"You have some interesting taste in music... Pixel." Aaron studied Vincent's face - looking for a sign that his guess was correct.

"What?" The other boy's eyebrows rose in surprise. He took a long, slow, blink. "No, really, what? Did you just call me 'Pixel'?"

"That's right." Aaron pressed forward. "You were the first person that met him, right? There were no other witnesses, so you could've made the whole thing up! Then there's your boxing [Skills]. I don't know much about different [Classes], but you're 'leveling' far too quickly! You're too strong, quick, and agile. You have to have something else helping you!"

"Is dat so?" Vincent's confusion had morphed into barely suppressed laughter. "You think I'm a superhero 'cause I beat up some punk?"

"No." Aaron shook his head. "There's more." He had to keep pressing. He needed to present his evidence. "That MP3 player." He pointed at Vincent's hand. "It's not yours. I don't recognize the company logo or name. Plus, it's really well-made and has a completely different UI than anything I've ever seen!"

"Oh really?" Vincent was openly chuckling now.

"Yes! It has 512 GB of memory, and two GBs of RAM." Aaron might not be a programmer, but he knew his way around a computer. Finding the MP3 player's specs wasn't hard, and they were far beyond what was available on Earth. "Additionally, the headphone jack might be normal, but the charging port isn't anything I've seen before! That's not a model you can just buy. That's the sort of thing a tech-superhero would make for himself!"

"Ha ha ha ha!" Vincent started laughing. His dark skin flushed as he chortled uncontrollably. "You mean?" He hunched over and held his stomach. "You thought that I was..." The rest of his words were drowned out by more laughter.

Damn. Vincent was either an exceptional actor, or he wasn't Pixel.

"Uhm..." Aaron felt his entire face flush. "I mean... I guess there are some other explanations... But the music... You said he had a video game theme..."

"No... No..." Vincent clapped the hand on his shoulder. "You're almost right, but you're SO wrong." He took some deep breaths before looking him in the eyes. "This did come from Pixel." He held up the player in his other hand. "But that was 'cause mine ran out of juice. This thing will last years he said."

"But... the songs." Aaron was confused.

"Yeah? What about them?" Vincent straightened up.

"They're video game music!"

"And?" Vincent scoffed. "What was I supposed ta do? Delete Pixel's music?" He rolled his eyes. "Get real, man. Sure, it isn't my taste, but it's what I got. 'Sides, some of them are bangin'."

"Oh man, I'm so embarrassed." Aaron had been so sure. "Look, can we forget this happened?"

"Naaaw, dog." Vincent smiled. "I gots ta tell the big man."

What?

"What?" Aaron was confused. "The big man?"

"The big man." Vincent punched him in the shoulder before turning around and walking towards his bed. "Pixel. Y'know, the superhero that you just accused me of being."

Wait.

"Wait." Aaron shook his head. "Hold up. You can talk with Pixel?" He looked at the MP3 player. Was it more advanced than he thought? Like some James Bond spy stuff where it was really a secret communicator?

"Sure." Vincent sat down and winced. "I might've pulled something while laughing."

"You can talk with Pixel, and you never told me?"

"Why would I?" Vincent shrugged. "I wouldn't want to blow his cover."

What?

"His cover?" Surely Vincent didn't mean that Pixel was...

"Yeah. Gotta let the [Mages] think my boy's off helpin' random dudes in some other country." Vincent stretched his neck. "Couldn't let on that he's been investigating Wistram all this time."

What?

"What?" Aaron slumped down to the ground. "He's here? And nobody except you knew?"

"I wouldn't say that." Vincent smirked. "Tell you what, I'll contact him and have him come speak with you right now. I think he was plannin' on doin' that soon anyways."

What?

Aaron looked at Vincent as he lay back on his bed. He JUST said he was going to contact Pixel. Shouldn't he be taking out a phone or something? Instead he was just-

"Greetings, Aaron Vanwell." He almost jumped out of his skin as someone spoke from behind him. "Or do you prefer 'Blackmage'?"

Aaron spun around and looked at... someone who'd stepped directly out of a video game! His armor was... pixelated for lack of a better term. Thousands, no, millions of tiny cubes covered him. They had to be... nano-bots or something. Some sort of modular armor like Iron Man had in his later movies! "You..." He swallowed. "You're Pixel?"

"That's right." He nodded.

"And you're a [Superhero]?" Aaron had a million questions.

"Yes." The red helmet flowed away to reveal a young, white man with short, black hair. "But probably not like what you think. I was a superhero long before I arrived on this world, and I come from a different version of Earth than you."

What?

...

Aaron sat on Vincent's bed next to the [Boxer]. "So you're from a different version of Earth. One that has superheroes and villains. One that, what? Guards other versions of Earth?"

"Hmmm..." Pixel hummed. "Yes and no on the 'guarding' part. We did help stop every version of Earth from being destroyed, but it's not like things are doing so well on Earth Bet that we feel the need to go out and help other versions of Earth."

"But then why did you come to Earth Iowa-"

Pixel interrupted him. "Iota. From the Greek alphabet. There are actually too many Earths to just use letters, so only those deemed significant in some way get one. We already used up the Hebrew alphabet."

"Okay." Aaron nodded. "Why did you come to Earth Iota?"

"Our leader detected the loss of mass from what was supposed to be a closed system." Pixel held his gaze. "In other words, she noticed people vanishing and I was sent to investigate." He shrugged. "I guess I was 'lucky' enough to get taken too."

"Hey, I hate to interrupt the chat." Vincent stood up. "But I have to get my roadwork in."

"Yes, of course." Pixel glanced at the door and a shimmering field that Aaron hadn't noticed vanished. The hero then moved next to him and offered him a hand.

Aaron took it and was pulled to his feet. "So..."

Pixel nodded. "We'll continue this conversation in your room. Just go back, and I'll teleport there."

"Teleportation? Even Iron Man can't..." Aaron forced himself to stop talking. Instead, he straightened his robes, gave Pixel a nod, and then followed Vincent out into the hall. Teura was still there, but Breska had been replaced with another half-elf. "I'm going back to my room."

"Alright, man." Vincent waved as he put his ear buds in. "Have fun!"

Aaron walked back to his room, with the red-headed half-elf following him. Once he was inside, he closed the door and turned around. "Pixel? Are you here?"

"Yes." The superhero spoke as he appeared. "Give me a moment and we will be able to speak freely."

Aaron's brow furrowed. What did he mean? He was just standing there - unmoving. He had to be doing something technical. Even Iron Man couldn't teleport like that. Heck, even Doctor Strange needed portals. What were Pixel's teleportation tech's limits? How far could he go? Did he need a beacon, or something? Was not moving after teleporting a restriction?

Pillars appeared in the corners of his room. Like when Pixel had teleported, there was no sound or flash of light. One second there was nothing, the next black bars were stretched vertically at the edges. The same shimmering field from Vincent's room then coated the walls, ceiling, and floor.

"Is that an anti-espionage field?" Aaron turned around and brought his hand up to touch it, before thinking better of it.

"Yes, among other things." Pixel's armor flowed off of him and revealed a t-shirt and jeans. At the same time a chair - also pixelized - appeared behind him. "I get the feeling that you have more questions for me, despite my previous explanation of how and why I am here." He sat down. "Let's get them out of the way, shall we?"

"Oh! Right!" Aaron pulled out a chair and sat opposite Pixel. "So you're from Earth Bet, and you came here to try and save us." Pixel nodded. "And you're at Wistram specifically to see if it's really a safe place where people from Earth can be brought. That's why your investigating it without letting the Archmages know?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then what's up with the field? How strong is your armor? Have you gotten a class? What skills do you have? Can you use magic? Can you make other suits? Can I have one? What's the limitation on your power supply? Do you have a reactor somewhere? Is that where you stored your suit? How far can you teleport? What's the..."

I sat and waited for Aaron to run out of questions. I answered some, misled him about others, and refused to answer a few. This repeated itself for a while until he ran out of things to ask. "Is that all?"

"No..." He looked vaguely disappointed. "But if your tech can't be spread, then we're not going to uplift this world with super-advanced technology."

**Aaron is slightly depressed.

"Is that what you were hoping for?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Well... yeah." He let out a sigh. "I mean, we're in a world full of magic, and you're an actual superhero from another dimension. There should be a way to, I dunno, help everyone."

"I'm more concerned about helping the people that were kidnapped from Earth Iota first." I shrugged. "My tech might not be suitable for mass production, but that doesn't mean that what you're trying to do with h-" I wanted to say 'human', but that would imply too much. "Mundane devices is a bad thing."

"It figures." He shook his head. "I mean, that's not the way it ever goes in stories, is it? The Wizards don't share their magic with the muggles. Tony Stark and Reed Richards don't provide free power to the rest of the world." He let out a small laugh. "It's like that one SMBC comic, the best use of Superman would be turning a gigantic crank, not beating up muggers. 'A Transitory Power Source.'" He motioned at my chair. "Changing the relative physics in an enclosed space to mimic impossible tech is freakin' amazing, but..."

"But it's not something that can be expanded upon." I gave him a rueful smile. "Believe me, I know. It's a phenomenon that has stumped the greatest minds on my world. Even those that create super-tech by hand can't have their gadgets copied by people that perform the same exact steps." I neglected to mention the reason for that, of course. The existence of Shards wasn't relevant, or something I'd casually tell anyone.

"Okay." Aaron shook his head and then slapped his cheeks. "I appreciate you letting me ramble, but this meeting isn't for my benefit, is it? I mean, if what Vincent said was true and you were thinking about revealing yourself to me before I sorta figured out what was going on, then there must be a reason, right?"

"Yes." I nodded. "There is."

"Is it that you've decided to reveal yourself to the Archmages, and that you need an introduction?" He sounded hopeful.

"No." I let out a short laugh. "It's a little too early for that." I motioned at the walls with a hand. "Wistram is an impressive place. While I haven't been to that many cities and countries in this world, the standard of living here is appreciably higher." I frowned. "That said, there are still several issues that worry me. I cannot in good faith bring other Earthers here until they are addressed."

Aaron blinked. "Like what?"

"Well..." I looked at the door. "Your armed guards for one."

"Them?" Aaron turned his head to look also. "I mean, that's more of an imposition on them than it is on us. I understand that there are things here that could hurt me, and they help with that instead of studying or enchanting or other [Mage] stuff."

"Useful? Yes." I nodded. "Necessary? Possibly. Benevolent?" I shook my head. "Of that I have my doubts. Let us say that Feor and the other Archmages are completely on the level. They wish to be altruistic and have no ulterior motives. If I bring a dozen other people here, what then?"

"Well..." Aaron fiddled with his fingers. "There wouldn't be enough high-level [Mages] to escort us, so we'd have to escort ourselves. Sort of like a buddy system until the new people learned the ropes and got some levels of their own. I mean..." He looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. "Not everyone will be [Mages], or even be able to take care of themselves like Vincent. Some, like Jiahao, won't have classes that are, uhm, well, useful." He looked at me. "Are you really a [Gamer]?"

"Yes, but that's beside the point. I could have no [Classes] at all and still be far safer than any other Earther. As for your hypothetical future..." I shook my head. "You are missing the main point. The true reason why you have guards in the first place. They offer protection, yes. But their primary function is different." I held up a finger. "It's isolation. As long as they're there, other [Mages] won't learn your secrets."

**Aaron is incredulous.

"What? I mean, I get that secrets are a currency around here, but that seems a little far fetched." He shook his head. "We aren't a secret room or a rare spell."

"No. You're more valuable than that." I looked him in the eye. "You're the end result of hundreds of years of scientific progress. That's something this world lacks. While that doesn't mean that you, yourself, can 'uplift' them, as you said. It does offer them a glimpse of what can happen." I let out a deep breath. "Knowing that a solution exists makes a problem significantly simpler to solve."

**Aaron is skeptical.

"So you think they'd what? Lock us away? Torture us for details about Earth?" Aaron crossed his arms.

"No. I do not think that Wistram is a place that condones such things as torture and murder." I shook my head. "But locking you up in a gilded cage? Almost certainly. It would be such an easy thing to rationalize."

"I..." Aaron frowned. "I mean, I can see where you're coming from. I know that I don't have free run of the place, but that's because I literally just appeared one day! Anyone would be cautious about that sort of thing. Although..." He crossed his arms and bowed his head. "We are children in their eyes. 'For our own good.' can mean a lot of things."

"I'm glad-"

**Aaron is resolved.

"So that means I'll just have to become a real [Mage] of Wistram!" He looked up at me. "This is where I want to be, and it may take a while, but I can learn and level. Once I'm actually competent, they'll treat me as such!"

I paused to consider that before nodding. "That's reasonable. I'm still concerned that not every person from Earth would enjoy the same arrangement."

"No. Probably not." Aaron deflated slightly before perking back up. "But, if we had a sponsor who could make sure we're not exploited..."

I sighed. "That is something I'm considering, and I do plan on revealing myself to the [Mages] in due course." He started to grin, but I held up a hand. "But, I will not be here for too much longer. As such, any potential protection is transient in nature."

"Other Archmages do that also." Aaron shrugged. "There are some that haven't been back in Wistram since I've arrived."

"I will think on it." I drummed my fingers on my armrest. "While I do, there is something else I wished to speak with you about."

"Oh?" Aaron straightened up. "What is it?"

"Archmage Amerys."

"Oh." He slumped back down. "I... don't know what to think about her."

"Do tell."

Aaron let out a sigh. "Have you heard about the King of Destruction?" I nodded and he continued. "So, he's awake, and the [Mages] have proof. Amerys is one of his seven and would fly off to him in a heartbeat and help him conquer other nations." He shook his head. "I've actually spoken with her. I tried to get her side of the story, but... she's not exactly in a good mood."

"Understandable, given the circumstances." I was glad for the confirmation.

"It..." Aaron frowned again. "It's just that they're keeping her in a straight-jacket, or their equivalent of one." He rubbed his hands together. "I've protested her treatment. She's a jerk, but solitary confinement is torture! But..."

"But?" I prodded him as he fell silent.

"But, I don't know!" He glared at me. "She's super powerful, and wants to help an invading army! But killing or torturing her isn't right either!" He put his head in his hands. "I'm actually glad I don't have to make those kinds of decisions. I mean, what's the better course of action?"

"Indeed." I thought about the Birdcage and Dragon again. "I also don't like hearing about conquering nations. War is abhorrent." I sighed. "It's also a fact of life. When are you going to see her again?"

**Aaron is surprised.

"I wasn't, I mean, I only saw her because she summoned me. I can't exactly ask to see her." He furrowed his brow. "Do you think I should? I did want to talk to her about electricity and batteries. She might appreciate the company." He rubbed his fingers again and whispered. "Even if she doesn't show it."

I nodded. "I think you should. This, too, is understanding how Wistram might treat an Earther." I shrugged. "Not that I would necessarily do anything to stop them. Crimes must be prevented if possible. But still..."

**Aaron is worried.

"But still..." He echoed.

Aaron sat and thought after Pixel patted him on the shoulder and vanished.

Heh. Teleportation. THAT was some real super-tech, or superhero stuff! It was like what he wanted to do with magic. He knew he couldn't come up with anything new - unless he incorporated technology. [Mages] smarter and older than him had done all sorts of magical experiments, but technology was new.

In a way, it was a good thing that Pixel's technology wasn't 'real' tech. Sure, it might be so far beyond what his Earth had that it was more like magic, but if it wasn't reproducible then it wasn't tech. Reproducible by others, that was. Pixel clearly could use his tech mimicking power to reproduce whatever he wanted.

The superhero had said that his creations would last for a good, long while, but that they would ultimately break without him around to maintain them. Of course, that didn't really make them different from other things. Almost every machine required maintenance at some point or another.

His thoughts turned to Amerys.

He didn't like her.

She was rude, abrasive, and a real bi-, er, jerk. She didn't even try to be nice. His understanding was that it wasn't because of her imprisonment either - she had always been like that.

She certainly had been when he'd spoken with her before the phone call.

He let out a sigh.

The phone call had seemed like such a good idea at the time. Get in contact with other Earthers. Share what they knew. Help them out.

Instead, he'd apparently painted a target on their backs.

Pixel had known about the phone call, but the superhero refused to elaborate on how. Aaron wondered if he was 'batman'. It would be kinda cool if the person who was pretending to be a superhero and a jerk in the chat actually turned out to be one in real life.

A superhero that was, not a jerk.

Of course, the phone call had also let the Archmages know about the King of Destruction waking up. That was, in turn, what had gotten Amerys locked up.

He wondered how things would've turned out if she had been sitting in on the phone call and see the last message? Of course, if she was the sort of person to do that, she wouldn't be Amerys.

Aaron let out a sigh and stood up. He pulled his chair back to his desk. He'd only spoken with Amerys because she'd requested it. He'd only known she'd requested it because Cognita had relayed that message. And because the Truestone Golem had escorted him to her cell.

He began to write a note. He couldn't just ask Cognita. Well, he could, but then the other [Mages] would get suspicious. He was pretty sure she'd relay his message to Amerys. She, in turn, could ask Cognita to summon him again.

"Are you happy?"

Cognita looked down at Pixel. It was the first words he'd spoken that night after appearing next to her and following as she performed her duties. "What sort of a question is that?"

He held up his hands. "Not one that was meant to offend. I simply wish to know if you are happy or not."

Cognita paused to regard him. "Are YOU happy?"

"No." He shook his head. "But I came to speak with you, not to bore you with my circumstances."

She resumed her patrol. "And why not? I have just as much right as you to ask questions. Especially the same question you asked me."

"Ah." Pixel hurried to catch up. His legs, like everyone else's were shorter than hers. He had to take more strides to match her pace. "But we're not talking about me."

"Correction, we weren't talking about you, or anything else for that matter." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Besides, you've just informed me that you are unhappy. How can I ignore that comment?"

The pair of them walked in silence for a few moments before Pixel responded. "I suppose that you can't. It isn't a subject that's commonly brought up in conversations, so not addressing it would be odd."

"So?" She stopped at an intersection and decided on where to go next. "Why aren't you happy?"

"I miss my little sister." Pixel shrugged. "Along with the rest of my family."

"I understand." She nodded. "At least they are safe back on your world." Unlike her sisters who were dead or inaccessible on the upper levels. It would make her feel better to know exactly how they were doing.

"That's the thing." Pixel shook his head. "I know that at least one of them crossed over with me. The others?" He shrugged. "In truth, that was one of the reasons I chose to visit Wistram."

Cognita didn't look at him as they walked down the south corridor. She knew he was from Earth. He'd said as much in their first conversation. She had to admit that she'd grown curious. "You are an [Artificer] of great skill and talent." Perhaps even an [Archmage] given the magic he'd shown her. From what she'd learned of Earth from Blackmage, that was not possible. However, between trusting the ramblings of a child and the proof she'd seen with her own eyes, she knew which she'd choose. "What could Wistram offer that is not already within your reach?"

"Heh." Pixel chuckled. "Come now, Cognita, surely you can guess at that."

"True." She pushed open the door that led to the stairwell. "As you are not from this world, you do not have a great deal of knowledge about its countries or inhabitants." Was he Michail? Their body types weren't the same, but it would be foolish to discount the possibility based on that alone. The 'Russian' did spend most of his time reading about history. "Wistram does offer that opportunity."

"Yes." He nodded. "That's one reason, but I could find that information elsewhere. While I freely admit it wouldn't be as comprehensive as Wistram's libraries, it would be more in-depth about the local area."

"And more biased." Cognita took the stairs one at a time, despite how relatively small they were. "But that is the case for all recorded histories."

"True."

"So, your reasons must have to do with Blackmage." He didn't react, but she knew she was correct. "Wistram has the knowledge, expertise, and reach to search the world for lost children. Few other locations could boast the same."

"True."

The pair fell into silence as she contemplated what she'd just learned. Understanding Pixel was important. She didn't think he had any designs on her father's work, but it wouldn't do to discount that possibility either. Or to fail to prepare for it.

She still did not understand the barrier he'd used, or what it had done to the stones in the trial room.

They exited the stairwell and moved down the halls. The golems in this section of the school weren't the most durable - those were lower down. She needed to make sure they had not suffered any damage recently. While it would be minor, such a thing could grow in time.

"So?" He broke the silence after several minutes.

"So?" She stopped her examination of a cleaning golem and faced him. "So what?"

"Are you happy?"

That again? "We've already spoken on that."

"No." Pixel shook his head. "We spoke on my happiness, or lack of it, you never answered my original question."

"And why should I?" The golem was injured. A small animal, probably a rat, had chewed on its leg. The damage was superficial, but it would need adjusting so it would properly respond to that same situation in the future.

"Why shouldn't you?" He retorted. "It's a simple question. Are. You. Happy?"

"And how would you define 'happiness'?" She didn't look up from her work. "I am not like you, or any other resident of Wistram. Your question is ambiguous."

"Is it?" Pixel squatted to watch her work. "Shall I use some alternate words? Are you content? Do you not wish for something you don't have? Do you take pleasure in life, or rather, your existence? Are you satisfied? Do you feel enjoyment with what you do? In other words: Are you happy?"

"I am content. My role is vital, and I am glad to do it."

"So, you feel pride in your work?" He nodded at the cleaning golem.

Pride? Cognita looked at the golem she'd just repaired. "I suppose I feel as much pride as possible for such a minor task." She straightened up and placed a hand on the golem's head. "It is one of my Master's earlier works. As such, it is exceptionally well made. Can I take pride in that?" Any more than she could take pride in herself? As Zelkyr's greatest achievement, that was only natural. So, in a way, she did take pride in just being her.

"Do you not do anything else? Do you not have any hobbies or interests outside of the tasks Zelkyr set for you?"

Cognita finished her alterations, and glanced at Pixel before strolling down the hallway. "What need is there for such a thing? What else is there?"

"What indeed?" Pixel followed her. "Zelkyr's golems must not require much oversight. Aside from limiting access to the upper floors, your talents seem wasted."

"They are not." She replied curtly. "Zelkyr knew that my role in Wistram was vital. I would not have it otherwise."

"I cannot argue against that with you." Pixel fell silent for a while. "You do not sleep. During the day, you watch over the [Mages] and golems, and and night you patrol. A human would get bored of such a life."

"I am not human." She was better. She was Zelkyr's creation.

"No, you aren't." Pixel agreed. "However, I think you are not so different as you pretend to be."

Cognita stopped and turned towards him. "And what would you know of such a thing?"

"More than you would think." Pixel looked up at her. "I have a friend back on my world, who is similar to you. A being created from another through hard work and genius. She too, lost her father and was forced to exist on her own." Pixel raised a hand and an image of a metal golem appeared next to him. Cognita frowned slightly. She still sensed no mana. "The difference, or at least one of the differences, was that she was not given directions from her father. He died too suddenly for that." Pixel shook his head. "So she struck out on her own and chose her own fate, despite the shackles her father had placed upon her."

Cognita was interested, but shook her head at the final revelation. "Shackles? She had a poor father then. Lesser golems have rules, for they have no will of their own."

"And you do not?"

"Zelkyr was not a [Slaver]!" She had more heat in her voice than she'd intended. "You should not imply such a thing."

"Yes." Pixel nodded his head. "I see my mistake now." He took a deep breath. "It is late. If you would excuse me..." He bowed and then vanished.

Cognita watched where he'd been as she let her anger subside. She turned to continue her patrol, with Pixel gone she could now check on Amerys. There was no reason that a visitor should be denied an audience with a sitting 'Archmage', but she didn't have to make it easy for Pixel either. As she walked a thought entered her mind and refused to leave.

WAS she happy?

COULD she be happy without Zelkyr?