Leon was dreaming again.
He'd been having the same dream for a while, different places each time. Today he was in the Anvil, heading down a hallway towards the Gen:Lock room. As he heads down towards the room he slows down, dragging his feet through sludge. As he slows to a near stop he begins to reach out and drag himself by his arms. It isn't until he's inches from the pod in a dark room, his focus only on the pod. Wires, circuits, tubes wrap around his arms until he is being dragged back and when he looks down at the rest of his body it's slowly replaced by electronics pulling him apart bit by gory bit; he began to scream and then-
He's awake. New location. Starting all over again.
It usually starts with him wandering around, and today he passes by Chase and a doctor… Dr Jha? He's pretty sure that is who it is. Instead of wandering past he turns to follow. Can't be worse than the usual nightmare fuel.
"He's doing well, better than we could have hoped. However he shows no sign of waking up." They turn into a room and Leon follows them in despite it feeling like he's dragging through mud.
His focus is drawn to one thing in the space.
It's him; he's laying in a Gen:Lock pod, a face mask over his mouth and a constant scan keeping tabs on his brain and vitals.
This is the first time in a long time Leon thinks, maybe I'm not dreaming.
"So you think something else is wrong?" Chase asked and nodded "I believe we should try a second download. If nothing it may restore more of his mind."
"But I'm right here, what if you download nothing? What if I'm not there too download?" Leon asked. No one could hear him; except the machines, they slipped out of time and he looked over at them. Then down at his hands(The hands in the pod not the ones tangling in his hair.) They had a greenish circuit pattern, partially obscured from view by the edge of the pod.
For as long as Leon could remember he'd always been able to influence technology. When he'd *ethered it so long ago, it had been introduced to him as Technopathy. The ability to influence and control machinery with his mind. In a world of technology and ability it was useful. But it had never been really strong for him, a blip here, a question there, a whisper of information. Not that he was alone with his abilities, it was just so rare to find someone else with them that he'd long given up on knowing more than maybe two others in his life who had abilities on any scale. His by far being the weakest.
Leon darted out of the room, a plan forming in the back of his mind; to where he could feel the Holon he'd used in Chicago. He skidded to a stop in front of the Holon and paused. Seeing it filled him with a sense of both dread and a little bit of hope.
Shaking out of his stupor he started to climb. Up to where the brain casing was, he closed his eyes and placed his hands against the casing of the brain unit. The Cyberdome, the mindframe, e-brain thing unit that housed the minds of the pilots.
He slid slowly into the cyberdome. As he pressed deeper and deeper, he began to feel the edges of his vision fuzz and he closed his eyes.
Leon opened his eyes and saw-
"Migas I swear to god if that's a prank..." Leon narrowed his eyes as the mechanic fumbled the tool in his hands. Migas turned to stare once the tool was put down and out of harm's way.
He honestly wouldn't put it past Migas to prank whoever took over the Holon after he left it(He'd been on the receiving end of the prank once, never again.) Though now he was in it again-
"Leon!?"
"Yes?" Leon looked down, with a sense of triumph. He'd downloaded himself back into the Holon. He flexed his fingers feeling the harsh angles of metal that was his hands. He clenched his hands together before putting one hand on his hip watching Migas.
"LEON!?" Migas put his hands on his head, staring in a mixture of awe and excitement.
"Mig...gas?"
"LEON!" Migas launched himself off the platform right at Leon's face. He brought his hands up to catch the mechanic before Migas latched onto the edges of the metal and began rubbing his face against Leon's.
"I never thought I'd say this but I am so glad you're okay you stubborn asshole." Migas purred rubbing his face against what was the bridge of Leon's nose. It would have been hilarious except...
"I mean, I am also glad I'm alive. But you realize that my face is now four stories in the air?" Leon asked raising one eyebrow at the crazy mechanic.
"Oh! Uh, Uhm...Hm." Migas' eyes widened, and he clung a little bit tighter to the bridge of Leon's nose.
"I got you. I got you..." Leon held up his hands closer to let Migas fall into the palm and then put Migas down on the ground. Migas bolted; Leon watched as he ran out of the hangar. He sighed and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Then winced when it made a scraping sound; right metal on metal. Looking at the people around him, who looked as just confused as he felt nervous. They gave him an equally confused look before he remixed out of the holon to follow.
"DUDE!" Migas was excited, gesturing instead of explaining anything to a very confused Chase and the rest of the Gen:Lock crew.
Leon wandered over, slowly trying not to be seen at the same time as watch Migas' excited gesturing and incoherent attempt to explain. The motion behind the mechanic made the others look up.
"Leon?!" Chase gaped.
"Leon!" Migas shouted jumping up waving at Leon's overlay. "He's-'
That's when the shouting drowned everything else out.