Rootreveal seems to be no different when dealing with Prophecy than it is with other Magic Bullets. I should have let someone else test it out for me, but with my self-imposed isolation, it’s becoming harder to communicate with other people. But with nothing else to do, All I’m left to is more experimentation.
-From Professor Shokolov’s Journal, 17th Entry
The warehouse that they were operating out of seemed a bit too big. Trucks were positioned outside of the area, piled with miscellaneous products that served as a front for the real thing they were transporting.
AxEl opened one of the bags and found it filled with bags of chips. He grabbed one out of the bag and started munching on it while observing the hustle and bustle around him. He leaned back against the truck he had dragged the back out of and watched them approach it with new bags. He couldn’t see the glimmer of the blue pills through the obfuscation, but he knew they were there.
Anagen walked around, ordering around any and all who were sloppy. BannIh had brought some of the product in his own vehicle and Anagen shouted at him once she realized he was about a minute late.
“So move it somewhere else!” she said to him, her voice indignant and angry.
“I work best out of my own lab; I’ll have you know.”
“We can get you a better production plant. Tell me whatever machinery you need to stock it with and AxEl will provide it.”
“Oh, master AxEl will, will he? BannIh said, glancing over at the man in question. AxEl seemed oblivious to what was happening around him, which made Anagen sigh.
“We’ll talk about this later,” she said, moving away from BannIh. She walked over to AxEl, catching his attention.
“What are you doing standing around?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” he replied, confused.
“You’re making yourself look like an imbecile,” she replied, pointing towards the chips in his hands. He flashed a smile in response, looking at ease before throwing the bag over his shoulder.
“You worry too much.” A man carrying a packed stack of Firewire passed by, loading it into one of the many sacks of junk food they had. AxEl whistled as it passed, taking another bite as Anagen snatched the crisps from his hands.
“You’re being cocky,” she reprimanded.
“I’m enjoying my situation,” AxEl corrected. Before Anagen could continue, a small man with a thin wispy mustache approached AxEl and her. AxEl stared lopsided before the man spoke.
“S-sir AxEl, I wanted to just come here and t-thank you,” he said with a strained voice.
“Oh…you’re welcome, I-I suppose?” AxEl said with a chuckle. The man joined in, creating an awkward scene as Anagen stayed silent.
The man grabbed at AxEl’s hand and shook it, jerking it up and down. “My name is LudEe, sir, and I promise I won’t let you down!”
“I’m s-sure you won’t, now can you please let go of my hand?” AxEl asked and LudEe moved back immediately. He looked apologetic but held a smile on his face still.
“I’ll return to my duties, then!” he replied, before turning and scampering off towards one of the other trucks.
AxEl shook his hand and glanced over at Anagen, who looked even more annoyed than before. He assumed at least; her stony façade never wavered much.
“You think I did something wrong, don’t you?” Axel guessed. Anagen nodded while turning her eyes towards the rest of his workers.
“Those people aren’t your peers, AxEl,” she chided.
“What are you talking about? Without them, I would still be stuck as a small-time dealer,” AxEl said.
“That’s true. But the more power you let them over you, the weaker you’ll look,” she stared him right in the eyes, “that sort of attitude invites trouble.”
“I can handle trouble,” AxEl grinned. “I haven’t met a person I can’t beat yet,” he told her.
“For now. But even you can be overwhelmed. Remember that next time. Appear strong, firm. Not weak and friendly. That’s what it means to be a leader,” Anagen lectured. AxEl nodded along, but with the way he was glancing around at anything but her, she assumed most of it flew over his head.
When his attention was elsewhere, she flashed a ring of keys in front of him. “Take these, and go to your office. You should check if it’s to your liking,” she said.
AxEl seized the ring and looked back at her. “I won’t be spending that much time there. I don’t think it matters if I li-“
“Check. It. Out,” she added, with gritted teeth. Instead of pushing the issue further, AxEl instead listened and removed himself from the scene. The trek to the office proved to be a small one, as Anagen had ordered one of their drivers to escort AxEl to the building.
Huh, I have a driver now. Weird to think about. The building looked plain with its grey walls and tinted windows, but AxEl appreciated it nonetheless. Wonder what she’s put Nook up to doing, he thought to himself as he entered through the doors and entered a common room. There seemed to be no one on the premises, seeing as no one had greeted him.
He looked around and found it boring. Perhaps it could do with a few decorations. A Slayers poster there, a TV positioned on the wall, and maybe this place won’t be so boring to stay in. His own office was no exception, as he sat down on the chair. It was an expensive piece, extravagant even.
His mirth didn’t last for long before someone else entered the office, out of breath. The man was thin and tall, with a scar down one side of his face. He looked at AxEl and straightened himself out before coughing into his sleeve.
“Sorry, sir. I should have knocked before entering,” he said.
“That’s no problem. Why’re you here?” AxEl asked.
“Miss Anagen said that I should ask you about the placement of BannIh’s new lab. You’d already left on the car, however, so catching up took me some time.”
Anagen sent him? AxEl looked at his pose, moving into something more straight backed and tall.
“Well, you should have started with that,” AxEl said, his voice rougher.
“S-sorry, sir. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Never mind. What about the new lab?”
“He wants it somewhere without people around. The machines are beginning to make a lot of noise and the people around him are beginning to complain.”
“Tell him it’ll be done. Anything else?” AxEl asked.
“No, sir.”
“Then leave. I’m busy,” AxEl said roughly.
The man looked around and down at the desk, noticing how obviously not busy AxEl was. But then AxEl glared at him, and he cringed.
“Y-yes, sir,” he replied and closed the door. AxEl let out a breath and put a palm to his face. Busy? That’s the best excuse you could come up with? He scolded himself.
****
AxEl’s sheer boredom at managing his own empire frustrated Anagen. He didn’t bother listening much to meetings, preferring instead to spend most of his time with Nook in whatever escapades they conjured up.
Perhaps she was pushing the teenager too hard, but he was the one who had initiated all of this. She just had to make sure it didn’t collapse into a bloody mess. That’s why he had to be trained, despite what complaints he might have had.
And it was due to this that she had invited him – and Nook – to the forest for training. In front of her lay a stack of Firewire that she had requisitioned from one of the drivers. She took one of the blunts out and examined it, enamored with the smell. It smelt of ashes and maple; and Anagen found herself almost wanting to see what it felt like.
Instead of continuing further however, she focused back on the two approaching men. They trampled on leaves and branches, making themselves louder than they needed to be. Anagen sighed as she rubbed at her temples. I should stop that, they’re just kids after all.
AxEl trudged up in front of her, looking tired and yawning.
“What’s the point in calling us over here so early in the morning, Ana?” he asked.
“You’ve got training to do,” she replied, pointing down at the little pile that they had gathered. Nook put a hand on AxEl’s shoulder and moved closer, examining it as well.
“You can’t possibly expect us to use all of that tonight?” Nook asked. Anagen smirked a little, the only emotion that Nook had ever seen out of her. His eye twitched, but he didn’t back off. Anagen spread her coat pockets wide, revealing many leather pouches.
Once she opened one of them, AxEl and Nook began to understand the purpose. A glow emanated from the various crystals holed up in those pouches. “Oh, I can, and I will. You and I are going to push ourselves to the edge of Addiction by tonight.”
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Despite the circumstances, AxEl actually smiled. He picked up one of the blunts on the ground and looked back at Nook, holding it up.
“It’ll be like our sparring sessions. Could be fun?” he offered, but Nook didn’t seem to take to the enjoyment. After coming to terms with the fact that he wouldn’t be leaving the forests today without some bruises, he listened to Anagen and began sparring.
“Line up, both of you!” Anagen asked.
“The first thing we’re going to be checking is our jumping height,” she said. AxEl seemed excited up until that point, at which he began to look confused.
“That seems…stupid,” AxEl said. Anagen fixed him with a glare as he did.
“Really? Do you even know how strong you get when you use Firewire?” Anagen asked.
“I don’t know? Ten times as strong? Feels like it at least,” AxEl shrugged.
“That’s not how it works, AxEl,” Nook noted.
“Well, I didn’t really have the time to attend the classes on it, did I? I prefer ‘hands-on’ experience instead,” AxEl scoffed.
“Nook’s right on one thing. You need to know these things if you’re going to be using Firewire in any real capacity,” Anagen said. AxEl tried to find a counterargument, but any excuse he could think of wouldn’t be disguised as anything else.
Anagen raised a single finger, with a stick of Firewire intertwined between them. “Firewire keeps increasing your physical prowess – and body heat – indefinitely the more of it you take.”
AxEl rolled around his shoulders. “Then what’s stopping someone from just,” he spoke as he opened his hands wide, “breaking open the world?”
“How much Firewire do you take at a time, AxEl?” Anagen asked. He rubbed at his neck as he answered.
“As much as I need in the moment? Why?”
“There’s a limit to the amount you can take, which is why,” Anagen said as she brought out one of the pouches again, “we use this to continue the training. If you take too many Magic Bullets at once, your own body’s supply of bewl runs out, so the only solution is to get an external source.”
She tossed the little bag over to AxEl, who fumbled around before catching it in his arms. One of the crystals fell out from the pouch and he bent down to pick one up. Anagen turned a lighter to one of the sticks of Firewire and offered it to AxEl. With one hand on the crystal, he took the blunt and took a hit of it.
Immediately, he began to cough as a sweet smoke entered his mouth. Anagen shook her head witnessing the sight.
“This can’t be your first time smoking it,” she said.
“You’d...uff…be surprised,” AxEl answered through wheezes.
“He’s mostly been chewing on it,” Nook chimed in. His arms were crossed over his chest as he looked upon the sight.
“Lord knows how you’ve survived this long. Take a few more whiffs of that and then put it out, alright?” Anagen asked. AxEl did as ordered and then gave the half-finished blunt back to her. His body felt stronger, and warmer.
She pointed at the crystal in his hand and then back at him, “Try taking some of the light within the crystal into your body.”
Like that time at the lab, AxEl thought to himself. He focused on the memory of the event, but it was hard to recall when most of his focus was on the visions he was receiving at the time. Still, he focused on that feeling, and then saw the light from the crystal dim. His arm didn’t tingle, his body felt fine, but the crystal was now suddenly darker and….less full, if it could be described that way.
“If you’re going to be using Magic Bullets frequently, it’s best to keep a few of the crystals on you at all times. You don’t know when you could need them,” Anagen lectured. AxEl stuffed the pouch into an inner pocket, but kept the dim one in his hand.
“How long till this one becomes useful?” AxEl asked.
“Give it a few hours. Something that small won’t take long,” Anagen answered. Then how long did it take the one in the Professor’s house? AxEl pondered on his powers before he and Nook were stood up alongside each other.
He jumped and ran as long as Anagen told him to, renewing his Firewire whenever it began to wane.
“Your body naturally produces some bewl, but that remains inert unless you’re using a Magic Bullet. Know your limits in a fight, and when you need to refresh on either the Bullet itself or your bewl pool,” Anagen lectured as AxEl repeatedly jumped in front of her.
“Get up, I want to show you something else,” Anagen said, and AxEl did. He wiped off the dirt from his kneecaps as Anagen pushed a piece of metal into his hand. She recoiled afterwards, shaking it off.
“Ouch, forgot how hot that can get you,” she muttered to herself. AxEl looked down at himself and noticed that his clothing did seem to be singed in certain places. Little burnt spots, like he’d kept an iron on them for too long, propped up everywhere. Crap, should have been paying attention to those.
“Firewire’s main effect isn’t the strength you get, AxEl. It’s the heat. The strength just makes sure that your body doesn’t come apart at the seems from the amount of heat you’re generating,” Anagen continued.
As she spoke, AxEl paid attention to the metal in his hands, watching as it slowly but surely became more malleable. It became like clay in his hands, melding into whatever shape that he pleased.
“You can use that heat in ways people couldn’t imagine. But there’s a downside,” Anagen said, snapping AxEl’s focus back to her. “It’s the deadliest Withdrawal. Ice in your veins, without the strength to compensate. You’ll be frozen from the inside out,” she punctuated with a glare.
AxEl was about to take another wire, but then stopped himself upon hearing the downsides. He knew of it, obviously, but the danger seemed all the more real when the heat was coursing through his veins. He let it drop and looked more at his clothes, stretching them around to see where they’d been ruined.
“Any chance you’d know a barber who can make me something more durable?” AxEl asked, pinching the hem of his shirt.
Anagen smiled. “Of course I do.”
Nook walked up to her and started whispering something in her ear. AxEl gazed around, distracting himself while the two held a conversation. His eye caught on a loose branch hanging off of a tree on a nearby hill. He jogged over to it and lunged at the nearest branch, hauling himself up and over until he reached the loose one. There he snapped it off and jumped down, absorbing the shock with ease.
Anagen and Nook glanced over for a moment. His bewl was about to run out, so AxEl held the stick in between his arms and began spinning it. Come on, this has to work… He kept working it until small wisps of smoke began to arise from the branch, until a small flame appeared and began consuming the branch entirely.
“Haha!” he shouted, holding it in the air for the both of them to see. Nook crossed his arms over his chest. “Your first idea was to revert into a caveman?” Nook asked.
“You’re being mighty confident for someone without fire,” AxEl retorted.
“I can knock that branch off your hand faster than you can blink, AxEl. You’re the one on a time limit for how long it takes to burn yourself,” Nook replied, pointing at the fire spreading. AxEl glanced towards it and then back at him.
“That a bet you’re willing to take?”
Nook smiled in reply, picking up a stick of Firewire as he approached the branch. AxEl held it out for him, letting the man ignite his smoke and take a few hits. His eyes began to fade into a hazy grey, but the smile never left. Each of them moved apart – no more than ten paces – and then faced each other with arms outstretched.
Anagen had stepped in the middle of them and was holding a hand in the air. “This would be good practice for both of you. On my mark, you’ll start, alright?” she asked to the both of them.
“Yeah,” they replied in unison.
She dropped her hand down sharply, and the both of them began to circle each other. AxEl twirled it around in his hand, taunting Nook with the embers that left it. Nook approached quickly, swiping at the hand that held it.
AxEl moved away at the last moment, his movements sluggish. He was the bigger man after all. Not the most agile between them. Then Nook swung with his other hand. The hand caught on the edge of the branch, snapping off a small piece. It was reduced to char, on the grass near them.
Neither of them paid it any mind as AxEl brought his foot around to kick at Nook’s chest. He pushed the other man away, but he held onto his leg with his arms. Nook coughed a few times, and AxEl thought of stopping, but the wicked grin on his face showed his true feelings.
AxEl tried to free his foot, but Nook held on with a grip that bordered on fanatical. He threw it over his head, putting AxEl off-balance. AxEl hopped around on foot for a moment, but Nook came in fast.
He drop kicked AxEl backwards, knocking the torch out of his hand. He fell on his back with a grunt, looking around to find the torch missing.
“Ah, damnit,” he exclaimed. Anagen was near the torch already. She stomped out the embers, stopping them from spreading any further through the grass, lest they cause a forest fire.
Nook stood over AxEl, rubbing at his chest. “That one goes to me,” Nook said.
AxEl let his head drop back onto the ground. His eyes closed, he said, “Fine, I won’t argue against it.”
Someone nudged his skull, however, so he opened them to find Anagen near as well. AxEl blushed when he realized how close she was, but turned away to keep anyone from noticing.
“You’ve still got practice to do, AxEl. Don’t go sleeping on me now,” she said.
“How much more, then?” he asked.
“Lots. We’ve barely scratched your other Magic Bullet,” Anagen replied.
****
The night stretched on as they practiced. And though they each used Prophecy one by one, they realized that only one person stood on top when it came to the use of the visions.
“How do you adapt to them so fast?” Nook asked. He was fighting AxEl, who was dodging the best that he could. Nook hesitated after every hit, missing or whiffing just slightly.
“Your attention’s somewhere else. Just reference the visions, don’t keep your eyes on them all the time, or you’ll miss something right in front of you,” AxEl said, blocking the next few hits. Nook seemed to be improving however, as he was doing much better than they had first started.
Anagen sat on the side, rubbing at her temples while the two of them sparred. When he and Nook had stopped, AxEl glanced in her direction.
“Were the visions that distracting for you?” AxEl asked. Anagen nodded.
“I’m not used to being bombarded with information. Usually I can set it aside and look at it later, but this is just….annoying,” she said, waving her own arms in front of her. She then put it down and looked at AxEl.
“It seems you’re the best suited to it’s use,” she commented and AxEl grinned.
“But that doesn’t mean that you should get cocky,” she added as she stood up from her spot. Anagen stared at the pile of spent Firewire that they had gathered, and grimaced at the sight.
“That’s much more than enough. We’ll develop Addiction if we don’t stop soon,” Anagen said. Nook stretched as the grey faded from his eyes. He licked at his lips and spat to the side.
“Right. And my mouth tastes horrible,” he noted.
“Then, we’re done for the day?” AxEl asked.
“Not quite. There’s one last thing I want you two to familiarize yourselves with,” Anagen said. She moved over to the bag and brought out a few bottles, lining them up on the ground away from them.
Nook and AxEl glanced at each other, shrugging in their shared ignorance. When she was finished, she brought the bag towards them and pulled out a small gun. It was silver in coloration, modern looking and dangerous. She checked the magazine once, satisfied with it’s state and then turned it towards AxEl.
“You need practice with th-“
“No…No, I mean I don’t need to,” AxEl said, backing away. Anagen raised a single eyebrow at him.
“AxEl, you’re going to face gunmen sooner or later. A simple strength enhancement won’t allow you to be invincible to bullets.”
“But if I use enough, they won’t even pierce my skin,” AxEl reasoned, turning away.
“Tsk. What’s your issue? A gun in the right hands is nothing to be afraid of,” Anagen explained. “It’s better to know the weapon and not need to use it.” She moved towards AxEl, pressing a hand to his shoulder.
“Listen to your Archivist, and just practice,” she asked in a soft voice. AxEl sighed, turning his head towards the ground.
“I think I should have the first shot,” Nook said, and Anagen nodded, handing off the pistol to him. AxEl stepped backward, more than he needed to as Nook aimed it. Anagen adjusted his stance, placing her hands over his as he took the first shot.
Surprisingly, he managed to hit the mark, exploding the bottle into shards of glass from afar. “Good job,” Anagen complimented. He would fire, and she would adjust as necessary. Though after a while the necessity for it decreased.
Nook’s a natural, of course, AxEl scoffed, but low enough that the others didn’t catch it. Anagen herself fired a few times, demonstrating the proper form for it.
“The safety’s here. Flip the lever and it won’t discharge randomly. Now reloading is done by…” she spoke on, but AxEl didn’t pay attention to most of it. He could barely bring himself to keep looking at the savage weapon.
When Anagen called him over to finally take a shot, he took a deep breath first. He kept the shaking in his hands to a minimum as he took aim. Several shots, but barely a single hit. It grazed a bottle, and AxEl was all too happy to hand it off to Anagen as soon as the clip was emptied.
“Hm,” Anagen let out. AxEl picked up his phone, looking at the time and cursing himself when he looked at how long had passed.
He looked over his shoulders to find Anagen staring at it as well.
“It is getting late. You’re both free to go now. But I’ll be scheduling regular practice, so you don’t grow complacent,” Anagen said, cleaning up the mess that they had made. Nook helped with the task, but when AxEl was about to join in, he held up a hand.
“Your mom’s going to kill you if you’re late, especially tonight. Go rest, AxEl,” he said, and punctuated with a smile. They parted ways for the night, and AxEl barely remembered the trek back home as the exhaustion he had been building up all night seemed to take effect.