“Stop struggling and get back in here” Said Zara refusing to let go of a foot.

The foot belonged to a man who knew no good ever came from the phrase we need to talk. The foot belonged to Myles Endeavour. He had requested a quick toilet break before the intended conversation, but a suspicious Zara had come to investigate only to find him climbing out the upstairs bedroom window. Despite his weakened state, Myles was putting up a decent struggle. fortunately for Zara, she had help.

“Charlie, stop helping her, I can feel teeth buddy. Not cool!” Said Myles

Zara braced a foot of her own against the wall and heaved. The orange monster next to her matched her energy. Myles tumbled back inside and fell to the carpet.

“You resolutely participate in training that involves getting punched in the face repeatedly but we need to talk send you scrambling out of a first-floor window?? Said Zara

“I know landing on my front garden posed the risk of squashing my peonies but it would be worth it to avoid a ‘we need to talk’ talk” Said Myles.

“I was trying to check on your well-being.” Said Zara. “But since you made me work for it you can make me a coffee you daft bastard.”

Four pairs of feet headed back downstairs. The espresso machine was fired up and the resulting shots of espresso were turned into two long black drinks. Charlie was given some Fae limbs to snack on. It struck Myles how a pile of severed limbs from eldritch abominations casually piled on his kitchen table was now just a normal thing that happened. He handed Zara her coffee and sat opposite the chair she had chosen.

“Firstly, thank you for looking out for me, I appreciate it” Said Myles. “But for the record, if I wanted to cause utter mayhem, I’d hack into the communications network and send everyone in the country a text message saying ‘we need to talk’ and I guarantee shits would be hitting fans all over the place.”

“If you are well enough to be this much of a drama queen I shouldn’t have been worried.” Said Zara. “… You’re not really a hacker are you?”

“What? No, I was just making a point… You not a fan of hackers?”

“I had a history with one… but enough about me, you had a starvation incident. Would you like to talk about it?”

Myles sipped his coffee.

“No… okay maybe… I don’t know?” Said Myles.

He paused, glaring at his coffee like it had shat on the carpet.

“If I seem like I’m putting it off or pretending I’m not… I just don’t know what I’m supposed to react to. There was nothing.

“Nothing?”

“Nothing. The first time time I died… that’s a weird sentence to say out loud… I got to relive a selection of greatest hits before I awoke confused and craving sausages. This time there was nothing. Then I woke up confused about why John was hitting me in the face with a pan.”

“I thought we all agreed the man did it”

“Don’t start that again.”

“Sorry Myles. Said Zara. “It is strange though. Starvation incidents usually come with reports of horrific nightmares and frankly more trauma than the mild annoyance you are displaying.”

“I’d like to say something profound about how I’ve been living my nightmares or something, but I’m just tired. It has been a long few months.” Said Myles

“At least you got your cat back”

“Did I? Charlie was four kilograms of cat and two kilograms of primal fury. This beast could pass for a small tiger and now he has super-powered armour. Don’t get me wrong, I want Charlie to be in there but…”

Myles was unable to finish the thought. Instead, he sipped his coffee and scratched the top of the orange felines head. Zara knew there was no way to assuage Myles’ doubts so she let the matter drop.

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“There was another matter I needed to talk to you about.” Said Zara “The council now has an excuse to put a collar on you and assign you a handler. Having a starvation incident while still in your base form made it inevitable. They may have failed to cow you…”

Zara paused, lost in thought.

“You know, you might have been better off failing and needing us to come charging in to take care of Mother’s attempt to five-finger discount you, Instead you blow off the hand of an eldritch abomination. I’m still unclear on why Barrington wanted to keep your profile low but that much power only to go out of control right after is going to put you under the microscope.”

“Could be worse… they could send me the cleaning bill” Said Myles taking another sip of coffee.

“Would you find it less funny if I told you a collar is an explosive placed in your neck”

Myles gave a live demonstration of aerosolising a caffeinated beverage. It was followed by deep regret over his choice of light carpet

“The good news, for you at least, is I’m a lock-in for handler thanks to our established working relationship.”

“I knew I was growing on you”

“You ran yourself ragged trying to keep people alive. That deserves respect.”

“And I’m easy on the eyes”

“And you lobotomised a giant… which was also kind of gross.”

“Now I just feel the need to shower again…” Said Myles, a shiver running down his spine as he recalled the covering of brain juices. “But since you ruined the mood…”

“You only wish there was a mood Endeavour.” Said Zara.

Myles caught the flash of an upturned lip. He would take small victories and not push his luck.

“But since you ruined the mood… could you explain more about this collar and what, hypothetically would happen if I refused.”

“The Collar is tiny, it will be like getting a flu jab in your neck. Only unlike normal vaccinations, the collar comes with a kill switch your handler and a black site in London will operate. The good news is that much like a real vaccine it won’t make you any more or less autistic than you were before the needle went in.“

“Still not selling the whole bomb in my neck angle.”

“And that attitude is where the next part of your question comes in. They will send a Detonator on a subjugation mission.

“I’m sorry what?”

“A subjugation mission, I’m sure this has come up before Myles, the council will send someone to kick the shit out of you and put you in your place. But we like to dress it up in important sounding words”

“I got that part, I mean what the bloody hell is a Detonator?”

“Detonators are a big bunch of heavy-handed dick heads who enjoy missions way too much.” Said Dr Singh

Deborah Blaise facepalmed at her teammates’ continued outburst. The pair were giving a report to a sturdy blonde community agent at the evacuation base camp. They sat at a makeshift desk in the hot humid tent as grumpy townsfolk marched past with their stuffed suitcases. No one wanted to be there.

“Nine out of ten Detonators get recruited because they tow the party line and take orders like an attention-deprived eager-to-please child.” continued Dr Singh

“Calm down Maya. This is just how things are. You know quite well we can’t just let Fairy Triggers run around thinking they own the place, especially if they have a starvation incident this early.” Said the uniformed community agent. “I agree they are an important part of our little ecosystem. But they need careful management. Too many of them would be chaos and the Detonators are our best and brightest despite your opinion of them.”

“You do know I was on the design team for the Detonator system right? I know the dirty little secret I…”

“Maya, what in the name of the Queens arsehole are you talking about?” Asked Debs, desperately trying to put the brakes on her teammate.

“Blackmail… Sorry, I mean leverage… But we all know what leverage means don’t we Sharron” Said Dr Singh, eyeing up the named uniformed agent.

“You know we get special orders when we deal with you. They say to just tell the crazy Indian woman what she wants and follow your orders later once she fucks off.” Said Sharron. “I can see you have taken a shine to this boy, but it doesn’t matter who you are or what you know Maya, Myles Endeavour has an appointment with a Detonator. It’s just how things are done.”

“I know you shagged your husband’s brother.” Said a petulant Dr Singh.

“Fucks sake Maya…” Said Debs. “Sharon… okay, we all know you did, but it was not cool for Maya to bring it up. Could you at least give Mr. Endeavour enough time to do the black site mission with us?”

“Are you sure that’s what you want? After the top brass learned he aced the hazing he was guaranteed Gavin. It might be better to get it over and done with mission or not.” Asked Sharon, a model of professionalism albeit through clenched teeth.

“We need his head in the game and not licking wounded pride” Said Debs.

“Mr. Marquis however will be afforded no such consideration, as a legacy it was easy enough to get over and done with the security team we had at hand. The results should be in…” Said Sharon who scrolled through her community-issue smartphone, “Oh.”

“What? What’s wrong.” Asked Dr Singh with a barely concealed smirk.

Sharon stayed quiet, staring at the screen.

“You all decided a man of his masculine posturing should be crushed by a woman. I’d bet the contents of my secret bank accounts on it.” Said Dr Singh.

“It has become an HR matter.” Said the perplexed Sharon. “Mr. Marquis apparently tried to solicit the agent for certain favours.”

Deborah Blaise sank into her chair while Dr Sing cackled.

“I’m thirty” Said Myles.

“What? That was a bit of a non-sequitur.” Said Zara.

“Sorry, I just had the weirdest feeling.” Said a confused Myles.

“Weird feeling won’t help you pack. Get to it Endeavour, we might be the last out but it will be right to the black site!" Said Zara.

The pair continued packing. Zara was done quickly having entered with barely anything. But Myles had a home he didn’t know when he would see again. It would probably be fine… probably.

“Anyway, as I was explaining before you interrupted me with your weirdness, Detonators are human-made. We needed a heavy hitter that was our and our alone. For now, they mostly get law enforcement or rescue duty but there have been the occasional special operations, but that is way above my pay grade.”

“And that is what they use to haze the newbies” Said Myles.

“New Trigger users… Sentinels get a free pass on account of being personally endorsed by a sentient universe made of goodness.” Said Zara. “But yes, Detonators can’t gain in power like a Trigger user or even a Sentinel, but they start so strong it is rarely an issue for them.”

“Another fight I can’t win. Fantastic.” Said Myles.

“Yea. You will barring some extreme circumstance never hear me say this again Endeavour. But take a dive. Said Zara. “With what you did in front of everyone they will be sending one of the big boys… Probably not my other cousin due to a conflict of interest.”

“Ruin one bloody bowling green…” Myles muttered under his breath.

“But probably one of the other Rozzers.” Said Zara. “But don’t call them that to their face, they all hate it. It was supposed to be Star RZA, star like a sheriff badge and resolute zealous authority but said like Star Razor. Everyone just calls them the Rozzers. “

“Does resolute zealous authority not seem a bit Hugo Boss uniform to you?” asked Myles, trying his best to stuff an extra pair of socks in a very packed backpack.

“Just to play devils advocate when all of this was created in the early 80’s, everyone was off their tits on cocaine. But I mean it. Take a few hits and let them win.

“I have absolutely no problem with that course of action.” Said Myles. “Constructive cowardice for the win.”

Myles did in fact have a problem with it.