“Fuck your choices,” Logan said, stumbling up. “We have to tell people. Father, you have to tell people.”

“You are basing this theory off on the lies of the Faelves. You do not know if what they said was true.”

“Well then we’ll tell them it's a possibility that the Dorves are using us to farm Numa.”

“Logan,” Malcolm said with a cold snap. It was delivered with such raw authority, that Logan stilled.

“Time to choose. I have been lenient with you. I have given you reign to express your prowess. And you have proven to be a good man, much better than I had expected. But we are no longer on Earth. I cannot give you the same leniency anymore. From now on you will respect me. You will not speak of your suspicions before I have verified the intentions of these Faelves. You will bring me those crystals that we owe to the Dorves. From now on, you will obey. If you do not, you are banished.”

Freya gasped and took a step forward and started babbling at Malcolm.

Logan trembled with rage. He pressed his hands into fists at his sides and clenched his teeth. He had taken this long enough. He had tried to be reasonable. He had tried his goddamn best to make his bullheaded father listen. And all he got for it was this?

Logan watched his father stare at him and wait for his response, as Freya pointed a finger at Malcolm and said something. Neither of the men listened to her. They only stared at each other.

“I will say one thing, Logan,” Malcolm finally said. “It seems you have finally grown into your will.”

“Backhanded compliments were always your forte, father.”

“No backhand, Logan,” Malcolm said and allowed himself a momentary softness of expression. “You have been a useless brat your whole life, but ever since we came here you are frustratingly valuable, and equally difficult to control.”

Logan let out a humorless chuckle. “No backhand he says.”

Freya nudged Logan. “Come on, he’s trying.”

“And failing,” Logan muttered under his breath.

“But while you are my son, you are a liability right now to the lives of fifty people,” Malcolm said.

Between his clenched teeth, Logan stared down his father. “You. Are. The. Liability.”

“I will trust my judgement over yours.”

“You do not have all the information!”

“False information is even more dangerous than lack of,” Malcolm said and crossed his arms.

“Fucking spare me,” Logan barked out, exasperated.

“Enough!” Malcolm bellowed. Logan flinched despite himself.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Logan glared at him.

Malcolm shook his head and took another step back. His voice fell into a soft, cold register. “Comply, or leave.”

And with that he walked away to ruin someone else’s day no doubt.

*

“There is absolutely no way we are staying!” Logan hissed after Malcolm had gone. He let out a growl and kicked at the pile of lumber next to them.

“I go where you go,” Freya said. She turned and Logan could see from the steel in her eyes that she meant what she said. But her gaze softened. “But please think this through, Logan. Really think it through.”

“Either way, I want you to go to the Faelves,” Logan said. “At least until it’s safe here.”

“Is it safe with the Faelves?” Freya asked, chewing on his lip. “Damn it, are we really doing this?”

“It’s as safe as it can be in this world,” Logan said and hoped it was true.

Freya nodded curtly.

“Look, maybe the milk’s not completely spilled yet,” Logan said. “You’ll go to the Faelves. I’ll try to assess the situation while you’re gone. Maybe father will listen to you.”

“And if he wont?”

Logan gave Freya a hard look. “I meant what I said.”

Freya sighed and let her shoulders sag. “I know you did. You Specter men are so goddamn mule-headed it's a small wonder I’m not clinically insane.”

Logan smirked.

“Hey!” she said and punched him in the arm. Logan started laughing and Freya hit her again. Logan dodged and she got off her balance. Logan grabbed her in a hug, and she relented.

“You’ll go, right?” Logan murmured into Freya’s hair.

She gave him a nod. That was enough. This was enough. Whatever come, at least Freya would be safe.

After spending some time with Freya, Logan went to the Den. The roof and wall was still half-smashed in by the troll, but it was being repaired by the [Carpenter] Logan half-recognized. He gave the people working a wave and a nod and went inside. Kat was half sitting, half lying in the corner. Balmer was there too, leaning against the wall, talking with her.

“Hey,” Logan said. “You look a lot better.”

“Your poisons are second-grade, is all,” Kat said. Her voice had a weak croak to it, but her eyes had light again.

Logan nodded to Balmer. “How you doing, valedictorian?”

Balmer scoffed. “I’m alright. Not in death-throes, or wracked with guilt.”

“Who said I have guilt?” Logan said, trying on a smile.

“You better have some,” Kat said and tried getting up. Her face flushed and she got caught up in a cough fit.

“You sure you’re alright?” Logan asked.

She nodded as she tried to hold it in.

“Dr Rosenberg says she’s almost on her feet,” Balmer said to Logan. “What about you? Looks like you went on an adventure alone this time.”

“Something like that.”

“What the hell happened to you?” Kat croaked. “You used to be sexy and full of bravado. Now you’re lame like Balmer here.”

“Hey!”

Kat smirked while Balmer growled at him.

“I—uhh…”

Logan wanted to tell them everything. They deserved to know. They would be the ones fighting the monsters, if his theories were right. But at the same time, if he did that, there would be no reconciliation with his father. There would be no going back.

“Man, you really lost your swiggity ways,” Kat remarked.

“Swiggity? Balmer said. “Really?”

“I’ll start calling you the ‘Comeback King’ again if you keep that tone up,” Kat said and gave Balmer a cheeky smile. Then she turned to Logan, who was just trying to think his way through this. “You okay dude? You look like a Balmer who got lost in a paper bag.”

“Funny…”

Kat showed him her tongue. “Funnier than you.”

Logan laughed and something relaxed in him. Yeah, he was probably going to have to tell them. He was probably going to have ditch his dumb father and save as many people from his foolishness as possible. With that thought his laughter died on his lips.

Hold up. Removing anyone, especially warriors like these two might get more people killed.

[Reconfiguring Neural Matrix… 91% Completion]

[Logan. I need you to… Chill out.]

That burst Logan out of his anxiety bubble. He couldn’t believe it. Logan held his stomach as he laughed uncontrollably. Kat and Balmer looked at him, most likely wondering if the Dorves had provided tools to fabricate a really long sleeved shirt. Logan eventually settled down.

“I think the jungle heat finally got to him,” Balmer said. Kat sniggered.

“Oh, it was just something, Tumor said.”

“See?” Kat said. “I told you he was hearing voices.”

Balmer gave Logan a look. Logan nodded.

“It works? Balmer asked excitedly. “All the tech we had got fried. Phones, watches, everything.”

“Oh, it works.”

“Hey!” Kat said. “I’m out of the loop here.”

“I haven’t even told Freya,” Logan said half-aloud as he realized it. Then he looked at Balmer sharply. “And you’re not telling my father.”

Balmer was about to say something, but then he shut up. He just stared at Logan for a moment. Logan stared right back, boring into him. Eventually Balmer nodded ever so faintly.

“Alright!” Logan said, running away with it. He turned to Kat.

“So I have a Tumor in my brain…”