Markus hadn’t known what he had expected meeting Adar again, but this wasn’t it. He felt tied up in ways he couldn’t quite explain. He had remembered his friend, and Adar had not remembered at all. Markus should have expected that. Hell, he pretty much figured Aragon would do something like that. And yet, when his old friend looked at him like a stranger, and then tried to escape the bunker like his life might be in danger, it really hit home at how much things had changed.

He had to tread carefully, or Adar might actually leave. If he walked out of this bunker without agreeing to Markus’s help, he was quite certain that would be the last thing his old friend would do. The whole College was in an uproar and he knew Zorren would be desperate to finish what he had started. So despite Markus’s wanting to go punch something, he took a deep breath and started to explain to the man across from him why he should put his trust in a complete stranger.

It was a tedious thing, and Markus hated tedious things, but he took his time to explain Nathias going to Cresta to track Markus down, and then everything Markus had done up until slinging an unconscious Adar across his shoulder and carrying him to the bunker. After his explanation, the other man just sat for a long moment as if taking it all in. But the silence stretched on for a lot longer than Markus was comfortable with. He really wished Adar would say something.

Finally, the man in question blew out a long breath. “Okay, so let me get this straight. You were on some other world and a friend of yours tracked you down, because he thought you’d be interested in knowing I was back and that I might need some help because of what went down with Hame. You came to the College, and instead of telling anyone you were back, because apparently you used to be in the Protectorate Program and got kicked out, you started trailing me. Then you realized you might need at least some help, so you talked to a friend here. This Gayle person.

“You also happened to place some sort of proximity alarm around the chalet, so when the attacker broke in, it alerted you. Then you came to check it out, fought the attacker, chased him off, made sure I was alright, and then left because you didn’t want it public knowledge that you were back at the College. You then made plans with this Pledge Tau-mine, which led to what happened at the Hall of the Renowned and you somehow convinced Master Kiev that the abduction was in my best interest. Okay, all of that I almost get––kind of––but why the abduction? Why not just have Master Kiev bring me to this bunker?”

Markus shook his head. “Then the next part of the plan wouldn’t have worked.”

“Which is?”

And here it was. They were now getting into the parts Markus wasn’t sure how Adar would respond to, or if he would even believe Markus. But there was nothing for it, but to lay it all out and let the Prince decide how far he wanted to go down the path Markus was trying to put before him.

“To draw out your brother and the ones he is using to get to you.”

“How are are you so sure that Zorren is behind this?”

“How sure are you that he isn’t? Maybe you’ve forgotten things, but I’ve known Zorren my whole life. I know how the man operates, and I also know how he’d reacted to getting banished from the palace and hearing about your return. You really think he’d not get in on an opportunity to take you out?”

Adar was silent for a moment while he pondered that. “Do you know who else might be in on this?”

Markus hesitated, but he knew he couldn’t hold anything back, not now. The only way he was going to get this man to trust him was if he was completely honest, at least he hoped so.

“Gayle and I suspect someone in Command, and at least a Pledge or Retried Protector.”

“Is it Captain Dexter?”

Markus raised an eyebrow at how fast the man had pointed a finger at the Captain. Had something happened with Dexter? “We don’t know. We are hoping your abduction will shake things up so we can determine if it’s Dexter, or someone even higher up, but I am fairly positive that someone in Command has been compromised, or is actively working toward your assassination.”

Adar frowned at this. “Well, we don’t know for sure if it’s an assassination they are going after. You said it yourself that you interrupted the attacker right after he killed Haxley. What if that was his sole reason for his visit, and you just caught him trying to get out? Maybe this is just some pay back for Kaller Hame? A warning to me. I did dishonor a Renowned Protector after all.”

Markus snorted. “You really want to test that theory? I can let you walk out of here. Let’s see how far you make it to the shuttle before your brother’s assassin takes you out. They’ll know you are walking the College grounds too. Everything is in lockdown right now, so any movement on the streets is being recorded and reported. And I guarantee you, the assassin is tapped into that information curtsy of whoever they have helping them in Command. After that, it will be easy to take you out, and then make it seem like it was the abductor who did the deed.”

He didn’t add the part about Command knowing that it was Markus who took Adar, because of Gayle’s confession, which should be happening right about now. He’d have a hard explaining that and pretty much everything else he’d done since arriving at the College to the higher ups.

Maybe facing the consequences should bother him, but it didn’t. It wasn’t that he thought his father could or would swoop in and clear everything up, because at this point it was doubtful that even the strong words of a King could do that.

It was more like Markus just didn’t care about the consequences. Sure, Markus had liked to play it fast and loose many times before, but this felt like a whole new level of carelessness. Something he was unfamiliar with and it scared him more than a little. But Markus had waited for twenty years for his friend to come back, and he was only now starting to realize that it didn’t matter what it took, he wanted to see that friend have a decent start back at his life here. And considering that Markus’s own life had already been taking a deep nose dive for years, what was a little more descent into madness?

“I thought you said you’d help me get to the shuttle if I wanted to leave?” Adar said.

“And I will, but I didn’t say you’d actually get there without trouble, but I will do everything I can to make sure you get on a shuttle alive and well.”

Adar was silent for a long moment before he spoke. He cocked his head to one side like he was listening to something, but the only noise in the bunker was the eerie chirping of several scorip hoppers, which usually infested all the dark places of Sora X.

“You really mean that don’t you?” the man finally replied with more than a little amazement in his tone.

“I do,” Markus said, as he realized that Adar must have been listening for his emotions. Young Adar had been good at that too, but then so were a lot of Ethians with the Empath Dome-ni, and why Markus had learned to shield himself long ago. But it seemed his shield must have wavered enough for the other man to pick up Markus’s sincerity. At first he was annoyed by this, but realized that maybe in this case, Markus’s lapse had worked in his favor.

Adar nodded. “So what’s the rest of your plan.”

Markus felt a large feeling of relief settle in him. At least Adar hadn’t gotten up and left yet, and seemed willing to hear him out. So maybe all this self-sacrificing wouldn’t be for nothing. Markus blew out a long breath as he considered his next words. It was time for full disclosure. Ready or not.

“That’s where Gayle is now.” Markus said. “She’s reporting to Command that I was the one that abducted you and coerced her to help. She’ll say she went along with it so not to raise suspicion, and then as soon as she could, she went to report what had happened.”

Markus found himself holding his breath as he waited for a response. It had seemed like a brilliant plan when he had been putting it together, but as he sat here telling it all out, Markus realized how crazy it might sound, and that maybe Adar might question it. Or be unwilling to take part in it. But to Markus’s surprise, the other man just nodded.

“You are using yourself as bait to see who will response and how. I get that, but if you are inviting everyone to confront you, what about me? You want me to stay in this super secret cavern, or something?”

It felt like something inside had settled with that statement. Adar got it. He understood, and he wasn’t even questioning Markus’s part in the plan. Good.

He smiled and felt impressed at how quick Adar was catching on, but then he had always been good at that, even at a young age. This time it was his Perception Dome-ni coming out to play. “Actually, I doubt this place will stay secure long. They will eventually remember the old bunkers and come check this place out. I had another idea for you. It’s a little unconventional, but I think it might do the trick, if you are willing to give it a shot.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Oh?”

Markus studied the man for a long moment. This was the most important part. It was a risk, and if Adar had been like a lot of the other princes Markus had grown up around, he would have seriously doubted Adar would even go along with this next part. But Adar had never had the entitled attitude of the station he’d been born into as a child, and Markus hoped that was still the case. But he hesitated for a long moment before taking the plunge.

“The plan is for you to hide in plain sight. The College is having its Initiation Day, even now as they have teams searching for you, new recruits are orbiting the planet and getting ready to descend upon the College. Enrollments should be starting as soon as they lift lockdown.

“The College is serious about finding you, but they are also serious about bringing in new blood too. After they do a full sweep of the grounds, they’ll lift lockdown. The shuttles will get the go ahead to land, and the masses will flood the College. It will be easy to hide in a crowd, and with all the new faces, no one will look twice at you as you enroll.”

Adar’s eyes widened as he sat back with an incredulous expression. “Are you serious? How would that even work?”

Markus shrugged. That part of the plan had been easy to figure out. Deception was always an easy thing for Markus. It was a by product of his Dome-ni, because even though he could hear the truth when people spoke it, that ability also made it effortless for Markus to lie himself and to naturally see others’ attempts at guile and create his own deceptions.

“Gayle has been setting it up the past two days. She’s worked up a new name and background for you. All you need to do is spend some time memorizing the information, and then it’s just a matter of you showing up for enrollment.”

Adar scratched his head as if he couldn’t quite comprehend what he was hearing. “Okay, but you just said it yourself that this place is in lockdown. How sure are you they will cancel it and let all those people down here?

Markus shook his head. “If there’s one thing I am certain about is that the College doesn’t mess with the Program, even if the whole place was going up in flames, the higher ups would just use it as part of the training. They will have the induction ceremony and make sure every new recruit is accounted for, then they will probably set them to work immediately to help with a second sweep as they once again search every single nook and cranny of the College. And with the extra help, they will be able to expand that search to the surrounding desert. Might as well get the new recruits training started right.”

Adar barked out a laugh. “That would be something. Me trying to find me.”

Markus let himself laugh as well feeling a little more relief. Was he actually considering going along with the whole plan?

“It’s bold. I’ll give you that, but what makes you think it will actually work. I’m pretty sure everyone will recognize me right away.”

“That’s why we will need to cut your hair, and you will be using this as well.” Markus took out a small circular device from a pocket and slid it across the wooden table.

Adar picked it up and looked it over carefully. “What is it?”

“It’s an identity modifier. It’s not like a spoofer that can turn you into anyone you want or even a Fazha, but it can elongate a nose, sharpen a chin, widen the eyes. Just enough of a difference to fool even your general identity scanner, or the naked eye. Just don’t let a Caretaker scan you with one of their med-skims, or get you in a Remaker. Their equipment isn’t fooled by these.”

Adar sat there for a moment studying Markus like he was some sort of specimen to be categorized. “You really expect me to enroll as a new recruit in the Protectorate?”

Markus clinched at the question. And here it was. Adar was going to throw in something about the whole thing being beneath him. Maybe so, but couldn’t he see that was exactly why this would work? “Well, why not? I think the last thing people will expect is for the Heir of Empire to enroll in the Program under a fake identity. I can’t think of a better hiding place, can you?”

Adar threw back his head and laughed. It was the hearty kind that reached all the way into the diaphragm. It was a few moments before he wiped his eyes and quieted down enough to speak. “My dad––Aragon would love this. It’s exactly the kind of crazy ass plan he’d come up with. I’m not sure it will work, mind you. There’s a lot that could go wrong, and I’m not sure I can convince anyone I’m some person eager to sign up to be a Protector one day, or that I’m fully Ethian. You do realize that Dur-rele is giving me actual lessons on how to even be an Ethian and how to be a Prince by the way.”

Markus smirked at that. “That actually works in your favor. Gayle factored in that you might not be a good actor or might not appreciate the role you were to be playing, so she made you from Frillnax. I know you are still learning about Ethia, but just so you know, that’s were all the truly weirdos in Ethia come from. If you say you’re from Frillnax people tend to expect you to be a little off and they usually do everything in their power to not to have anything to do with you.”

Adar smirked. “So business as usually then. Guess I can do that.”

It was Markus’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “So you will do it?”

The other man blew out a long breath. “Honestly, it sounds exciting. I’ve been cooped up in the chalet for two days straight listening to Dur-rele’s lectures. This sounds like a vacation compared to that. But I can’t do it.”

A surge of disappointment rushed through Markus at hearing that last sentence, but he wasn’t going to give up that easily. “And why is that?”

A dark look came across the other man’s face. “I––I don’t––it’s complicated. Let’s just say that I didn’t exactly come back to Ethia of my own free will and that if I don’t do the things my father thinks I should, then something bad will happen. I can definitely say that the Emperor would not like this, not one bit.”

Markus blinked at the other man. He had a deep curiosity to know that story. What had caused Adar to come back and what could the Emperor possibly be holding over him? But Markus supposed that was a conversation for another time.

“You’re right. He won’t like the idea of you putting yourself in a place with a bunch of other commoners or placing yourself in a program that trains Protectors. My father had certainly not liked it. But these are extenuating circumstances.

“Your life is in danger, Adar. And while Ghar Zahn might be someone who definitely likes to be in control of pretty much everything, I think he will even agree, when this is all said and done, that you had to do this. It isn’t like you have many other options or people you can trust. But if he does give you pushback for it, lay it all at my feet. Tell him it’s all my fault.”

Adar snorted. “It kind of is.”

“See. Problem solved.”

The other man shook his head. “I don’t get it. Why are you doing this? Why are taking on so much risk? You do realize that these people you are trying to smoke out might actually kill you? And why in the world would you even want to put yourself on my father’s bad side? You have met him, right?”

Markus smiled. “Oh, Ghar Zahn and I are very well acquainted and he would be more than happy to have an excuse to lock me away in his prison for the rest of my life.”

Adar looked like he had a question about that, but instead, he simply said, “That doesn’t really answer my question.”

Markus leaned forward to make sure there was no confusion about what he said next. “I thought that was obvious. We used to be friends.”

“Used to be, as in past tense. You don’t know me, not who I am now. And I certainly don’t know you.”

Markus shrugged. “Maybe you don’t remember, but I do. I remember the person you used to be. I remember how much fun I had as we climbed the trees in my father’s orchards, or raced each other down River Palace’s halls to see who was the fastest.

“I also remember after the attack from your brothers and how broken you were and how I was the only one that could get you to speak afterwards. I remember how hard it was watching you get on that ship with Aragon and your mother, knowing I might never see any of you again. But even more than that, I remember the promise we made to each other before you left.”

Markus paused. He hadn’t intended to say that last part. It had just come out, but it was out there now. Adar was looking at him with an expectant expression, so he continued, but Markus felt like kicking himself for saying more than he had wanted to.

“It’s just that you didn’t want to leave. We were in the jungle on the planet Aragon, your mother, and you met my father and I a few weeks after your abduction from the White Palace. We’d spent two weeks together to let you and Aragon heal. He’d been injured while trying to protect you and your mother. And you were still… well, you hadn’t completely healed from your ordeal with your brothers either.

“I’d just received the news you three would be leaving the Empire, and my father told me that I couldn’t go with you. I was furious, and so were you. But I convinced you that it would be in your best interest to leave, and that I couldn’t go without you. So then we made a promise to each other that whenever you came back, we would be friends again.”

Markus quickly put up a hand to stop the other man from saying anything. “Don’t think I will actually hold you to that. It’s been a long time, and we are both different people. I don’t expect anything from you. But I did swear to myself that if you ever returned that I would at least help clear the path for you. That even if you decided you were done with me that I could at least give you that much because of the friendship we once had.

“And I stand by that. Let me help you, Adar. At least in getting rid of Zorren. Once he’s gone, things won’t be easy––they never are for high borns––and someone will always have a target on you, but with Zorren gone, you will at least have a fighting chance.”

Adar looked thoughtful for a moment, and then he nodded. “I appreciate that, Markus, and I believe you are sincere in this. It makes me feel even worse that I don’t remember.”

Markus waved a hand. “Don’t. It doesn’t matter if you remember or not. This is what I am doing. I just hope you will let me do it.”

“So when you say get rid of Zorren?”

“I’m not a fool. If Zorren dies, even if it’s not my fault, your father will blame me. I told you, he’s been wanting a reason to throw me in a prison cell, or just flat out execute me.”

Adar raised an eyebrow. “You are going to tell me that story, right?”

“Yes, but it will have to wait. Every moment we stay here, we run the risk of being discovered. If you are going to do this, then we need to get started. You are in, right?”

The other man sat there for a long moment as he closed his eyes. Silence filled the underground room for so long that Markus thought maybe the man across from him had gone to sleep. But then he opened his eyes and those bright blues stared at Markus long and hard for a handful of breaths before he spoke.

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

All the tension that had been building since Adar had woken released. Markus hadn’t realized how nervous he had been about meeting his friend again and presenting his plan. It hadn’t gone the way he had thought it would, but then Markus supposed he wasn’t entirely sure how he had wanted this to go. But Adar had agreed to his plan. So that was something. That was a big something.

“Good. The first thing we need to go is shave that head of yours.” Markus said as he took out the compact shears he’s stuck in his pocket for safe keeping.

This made the other man’s face light up like Markus had offered him something he’d always wanted. “That part is going to be fun. May I?”