“Okay, so here’s what I’ve come up with.” Dakarai said, holding a glass eye. It looked like a normal eye, only with a red iris. “There’s a small heat pack inside this that heats up in the sun. If you take out the eye and apply the pressure, like this…”

Dakarai slapped the eye, and a small blast of heat came out.

“…that’ll happen. The worst it can do is a mild burn, but nobody’ll expect it. If you pull it off right, you could get someone to drop a weapon they’re holding.”

“Yeah, got it.” Julian nodded, throwing his head back and inserting the eye into his empty socket.

“Also, if it overheats and explodes in your eye, I’m not responsible.”

“Don’t sue, got it.” Julian repeated, winking a bunch of times to let the new eye fully settle.

“Julian, did you just put a bomb in your face?” Roxanne asked, glancing between the two men treating this matter like something that could be a legitimate fighting technique.

“It’s only a bomb if it overheats.” He replied calmly, putting his hair back over his eye. “No big deal.”

“It sounds like a pretty big deal!” Roxanne yelled. “Dakarai, what are you doing?”

“Putting an attack mechanism in his new eye, we just went over this.” Dakarai replied calmly. “Now, do you have the bear?”

“If you could help me get it out of the ship, that’d be cool.”

“I can help with that.” Roxanne announced calmly, stepping out of her seat. “Gotta stretch the leg, you know?”

“You know that the leg is a temporary healing measure, right?” Dakarai sighed. “If you strain it too much, you could get seriously hurt.”

“So I have to stay here?”

“It’s only for a couple minutes, don’t worry.” Julian replied as the two walked out, leaving Roxanne in the room to contemplate her next move.

She sat behind Dakarai’s desk, opening the drawers behind it and flicking through the documents. A lot of hastily drawn diagrams with wording she probably couldn’t understand even if the handwriting was legible. She wasn’t one to stereotype, but Inariu people having awful handwriting seemed to be getting truer by the moment. So with nothing to do, she looked at her necklace.

She thought about how likely it could be that her parents were nearby. As far as everyone back on Miracle was concerned, she just showed up one day on the ship as an infant. They tried tracking her parentage down, but to no avail. But soon she could join a hero group and travel the world, they said. But with next to no combat abilities, she was stuck behind the hiring desk. But Cassandra showed up a decade later. No parents, no memories. Just a girl stuck on a ship and in her room. And they promised to each other that they would each get their dream romances and travel the world once they hit adulthood.

Then Julian showed up from his old hero group and hit it off with Cassandra. But they promised that Roxanne would be next once the world tour started. And well…it’s started. Dermot was nice, but she didn’t see anything working out in the long term. Dakarai didn’t seem like prime boyfriend material either. She tried cuddling him from behind like what she saw on TV shows she watched while he was asleep, and she wasn’t feeling any sparks fly from it. Maybe smart guys weren’t her thing? Then what was her thing? Someone wilder, perhaps? As she lay on the revolving chair aimlessly spinning around, a cough was heard behind her.

She quickly spun around to see two men standing in front of the desk.

“Are you Dakarai’s new assistant?” The skinnier of the two men asked. He wore a sportier version of what Dakarai wore, a simple red tracksuit. He also had much wilder hair than anyone she saw here, with dreadlocks tied upwards into a ponytail, each one dyed red at the end.

“I’m just Dakarai’s friend.” She replied calmly, eyeing him up and down. He looked a little familiar, even if she couldn’t quite place it.

“Any idea where he could be?” The larger man asked with his calm voice as he glanced across the room. Despite the weather being pretty good, he wore an oversized deep blue coat and a dark purple beanie to match.

“He’s just gone out for a bit.” Roxanne informed calmly. “He went out to get something, so he’ll be back in a little bit.”

“Alright, works for me!” The man announced loudly, sitting down with his hands behind his head, seeming to instantly start daydreaming the second he sat down.

“He’s always just like this, don’t worry.” The larger man said as he sat down beside him, looking meditative as he sat down next to the other guy, staring at nothing in particular.

After a few minutes of Roxanne spinning in her chair to distract herself from the awkward silence, Julian walked back in with Dakarai, with the bear corpse held behind a white sheet as the only noise became squeaking noises from the wheels it was being brought in on.

“Dakarai!” The skinnier guy yelled as he walked in. “How’s it been?”

“Pretty good.” Dakarai nodded. “What brings you here, Samuel?”

“Figured I’d stop by on the way to the Fightston games.” He said, before locking eyes with Julian. Julian returned the stare, looking at him with a scowl.

“Julian.” Samuel said, his tone of voice changing immediately.

“Samuel.” Julian sighed.

“So, what’s that you got behind you?” Samuel asked.

Julian silently removed the sheet, revealing the bear underneath.

“Still doing that whole necromancy thing?” Samuel asked.

“It’s…how my powers work.” Julian replied with another sigh.

“I’m way too aware.” Samuel replied, narrowing his eyes towards him. “So why’s it here?”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“I’m helping him make modifications. Make it stronger around the arm areas to prevent anyone with a weapon from cutting the limbs off.”

“Ah, I see. At least it’s a bigger creature this time.”

“The spider thing was funny, admit it.” Julian said, trying to hide his creepy smile.

“Nothing about that was funny!”

“It was a little funny.” The large man replied, fist bumping Julian.

“Good to see you’re as good humoured as ever, Adebayo.”

“Do you know these guys?” Roxanne asked.

“They’re the Maximos. Top ranked hero group here.” Julian replied.

“Fourth overall, with two people!” Samuel replied. “And if that Luca would fight me one on one, it’d be pretty obvious who’d win.”

“Him, like the last six times.” Adebayo replied flatly.

“Hey, I’ve been working out!”

“Is what you said the last five times.”

“Anyway, Julian!” Samuel yelled. “Has your group been invited to the Fightston games?”

“You mean the Battlestorms?” Julian asked. “No clue.”

“They probably were, seeing as they invited the top five hero groups.” Adebayo said calmly. “But hey, apparently they're letting anyone in this year. So if you wanna test out the bear you got there, maybe check it out.”

“Only if you want to lose to me!” Samuel yelled, pointing a finger at Julian.

“Okay.” He said, stepping back. “Would the bear be allowed?”

“I can ask.” Adebayo said calmly. “I’m assuming the bear was from Fightston during its life?”

“It was, yeah. Think it was used to train soldiers, considering the mild bruise in its chest area.”

“Maybe it could end up a mascot of some kind. I bet Zach would like it, at least.”

“So, Adebayo.” Dakarai said. “You able to help me cut the arms off?”

“Sure thing, man.”

Adebayo got a surgical saw and began cutting the bears arms off while Dakarai found some metal cuffs and put them against the arm. They were luckily the perfect size for the bear and inserted in without much issue. He then inserted a small metal tube into the arms before getting Julian to reattach the arms. Julian punched the metal with all the force he could muster, and an audible noise was heard as the metal collided with his fist. Roxanne flinched as she heard it, but most of the men were nodding at the resounding success while Julian was shaking out the pain. Adebayo was next to the punch, and almost knocked the bear over.

“Yep, it works.” He nodded. “Felt it in my bones.”

“So would you be able to fight it?” Dakarai asked.

“Probably, but it’s still impressive.” Adebayo nodded quietly to himself.

“And an abomination of nature.” Samuel muttered through gritted teeth, moving next to Roxanne in an attempt to avoid it. There was a certain musk to him. The musk of a hero, possibly.

“I mean, I got a surplus of bugs who’s lifeforce I could transfer into the bear, let Adebayo test it out.”

“Do I use my powers?” He asked.

“Nah, it’s just a test drive. I’ll just get the bugs.”

“And I can assist you!” Samuel replied, leaping out of his chair.

“You sure?” Julian replied flatly. “It’s…a jar of bugs.”

“Yes, but…I need to get my brother a souvenir, you see.”

“But…he lives here?” Roxanne asked.

“And he needs to get food! Which I am getting!”

“Whatever, let’s go.” Julian sighed with an eye roll. Or an eyes roll, even. Today was good.

The two of them made their way to their ship on the top deck, not saying a word to each other. Eventually, the two reached his ship. There didn’t seem to be any guards stationed around the place, which was definitely strange.

“Weird how nobodies looking after this place.” Julian whispered to himself.

“There wasn’t anyone here when I landed, either.” Samuel replied with his hands behind his back, before he let his words simmer in his mind, his face souring once he did. “Actually, what’s with that?”

“No…clue.” Julian whispered, looking around for any suspicious characters. None. The few people here looked like regular people trying to go about their day. He slowly crept near the entrance to the ship, with Samuel following behind. There were shuffling noises heard from inside the ship.

Something…someone, was inside.

“Cass?” He asked. No response. Cassandra would at least say something. Samuel stood in front of the door. The noises relaxed, but then shuffling noises increased in intensity.

Until finally, a hooded figure appeared running to the exit.

Julian swung his arms towards the figure, and they fell against the wall before quickly trying to run past the doors. Samuel quickly pushed two pointed fingers into his shoulders, and his left side fell and forced him to the ground.

“Anyone else?” He asked.

“There…doesn’t seem to be.” Julian confirmed slowly. “So what do we do with that guy? Do we lock him in the ship?”

“I think so?” Samuel nodded, removing the man’s hood. “It doesn’t seem to be anyone well known, anyway.”

Samuel carried the man onto the couch of the ship and sat him down nicely. The sole exception being placing his leg behind his back in a very uncomfortable position.

“Now then.” He started, sneering as he knelt down to meet the bored looking man. If there was a ‘most ordinary looking man’ competition, he’d probably lose due to the hosts glossing past his face and forgetting to enter him. “What has you sneaking around another man’s ship?”

“Bringing the axe to the legion.” He replied without an ounce of shame.

“Legion boy, huh?” Julian asked, standing behind Samuel with arms crossed. “Just you?”

“Currently, yes.” He said calmly. “We thought you were all distracted, so I went alone to steal the weapon.”

“And look where you are now.” Julian sighed, trying to flip his phone open in the most stylish manner possible, putting his hand in front to ensure the top half doesn’t snap off.

“Cassandra, we got a legionite.”

Once Cassandra made it to the ship, she inspected the axe outside the ship, launching a thunderbolt outwards without much issue. It was the real deal, anyway.

“Yeah, he didn’t switch the axe out, anyway.” Cassandra sighed, putting it in her room once Samuel covered the legionites eyes. “We gonna bring him to Ola?”

“I can handle it!” Samuel announced, looking pleased with himself as he picked the man up with one hand.

“Nah, I’m gonna go too." Cassandra said. "Gotta speak to Ola. Julian, could you stay on the ship?”

“Sure thing.” Julian nodded, texting Roxanne to let her know undead cyborg bear antics would have to wait.

When Samuel and Cassandra entered Ola’s lab, the door was locked. Cassandra knocked harder until the knocks essentially became punches, and Ola eventually answered looking extremely groggy.

“What can I help you with?” She mumbled with a yawn.

“We found a legion guy snooping around the ship.” Cassandra said.

“And I stopped him.” Samuel added.

“Right, right.” Ola nodded. “Good job, just let me call a guard and have him deal with it.”

She opened her phone, dialling a number in and putting it up to her ear. No response. She tried with another number. Still no response.

“What’s going on here, exactly?” She whispered to herself.

“If you’re asking about guards, there weren’t any at the dock when I showed up.”

“Son of a-look, just leave him with me.” She said, looking around and finding some rope to tie him up with. “You two are free to go.”

“Actually, Ola. Can I ask you something?” Cassandra asked as Samuel left the room.

“Sure thing.” She replied calmly, not looking up from tying a knot.

“Have the Lucians done anything…bad, lately? Or ever?”

“Aside from being really full of themselves, they’re fine. Nothing me or any of the others would call evil, anyway.”

“Because when I was attacked, they mentioned something about the Lucians hiding something. Just wondering if you’d know about that?”

“Personally, I’d ignore anything a bunch of hooded figures yell at you. Even then, I genuinely have no idea what would be happening there. As long as I’ve known what they do, it’s just dealing with the bureaucracy of the whole thing.”

“So…I can leave?”

Cassandra walked out of the room and back into her ship, where Julian was listening to music in his room.

“You good?”

“Pretty good, yeah.” Cassandra nodded while giving him a peck on the cheek. “Would you mind if you turn down the music, I need to lay down for a little.”

“Sure thing.” Julian whispered, turning the music down on the cassette player.

Cassandra lay in her bed back in her room. She tried getting some sleep or taking a small nap, her body was telling her she needed it. She tossed and turned around for a few minutes. The evening barely started, but she still like felt she needed a nap to reset her body.

As she drifted away, thoughts of everything filled her mind. The weapon thieves, the Legion, and most importantly, the Lucians.

Were they hiding anything? And if so, what was it?