Chapter 22
Masks and PropheciesAlexander stood in Augustus’ living room, waiting for the big man to finish his spellwork. It was a fascinating nuance in what had so far been a fairly comprehensible system of powers. Once he’d gotten over the disbelief. Mostly.
He glanced at what he held in his hands: a demonic mask. Menacing and elegant, its obsidian-like finish seemed to absorb light, while regal golden accents picked out long, sharpened teeth and short, curved horns. Fine trim traced subtle contours, shaping the mask into the look of calm, predatory intelligence.
He reached for the implant and pulled his notifications into view.
[ Veritus Praxis Neuroadaptive Noetic Implant: Series 1 - Ascensus ]
Constitution + 1%
Intelligence + 1%
Processing Speed + 3%
Perception + 1%
Focus + 2%
Technopathy — Control + 2%, Output + 1%, Adaptation + 1%
Electrokinesis — Control + 3%, Output + 1%, Adaptation + 2%
Congratulations, Alexander. Processing Speed Ascension is Inevitable. Continue your Dream.
The interface faded. Alexander shook his head and pulled on the balaclava, then the mask, tightening the straps until it fit snugly. They weren’t custom fits and so it wasn’t perfect, but it would do for now.
He reached outward with his Technopathy, skimming over the room. Mundane devices he ignored, instead tuning in to check out the implants.
Talia’s and Augustus’ were immediately distinct from his and Annie’s, shielded in ways he was starting to associate with the individual’s strength. Not their Strength stat, but something. Annie’s had changed since last he touched upon it. It was still a warm amber glow, like sunlight through honey, but now hardened. Bronze, maybe. It wasn’t cold or hostile, just… tempered.
Talia’s reminded him of Flashpoint’s: rigid, but not angry. Where his had been a red haze, hers was a mirror-smooth surface over deep water, reflective while hiding something vast beneath.
Augustus’ was stranger still. The word fae drifted into Alexander’s mind unbidden. It felt like whispered shadows and secrets, truths dangling just out of reach all the while chasing mysteries only it could hear.
He frowned. Too many questions, not enough answers.
To his left, Annie was already masked. Hers was dull metallic red, streaked with black shadows, sculpted into a sneer that exposed jagged silver fangs. Each tooth was unique, as if taken from different predators. Two curled black horns swept back from her forehead. She caught his look through narrow slits and gave a thumbs-up.
They were both wearing the same clothes they’d had since escaping Frank’s, cleaned as best as they could during their stop at the apartment. But after everything they’d been through, there was no small amount of blood and scuffing. They looked like battle-weary survivors.
He returned it before turning to Talia.
She wore a gray cloak that hid her uniform until it was needed. Her mask was a short-snouted white kitsune with red markings and tall ears, leaving just enough of her lower face exposed for the balaclava to complete the disguise.
Across the room, Augustus conjured the portal. Its shimmering blur began to sharpen, edges crisping and colors bleeding like lights through fog. The man looked sharp: dark navy three-piece suit in muted rust checks, tie neat over a crisp shirt, pocket watch chain glinting at his vest. The flat cap matched the rest of the outfit and was worn with casual confidence. Arcane light flickered faintly through his sleeves in rhythm with the portal.
The gateway stabilized with a hum. Augustus turned. “Ready.”
The others looked to Alexander. Waiting. A weight settled onto his shoulders. The choice to set in motion something that could change them forever, whether for greatness or regret.
He took a slow breath and turned to Annie.
“You’re up.”
For once, Annie only nodded seriously. She jumped through the portal without another word. Talia followed after his glance.
As Alexander stepped forward, Augustus’ hand caught his shoulder. He looked up to meet sincere eyes.
“You’ve got this, kid,” Augustus said, sounding for a heartbeat exactly like Frank. “Look out for them. Trust them to look out for you. That’s what teams do.”
Alexander nodded and entered the portal. Whatever lay ahead, they’d face together.
Everything had been going so well.
They’d emerged beside a disused emergency exit at the back of the station grounds. Cold morning air, damp with fog. The streets were quiet, no alarms had triggered. And nobody to witness them stepping out of a magical hole in the air.
Augustus closed the first portal with a flick, then opened another on the far side of the chain-link fence. It was exactly as he’d explained. At such a short range and within view, the portal was near instantaneous. He stepped through and wandered off with a casual wave, reading his tablet.
From there it was quick and clean. Annie’s finger-lock-picks and Alexander’s Technopathy bypassed every obstacle. He’d shut down cameras and alarm triggers on their route while Annie and Talia swept ahead.
Talia handled the first officer with a chokehold, Annie cuffed him with his own restraints and left him in a locked interrogation room. Reaching the elevator, Alexander had already confirmed Frank’s evidence files hadn’t been digitized or transferred. He shut down the last of surveillance and alarms just in case.
On sublevel two, Talia shed her cloak and walked straight through the checkpoint as an AEGIS officer. The guard inside barely looked up before she entered the security room and dropped him, too. She knelt beside him and pressed two fingers against the man’s temple before buzzing them through.
“He won’t remember me being here,” she said, calm.
Alexander didn’t ask. He was starting to get a better idea of what her Mind Palace might be capable of. From the contemplative look on her face, so was she.
The evidence room was exactly where he’d predicted. It had a reinforced door and ballistic glass windows. And a robust electronic security system requiring codes, biometrics, and multifactor authentication…
He bypassed all of it with a command.
They split up without a word. Talia combed through the shelves, scanning labels faster than anyone else could. Annie cracked open crates with crowbar hands. Alexander stepped over to the lone terminal near the door, flicking through files and scanning databases with his thoughts.
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Then the door opened again.
Two men stepped in. They weren’t officers or staff based on the distinct lack of uniforms and ID tags.
They stopped when they saw the three of them. And just like that, everything that had been going well, wasn’t.
The tall one was wiry and twitching, leather straps creaking with every motion. Dark, disheveled hair hung down over darting eyes that blinked far too often. He hopped from foot to foot, glancing around the room as if trying to track sounds only he could hear.
Beside him stood a short, stocky man with meaty forearms that hinted at real strength hidden beneath the designer-patterned shirt straining to contain his gut. Rings glinted on every finger. Several chains hung around his neck. The man’s fashion choices could only be described as expensive and tasteless, with bright colors and different textures.
The wiry one jabbed a finger at the crates near Annie. “See, boss? What’d I tell ya? The voices were right again! There’s nobody to stop us, and the cameras are all off.” He grinned, twitching. “Evidence is right there, it is.”