Salutation, wow it took longer for me to make use of that greeting for one of these introductions then it probably should have, my super stellar reader. Once again, another seven full rotation of the Earth has passed, and thus another chapter has plummeted from the cosmos onto this insignificant, but majestic, blue and green ball of cooled magma.

Before getting into my ongoing proxy war with the English langue, that I stumbled into completely by accident…and by accident I mean through my own incompetence of not paying attention to grammar points in my literature classes, I do want to point out that I am still looking, and in a phrase still single, for a beta reader. If you're interested more information can be found at the beginning of chapter 11. But to reiterate, it'll go beyond just helping out with proof reading, and, to make the job hopefully more enjoyable, will involve me throwing ideas around with the beta reader, as well as them getting access to outline of the upcoming chapters.

Alright, now that the advertisement is out of the way onto the reviews, and there is plural this time which honestly makes me want to jump over the moon!

Joecola double O godhood: First off…I mean just…like I don't even know how to formulate my gratitude into words. Your reviews have always been helpful to the story, but before I talk about the one for Chapter 11, I first have to give you proper thanks for the shoutout to The Electric Lens in your literary piece. I couldn't do it justice last week, but honestly dude you're the best! I saw a huge boom in views and DM's because of that mention in From Ashes to Dust. (BTW Also just an amazing story as well, like I've never actually been that into Dark Souls…mostly because, while I love video games, I kind of suck at them, and that franchise has eaten me alive in terms of difficulty. That being said your story has gotten me back into the lore, and I honestly love your writing style and storytelling and how you've connected the two universes!)

Alright now onto the actual review. Yeah, the grammar's been…rough XD I try to go through each chapter three times before I publish them…but I kind of have the bad habit of glancing over my own mistakes. That being said, I did try to read this one out loud to help better mitigate the errors, and when I finally graduate college in a month I plan on going back and editing and reuploading the previous chapters so everything reads smoother!

Even with adding the part at the bottom of last chapter, I think you're right, and looking back Penny was more OOC then I wished. Her death certainly was the main driving factor behind the outburst, but If I could rewrite the conversation, I'd try to better indicate that Penny was more upset with the idea that Velvet, having an actual body, was in the position to help that she herself wanted to be in. That then lead to Penny subconsciously questioning who she even was again without a material body, which, since that question was never truly resolved, caused her to lash out in an unhealthy. Unfournanlty, Velvet was the only one who she could voice her anger to, despite it not fully revolving around Velvet.

You're right about a lot of things revolving around Gareth's aura, but I will say I will be using Penny's cannon, or at least I think is cannon, semblance revolving around inertia. That being said, your prediction of an electrical projection is very very insightful one, and while I can neither confirm or deny it being correct, it isn't something I'd stop thinking about ;)

What is correct though is your final prediction, which…well this chapter will certainly elaborate on more.

ButtCat: Thanks man! The outline for the first installment of The Electric Lens has just been finished, and next week's chapter has already been written out as a draft, so at the moment I'm still going strong at the rate their coming out!

P.S (Gonna put these in every chapter from now on)

Text Key

"Speech"

'Quote'

Thought

"Electronic Speech"

Electronic Text's

"Langue that isn't understood by POV Character"

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Chapter 12

The sudden shift in coloring was startling, no, more so than that, it was off putting. The last thing Gareth remembered was Lance bringing back his foot and him reaching out towards his phone before a sharp crack had spiraled him into unconsciousness.

...but there was no passage of time during that period knocked out. It was as if, rather than change being indicated by the universe moving from one frame to the next, a single picture had just morphed its scenery in the space between seconds.

What the?, the boy was reacting more to his own clarity than anything else at the moment. The sudden ability to think and perceive the world with a clear mind after coming from a delirious state with no adjustment period, Where's Lance?

The next thought was a product of the now fully awake and fully functioning brain. No longer a world of blurry colors, the scene before him was pure, unnaturally so in its attempt to be natural.

Not realizing his muscles no longer obeyed him, the high schooler took in the sight of a rectangular white room with silver outlines. Unable to blink, or even move the orbs within his own head.

...am I dreaming, or did Lance actually kill me, the room appeared off to Gareth in the sense that it was trying to fight against its own uniformed perfection. Its rectangular shape offered the bare minimum in terms of uniqueness, and that did little to hide the fact all the walls met the ceiling and floor at eights sets of perfect right angles.

Accompanying that with the unstained and undented snow like color, that only had the slightest touches of gray, and some sort of electric blue coursing through them, Gareth felt like he was in a robot's version of an insane asylum,

Alright, so this has to be a dream, after all I can see...holy crap I can see, without streaks of lights or everything becoming blurry after a few feet, Gareth wanted to widen his eyes in astonishment at being able to view the world without astigmatism and nearsightedness once more...only this wanted action raised more question, Wait why can't I move? Why can't I feel?

Trying to send out a signal, the emerald eyed boy, or at least that is what he still hoped he was, found that not only were his arms and legs ignoring his brain's command...there was no place to create or receive the order. Panicking, and not even allowed a physical outlet for that terrified state of mind to express himself with, Gareth slowly was coming to the conclusion that the only sense he could process the world through was sight,

Okay...I mean it's not okay, what the hell's going on, the teenager tried to struggle but his vision remained unchanged for their was simply nothing to struggle with, I want to wake up now, I really want to wake up right now

Not being at his beckon call, the universe hardly cared for his command, however, as some sort of consultation his one-way view did experience a form of change. With a door sliding open two figures entered the all squares are rectangles room.

The first was a man who looked to be halfway into his thirty... literally halfway. With military combed black hair cut short, with almost mathematically lined white sideburns, the man carried with him an air of precision that even when only picked up by sight made Gareth stop his non-existent movements….especially when the unknown individual was staring directly at him with literal steel colored and textured eyes.

Next to him, matching the organized salt and peppered haired man step for step, was a woman who looked to be in her early twenties...which was an impressive feat given the lack of pigmentation in her hair. Whiter than snow, and tied into a bun, the impossibly colored follicle created an undisturbed winter tundra atop her head. With a perfectly angled sheet of ice forming in such away its horizon seemed to give her a perfect view into the world while also hiding her face.

Silent, the youngest Cadarn felt as if they were observing him...while also ignoring his presence completely.

…, Gareth desperately wanted to say something, wanted to voice his discomfort. But even before he could comprehend that his vocal cords were missing as well, he knew he wouldn't have been able to speak regardless.

However, that did little to stop the two-actual people in this heavenly hellish room. Walking forward both their pupils remained locked on...whatever or wherever Gareth was. Opening his mouth, the older occupant seemed to begin listing something off to the younger.

With nothing to pick up the sound waves, Gareth couldn't understand a thing, and with how disciplined they were when it came to any sort of bodily expression, he was truly lost on what was going on,

I...excuse me?, the response came out reflexively, as the man, still talking to the woman, came up and laid a pure white glove before the out of place Earthling. Confused, Gareth could see the hand react to something between the colorless fabric and his viewing...position, Am...Am I in a container?

Struggling to find the right word, Gareth could only deduce there was some sort of transparent object between him and the man...which only made the situation worse and more uncomfortable in his eyes,

This isn't a dream it's a nightmare...one where I've been abducted by aliens...or humans...or human looking aliens, despite his cognitive function having returned the instant his environment change, his mind could only fumble around at the result of how impossible all this was, Oh my God, please don't dissect me...I just...can I go back to being beat up-

Evidently bringing up something important, the winter themed woman caused the man's hand to retreat from the glass. Still looking at Gareth, he somehow managed to shoot her a respectful gaze through his peripheral vision to his military dressed comrade.

Unsure if he'd want to even pick up the tone, Gareth could only find himself terrifyingly curious as to what they were actually talking about...although he was unsure if that would only cause his situation and fear to become worse.

Judging communication purely based on vision, the man the youngest Cadarn stood before seemed to be...well not a man of few words, but somebody who got to the point as efficiently as possible. Despite showing no emotions in his monotonous, he must have conveyed something startling enough or commanding enough for the blue-eyed woman to falter with her own unfeeling attitude.

Her heels clicking together instinctually, as if she was a grunt being reprimanded on the first day of boot camp, the role dynamic in the room became clear...well at least two of the roles.

Seemingly willing her eyes onto her superior officer's own pupils, which still only viewed her through the corner of their sockets, she had to find renewed courage to repeat whatever she had said before. This moment of hesitation lasted less than one second, and if he wasn't trapped to just sight it would have gone unnoticed by Gareth.

Taking in a preparatory breath through unmoving nostrils, the porcelain skinned individual pulled out a device from her belt...a device that was next to a saber,

...if I'm gonna have a nightmare can it pick a genre, the emerald eyed-boy's anxiety never wavered, but his thoughts certainly voiced an annoyance he wished he could feel instead, ...and now it's going back to science fiction

Having lifted up the device before her, Gareth could only briefly make out the image of a charcoal black box with a thin line in the middle before it morphed. Transforming, the electronics' breaking point was accelerated outwards, as the two metallic ends were now connected by a see through blue...hologram.

Before he could have time to question the impossibility of such an object, the color tone of its center shifted. Carrot orange appearing in a mass at the top of the horizontal screen, and with haphazard dots of it scattered about below Gareth's sudden twenty-twenty vision could make out the display of a man.

Unlike the other two people in the rectangular asylum, the man on the device looked...well normal. Whereas everybody else was unreal in their perfection, the ginger in the picture was real in his imperfection.

For one he was smiling and actually showing genuine emotion, and his skin was not an unblemished uniformed color. It was pale, but had freckles dotted throughout, and even his cheeks seem to be tinted red in joyful embarrassment. Astonishingly, despite his receding hairline, his untamed locks made the early fifties looking gentlemen the most jubilant being in the room, and he wasn't even technically here.

He seemed to be wearing some sort of sweater vest, and its pastel green stitching overlaid a button up white shirt beneath. Although the somewhat hidden fabric was apparently doing its best to blend in better, for it had emerald green...oil like stains darted all about it.

Confused on why two so...strict looking individuals would have a photograph of such a joyous man was beyond Gareth. Theoretically speaking he could possibly be old enough to be the young woman's father, but even the ever hesitant Cadarn was positive none of these people were related.

...Although the salt and pepper haired man before Gareth certainly reacted as if they were. It was brief, even shorter than his younger counterpart's own moment of humanness, but the steel willed man showed some level of emotions towards the picture.

His eyes trained on it, and even trying to force his neck to move in for a better view, they widened in…sadness at what they saw. A sadness that turned to sorrow, as Gareth followed the path of the military man's pupil from the carrot tops face to an arm laying gently around his shoulder.

The extra appendage was in a similarity hued stitched sweater, but the brown colored hand that came out from the sleeve indicated the limb belonged to another person. Raising his own arm to once again touch the glass, the professionally clothed man respectfully tore his gaze from the device.

Somehow speaking softer than his appearance could ever indicate, he spoke again to the blue-eyed woman. An action which resulted in her own pupils trailing downward at forty-five degrees, signaling the breakage of her own demeanor. It was a structural collapse of her statue-like posture, but she was the first to break, even in her attempt to do it to the man.

Although, as she slowly started to look at the photograph and regret her decision to pull it out, she was presented a pyrrhic victory in the game she didn't mean to play. With both their eyes going from brief awkwardness, and or mournfulness, to shock, another noise must have reached their ears, for nothing besides their surprise was revealed with sight.

The iced haired woman, somehow foreseeing her muscles sudden involuntary movement, managed to hold onto her display device. Quickly closing it she returned it next to her oddly in place melee weapon, before effortlessly embracing her stoic, if not emotionless, posture once more. Happening so fast, Gareth was surprised to see the man already back in his original spot as if nothing had occurred when he finally finished viewing the militarized princess.

Silent and unmoving, but somehow not in an unnatural way as to indicate they were hiding something, the catalyst that surprised them was clearly too slow to catch them in an act it was unaware of.

However, this polite tardiness was soon given form as an older gentleman limped his way into the room supported by a metallic cane...that despite its material only seemed to increase the man's peaceful and friendly aura.

The rest of his appearance made his natural caring demeanor conveyed through his almost nineteenth century like jacket, that was a dull red and egg white in color. Although his chocolate pigmented skin had sags and freckles due to age, it made him instantly appear trustworthy, like the way an old family friend would feel like a relative. That and his matured and wise grey hair, along with his roaring twenties grey flap cap, made him the incarnation of a kind soul.

More so than that, the way he behaved made him seem like the most natural thing in this room, the most perfect thing in the room since he was simply being who he was. As he gave out gentle nods to the iron statues, his eyes shined with the happiness of somebody half his age. And as those orbs made their way over to Gareth, the trapped young man instantly began feeling a sense of comfort and warmth...which was impressive considering he didn't even know if his dream was allowing him a nervous system.

Walking up to the glass, the young Cadarn wasn't instantly afraid or frozen with fear as he was when the mechanical like man did. Infact, the senior gentlemen's calm and cozy demeanor was able to defrost Gareth's mind,

Do I know you?, it felt weird to say since Gareth knew for certain he was clueless on who this man was...but having just realized he's been little more than a spectator in his own nightmare, dream, or hallucination he felt the need to pretend to speak with thoughts. And as stupid as those words were, they did feel right to say.

Obviously, the man didn't respond, and moving his gaze back towards the other two, who hadn't so much as blinked when he went up to the capsule, he began speaking. Even without ears, Gareth found himself almost put at ease by what the man said,

As he walked around, the young out of place Earthling found himself distracted from his own mind, or rather he was distracted by the fact he still had one.

Hey so this is gonna sound weird, but what's going on, normally the emerald eyed teen would feel stupid about asking such a question, and in a sense he did, but he still found the courage to say it, even if it was just to himself, because he was certain the man wouldn't judge, I mean, I know you guys are just fabrications of my own mind...at least I hope you are, but I'm a little lost on what all this means...and why getting my head curb stomped is making my thoughts clearer and more realistic.

It wasn't timed well, or directed at him as a reply, but after two seconds of his thoughts hanging in the air, the out of date dressed senior shot another warm smile Gareth's way. Despite already being claimed down by his presence, the young knight found himself even more relaxed.

Even as more forged holographic screens emerged in the room, and one even popped up before Gareth's nonexistent pupils, he felt no need to worry,

That doesn't really look like English...or it looks too much like English, curiosity now filling in the spot terror left for it, the bodiless brunette found himself enrapture with what he thought his mind had created, not necessarily enjoyed by it, but not horrified anymore, Kind of looks like runes, like the old Nordic ones...actually it's pretty ironic to see them in this type of setting

Not being startled, or at least not caring he was surprised, when the non-Phoenician symbols began sliding across the screen, Gareth simply moved his attention back towards the kind individual.

He was dancing his hands across a blue display that he had conjured, and with the two robots moving their own eyes between them and the runes cascading on the youngest Cadarn's own screen it didn't take a rocket scientist to know the two were connected.

Overlooking his shoulder, the twinned emotionless duo seem to come to this conclusion as well, although given their sharp precise nods as the man spoke to them, it was clear they were probably lost on what was exactly going on as well. Although to give them some credit, they at least seem to know what the outcome would be by their very allowance of him to work in the first place. Gareth on the other hand was simply left to ponder,

So like...what's the goal here? Should I be trying to break out, or are you going to break me out, slowly moving down the man's smile...well it didn't falter but he took a deep breath as Gareth thought. The tablet like holograph was closed, and disappearing back into the floor, the man slowly began moving his way towards the chamber Gareth was in, or is this actually an experiment...because if it is, I'd rather not be the subject

If he wasn't so intoxicatingly put at ease, the emerald eyed teenager would have been surprised with how calmly he thought of the last sentence. However, his calmness was in contrast to the military man tensing up.

Seemingly talking to himself more than the other two officers, the man uttered a phrase that caused both to briefly take steps forward. Although strict, the movements weren't with aggression but rather concern. However, the old gentlemen simply turned his head, and still with a smile on his face, he gave them both a chuckle.

After a brief exchange of eyes by the two ice sculptures, which simply amounted to one saying they' didn't know what order to give' only to be met with the other indicating 'they were unaware of what order to receive', they both stopped their strides. Although, given their mechanical like movements, it was still clear both were ready to move on a moment's notice.

His chuckle dying down, but somehow growing more genuine at this behavior, the man returned a hand to the glass that held Gareth. Position almost a foot from where his eyes should be, the outstretched fingers seemingly began to grow green,

Huh that's… neat, the Earthling managed to think confused and interested at the same time. The sea foam glow seemed to spread over the glass, and more astonishingly out of the man's body. Being translucent, despite its pastel like hue, Gareth saw strength rejuvenate the man, as his cane was dropped...however his sudden ability to stand was, from Gareth's position behind the barrier, more concerning then a sudden miracle, Hey are you okay?

The man's face was built in such a way that the smile would never leave it, however, even as he began mouthing words, apparently to Gareth himself, the old man began trembly with pain, Sir, I...I think you need to stop

Before he could even pretend to ask the other two to help, they were at his side, but the senior paid them no heed. Remarkably he just kept aquatic like green reflections flowing from his hands,

Seriously please stop, this is- WHAT THE HELL, Gareth shouted this in his mind with shock rather than fear. His eyes now finally able to close, he was thrown back into a world of senses even as he uselessly closed off sight to cope with the other returns.

However, that hardly did anything to limit the act of being brought into existence fully sentient. With all the other four views of the universe returning at once, Gareth couldn't even begin to process what was going on or which one to focus on...then again, he was trying to focus on not experiencing any.

His attempts were of course in vain. Being new to the world once more, neither his body nor brain could dull the intake of information. The room temperature of the pod stung, burned, and bit his skin. The air itself had a smell and it was overwhelming to the point he tasted its dryness on a tongue that felt like it was sparking with electricity...and then there was the sound, oh boy was their sound.

When he achieved the bear minimum level of bearings needed to think, Gareth was shocked that he didn't hear his own scream. Only to realize through all humans hidden sixth sense that his limbs weren't actually listening to him...and that they all felt wrong. They felt...well they felt as if they were one size too small, in fact his whole body felt smaller.

There was actually no pain to this dilemma, at least no physical one. But having slowly grown accustomed to an adult body, his mind rebelled and forced him to be uncomfortable when placed in one a full head shorter.

Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my freaking God, and as Gareth's thought instinctually rambled on, that's all he could feel, discomfort as he mistakenly waited for a pain to come with it, How am I still standing, what am I even standing on?

The thought wasn't directed at the material he felt as cold metal, but rather his legs. Whatever bone or skin should be there was...it wasn't bone, he didn't know how he could tell that, but the material didn't compress even slightly with his weight...it was...well having had a biological skeleton his whole life he couldn't say what the new support structure felt like.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, this was supposed to happen '', before Gareth's thoughts could be prolonged and expand on how everyone of his cells seemed to be replaced by something else, noise made its debut in a struggling rasped breath, forcing itself to appear with positivity.

The words had no meaning...but not because of Gareth's lack of understanding of them. Rather it was due to the overwhelming experience he found himself in, and as his mind began to process the very idea of being overwhelmed, the words were flowing into place...revealing themselves to contain knowledge.

"Winter restrain him. Until we better understand this part of the procedure I will not allow him to risk his own wellbeing", Gareth's eyes opened on their own accord at the words that voiced themselves as an order, however as the woman went to fulfill them, the mere action of his eyelids behaving caused her to hesitate.

Looking at him shocked, her expression soon mirrored the man, and even seeing the seniors face contort in pain his uplifted lips remained fixated. Even as the strength he briefly achieved was flowing ever more rapidly from him and into the capsule...into Gareth.

Looking down Gareth saw two hands raise...but they weren't his own. In a linen white fabric, two sets of porcelain digits revealed themselves before irises, irises that the young Cadarn also questioned as his own.

"It's okay, It's okay",looking back up, the old man was putting the last of his green light into the machine, and despite all the trauma and exhaustion he had gone through he seemed to be speaking to Gareth more so then himself.

All the sensory input, it was overwhelming, but now not as much as Gareth's want to catch the now winded soul. Behind the glass wall, his new body, or rather the body he finds himself with, only listen to his order part way. Putting a hand up to the glass, and the coolness of the touch briefly becoming the only sense, he mirrored the spread-out position of the chocolate appendage on the other side.

Unsure why, he tilted his head, only to find a similarly colored carrot lock to briefly wave at his eyes before disappearing out of vision. Watching his moment, the man fought against the universe's pull to collapse him. So, even with his grip on the glass sliding down to the floor in a controlled fall from two sets of hand, the man gave his purest smile yet.

A smile that outclassed and outshined even generosity and kindness, as he forced himself to stay awake to make sure Gareth...or rather to make sure they, were alright. Spurred on by this display, the container itself reacted to this act of selflessness, and moved itself up opposite to the man.

The two white chess pieces, never losing their grip on the fallen gentlemen, snapped their necks up as if expecting...something to attack. However, Gareth found himself in agreement with his strange body, as he remained focused on the red vested man.

Kneeling down towards him, and outstretching a hand, that his eyes stilled grazed over with curiosity, Gareth watched as the body, which he experienced rather than viewed or controlled, focused all the chaos of reality to anchor itself to this one moment, to this one act of humanness.

His heading nodding off, the prone man returned the gesture in kind, and before he went into a sleep he so desperately fought against, he uttered out a universal greeting,

"Salutations Penny"

"Sa-Sal", the attempt at communication came unnatural off his tongue, or rather he was what made it unnatural. Feeling a new soul enter his occupied space, Gareth' conscious began to be forced out of the body, as his viewpoint drifted from an eyeball, to the space above them.

Seemingly floating Gareth got a bird a view of the room he was in. His body now back in control, he brought up his hands to see they were his own. However, this brought no relief,

…, he couldn't even think his own confusion at the sight of his appendages being a see through blue…crackling with electricity.

"Salu…salutat", the words brought Gareth back to the scene he was removed from, as the being he exited still attempted to get a word out.

To perplexed to think things through, Gareth once again merely observed. Before him kneeled a porcelain hued carrot top, who began moving their orange crowned head about the room. It was if she was going through all the stages of growing up at once, experiencing every age between child and young adult hood in an instant.

"Saluata…Salutations!", seemingly proud of herself for saying the simple word, the girl smiled at the old man as he now rested in her hands.

The whole scene was…well it was adorable, and despite not knowing it Gareth's blue cheeks probably went a deeper shade.

However, her advancement through life kept continuing, and the cuteness of the encounter was slowly being morphed. The setting growing dark, and all the other occupants in the room besides himself and the beautiful young…being, stayed as they were.

Losing its emotions, everybody else drifted off into the nothingness of translucence, as the young orange head, still holding her limbs as if the gray-haired inventor was still resting in her gasp, began to experience more and more.

Posture morphing from one that contained an ice melting smile to a terrified thin line, her eyes began to shine with the loss of innocence. With that lost came the existent of what caused it though. The scenery changing faster than the universe's clock could tick, new moments of her life shocked both viewers.

"I'm not a real girl", a heartbeat like pulse shook the room, as the girls lips now quivered and traveled downward.

"The event seems jubilant, would it be acceptable if I…stayed in proper position next to the guards", her mouth dipped deeper, and now she brought her hands up to wrap her head.

"The prime opportunity to send her out of the ring has been produced", the rhythmic beat was now violently interrupted by a tearing of metallic fabric. Dropping to her knees the innocent girl covered her ears and violently shut her eyes,

"If I was a human right now I'd be screaming in pain...if I was a human I wouldn't even have time for these calculations", the thought turned to words, and echoed throughout the room, causing the green theme girl to…tense up more as her limbs bled her signature color in perfectly thin lines pooling at her left arm and torso

Jesus Christ, the unintended viewer thought out in horror, not finding the current will to use his own voice as he watched pure kindness turn to horror.

"Is this dying, if I'm not even alive can I die or have I always just been dead", the tiny room containing two worlds broke, as the events sped up.

"I do not know how pranksters operate, but from my perspective it would be uncommon for them to be more beneficial to their target then detrimental", despite having read that's statement long before he heared it, Gareth felt the urge to vomit when he felt words directed towards him cause the curl to curl up even more.

"...You two seem to really be getting along", the text echoed across the shattered room with a sad tone of the girl who had mere moment early only known happiness. The emerald liquid staining her arm and waste even more.

"Do I need to warn Gareth that the girl he likes gleefully hiccup listened as his bone crack because he needed to suffer for his species mistakes?", hostility now filled the air, but it was addressed by the pink ribboned haired young woman to herself. All the hatred biting at her wounds.

"Will my advice even matter, will Gareth even care? After all I'm just a machine to him and you get to be an actual perso-", the girl interrupted her own sentence, as she now attempted to sob. Although if the hovering field of electricity paid attention, he knew the weeps were synthetic, with no tears being produced.

"I'm sorry…please stop, I'm sorry", the girl began to state out loud between her waterless cries, and with her actual voice came Gareth's own.

"Penny?", Clearly unaware to his presence, the girl face snapped towards him…and with it the blue tinted boy felt an unstopped wave of guilt pass over him.

She's beautiful, it was probably cliché and terribly cringy to think, but seeing such a clear picture of green irises beneath a naturally kind face it was the only thing that could come to Gareth's mind. This fact only made the very idea, let alone sight, of it distressed and terrified all the more unbearable.

"Penny…it's going to be okay", however his body worked, Gareth tried to will it down. Feeling reasonable for her state and having an unquenchable urge to make sure she was alright…to demand the universe to make things alright for her.

But even as his words entered her ears and look of realization came over her eyes as she looked towards his form, he didn't adhere to gravity. Relying then on the things he could control, he reached out a hand, even if it contained no mass.

"G-Gareth?", the girl stated his name as it was impossibility, and began to rise, in attempt to also reach out and see if it was actually him, "Gareth, I'm sorry…I care-"

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Once again scenery changed, rather than a frame flashing by, for Gareth, but this time there was a black screen to block his vision. Eyes shut, the images that were supposed to simply appear into existence weren't viewed in an overwhelming fashion, and when he did reveal emerald eyes to the world, he saw a familiar room.

Not one he recognized but one he at the very least knew was normal...well that was unfortunately normal considering it was the monotone and electronic comfort of a hospital room.

Bringing up his hands, Gareth was only presented with one arm draped in a short blue gown. Despite the fact that his other was quickly deduced to be in a full cast, both were his and were at their regular lengths,

God...that felt real...and vivid, his right arm not heeding command, the teenager eventually had to bring up his left to rub his confused, but more so panicked, scalp, I can remember it all too...man that's an...intense dream for my brain to let stay in the vault

Ironically, since he was officially waking up, Gareth actually felt more grogginess then he did two seconds ago when he reached out for…her

...but that feeling of a need to connect was now relatively minuscule to the new sensation trailing up his entire right body.

Holy shit that hurts...oh right my arm, the pain concentrating in his once snapped appendage, Gareth lifted his head, with surprising ease, to see the damage.

The medical plaster traveled up until the base of his shoulder, and all though the emerald eyed boy had never broken a bone before...he thought the cast seemed a bit excessive. After all, his upper arm felt fine. Although, he also didn't want to question the hospital workers expertise, especially since he was discovering the pain of a shattered appendage to not be what he expected either

"God it's like the bones moving itself back into place, is the healing supposed to hurt worse than actually snap-", having remembered he could use words to complain about, and dull, his pain Gareth spoke into what he thought was an empty room. Although being so focused on his upper body he was soon proven wrong,

"GARETH!", a streak of brown hair swinging its way into his view, the named boy's mom appeared now grasping the hand railing of his portable bed. Adding even more chocolate to the theme, Vivian's hat covered hair appeared behind Laura. While she was in no way startled or shocked as his own mom, she did seem relieved to see him awake...although her kind eyes also seemed…distant, "I...the doctor didn't think you'd be up until his afternoon- Never mind that, how are you feeling?"

"...Not as bad as I think I should be. I mean obviously the arm hurts...but I don't know I thought it would be worse", unsure how to go about the situation, Gareth was just relieved his mom held enough restraint to not hug him instantly. As much as they bickered, especially before P showed up, that itself was only a result of her overprotective nature, "Sorry about that by the way...I...well I must have slipped in the bathroom. You know me, clutz central-"

"We...we can talk about it a second Gareth, I'm just glad you're awake and okay", having tried to construct an on the spot lie, the young Cadarn was still trying to think of how to explain the situation...although by his mom's sudden tone she indicated she was already fully aware.

Although he certainly wasn't expecting her to sound guilt ridden when revealed the information...then again, it's not like he had a lot of time between the moment Lance broke his arm and now to think of how people would react.

"Oh...uh, sure thing mom", he responded, losing his joking tone as the matter got more serious then he'd like.

After that there was an awkward silence, but ironically it was mostly between Gareth and his mom, as Vivian seemed off in her own world. However, as the silence actually rung her out of it, she did break the dejected atmosphere,

"...Y-you're looking a lot better Gareth, your swellings gone down, and your bruises are...recovering", she trailed off not being able to find the right word. Not that the right one would have changed her fellow brunettes' reaction.

Having to get accustomed to his left arm picking up his awkwardness's slack, he rubbed the back his neck with a reddening face,

"Thanks Viv, guess I'm a faster healer then I thought", having closed his eyes to avoid viewing his own embarrassment he was only met to a delayed sight when they reopened

"V-viv", the Danish student said with a bit of a stutter before averting her own gaze,

"Viv?", Laura repeated, but uplifting her somewhat from her down trout state she added a teasing tone to it, "When did that start"

Stuck between an awkward rock and a teasing parent, Gareth tried to shoot Vivian an apologetic look before laying his back down. muffling his anxiety behind a muffled voice,

"Last night...well last night if today's actually Saturday", his mom nodded, if only for him to continue, "I'll stop if you want, it just sort of slipped out"

"N-no it's fine, I kind of like it...Gare?", that last part came out quietly, and honestly Gareth was surprised she didn't bring her beret down to cover her face...only to embarrassingly remember why,

"Well I think that's an adorable nickname, you know I used to call you that as a kid when you said Sir Gareth was to snobby", voiced the only none tomato in the room, using this exchange as a much needed distraction from her own troubles,

"Yeah I remember, shockingly I was also there during my own childhood", sighing, Gareth, or rather Gare, did get Vivian to giggle at that, despite her continued quest to turn invincible, "Any chance they can just put me back under, honestly I think you're causing more damage than the arm mom"

"Unfournanlty anesthesia not something we play around with", before his mom could go quiet at his last unintended statement, a doctor came in, and judging by his mom and Vivian's reaction she was most likely the surgeon, "Although I'm surprised to see you awake Gareth. Your dose should have kept you out of things until the sun was going down"

"Really?", Gareth said looking up towards the surgeon, trying to use her as a distraction to steer the conversation elsewhere

"Indeed", the medical professional replied, giving a smile, clearly having heard enough to throw the young Cadarn a life preserver, "Some people are naturally more resistance to anesthetic then other, but most of the time we only see this level of resilience from people trained to stay conscious in extreme environment such as ex-fighter pilots"

"Maybe I'll pursue a career as an airman then...well maybe I would've if my vision wasn't so terrible'', Gareth laughed, with his head now resting on the pillow. Normally he wasn't so back and forth with people...but then again, he'd never really given himself the opportunity to be before. However, his laughing soon stopped when he realized his sight actually hadn't changed...or rather hasn't changed since the last time it...changed, "That's...weird"

"Oh, do you need your glasses Gareth?", Laura came to her own conclusion about the statement while going through her bag to pull said item out. The wires had to be bent back into place, and part of the lens was chipped...but Gareth could see all that in great detail.

"I...don't", the brunette responded, bring his left hand to his face even when knowing his glasses were in front of him,

"What do you mean don't", his mom responded with a small, but confused smile, "You've been blind as a bat since you were eight"

"I know, but I'm seeing everything like I was seven", this caused everybody in the room to tilt their heads.

"Interesting", the doctor said, being the first to connect the dots. Putting down her clipboard she then went too politely to take Gareth's corrective lens from his mother. Bringing them to her eyes, she then looked back over to the hospital bed, "You have astigmatism from what I can gather?"

"Yeah?", Gareth said, questioning himself on it as the doctor placed the light bending lens back in Laura's hands. Walking up she then pulled out a small flashlight, and, a bit unprovoked, shined it in his pupils.

"As you can tell I am no optometrist, but I'd consider getting that diagnosis readdressed", she said after observing Gareth's eye movement for a moment. After causing him to see the sun, she then took a step back, with an intrigued expression, "Your eyes are reflecting light in a normal pattern from what I can tell, and if your vision is clear enough to read the safety procedure on the outside the room then you're in a twenty-twenty range for sure"

Turning his head sharply, as if to make sure, Gareth in fact found himself able to make sense of the characters that would normally just appear as untranslated blobs of color.

"Wash hands in a position that lets water travel down th-holy shit!", the young Cadarn began whispering the words out loud. Only for his face, that had only just started to go back to its normal color, went red again, "Uh sorry about that"

"Completely fine Gareth, although I must say your case is getting more and more interesting", the doctor was now humming to herself and looking at the boy as if he could unlock the secret to a medical Holy Grail. Unfortunately, Laura seemed to misinterpret while she said that,

"What do you mean?", the mother said almost defensively, although somewhat scared at the same time.

"I assure you it is nothing of concern Laura, more so your son's recovery has been...well it's only been a day but his body looks likes it has been healing for the last week", picking up her pen once again, she began using the device as pointer, "His swelling has gone down immensely, and his cuts looks like they are a month old rather than fresh. Mentally, he is not behaving like a person who just woken up from surgery, let alone somebody who is suffering from a concussion as well. This accompanied by his visibilities sudden return...well all I can say is it takes the idea that the young heal faster to a new level"

"But that's all it is...right?", Laura asked, unsure if to take this as good news or not, "Afterall teenagers' bodies are meant to take a…"

Her words came to an abrupt halt by the one unsaid, and the mother ceased talking all together knowing that such an action was only making what she meant to say more obvious to most people in the room. Luckily the doctor was more caught up in her own fascination to really notice,

"Not like this they aren't, and they certainly don't recover at this speed or repair areas of the body that weren't affected", moving closer to Gareth, she used her pen for its proper purpose and jotted something down before shooting the young man a smile, "Of course we'll keep you here for another night, make sure that this accelerated healing is doing so correctly and that this increase in recovery time is not caused by an underlying condition. But from the way things look you should be out of here tomorrow afternoon Gareth, and even back in school on Monday"

"That's… great", Gareth replied ,clearly not as thrilled by that fact...for a multitude of different reasons. However, his mom seemed less so, and instead of letting his head stay resting on the elevated bed, he looked towards her a bit concerned, if not confused.

Sensing the situation and conversation go in another direction, the doctor gave off one last comforting smile, before going to leave the room and close the curtain behind her,

"I'll leave you all some time to talk, somebody will be in around six to take another X-ray of Gareth's arm", still looking confused, and with Vivian now joining his mom in a downcast look, only the patient could offer up a farewell,

"Thank you...:". He managed to get out, wondering while he was the only one to do so. However, once the surgeon left the recovery room, he looked back towards its other two occupant, "Hey mom listen...about what happened"

"I know Gareth...and I'm so sorry", a bit shocked at her voice growing even quieter, Gareth opened his mouth but found no words coming out.

"I am too", Vivian spoke in his place, although her words may have been mouthed as well, "I-I, if I had gotten there sooner..."

"You would have broken down a locked door?", Gareth tried to joke, not liking the tense atmosphere of the room or the shake Vivian gave when hearing him complete his attempted joke…more than anything he was also tired of people apologizing to when they've done nothing wrong, "I don't know why you guys are so down...it's honestly...I mean you know I'm the type of guy who likes to place blame on myself more than anybody, but even I know this is all on Lance"

Gareth found himself having to push through his fellow knight's name, a bit scared that saying it would cause him to appear. Regrettably he still was coming to terms with the assault, and now that suddenness of it was just wearing off, and the outcome of his beating was now just being viewed he found himself worrying about how far the blonde behemoth would go to ensure his lesson stuck.

Weirdly however, both Laura and Vivian didn't speak up at Lance's name being spoken, and if anything seemed more depressed and sadden by its mention then Gareth was scared,

"...which means it's really nobody's fault but his...besides I", thankfully Gareth's face had spent more time sunburnt then pale during his time awake, so it going crimson was harder to tell, "I really enjoyed going to the movie. I-it was fun hanging out with you Viv, and honestly getting the shit kicked out of me is proving more beneficial than costly"

"I…", the exchanged student paused, and sounded like she was forcing out her next words on Gareth' behalf, "I-I enjoyed it too Gareth, I just wish...I'm sorry he did that to you"

"Again there was really nothing anybody could do, and Lance really dug his own grav-", coming to a sudden halt, Laura shot up, and for the first time since he was a second grader, the young Cadarn clearly saw tears welling up in her eyes, "Mom are you okay?"

"I-I'm sorry Gareth", she repeated her statement, which only caused her son to grow more perplexed. In no ways were her eyes watering to the point of a flood, but silent streams were emerging.

"Seriously mom it's-", she was already out the...curtain, before Gareth could finish his piece, "...okay...Vivian what's going on? Like...I mean my mom doesn't- well it takes a lot for her to get upset in that way"

Staring after the retreating matriarch, Vivian appeared in her own little world, but eventually the words did reach her ears,

"She...she's blaming herself for the Ascalon situation", the brunette started, biting her lips a bit unsure if she should be the one to reveal this information, but ultimately decided it was probably for the best...even if she still felt like she was betraying Laura for doing so, "Before your surgery...o-one of...a lawyer came"

"Oh...that makes sense, Lance's family...well I don't know if you've heard of them in Denmark, but their a decently well-known name in America", Gareth said starting to piece things together, "Their not the riches people on the planet, but their close enough to it, his dad probably doesn't want this to get to court"

"More so demanded it wouldn't", the chocolate eyed girl responded, dropping her eyes to the floor defeated, but with a slight level of disgust in her voice, "T-that lawyer put your mom in a…"

She was struggling to find the right expression, but clearly wanted to get something out,

"A no win situation?", her fellow haired housemate filled in, stating it as an educational guess. Nodding her head, Vivian took them as her own, before continuing,

"Yeah, she...they gave her money to keep silent, and told her that they'd win the case if she tried to do things the right way", her orbs still couldn't bring themselves to make contact with Gareth, "Your mom, she really didn't want to do it Gareth, but...she had to in the end, they gave her no choice"

"I understand", Gareth said, his voice now possessing some level of sadness but more so at the situation his mom was in rather than her reaction to it, "Honestly, I don't blame her, if anything I would have encouraged her to do so...I just...so long as Lance doesn't bother us again I don't care where he ends up"

"B-but he attacked you, doesn't he...this isn't right Gareth", Vivian's voice remained soft, but her head snapped up in confusion.

"It's not...but we can't fight the Ascalons, and this is just how the world works. We have rules, but not only does money buy their construction, they can also buy their...demolition I guess", Gareth sighed, "Besides, I couldn't live with myself if my mom went broke on my account...I mean we argue a lot, especially before you came, but...for the last couple of years I've just been feeling like a burden to her"

Vivian's brown eyes finally met his, a frown of sorrow gracing her face, and soon Gareth found himself being the one to look away

"I know this sucks but...things will get better", he tried to smile, but with no one to direct it too, the gesture hung lose in the air, "After all my mom and I are starting to talk normally again, and since you've arrived...I mean my life's gotten a ton better"

"I-I...do you mean that?", not that she was being selfish, if anything she was overly selfless so it just appeared so out of relativity, but Vivian was asking the questions if to gain some form of reassurance.

"Of course, I do…", now happy he was looking down, Gareth could feel his cheeks heat up more and more. Of course he was already blushing, but there was a difference between him going red, and him creating a new color hue, "I mean...you're really awesome...getting to talk to people after school is...it's something I really needed. Besides, my mom's also a lot happier too, honestly you're like the daughter she never had"

"I...thank you", Vivian spoke as if she didn't deserve the praise, and soon voiced that as an opinion, "b-but...I've caused nothing but trouble for you and your family. Your arm wouldn't be broken if I didn't come here, and Laura wouldn't be so devastated"

"Yeah but I also wouldn't...I wouldn't have friends if you didn't come here Vivian '', Gareth tried to say reassuringly, but found the act hard as it also felt like he was confessing, "...and don't worry about my mom. I'll talk to her, and this whole thing will blow over. By this evening I promise she'll be filled with more rage than sadness at the mentions of the Ascalons. I mean...she knows more than me that us taking money from them is a win, even if it not the one we deserve to get"

"I...maybe...but it's what they said'', Vivian found herself stuttering, but not at what she was about to bring up, more so the pain it was causing Laura, "Gareth, that lawyer...he mentioned something that really hurt your mom. I...she's a strong person, so s-she'll recover from being bought out. But when he mentioned your dad-"

Vivian's eyes widened, and she came to an abrupt pause as pure shock purged her of any of the other thousand emotions and situations she was having to deal with. Gareth hadn't said a word, but he knew full well what uninterrupted her. His left fist clenching, and the fingers in his right nearly breaking their cast in an attempt to do the same, pure anger overtook the young man.

The sudden emotions shift cleared his mind, and now he felt a strong urge to swing his legs out and find whoever this lawyer was. It took a lot to get Gareth violently angry...and considering he didn't feel the need to do so with the very man who assaulted him, it also took a very specific situation.

But even as he realized his cast and its supports kept him in place, the attorney Gareth had never met created that perfect storm. Being stuck to the bed, the brunette's emerald eyes eventually fell towards Vivian, accompanied by an unnatural level of monotonous,

"Arthur", Gareth said, already trying to fight his own natural reaction, knowing consciously that Vivian didn't say that word on purpose. Eventually that will did break though, and with the Danish's student truly shocked face meeting his vision, Gareth tried to add emotion back to his voice, although it came out as frustrated regret, "If you have to mention him, just use that name...he's not my dad, or my father, or even my mom's ex-husband. He's just Arthur and that's all there is too it"

"I-I'm sorry I", she stuttered, not in fear, but in confusion on what to do next.

"It's", wanting to fully leave this conversation, or at the very least throw a lawyer out the window, Gareth couldn't bring himself to lie and say it was fine, "It is what it is, but I'd rather not talk about it...although it makes sense now why she's so upset"

Bringing his left hand up, Gareth had to unwrap it before he rubbed his head,

"Let's...let's just talk about something else. How's P doing, did you talk with her since…well you know", this time Vivian's face went emotionless, although not in the quick acceleration Gareth had achieved. And to her credit, she also did a better job of hiding it.

"We're...she didn't take it well", for the first time ever, Gareth herd Vivian speak as if she was...mad at somebody, although it was hard to tell because it seem like she was still trying to be polite for his benefit, "I...she lashed out and said...well she knows what she said and-"

Gareth looked over at his shattered phone, he wanted to interfere, because he knew P could listen in on the conversation. However, he also didn't have a way to tell Vivian how that was possible without revealing a secret...a secret he still didn't know his fellow brunette knew better.

"...I...we're not on speaking terms, I just can't be", not expecting this, Gareth was, if nothing else distracted from his old family issues of nothing else, "not after how much it hurt"

Having whispered that to herself, Gareth wondered how the hell things had gotten so out of hand. Sure, he'd been unconscious for half a day, but even a million years didn't feel like enough time for the two nicest people he knew to argue with one another,

"Oh...well, what did sh-", once again he saw his reflection in the shattered screen, and didn't want P to feel...well he didn't know, but it felt wrong to talk to about her as if it be behind her back, especially if she was watching…although the electronics glass shined with two sets of emptiness, "Why don't I talk to her later, she's...well I'm sure she probably didn't mean anything she said Vivian. P's just got a unique outlook on life"

"...", Vivian remained quiet, and although she nodded her head, she did so in such a way that indicated to Gareth she didn't think his involvement would make a difference.

"You'll see, P was just mad at Lance, like all of us should be '', he said, feeling awkward for the conversation, or rather argument, he missed, "and she was probably just in as much shock as the rest of us as well. But trust me, Penny's a good person to her core"

Gareth tried to give two sets of reassuring smiles, although his phones remained dark, and Vivian eyes remained locked on the floor,

"I...I-I thought that too", the exchange students brought up a hand to rub something from her now hair hidden face, but just as her words could be filled with sadness...a sudden pause overcame her, "...wait, Penny?"

"Yeah, that's her name", Gareth said, attempting an awaked chuckle, as if that would magically cause the situation to lighten. However, just as soon as he finished his forced laugh answering the wrong question, a brief recollection lowered his lips into a thin line, "huh… that's her name"

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Before Mercury even saw Tyrian enter the facility, he shivered knowing that one of the few people, and the only person on this planet, who could truly make him feel like prey arrived.

Trying to act like he was preoccupied in work he still didn't know why he was doing, the scorpion tailed man never lost his sinister smile as it now shifted onto the sliver haired teen.

Walking through the spiderwebbed abandoned factory, or at least what Mercury could only compare to an abandoned factory, Tyrian could tell how uncomfortable his presence made both his younger companions feel.

As such Mercury could only count Emerald lucky that she got to be on patrol at these times, especially as the slicked haired man deliberately left his weapons out folded. Allowing crimson liquid to drip off the steel and into pools on the concrete floor, as the psychopath slowly made his way over to the amputee's current position.

Feeling the childlike gaze on his back, Mercury let the silence's Tyrian indulge in continue unimpeded. Knowing that the insectoid man wouldn't respond to anything he said until he got his fill of Mercury's disgust and fear.

So, instead, the mechanical legged man used the moment to instead think about how surreal the past...well he couldn't even tell what system of time he should be using, but it felt like a long time, was.

Special mission she says, remembering for the billionth time how he's never gotten any more information then what the witch first told him, or rather softly demanded as one would do to a pet, We're the most adaptive pieces, we'll be able to find the Crown.

If it was almost as if Tyrian could tell what he was thinking, for even without seeing it Mercury could tell his smile grew,

Just have to survive being thrown into another planet, with no preparation or time to even wonder how that's even a thing let alone possible, he tried to hold his emotions back, and keep a straight face, knowing Tyrian could, and would, jump at any signs of weakness or emotion, Hide from people we didn't think could exist, and find a location to operate from despite not knowing where the hell we are, or how to find out since every other damn person here speaks gibberish.

I signed up to make Remnant pay, not to go planet hopping. But no, she just goes and sends us to place she probably doesn't even fully understand, and assumes we'd be fine, it was only due to the fact Salam had to be light years away that Mercury even dare have these thoughts, and with her lap dog right behind he still felt she was too close, but hey we magically stumbled across an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere, so maybe she planned all this out and just likes bathing in our misery as much as everybody else's.

His lips never faltered from a straight line, but he wanted to spread his arms out to showcase the sarcasm he felt. Motioning to the miles of grass that hid this building from whatever society he needed to hide from,

This putrid and rust smelling pit of despair, were the sociopath feels right at home, and got straight to work, as if on cue, Mercury herd Tyrian lick his lips, because that man is qualified to know more information than the two sane people

So I have to stay here with Emerald going through the same routine, watching the borders during the day while she has to babysit Tyrian while he sleeps, he wanted to sneer at that but knew there were much much faster ways to die, While at night she gets to be relieved of emotions trauma, just in time for me to watch him leave, return with blood all over his weapon, and a vile of ichor on his back. Only for him to come up behind me, to creep me out enough to have these same exact thoughts in his ongoing effort to drive me ma-

"Whatcha thinking about?", Tyrian whispered, bringing his lips right up to Mercury's ear. It took all the training and discipline the young aura unlocked man had to not instinctually throw a roundhouse to his side.

"Just working", Mercury muttered back, hating how Tyrian poisoned question was asked with childlike curiosity, "Same thing I've been doing since I got here"

"Ah that's no fun dad", his first physical reaction was a clenched fist, as he now had to restrain himself from doing something stupid. Why this creep had to be the most deranged person on two planets was truly beyond him, "After all when was the last time you and mom had a date night"

"Tyrian shouldn't you be going to your pirate quarters to feed your pet, whatever's in there's starting to growl", and thus, in order to make sure Tyrian stopped mentioning Emerald, Mercury explained his only real job. Making sure whatever the arachnid Faunus grew in his room, didn't break out.

As if on cue, a muffled howl came coursing through the room, and as with every night it was getting more feral. Despite how in the dark he was, Mercury had at least two brain cells to rub together, and therefore knew a Grimm was being formed. But, between him and his green haired friend, neither had any idea which, and given how Tyrian would often make cueing noises when he went in to that room, neither particularly wanted to find out...although as he now brought it up he could only think of how he just ran out of luck,

"Oh, he doesn't need anymore, I've just been going out to play for the past week", Mercury's eyebrow twitched. He cared as little for life as the next guy, but the way Tyrian went about it even made the silver age victim want to vomit. There was vengeance and then there was cruelty, and while the two often overlapped, the pony tailed man could ever know the latter, "I figured he just needed some time to...prepare before our first walk"

"What walk?", Mercury said wanting to groan, be annoyed, and slightly on edge at the same time. Especially because he already could tell, this walk would include him and Emerald as well.

"The walk, come on don't tell me you forgot about the family outing", Tyrian fully understand Mercury couldn't forget something he wasn't told, but it didn't stop the sadist from clasping both hands to his cheek in mock shock, "You, mom, and I are taking the pet on his first trip. It'll be so nice for him to have test run when finding people from home"

Could have told me that before we came here, Mercury said resisting the urge to slap his forehead as everything came together,

"After all he sniffs out aura like a dog sniffs at shit", his kid like routine was made even creeper by having his high pitch voice swear, "Besides we need to make sure he can handle the small fry's before we track down the bigger pray"

Mercury's eyes slightly widen, and despite not feeling remorse for what was about to happen to the 'small fry', he could at the very least feel pity that she had to meet her end through Tyrian,

"So we're finally tying loose end", Mercury said trying to not think how that process would be achieved, "and then we can finally get that Crown"

"That's riiiiiight", Tyrian said in a high pitch tune he currently carried, "I know how patient you've been, and how much you hate working abroad, but at least try to enjoy the rest of the trip. I know I will"

"How surprising", Mercury dryly replied, finally being disgusted enough to push past Tyrian and moving towards the building exit. The psychopath loving the fact the silver haired teen never held the courage to make eye contact with him, "And when should I tell Emerald we're heading out"

He didn't even try to phase it as a question, not wanting Tyrian to prey on his own, albeit not intended, curiosity. No matter how small that feeling may be,

"Now", Tyrian replied smiling knowing that Mercury hated how in the dark he was, almost as much as he was annoyed when things were sprung on him last minute, "So hurry up and fetch your lover, after all we don't want to miss the hunting season"

"...and which hunting season is that?", Mercury replied, forsaking his own attempt to limit his emotions, if only to not engage with the, from his point of view, almost comedic misused, 'lover' comment.

"Well it is summer, so of course we have to hunt Rabbit", Tyrian replied, letting the pleasure he took from the phrase hang in the air, as, after finally giving in and shivering, both Mercury and he went to fetch their partners.

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George had arrived in record time, and by the time Amr should have actually been going to bed, the boys silver eyes gleamed with happiness through the night, and he was climbing all over his all but blood uncle the moment he arrived. Shooting off sugar rushed induced questions about his most recent outing at a rapid-fire rate.

Having a shaved head, sunglasses on day and night, and a tan complexion over a well-trained body, the sight of the agent turning all his gruesome war stories into child friendly fantasy epic was truly a talent.

...as was his ability to quickly inform both Ceinwyn and Arthur how he had three teams of ex, or rather upgraded, Seals positioned all around the household, as well as two stealth helicopter rotating cycles above the entire complex and hill tracking any and all movement going in. On top of that, he reported his own status on the Caliburn base, and how a force, with numbers akin to that small country's entire military, was on high alert, ready to blow anybody trying to reach Ceinwyn's true mission to pieces...and were still ready and able to do the same to themselves and the surrounding thirty-five kilometer area if necessary.

Because of this, everything was going smoothly, and as such Ceinwyn hated everything. Going according to plan, while for the absolute and undebatable best, meant a possible encounter, she had long since thought impossible, could be approaching ever faster.

Although, sitting in the most advanced cargo bay in the western hemisphere, she could at least take some solace in knowing she was in good company. As her golden haired husband distracted himself with a computerized screen the size of a poker table, and the murder reports, along with every video and document on 'animal' activity, that could fit on its display. For at the end of the day while her possible confrontation with reality was still just that. Arthur's on the other hand was becoming more and more certain by the moment...and it's not like she'd go unscathed by that encounter.

Sighing she looked away from her husband as he valiantly, but nonetheless pointlessly, tried to lose himself in his work. Instead she turned her attention to the nearby viewing port. Despite having been here for over eleven years she still found herself astonished by scenery of looking down on a landscape from so high up.

Airships were great and all, but planes truly did have them beat if, in nothing else, artistic potential...although it was too bad even such a simple act as looking out a plane window was mundane to most people on Earth, and hardly appreciated.

But maybe that was a good thing, her taking some level of amazement reminded her she...well she was something. Saying a visitor implies she was going back, which would simply unleash her into the frantic state of her husband, and at least one of them needed a focused mind at the moment. Unfortunately the more accurate term prisoner, was also not the right word, for she didn't mind her life, and had even embraced the idea of living here the rest of her day...although, guilt filled, she'd always thought she'd come to that conclusion all too soon.

With nothing left she could then only rely on the word alien, which was...correct, but not in the way it should be. In a sense she used it much like an immigrant would, somebody who was from a foreign land but now lived in another. However, most migrants didn't have to change their names, and as she wore her snow-white cloak for the first time in nearly a decade, she realized that she was an alien of two worlds.

"At least you don't feel like a stranger Hwyelbane", resting in her lap, she whispered out the words to a beautifully crafted silver and crimson pole axes. For a weapon from a more archaic period of time, Ceinwyn's broke stereotypes as the folded metal, and shifting barrels atop the hook and bladed axes made the tool of war look like the most advanced instrument of destruction on the planet...and for the purposes of melee combat it probably was.

"What was that", Arthur said, snapping his head up, already panicked that things were going south. At this Ceinwyn had to smile and giggle, despite the seriousness of it all, his constant worry like state was one of his most adhering, if not cute, qualities.

In less personal situations, this paranoia would come in the form of logically questioning everything, but now he didn't have any quantitative thoughts to fall back on and was just letting it all out,

"It was nothing", she said, trying to force a calm smile, in order to fake relaxation on the trip to the stress field region of the world known as New England. Having been in charge since the video ended, and knowing she'd most likely have to resume that role upon landing...she needed a second to just be human, "Unless you suddenly find me reminiscing with Hwyelbane crucial to your investigation"

"I-I, you know I didn't mean it like that", her smile became real at that, especially as his face reddened. Something about still having that ability on him filling her with youth,

"I don't know, I mean, it would probably be just as relevant to your research as that article on the possible black bear sightings", his face ripen even more, "Listen as the person who told you to do this I'm now telling you to stop, come on sit down...there's some other stuff we should prepare for"

"B-but, I mean what if this is-", watching his wife pat the padded seat next to him, Arthur knew he was in for another losing argument and this time surrendered immediately and simply turned off the table esc monitor and joined her by the window.

"It's not an Ursa, trust me, it wouldn't have been reported by a local newspaper if it was an Ursa. Besides I've been seeing you go through the same reports for two hours, you've got the location down and how each potential intruder could move", she could see the tiredness in his eyes, and despite having been mad at him no less than six hours ago, she knew he was working himself to the bone...and that without aura he was doing so all while depriving himself of much needed sleep, that he would not have the luxury of getting anytime soon.

"I...you're probably right. You know, the way you switch personalities from anger, to military drive, back to caring...I've always found it strange", he sighed in his exhaustiveness, but Ceinwyn only found herself pouting, albeit in a teasing way.

"What you meant to say was, 'I've always found that quality of my beautiful and talented wife remarkable, did I also mention she's a genius as well'", mocking his voice she put on a deeper tone, all while reminding him she did have a weapon attached to her hip

"Oh, how could I ever forget, she's always there to remind me. Sometimes just with presence, other time with her remarkable modesty", he slumped next to her, giving out silent groan as the reality of how long he stood upright became known.

"Please, you love it", she poked at his sides.

"Yeah I do, the reason I do it beyond me, but that doesn't change the result", he at least attempted a smile, through his emotional and now physical turmoil, "...is this weird-"

"Like objectively speaking? Because, yes, literally no part of our lives can be categorized as normal, and this situation is beyond even that", she replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Not that...well kind of that, but more...I don't know, we were just arguing and now were like this, even though we know we're going to argue when we land", he diverted his gaze to the window, his fake smile turning into an actual frown as he became more and more familiar with the terrain below him.

"Maybe…", Ceinwyn said, losing her teasing personality a bit, "But that's only a product of us knowing each other so well. We don't get upset with the other, we get upset with ourselves and know the other will call us out on it"

Arthur turned to her, and at the very least his eyes shone through with understanding and humor. Taking this as her cue she brought her head down on his shoulder,

"Besides, the fact we actually never verbally apologies after a fight probably goes to show how in sync we are", he looked down at her, blinked, and the bringing the corner of his lips to match his eyes, put an arm around her, "Although we still can't know exactly what the others thinking, and since we can't catch another break like this, care to share what's on your mind?"

"That depends, will you as well?", he leaned his head down unto the top of hers, "Based on your thought process though chances are their the same"

"Probably...", she trailed off for a moment, "So in that case why don't you go first"

"Did I forget to mention your generosity as well", he chuckled, while she too had to giggle. However, neither expression of joy lasted long, as Arthur's slowly morphed into a sigh, "I'm worried...not just that the worst case scenario we've been planning for has finally arrived, but that somehow the best way to go about halting it somehow involves Gareth"

Ceinwyn listened quietly, probably providing more support with silence then words momentarily,

"More than anything though I'm appalled with myself. The most logical way to end this threat actually gives me a chance to let Laura and Gareth know the truth, and I hate that that's the reason I'm hesitating", he brought up his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, "I'm literally putting the whole world in jeopardy, because I might not have what it takes to just walk up to my old home and get them out of harm's way...I just wish this wasn't happening"

"And there's mine", Ceinwyn said wither own defeated sigh, "I know for certain that girl's from Remnant, more so than that, I can place that accident to not only Vale but even know the specific island it's spoken on"

This time Arthur was meant to be silent type, offering his therapeutic experience by not talking,

"But even now, I'm hoping against hope she isn't. With it being eleven years I thought…", she knew what she had to say, but that didn't make it any harder to voice, "More like I was subconsciously praying, that we were wasting resources into guarding that Crown, that what happen was just a flux and there really was no way anybody else on Remnant could come to Earth...and there was no way I could get back"

Ceinwyn pressed herself even closer to Arthur, and in a way that only made her thought process and guilt worse. But she needed to be close to somebody right now, and despite being able to throw him around like a rag doll, he made a good bunker. Much better than his supposed masterpiece of a home for sure.

"We can face the answer to that together", Arthur broke the silence, but knew if he'd had the choice, he still wouldn't have wanted the question brought up.

"I know...and that makes me scared and selfish", neither noticed that they were whispering now, but with only two people in the room every word came across clear,

"Selfish? Come on Ceinwyn the only one being selfis-", her brown eyes almost broke through with a different color underneath, and why the gaze wasn't hostile, when they fixated on Arthur it would be wise to shut up.

"Not for that...I mean it is, but I'm also being selfish for what I want out of you", he furrowed his eyes at this, but made no further interruptions, "You need to let Gareth and Laura know the truth, and that's why I want you to do it...but Summer needs to see it happen, because I don't know what I'll have to do if my turn comes into view"

This was the first time Ceinwyn had uttered her name in...well probably since she got to Earth. It was weird in a sense, mostly because she stated the season all the time, it was impossible not to give the ironic connection she had to English, but it had been a true lifetime since she used the section of the year to address herself.

"...You'll certainly see what not to do after my encounter", the blonde said after a moment, knowing full well the gravity behind what she just said, "but...I made a mistake, and Summer's only in the position to make a similar one"

Briefly the snow cloaked woman looked up. Not offended, or even sadden, but more so startled at the unexpectedness of what her husband just said,

"I'm going to finally face the repercussion of mine...and even if I'm admittedly uncomfortable and truly fearful of what could happen with you facing your old family", the surprise was replaced with her lips forming a thin line, as she now came to realize they truly were on the same wavelength, "I'm not going to let you fall into the same trap I did...if there's a way to safely get to Remnant and back, we'll go and see them"

Despite his hesitation, and clear worry for something she wanted to say wouldn't happen, she closed her eyes, and decided to allow herself to take this moment of quietness to just be human...gods know it be awhile until she got another chance to do so when Arthur and her were forced back to the Earth,

"Thanks Arthur, I…", muffled now by his clothing she gave off a sadden laugh, "I don't mind if their mad at me...in fact I want them to be, I deserve their anger, probably just as much as you deserve Gareth's and Laura's"

Even with her vision cut off, she knew Arthur had to bite back his position to that, but she was glad he didn't voice it,

"The real fear comes from...I don't know how I'll handle things if they think Am-", gently, but somewhat firmly, Arthur outstretched his arm, and positioned himself so they could actually stare at each other. Often it was the other way around, but Ceinwyn, or rather Summer, was glad for the interruption, insure if she'd have been able to even finish what she had begun,

"I screwed up Ce-Summer. Laura and I...maybe I knew the relationship was ending before her, but my failure came from not telling her the truth the moment I knew I was falling in love with you", in spite of everything, he was stating facts, and ones that were selfless despite how they sounded at first, "Although I objectively disagree, you think you betrayed your family on Remnant because you moved on to fast...but even if that's true"

The golden-haired man found himself taking in a deep breath, and even though she had been quiet, Summer found herself needing to take a shallow one as well,

"Even if it's true...our mistakes are how we mishandled or potentially mishandle how we informed, or couldn't inform, other people of it starting. It's not when it started", the words were spoken at a regular volume, but given that even the universe seem to pause for them to be said, they appeared louder, "I deserve blame, and maybe you do as well for that, but that's what people have the right to call us out on...Gareth and Laura, I don't know what will happen when they find out about him, but Amr's not a mistake"

Her breathing having suddenly stopped, it was only at this moment that she realized her sharp breath had turned into hyperventilating. There result of a nervousness being brought on by her true horror being given words then vanquished,

"We know that, and when he's older Amr will know that too, that none of this is on him", in a weird way Arthur was just speaking to himself, but out of care and bond he forced himself into reality, for Ceinwyn needed this as well, "Gareth and Laura...however they react at first is a product of my failure, but eventually they'll know Amr's not a part of it...and that's a conclusion Tai, Qrow, Ruby, and Yang will reach as well"

Putting her halt in oxygen to shame, the names Summer hadn't realized she truly avoided stopped her entire heart. In a rare moment, the unknown performed its duty so well, fear couldn't actually find the space to be produced by its presence. However, that could simply be a result of the terror of the subject having always been there.

Being moved instead, Arthur brought the false brown eyed woman into a hug and unthawed her from her statue-like state. Soon she brought her own hands up and returned the gesture out of necessity. Long since passed the point of tears, she just allowed the moment to continue, wanting to make the most of the time left before the outcome of the self-imposed destiny of their much-needed talk was fulfilled.

"How much time do we have left?", the season muffled the words into his shoulder.

"Probably an hour", he asked, realizing that any conversation after that one was going to feel strange.

"Alright…", she paused then pushed herself out to meet his face, "This...thank you Arthur, even when I said it… I know nothing will actually prepare for what happens next, but this came close"

Despite her smile being one of exhaustion and tiredness, Arthur still blushed, and probably thinking of how weird this all was again, he morphed back into his everyday personality,

"I-I have my moments, plus you're the one who's actually helping me out...if we're keeping score, it's still probably one-thousand to three you", his eyes began dotting over the place a bit, but she giggled knowing it was only because he was paying too much attention,

"More like one-million to three me", she said slowly bringing her arms around his neck to her, "But don't worry, the prize for losing is the same as winning"