Brock braced himself for the inevitable withdrawal of his powers, but strangely it hadn’t happened yet. The Director picked up the Limiter and frowned at it, then placed it inside his coat.

“Relax, Brock,” the orc said curtly. “His death is not your fault.”

A sensation of vast wings, so huge as to encompass galaxies, briefly shadowed the ruined surface of the branch, blotting out the stars above. The Director looked up, then beckoned Brock towards the portal.

“Let’s continue this conversation in my office.”

Something stooped in from overhead and the branch began to shake, slowly at first, then faster and faster. A glint appeared in the sky, the tip of a talon or tooth larger than the moon plummeting towards them like an endless mountain, and the Director clapped his hands.

“Quickly, now.”

Brock gulped, then dashed through the portal. There was a moment of transition, then he reappeared in the Director’s dimly-lit office, standing in front of the desk, a twinkling night sky visible through the window beyond. A second later, the Director appeared beside him, and the portal closed with a hissing snap.

The tiniest shudder ran through the Yggdrasil, just enough to set a kinetic sculpture on the desk of five hanging metal balls arranged in a row briefly swaying, and then the room was still once more. The Director let out a tiny breath, so small that Brock, even with his currently enhanced senses, wasn’t sure had happened.

“What, uhhh, what was that?”

The Director circled the desk, heading for his throne-like chair. With a sigh, he sank back into it.

“As Captain Swift told you earlier today, there is a very delicate balance between some extremely strange things that live in the Worldtree’s upper levels. Your exploits drew the attention of one of them.” He pulled a small bottle filled with amber fluid from a drawer in the desk. “We won’t be visiting that particular branch anytime in the next several millennia. Drink?” He took a swig from the bottle, then held it in Brock’s direction.

After a moment’s hesitation, Brock shook his head.

“I’m not sure I’m old enough. Thanks, though. Are Aphrodite and Cap and the others okay?”

The Director fell into a brief coughing fit. Brock wondered if it was from the alcohol. Eventually, it subsided, and the Director wiped an arm across his face.

“You truly are remarkable, Brock Manly. You’re not like any Sekkie we’ve ever seen. Take a seat, please.”

Brock sank into one of the comfortable leather chairs, unsure of how to respond. The Director took another sip, then replaced the bottle in his desk drawer.

“The others are fine. We’re here to talk about you.”

“What about me?”

The Director leaned forward, his expression intense.

“What happened tonight, Brock, was unprecedented. For the first time, we have our first real chance to unravel a mystery hundreds, if not thousands of years old.”

“...whut?”

“I’m speaking of the Conductor.”

“...oh. The bone guy mentioned him. Who is he?”

The Director tented his fingers.

“A myth. A legend. A nightmare. A savior. Depends on who you ask. All we know is that there have been scattered rumors, shadows of whispers heard from friends of acquaintances that speak of an immortal creature with the power to bring Sekkies to our realm.” He fixed Brock with an unblinking stare. “And it looks like he’s interested in you.”

Brock sank lower into his chair.

“Why me? That doesn’t make any sense. I just got here!”

“So you did, but that Overlord-class wasn’t lying.”

“How do you know?”

The Director tilted his throne back.

“We’ve had you under non-stop surveillance, including sanctioned Appraisal, since the moment you hit the street, Brock. We figured the Overlord-class was going to try and pick you up as soon as he could - it’s typical operating procedure for them to snatch potential threats once they become aware of them.” He placed his dress shoes up on the desk. “They’re remarkably predictable once you understand they’re trying to predict everything, and they love to monologue.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“...wait, you used me as bait?”

The Director crossed his feet.

“We weren’t just going to let an Overlord-class who’d attacked us once already run around loose. Our plan was to extract you and take him into custody. You should have been perfectly safe.”

“Should have? Should have?!” Brock’s vision went momentarily red. “He froze all your people! I had to punch him into another reality to get him to stop!”

The Director gave a small shrug.

“Yes, well, the best laid plans and all that. The point is, this is the first actionable intelligence on the Conductor we’ve ever received. That Sekkie was in contact with him!”

“I could have died!”

“Unlikely, based on your test results. Focus on the big picture, Brock. Now we know the Conductor is real, and that he’s interested in you. That, coupled with two other pieces of information, provides us with an opportunity.”

Brock tried to get his breathing under control.

“And what are your ‘two other pieces of information?’” he asked sarcastically. His barbed words bounced ineffectually off the Director’s implacable stare.

“The first, is that we have a spy,” the Director began, holding up his index finger. “The initial ambush of Captain Swift and her compatriots, where you first appeared, was too precise to be based on anything other than inside information, but I had no proof. That’s also one of the reasons I gave the order to release you as bait - I wanted to confirm my hypothesis. Just like when Captain Swift was ambushed, the only people who knew where you would be going tonight were members of this organization.”

Brock glanced around nervously. The shadows in the corners of the room suddenly loomed dark and ominous.

The Director chuckled.

“Relax, Brock. This isn’t the first time Sekkies have breached our security. We have methods of dealing with it.”

“...like using me for bait?”

“Precisely. Now, I assumed the infiltration was nothing more than typical Overlord paranoia, but the events of tonight make it clear this was something more - something linked to the Conductor. The fact the Limiter’s killswitch was triggered has solidified my suspicions.” He tossed the metal choker on the table, where it slowly spun to a halt. “Every Limiter is supposed to be under the control of the system, logged at all times, especially when it comes to engaging the killswitch, but clearly this one wasn’t. Only someone who pre-dates the system could arrange such a thing.”

“‘Pre-dates the system?’ How old is the system?”

“We’re not sure. At least a million years old.”

“Oh good, an unknown spy who apparently lives forever and can also disintegrate me,” Brock said sourly. “Wonderful. What’s your second piece of information?”

“The fact the Conductor wants you alive.” The Director’s eyes lit up with a calculating gleam. “Obviously there’s something about you that they desire, and if I can figure out what it is and use it to track the bastard down, I might finally be able to protect my world the way it deserves.”

Brock sat silently for a moment. The Director seemed to earnestly believe what he was saying, but something was nagging at him. After some thinking, he realized what it was.

“What would have happened if I hadn’t fought him?” he asked slowly. “The Overlord? How did you know I was going to help?” He tugged gently at the Limiter around his neck. “For that matter, why haven’t you locked me down again?”

“It’s a matter of trust, Brock,” the Director said quietly. “I pride myself on my judgement. It’s one of the main reasons I hold this position, and everything I’ve seen tells me you’re a kid who isn’t willing to hurt others to get what he wants. I took a gamble releasing you in that chamber, and it’s one I’d like to think will pay off in the long run. I haven’t re-engaged your Limiter yet because I wanted us to have this conversation without you feeling like you are being coerced into something.” He lifted an eyebrow. “As for my people? Well,” a coruscating portal appeared and disappeared in a flash, leaving behind a dessert tray filled with bowls of ice cream, toppings, and various candies, along with a small metal box with a large red button, “if you had turned out to be someone other than what I anticipated, I like to think they still would have been okay. I did have all day to prepare.”

Brock stared at the box and its gently pulsing button.

“What’s that do?”

“Be happy we didn’t have to find out. Now then,” the Director snapped his fingers and the box disappeared, “I have a proposition for you, Brock. Work with us. Help us track down the Conductor. There could be ice cream in it for you.”

“Is this one of those ‘some light torture may be involved if you refuse’ situations?”

“Only if you want,” the Director replied evenly. “I’d prefer your cooperation in this, Brock, but ultimately it is up to you whether or not you think you can do it. If the Conductor is interested in you, they’re going to keep coming after you until they get what they want, no matter if you’re assisting us or not. We’ll have you under constant surveillance, of course, but there’s a difference between reactive and proactive measures. I would like to prevent as much collateral damage as possible while this investigation occurs, but that is easier said than done. It will be much easier with your assistance, of course.”

“Collateral... hey! What about everyone else? Is Aphrodite okay?”

“Yes, everyone else is fine. The squad is currently debriefing, and we’ve already returned the Sekkie home, though not before enduring some rather caustic remarks.” The Director shook his head. “That woman’s mouth is fouler than Verdant’s.” He brought his feet down from the desk and rose from the throne, an intense aura radiating out from his powerful frame. For all his polished urbanity, Brock suddenly realized the Director was a very dangerous person indeed. “So how about it, Brock? Will you help us pull back the curtain on what plagues our world? Will you help us discover who the Conductor is?”

Brock thought about it. He really did want to know why he had been reborn in Starak’s body, and what all his strange abilities were for.

Whether or not the thoughts he kept hearing were those of someone still alive.

Whether or not he was a murderer.

“...yeah, I guess.”

The Director beamed.

“Excellent! In that case, let me be the first to welcome you to Cataclysm Squad Six. I’m sure you’ll do excellent work for us.”

Brock looked around. On the desk, bowls of uneaten ice cream were slowly melting.

“So, uhhh, now what?”

The Director ushered him towards the door.

“Now, of course, you need to fill out the proper paperwork. KB will guide you through the process.”

“...great.”

The Director paused just before the coruscating gateway exit.

“It won’t take long. Get some rest, Brock. There’s a team meeting tomorrow morning at eight. That’s when the real work begins.”

“It’s time to track down the Conductor.”