I wanted to build rapport with them, and revealing their identities wouldn't help that.
"Hmm," that rumbling came from Big D, "and what do you intend to do if you did manage to change all, or most of it, for the better? What's your goal?"
"What? You mean beside helping people I saw suffer and die?" The question almost offended me, and yet, part of me could understand the angle he was working.
A random guy saves lots of people, gives them a better chance and they feel indebted to help back and before long, a new faction of seemingly notorious individuals starts making waves.
"Look, I get where you're coming from, I really do. But after everything I saw, everything I witnessed, my main concern is my crew, the Sons of Calydon and the Outer Ring. In that order," I calmed down, reaching for another cigarette while clearing my throat to fill the empty space where none of us said a word.
"However," I said uncertainly, "if my crew were to be absorbed into the Sons of Calydon, then my first and main concern would be the gang as a whole and I'd do my damn best to earn the Red Scarf in exchange once Billy leaves for the city. Having more capable and outstanding people join the Ring, join the Sons of Calydon, would be a byproduct of my actions. Even more so, if the gang saves them as opposed to me doing it alone. Wouldn't you agree?" And that right there was the best bait I could come up with at the moment.
I know his concern is that if I savedthose people and began turning into a rival party, Caesar would have problems. Likely in the same way she clashed with Pompey.
But that wasn't my thing, more like the original Lighter I didn't do well at the helm, at best I could be second in command but never a leader. So leading my own faction was out of the question, instead point me in a direction and let me loose and I'll get results.
'The fact that the girls were cute and Caesar was a cinnamon roll, shojo loving, shonen protag, Burnice I lighter version of Harley Quinn and Lucy your average tsundere princess didn't influence my decision to still become the Champion. It's just all part of a plan. Definitely...'
I took a drag from my cigarette to get a moment to gather my thoughts and spoke as sincerely as could while spewing a while lot of bullshit, "Look, I know you don't know me, but I know you. You, Big Daddy, paid for the rest of my debt with the loan sharks and took me in. After Billy left and Caesar took over I did my best to be a good Champion for her, I even became known as the Undefeated Champion. But you once told me "Overwhelming force can solve many problems in the Outer Ring, but no all of 'em.""
I looked at them both and channeled every bit of composure I had sure the next part, I had to sell my act. Fake it till I made it, "To you both, I'm a no name mercenary, but right here?" I thumbed my heart while a haze surrounded me, my half consumed cigarette burning to ashes in my fingers, "Right here I'm Lighter, Undefeated Champion of the Sons of Calydon under the leadership of Caesar King. And everything I do is for the sake of the people who gave me a home and a goal after I lost mine, so you can be sure that while all I said I want to do will sooth my conscious, the fact it'll lead to a greater and more solid group for Caesar once she's ready is my main concern."
I turned my eyes to Piper, "As for you, Piper, I know you as the aunt of the group. You helped transport the materials for the weapon you all gifted me with, another future member bought them, Burnice came up with the fuel to power it, Caesar took care of tuning it and Big Daddy ordered it all. With that weapon in hand I became a bastion for the group, a bastion no one ever got past."
I looked at them both, "This might be too much for the first time we met, but if nothing else, wait until the awarding ceremony Miyabi won't attend before you decide if I'm worth the effort and invitation."
For a moment no one said a thing, which scared me more than I care to admit, and there probably was a better way to go about things but if I wanted to save Anby and the rest of Silver Squad then I'd take my chances instead of letting things play out. My apologies to Nicole in advance if I manage to get away with it, but maybe we could work something out where both parties win. She loved money, and steady money wasn't a chance she'd pass up on.
For a straight minute nobody said a word, I almost regretted burning my cigarette but I shook that feeling off. Things might've begun a bit rockier than I'd have hoped, but if I needed to LARP as the real Lighter for a few days before attributing my more common quirks and average change in behavior to the "visions," then I'd do just that.
"Very well, then," rumbled Big D standing up, Piper following suit after a quick look at him. "We will table this conversation after we see if what you said comes to pass. If it does..." He seemed to debate with himself for a moment, "If it does, then you can consider you and your crew as probationary members of the Sons of Calydon."
Piper seemed to hold her breath for a moment, and I couldn't help but wonder how much the reveal of the Exaltists' as the culprits of the Fall affected her, "What about those people you said would be sent on a suicide mission? What happens to them?"
"They are clones from a genetic sample with the intention of creating some sort of super soldier. They created over a dozen of them, but the ones... considered defective are put to work as paper pushers while the more combat ready are deployed. The one designated as Soldier Zero is the closest they got to the real thing and any that came after don't measure up to her, so they intend to assign them a mission into the Hollow where they'll die while keeping Soldier Zero in the lab as the only survivor."
"And what happens to this Soldier Zero?" Piper pressed on, almost worried, while Big D looked on in silence.
"She takes the place of Soldier Eleven in the mission after she overtrained and couldn't attend and is the only survivor they knew of at the time. The researchers then order Soldier Zero to... terminate Soldier Eleven," at this I could see Piper clench her fists but didn't speak up, "but she terminates herself instead, in an attempt to save her sister. Then they dispose of her body close to the old capital where someone finds her, somehow still alive and takes her to New Eridu."
I stood up and walked up to them, "I want to avoid everything from happening. I have no guarantee that everything will happen as I saw it and someone will find her, and I'd rather save the lot of them if I can. A halfway rogue cell of the Defense Force is working on it, and if we could work together to locate them, get support from the future Void Hunter and raid them, we could save them all. I can't do it alone, not if I want to save them all, and I know they are operating somewhere in the Outer Ring where they can take more liberties with their operations, so having more locals find the facilities before approaching Miyabi with the information will make it more likely to have her support and that of the people she handpicked."
I laid my cards on the table, hoping for the best while a nagging voice in my head feared the worst.
Piper turned to look at Big D instead, no saying a word but the way she crossed her arms, as if holding herself from speaking up, said it all.
He seemed to arrive at the same conclusion, "Fine, the Sons of Calydon will begin to look after this mystery research facility. If we do hear of this Hoshimi Miyabi being selected as a Void Hunter, you can be sure we will drive in droves across the Ring. We will also facilitate contact with the Void Hunter, but it will be up to you to convince her." Just how would they- "Don't ask how, just be ready for it when it all becomes necessary. Who are the people you know of that work with her?"
"Okay, fine," I agreed to his secrecy. "She will create the Hollow Special Operations Section Six, including Tsukishiro Yanagi as her second in command, Soukaku who is Yanagi's ward and Asaba Harumasa as her inner circle. Yanagi comes from the Defense Force while Harumasa graduated from the Public Security Training Academy and then joined H.A.N.D. where he is currently an Executive Officer along with Miyabi."
At some unsaid queue we walked to the door, "Make of the extra information what you will once you try to contact them."
Before long, we had exited the building in silence and walked to their vehicles. Piper power walked to her truck and seconds later the engine came to life.
"Look, Lighter, her story is hers to tell. If you know of it then you have an idea and if not, well... Anyway, what I meant to say is, she used to be part of the Force and lost many friends to the Fall thanks to peculiar orders. A convoy driver, she was in her time, beyond that tidbit you take it up to her." He was a bit apologetic for the blonde's silence as he kisckstarted his bike, but if she had been part of the Defense Force, even as a convoy driver with limited action, I could understand why Anby's situation would hit her the most.
"I'm not bothered by it, Big Daddy," I shook my head as I moved to the side of the road, giving them space to depart. "Everyone's got at least one skeleton in their closet, I get it. Look, we have anywhere from one day to maybe a few weeks, that gives us time to look around for a facility or people that shouldn't be there and we'll go from there. I still have to talk to my team, the ones you saw earlier, and the others in my company about a possible merging. Oh, and if you get the chance, try building a working relationship with Phaethon. You won't find a better Proxy and they know people. Or will know people... You get what I mean," I shook my head and extended my hand.
"For now, just know that you will see me in Blazewood after the Argos Hollow debacle is finished, sound good?"
"If you get that right, you and I will need to sit down and have a long talk about what you remember, Lighter. I'll hold you to your words from earlier. 'Benefitting the Sons of Calydon and the Outer Ring' was it?" He revved his bike a bit in preparation, and probably signaling to Piper to get ready, after shaking my hand. "Stick to your word, help us improve the conditions in the Outer Ring and we will help you in what we can."
Without waiting for an answer he drove away with Piper's truck close behind, a small hand lazily waving goodbye.
And now I had even more to talk to my team about, wasn't that a riot... How do you tell someone they would've died and left family and friends behind?
And I still need time to have my very own freak out session.
Isighed and got ready to have the same conversation twice, but with less details perhaps, with my team this time.
This is why leadership isn't my calling...
*****
So here it is, Lighter goes out on a very dubious limb trying to get support from Big Daddy, Piper gets a bit on light shed on what I'm making her past out to be and it seems the Sons of Calydon, or at least Big Daddy, have some contacts in the city to reach a new Void Hunter.
It is my idea that Leaps and Bounds is already in operation before Caesar takes over and the new generation just improves upon an already existing front. And as I logistics company you get to work for, and with, many people from various walks of life so they could know someone that knows someone that can pass a message along until it reaches someone like Yanagi, a previous Defense Force member, who then tells Miyabi about it.
I also know some might not like the idea of Lighter spilling his guts to Big Daddy and Piper, but if you had foreknowledge of the plot and knew they were some of the most trustworthy people around, adding on the need to have someone to talk to after so much happened, wouldn't you take the chance? Like talking to your best friend or family about something weird that happened to you.
Anyway, he won't mention it to everyone he meets. I intend to keep the list of people who know of his "visions" to just Big Daddy, Piper and his crew, the latter as his inner circle and the former two as his realist moral compass of how much he can or can't change. Voices of reason, if you will.
Without further ado, I'm off. I managed to get an interview tomorrow and I'm trying not to get nervous.
Wish me luck, I'll need it.