A.N: It's strange to think that this is only my first Huntik fanfic after almost 7 years of being a avid fan of the series. Inspiration for this piece came from a Brahe figurine I received from a Huntik figurine packet and Brahe's wiki page. I always thought it was related to Metagolem somehow (who wouldn't?) and in fact the wiki states that rumour has it in the Organisation that Brahe came from Klaus' experimentation with Metagolem. So he's sort of a mutant right? How did he feel after he was morphed into something else? After all, Titans have a mind of their own and being experimented on by the Organisation's maddest scientist can't be pleasant. What about the Foundation Seekers eager to examine Klaus' creations and 'pets'. And exactly what became of Klaus and his Titans? Did Zhalia ever meet Klaus after she came back from her Blood Spiral undercover mission?
Well, some of those questions will be answered here. I might do another one-shot that goes further, because I feel like the series didn't really do our beautiful Zhalia justice, in the sense that she seemed like a figurehead, just another skilled Seeker in he team with no hint to her future after Season 2.
Thanks for reading this rambling lelz. Hopefully the actual piece doesn't seem as long winded as this. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: If I owned Huntik, I wouldn't be writing a disclaimer.
Perhaps a cotton jacket would have served me better for the cold that was biting at me. The inside of the Foundation headquarters wasn't supposed to be a frosty wonderland; Tersely was doing fine with a thin vest coupled with one of his off-to-the-market shirts. It was something else entirely, sending shivers running down my spine as I walked along the polished white corridor, which had lingered around me long before, and then during the flight from Venice to New York. Tersely's enthusiasm had completely wiped away his social awkwardness, currently eager to show off everything he had learnt, in the comfort of his territory. Yet neither that nor his warm greeting earlier were enough to chase my unsettledness away
His chattering continued as we entered the lift. Nothing will go wrong, I assured myself. Nothing will go- Oh, who am I kidding? Anything could happen, and I would just have to deal with it.
[Flashback start]
"Well, smash the amulet with a hammer or something. One of the good ol' methods is sure to work," I suggested snarkily. But really, the Foundation had a shitload of devices at their disposal. If there was a way to coax Brahe out, one of the researchers would have succeeded long ago. The fact that I had been called up was a blatant display of their desparation.
A very unlike Tersely sigh slid through the phone. "If you'd stop using your sarcasm to avoid the problem and let me finish explaining, that'd be great."
Well, serves the little sneak right for calling me while I was about to settle down on Netflix. I kept silent and that was taken as the 'Go on' signal for him to continue.
"We've classified him as dormant. Not that rare of a case, but we haven't had such a case for a long while, and this had been a particularly difficult one. Most dormant amulets are bonded within dats if we get similar Titans or similar class Titans to interact with the amulet. The dormant amulet would then finally start glowing and if a competent Seeker approaches it or carries it along in battles to show his or her prowess, it will allow bonding. Or at least come out and wreck something, since getting angry is better than no resposne at all, which is when we can restrain it or examine it elsewise."
Surrounding Brahe with other Litho-Titans? If he had actually shown himself, it would have been a mini world war wherever they invoked him. You didn't want almost 2 tonnes of rock giant flouncing around you without a care in the world. Months since the battle with Klaus and they were still struggling with this? Memories pushed their way past the many layers I had chained them with, already seeping through. Before I could leap into the trench of sorrow opening up, Tersely's squawk brought me back.
"That's the short version. I could rell you loads more but that's what you need to know for now. With his past Seeker being evil, Brahe isn't very open to other Seekers, much less Foundation ones. A real tough nut. So, we were hoping… You know…"
Yeah, I did. They thought I was the only one who could drag Brahe out of his dormant state. But not because of my skills. Because of my history with him.
"I get it. You think I'm the best choice for this. With my connections."
The emphasis I placed on that last word seemed to have rouse some form of guilt within him as he sucked in a breath, an audible wince. "I could phrase that better, Zhalia. But you don't buy sugared words, and that's pretty much what we're asking, in a much cruder way."
Silence ensued thereafter and I realised I hadn't answered his request. There was a soft clicking of metal on Tersely's side, from his nervous fidgeting, the usual meddling of his glasses.
Rejecting would mean chickening out. From that, the answer was obvious. The real qestion here was: 'How?'
Tapping my finger on the arm rest, I pondered for a while before asking, "How's the holographic tester coming along?"
"What? Uh, erm." Caught off guard, Tersely stuttered like the awkward nerd he was. "Oh, that! It's doing great! We tried it out yesterday, actually. The proto-type had massive glitches, as you probably heard, but it can now withstand such power and weight! You see, when we inserted this chip into the- "
"Alright, alright. I'll be using it then."
"Uh, Zhalia, about Brahe?"
I rolled my eyes. "He'll be in the holographic tester with me, duh. If I'm going to be bait for him, might as well do it in a place with rainbows and unicorns and whatever rock giants like, right?"
Unsurprisingly, he took awhile to register what I was trying to communicate. "Uh, of course. Whatever you need. Brahe is a really new thing for me, so thanks for agreeing. No way am I giving up on this guy!" Before I could chip in a jab at his enthusiasm, he continues. "It's in New York though. Both Brahe and the holo-tester. So- "
"I'll be there in a week," I cut in impatiently. "Call me when you've found the timing or flights or whatever. Or text me the details. Alright Tersely, you've been great, you're the man, thanks and bye!"
If he had wanted to protest, he didn't get the chance because I had already ended the call. Drawing in a deep breath, I leaned back into the armchair. Thank god that was over with. Hopefully he'll classify that as my usual short tempter and not sense that I was avoiding out of fear. As much as I agreed willingly, there are so many Titans I'd rather face in battle than my adopted father's closest partner.
Wait. New York. That meant Dante. A very preoccupied Dante who was still involved with cleaning up the mess the Blood Spirals left, but still Dante. Whipping up my phone once more, I scrolled through the contact list. Hopefully I could have some form of comfort before I dove into that holographic tester.
[Flashback end]
"Basement five, research centre and holographic tester," a feminine but robotic voice rang out as the doors opened slowly, ominously. Tersly waved animatedly like an excited schoolboy, before I shot him a look hat made him compose himself. Another spick and span corridor later, the endless pure white opened to a couple of doors that led to the control room.
And the lack of a certain redhead.
Of course, I should have known my crawling to him for assurance wouldn't have pulled him out of his work. Or maybe I just wasn't worth his time. I should have known.
Suppressing the incoming rising frustration, I managed a smile at the researchers at the control panel who nodded at me when I ended. While a couple didn't smile back, a dark skinned brunette with her hair in a bun grinned at me. "Don't mind them, it's been a hard week for us all."
Noticing my surprise at the larger than expected group of researchers, Tersly rubbed his nape in embarrassment. "We've all been eager to find out more about him. It's been awhile since we got such a challenge."
I merely gazed at the door and then the glass panel, which revealed a humongous grey room, not yet lighted up, with high ceilings and extensive travellators not yet turned on. Then again, I wouldn't be using them. I stared pointedly at the friendlier researcher, who inserted some kind of disk into a slot in the panel – I had to find out how that thing worked later – and illuminated the room.
Seeker magic was never something to be underestimated, but even I was impressed by what lay before me. Just as I had requested, a wide field blanketed what had once been a lifeless training room, an array of green and orange spreading over the grass and the trees lining up the edge. I could almost hear the birds chirping and the wind rustling despite neither avians nor wind being seemingly present. Tersly had tried to explain how the holograms worked with the help of magic and technology, and how it would feel, but it came out as a splutter of jumbled words, and he ended up stating that he would explain when I was here. And I hadn't been listening on the way here. Too late now; it was now time to take the leap.
"Showtime, girl."
By then I didn't have the mood to conjure any snarky comments. Though I would probably preferred the colder Seekers to the overly friendly chick. Slowly inhaling then exhaling, I stepped into the room.
Barely a few steps later, a green light shot right out of the amulet pouch attached to my calf. Murky green skin formed first, followed by a neck frill of a lighter shade and then gleaming gold armour encasing certain body parts. I beckoned at Gareon towards the amulet pouch with a flick of my hand. An indignant hiss later, the mossy green lizard was still keeping pace.
Stubborn thing. Glaring didn't work and he still had the nerve to flick its tongue at my hand when I reached for his amulet! I rolled my eyes, but I guess it was comforting to know that he was willing to face Brahe with me, knowing how I felt about the whole research thing.
Among the fresh green grass plastered on the field, a single smooth faced rock loomed into view, reaching to around waist level. I stopped a few metres from it, shoes suddenly turning to lead. Gareon halted just after I did, sitting down despite unsettled twitching. Titans always picked up on their Seekers' emotions. Hopefully the dormant amulet before me wasn't picking up on it.
Cold sweat had formed along my chin and stiff arms, the still air not helping at all. There was no breeze in an artificial field, though the air was unnaturally cool. I knew they could see me through that glass panel. I knew. But not that I was here right before Klaus' amulet, in a fabricated environment, I couldn't move. Soft coughing could be heard from the speakers disguised as a swarm of butterflies, followed by the impatient clearing of some researcher's throat –
-sudden was the purple orb that formed above the amulet. The purple glow hovered for a second. Then circled in the air. Daintily it floated behind the stone ledge –
- and the golem appeared in a flash.
Swallowing a gasp, I raised my head. At over 4 metres tall, Brahe was at the very least ominous, not yet counting the thousand kilograms he carried that could crush any Seeker into much. With golden shoulder plates and firm green bands round his wrists and ankles, he should have looked like a warrior ready to descend into battle. Yet, the giant's signature glowing runes carved into his chest and arms were dull, the polished scarlet rocks he had for eyes just as lustreless as his runes. His head shifted down to stare at me as he slumped down on he floor.
I couldn't help but feel sorry for the supposedly grand giant. A lifeless rock Titan warrior. The roaring beast that had remained loyal to my 'father' till the end, had been reduced to a sombre pile of rocks, the saddest pi I had ever seen too – something I thought I'd never say.
Maybe that's how I managed to hold its gaze. Fear and confusion; that was what I detected from him. Not rage or shock; it was like he expected to see me.
He looked just like that when he was first created. Just a soulless lump of rocks as well, but so wet that the Titan looked like someone threw the armour and shackles onto a clay figure and left it to dry, unsuccessfully. It was Klaus' breakthrough with mutations, the closest one at that time. I hadn't caught how he managed to change a Metagolem into Brahe, but I had been brought to see what he termed his 'best creation yet'. Only the other suits and I knew the gravity and cost of 'yet'.
He wasn't bonded. Not then. His amulet had shifted shape perfectly, but upon summoning, the Titan had somehow turned out… full of defects that did not suit Klaus' standards. More experimentation was in place, of course. In the meantime, he couldn't resist showing off his newest 'creation' to his beloved daughter.
For a child who had been surrounded by creatures armed with venomous stings, slim tentacles and an array of weapons, the stuff of nightmares, a rock giant was but a simple skipping pebble, as mundane as could be.
Klaus had left me by the glass display, called off to some emergency.
Not even Gareon could have worn those sorrowful eyes, dark, hollow, confused and most of all, frightened. Frightened of the world around him because he had somehow changed, reformed by a stranger who had swiftly stolen and then played his little games with him. Frightened of what he had become.
But somehow, glaringly unafraid of the girl who had pressed a hand firmly against the glass barrier. That was possibly the first time I saw the dull purple glow, forcing its way past the murky, soft mould. Its sorrowful eyes were on me, a lump of clay rose slowly, but was barely lifted an inch before it flopped. I saw it. I had given a small smile and waved the hand pressed against the screen.
Its soft discomforted murmurs and its many agonsied moans not long after weren't easy to listen to. That was the most life I had witnessed in a Titan; that statement stands till today.
And here we were again. One a past Organisation spy, the other a painful reminder of that. The mental connection disappeared immediately. Surprised, I hesitantly reached a hand out, and the connection was reestablished. Immediately, I recognized that of bond between a Seeker and Titan, not the usual communication between the two.
It was impossible that he had bonded with me, right? I hadn't made an attempt to bond yet and I had never established a bond with him before the events on Vlad Dracul's castle.
Nevertheless, this was something I could use to comfort him. You're safe now.
Silence. What could I say next? Just dive into questions? Gareon was fidgeting more as he hissed at the unmoving golem, reflecting my anxiety clearly. Despite my uncertainty, I went ahead. Can I ask you questions?
If he were human, he probably would have frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. But he did cock his head, drawing a low growl from Gareon. Brahe attempted to stand up, looking like he was trying to scratch and itch, with the way he tried to find a spot to steady his hands upon. But Gareon leapt in front of me immediately, snapping at the larger Titan.
I stiffened, readying myself for a possible battle. Brahe merely stared blankly at the aggressive green lizard, then raised a heavy stone arm and made a swiping movement, something like a hand shake. Perhaps through their Titan communication, the two were getting acquainted, for Gareon stopped hissing and stood bolt upright on his hind legs. The air was static as they seemed to have a little mental chat. Gareon leaped forward.
I wanted to dart forward, while 'Boltflare' was nearly out of my mouth. Brahe opened a calloused palm which Gareon confidently jumped on, letting the giant lift it up to its face. The lizard Titan trotted along its arm and towards its shoulder, claws clicking against the cold armour.
Tersly, are you watching this? Maybe these happenings were run of the mill to them. Maybe they had expected my Titan to be evoked and be the one to socialize instead. Either way, the scene before me seemed out of this world, for a Seeker who battled with or alongside these creatures.
Gareon, being the cheeky little thing he was, scuttled along Brahe's shoulder and towards his face, nudging his cheek and sneaking its tail round the giant's neck. The rock Titan broke into what I guess was considered a smile. Reaching to his nape, Brahe attempted to catch the tinier Titan, making me jolt forward in fear. But there was nothing to worry about, for Gareon slipped away and leaped for its body armour, clinging on to it easily and swinging about teasingly.
I could only watch in amazement as the two started fooling around, mostly Brahe trying to catch the agile scaled Titan, the former rolling about in its futile attempts. Low chuckles resonated, and I wanted to pinch myself to check if I was dreaming.
Deciding to give them their space, I left them with a Boltflare trapped in Bubblelift, a ball of fire completely harmless to the duo. After the stressing out earlier, it was a huge relief to be able to witness such a carefree scene between Titans.
For the next hour I sat down in a cluster of wild daisies, sketching on the notebook I kept in my pouch. It wasn't much, but I still managed to come up with a rough drawing of my best friend immersed in playtime with a humongous rounded golem. How Gareon managed to avoid being squashed was beyond me; I guess our many years of training had buffed him up.
Although Titans could last longer than normal animals, they had to stop at some point. And that was good because I could feel cramps coming from sitting there for so long.
Lazily slumped over Brahe's arm, Gareon had his eyes half closed, and merely gave a soft hiss in greeting. Meanwhile Brahe was sprawled out, looking as blissful as a stone creature could be.
I settled myself not far from them, sitting with my legs laid out to the side while Gareon slid off and curled up between us, seemingly preferring a quick nap now. Brahe sat up clumsily, the smile slowly disappearing from his face. It was good that he had loosened up, but that didn't mean he'd be open to probing and strangers fumbling with his amulet immediately.
Are you happy now?
A short silence. I missed you.
No way could Klaus have implanted something to connect his mind to Brahe. With his earlier gloominess, that was unlikely. Brahe was telling her what he felt. Only what he felt.
Sighing inwardly, I continued. Is that why you wouldn't show yourself?
A pause. I felt lost.
No surprise there. It was evident he was clueless about his surroundings, rightfully so.
From there I attempted to steer away from emotional talk. I updated him on where he was, what had become of the Huntik Organization, the Foundation, and even the rise and fall of the Blood Spiral. Brahe seemed to know that I didn't want to talk about myself too much, and interestingly, didn't push further, merely asking about how he got here, what was going happen to him and generally went along with the conversation on the Huntik world.
It was harder getting to Klaus. I thought I sense anger when I started on the burning of the place, long after Klaus had been taken captive. But I could also sense an emptiness through the 'bond' a cut off connection that was likely caused by Sorrowbond. Despite no longer being bonded, a Titan could always retain memories and still think about its previous owner. I just hoped he wouldn't think about him too much.
Will we see him again?
I moved onto Gareon's Powerbonding.
It was another hour till I finished talking. By that time Gareon had shifted over to rest right beside me, while I myself was tired out from the mental effort require to keep conversing. At least now I was more relaxed. Brahe was sitting bolt up straight, which I supposed was pretty cute for what had been a fierce monster under an evil Seeker. Good that the environment had made him more relaxed as well, being one of the places it loved rolling about, literally. He realized I had exhausted all topics, and slowly retracted the mental connection.
I was about to ask him out loud if there was anything else he wanted to clear up, when I caught his clear, gaze, now more confident. Nodding, Brahe gave me one last wistful gaze before he retreated back to his amulet in a burst of purple light.
Do it. His voice rang out in my mind, urging me forward. Mechanically I strode towards the stone ledge. And grabbed the amulet.
If I thought of the earlier memories that flowed through me earlier as a trickling stream, the memories that came forth this time was like the blast of fast flowing rapids, roaring and rushing at me. There was the scent of rotten flesh reeking from lab rat carcasses, choking me as the smell dug through my nostrils, then the howls and whimpers and growls that resonated day after day after Brahe's birth. There was the flashing images of a hard fist crashing through boulders and Klaus' screaming at Titans and subjects alike. Neat tomes lay on row after row of bookshelves, the scenes playing out to either his bookstore or laboratory, the swirling images only making me dizzy as I basked in terrifying memories.
Brahe was snarling at a Suit's Titan for practice. He grabbed its head. Sent it back to its amulet. Now he was on a mountain. Lifted Klaus with a steady hand. Watched as he picked the gnarled mandrake root from the cliff. Then hid in its amulet as he sensed the spell taking shape. Recalled on the roof of an all too familiar medieval building. I saw Metagolem, crashing-
Everything turned white.
And it ended.
If I was weaker I would have fallen to my knees. Somehow my shaky legs held me up as I grasped his amulet tightly, my eyes tightly shut. The green lizard by my side hissed a concerned question, to which I simply nodded and forced my eyes open. Bonding with an amulet could take huge chunk of energy out of a Seeker.
Despite not having exerted much physical strength, I couldn't help the fatigue that was slowly crawling upon me. The same kind that hit me after bonding with King Basilisk, but at a lower intensity. Gareon insisted on staying out until we had reached the door. Nodding at me, he squeaked his assurance, and let me recall him back into his amulet.
"Congrats on bonding with Brahe." The friendly blonde grinned at me immediately as I entered the control room. Trying to suppress the uncomfortable feeling from her familiarity, I focused on Tersly, tapping away at a tablet.
"Oh, yes! Congrats!" He blurted out, head jerking up suddenly. Adjusting his spectacles, he continued, "Well, we expected this outcome. You're not one of the top Seekers around here for nothing."
I remained silent. There wasn't much to be said; I succeeded, didn't I? I could feel the blonde's gaze burning into me, wishing she could let loose a million questions about how I communicated with Brahe, what I thought of the docile behaviour of my Titans. But I didn't have the energy to humour her, after exhausting my mental energy just toiling over what the interaction would be like, then further
"Alright, it's not like we can take Brahe away by force now. That probably wouldn't bode well for us. So you can choose, Zhalia; you could stay in New York with us to help us with research, and not just with Brahe, you can see all the other stuff we'd be working on!" This was the option he preferred, made evident by the animated gesturing of his hand towards the other researchers and the control panel, and the sudden energy spike in his voice.
"Or," he went on, "you could return to Venice and use the Holotome to update me or Monica on his behaviour and whether his amulet works and so on." Monica being the blonde, I assumed.
The thought of being near Dante was very tempting. But after being ditched today, probably due to work, I was beginning to think he wouldn't be able to make time for me even at close proximity. The one being tortured here was me, with my uncanny longing for him, after being separated for so long during infiltration. "I'll contact you via Holotome, Tersly. The team might need me back in Venice." That wasn't a complete lie; she had missed them and needed to accompany Dan and Harrison during training.
I'd have a few days in New York courtesy of the Foundation's treasury, so if Dante wanted to make up for something, he'd have plenty of time. Ugh, even Brahe made a better companion than Dante did as a friend. With a nod at the researchers, I followed Tersly back into the corridor, this time ready to listen to his excited explaining of how the holo-tester worked.
A/N: Phew! That was a long one. Thanks for reading till here, I know it was hard sitting through a slow piece like this. I hope to follow up on this one-shot with DXZ pieces, more holo-tester adventures (if you think it seems legit in the Huntik world) and more stuff on Titan vitality. Titan's are living things, even if they don't seem to eat, and the series doesn't explore them that much outside of battling and finding them.
Do review if you think I can improve in any way. : Till next time.
~Seasons~