James turned to Terry, the green fire in his eyes dimming, replaced with a worry that he couldn’t hide.
“I’m amenable to you spending some time with your grandfather,” he said. Terry felt an involuntary smile touch his face, then tempered it when his father raised a stern finger. “But there are some stipulations. Awakened or not, you’re still fourteen—not to mention we’ve all just become a target of arguably the strongest S-ranker in the world.”
Terry was nodding before his father even finished. “Sure, sure,” he said a bit too quickly.
“One, you stay with Silver, no matter what.” His gaze swapped to the older S-ranker. “This goes for you, too. You’re not to let him out of your sight.”
Silver made a show of crossing his heart with his finger, which earned a reproachful narrowing of James’ eyes before he continued.
“Two, I want you to stay in communication with me over System chat. I want an update every hour—”
“Daaaad,” Terry moaned.
“Every hour,” he repeated, his eyebrows rising. “Just until you get back to the palace.”
“Who said we were leaving the palace?” Silver asked with a bit of a sarcastic tone.
All Terry could think was: we haven’t talked for months…every hour is beyond excessive.
His father pursed his lips at Silver’s tone. “I very much doubt this is a quick little get-to-know-you chat. If you just wanted to catch up, you could do it right here and wouldn’t need to ask my permission. So cut the wise-ass routine until I’m done. Got it?”
Silver held up his hands innocently, but not before Terry saw the quickly hidden smirk.
“Three, no unnecessary risks. Don’t think I missed that look of defiance you gave Dancer right before Silver stepped in.” Terry bit his lip, but otherwise kept his face neutral. “You leave the fighting to the S-ranks, okay?”
As much as he wanted to protest instinctively, he had to admit, he had a penchant for getting into unwinnable scraps. But with Silver around, he didn’t see that being a problem.
“Okay, dad.”
James nodded, then stepped in close.
“Four…” He looked toward the Emperor, his face suddenly guarded. “Hurry back.” He wrapped his arms around Terry in a unexpected hug, pulling him in tight. His voice was low, his tone pained. “With Dancer as an enemy, I won’t be able to stay in Wichita for long. We still have a lot of our own catching up to do.”
Terry whipped his head to the Emperor, who kept his face neutral. His father stepped back after another quick squeeze, both hands placed on Terry’s arms as he gave him an appraising look.
After another squeeze on his arms, he let Terry go and looked toward Silver.
“Remember my promise,” he said softly.
Silver gave him a mock salute, but his tone was deadly serious. “Don’t worry, your boy is safe with me.”
James pursed his lips, then nodded once.
Terry hesitated, desperate to ask why his father had to leave again, why he couldn’t stay in Wichita and let Savage or War Crimes handle Topeka. But that wasn’t a conversation to have in front of the Emperor—or Silver, really. So he turned to his maternal grandfather and let himself feel a little bit of that thrill he’d been suppressing.
“Ready when you are.”
Silver smiled, placing a hand on Terry’s shoulder. “Then here we go.”
Terry braced, wondering if the man was going to suddenly race off at superhuman speeds, cradling his body to keep the g-forces from tearing him apart. He had realized belatedly that that had been the sensation he’d felt when he’d suddenly appeared beside Lady as the fight had kicked off; his grandfather cradling his neck and spine as he carried him across the room too fast for his mind to follow.
What actually happened was somehow even more disorienting than that.
Silver’s aura extended out, encompassing the both of them like a glove. Terry felt his Metaphysical Analysis Skill ping in the back of his mind, prompting him to begin analyzing whatever power the man was activating. Before he could dismiss the prompting, his insides warped, his sense of stability suddenly scrambled as if he’d turned inside out. Silver’s aura seemed to pierce through the world, space, something. Terry’s senses couldn’t track what or how, but he felt himself pulled along for the ride.
When his body came back to him—still scrambled, but intact enough for him to feel his legs beneath him—he realized that they weren’t in the ballroom anymore.
No, he thought. We’re not even in the palace anymore, are we…?
The space around them was dark, cold, and damp. The way his breath echoed around them, it gave the impression of a large open space, tall ceilings above that only existed in his imagination. If it weren’t for Silver’s steady presence, his strong hand on Terry’s shoulder, he might have started panicking.
“Where are we?” he whispered, afraid to speak too loudly for some reason.
“One sec,” came the reply. Then Silver’s hand left his shoulder, followed by a rush of wind.
Terry’s heart jumped, but before panic could set in, an echoing click sounded across the space, followed a moment later by a light flickering into existence.
Then another, and another, and another, until the entire space was illuminated by bright fluorescent lights high above.
His eyes widened as he took in the space.
“What is this place?” he breathed.
Silver was beside him once more, the rush of wind signaling his arrival.
“Just a warehouse,” he replied casually.
Terry scoffed, doing a complete circuit as he turned to examine the warehouse. It was massive, stretching multiple football fields long and at least a one field’s length in the other direction. The ceiling was tall, easily a hundred feet high and the windows that ringed the upper section were all blacked out with what looked like paint.
“Just a warehouse,” Terry echoed. “This place is massive!”
Silver snorted, then nodded toward a spot in the corner Terry hadn’t noticed. “Let’s head up to the office and chat.”
The office was a small section in the corner of the warehouse that was walled off, resting roughly at a second-story height. Metal stairs wound up to the space, leading to a wooden door.
Terry half-expected Silver to carry him at super speed up to the office and braced himself in anticipation. But the super started walking at normal speed, looking over his shoulder with an arched brow.
“You coming?”
Terry hurried to catch up, following Silver up the stairs. Past the door was a twenty-by-twenty room with a small desk near the windows overlooking the warehouse floor and a couch pushed against the wall. Discarded trash lined the floors and cobwebs crawled across the ceiling and furniture. Dust layered every surface, creating a heaviness in the air that prompted Terry to cough.
Silver went to the set of windows and swiveled the handles until they opened.
“Sorry bout the mess. Haven’t had a chance to clean up since I bought it.”
Terry waved away the concern, clearing his throat and working up some saliva to wet it.
“It’s fine.”
Silver strode over to the couch and gave it some hard pats, sending more dust whirls into the air. Terry suppressed a groan. He’d only made it worse, after all. But then Silver moved in a blur, forming a gust of man-made wind that pulled the dust out of the air and through the windows.
When the gust and the dust settled, Terry was pleasantly surprised to note that the air was clear and a deep breath didn’t cause a coughing fit.
Silver indicated the couch with a hand and plopped into the far corner. Terry joined him, leaning against the armrest. His grandfather—which felt weird to think of the man like that—regarded him with a placid expression. He found himself unconsciously squirming and blamed it on the old, uncomfortable couch.
“Alright, kid. Your Skills—spill.” It was an echo of Dancer’s caustic tone, his unyielding demand. Silver delivered the line so casually, so confident and at ease, that it took Terry a moment to realize what he had said.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
His stomach flipped, his eyes trailing to the door stupidly—what could he do against the man who moved so fast his eyes couldn’t even track him? But when he looked back, his grandfather was biting his lip, obviously working to contain the building laugh inside his chest.
Terry narrowed his eyes, his heart still pounding erratically in his neck.
“You’re an asshole,” he muttered.
The laugh finally broke free, Silver’s eyes twinkling as he held his hand up in apology.
“Sorry, Terry, couldn’t resist.”
He felt his eyes widen in surprise as he realized something. “You know, that’s the first time you’ve said my name.”
“Is it?” Silver asked. “Hm, guess it is. Surprised my daughter picked it, to be honest. If we were going for family names, I prefer mine over T-Bone’s.”
Terry looked over, wracking his brain as he tried to recall the HeroWatch entry on Gunmetal. It was a sparse entry, given he’d been long missing since before the wiki even existed. But he was up to the task, having combed over all of the Originals many times over.
“Lance, right?” he suddenly asked, looking back over. “Lance Gunnar?”
Silver reared back in surprise, his eyebrows climbing his forehead. “Did she…did she ever mention me?” His voice was quiet and Terry could hear the vulnerability in the question.
He shrugged, shaking his head as gently as he could. “Sorry, no. Didn’t even know her father was Gunmetal until today.”
His face dropped, but only for a moment. He masked it with a smile, but it was hollow, forced. “Can’t blame her none. She was just a kid when I left…” He trailed off, the smile cracking, sliding off his face.
The silence grew, until Terry decided to break it. His hope rising as he realized he was sitting across from one of the most powerful people in the world. “Do you know what happened to her?”
That hope died as Silver shook his head. “No, sorry, kid. By the time I figured out something had happened, I was halfway across the world dealing with System stuff.” Terry took that to mean Quests, though he didn’t probe. “By the time I came back to Kansas, the trail was cold. Didn’t even know how to use the internet at first. Forty years out of touch makes for a shitty detective,” he added with a sad smile.
Terry tried not to let his disappointment detract from his excitement to spend time with his grandfather, but it was a losing battle.
“But you know what?” Silver added quickly. “My gut tells me she’s still alive…” He shrugged, holding his hands out. “I’m sorry I can’t offer more than that.”
Terry sighed, then nodded. “If she were alive, wouldn’t she come back for me? Or at least let me know she was okay?”
After his father had shown him how to use the System chat, he’d tried to send an invite to his mom, but nothing had happened. He found himself trying it again now, but there was no indication that it had worked.
“I don’t know the woman she became,” Silver said. “But the kid I knew was a good person, right down to her core. I’m guessing you felt that, too.”
Terry nodded, feeling his throat tighten from the memories. “She was the best person I knew,” he breathed.
When he looked up, Silver’s face was turned away, but he couldn’t miss the tear dripping down his grandfather’s cheek. He looked away to give the man his dignity and they sat in silence for a few moments while they digested their pain separately.
Silver finally broke the silence, snorting humorously as he wiped at his face.
“Every day’s been life or death since I left. All I had to live for was getting stronger and coming home. Didn’t know if there’d be a home to come back to, being honest.” He turned toward Terry, his eyes intense, full of silver specks. “Wasn’t what I expected…but I’m glad to have met you, Terry. It won’t make up for abandoning my girl, but I’m here for you now. Whatever help I can give you, it’s yours.”
Terry smiled, feeling the warmth and sincerity that seemed a rare showing from the man.
“I’m glad to have met you, too…grandpa Silver.” He tested the name, the words feeling odd, unfamiliar leaving his mouth. But the beaming smile on Silver’s face eased the transition in his mind.
“Grandpa Silver…I like that.” He chuckled. “Course, I still feel like a young man myself, but it fits, in a way. What do you call T-Bone?”
It was Terry’s turn to laugh. “I sure as heck don’t call him T-Bone. No, he’s my Emperor in public. Maybe grandfather in private—if I’m not feeling in trouble,” he added with a snort.
Silver’s face dropped into an incredulous look. “You call him…Emperor?”
Terry shrugged. “Mostly in public, yeah. We’re not exactly…close,” he added by way of explanation.
Silver shook his head, a disbelieving look on his face. “Your grandfather always did take himself too seriously.” Then he held his hands up. “And I’ve always been too judgmental. At least he’s been there for you, for Penelope. More than I can claim.”
A silence reigned again, just for a handful of breaths, before something his grandpa had said sparked in his thoughts.
“You mentioned helping me,” he said with a bit of hesitation.
Silver’s eyes lit up and he leaned in. “Yeah, kid, what’d you need?”
Terry’s excitement rose and he matched Silver’s posture. “Well, I’ve decided to share my Skills with you. But only because I need something in return.”
Silver took on a wry smile. “I’m honored. And curious. Okay, then, spill.”
When Terry was done filling Silver in on his Skills and the body tempering he had Affixed from his father, the man sat back with a low whistle.
“That’s incredibly versatile. Knew a guy once who could copycat Skills but they were always weaker and he could only use them once before he had to refill the tank, so to speak. By the sounds of it, you keep the Skills you catalog, even if you go and Affix something else. Sound right to you?”
Terry shrugged. “Don’t know, haven’t cataloged more than one Skill yet.”
Silver’s eyes danced. “Wanna find out?”
Terry smiled ear-to-ear. “Thought you’d never ask.” He pulled his Quest up with a thought, then looked toward Silver. “You wouldn’t happen to have any good E-grade Skills I could copy, do you?”
Silver’s eyebrows perked up, then a matching smile spread across his face.
“Matter of fact, I do. How’d you like to move metal with your mind?”
Terry gaped at the man, then clamped his mouth shut and narrowed his eyes. “You’re not messing with me, are you? That’d just be cruel.”
Silver shrugged, then held out a hand. Terry’s analysis power activated at the same time he felt Silver’s aura shift. It stretched out quick as a whip, wrapping around the metal leg of the desk across the room. To his aura sense, it was as if the man’s aura were seeping into the metal. Then, a tug, and the desk slid across the room with a horrible screech, pulling up to a stop right before them.
“My first Class was Elementalist,” Silver added with a smile.
Terry was too shocked at first to say anything. Then Silver’s aura reached out again, snagging all four legs and hoisting the entire desk up in the air before them. He looked between the man and the desk in shock, then nodded quickly.
“Yes, please! That, I want that!”
Silver laughed, letting the desk fall to the ground with a clatter.
“Don’t get too excited,” he said quickly. “Lifting something even that heavy is pretty taxing, and that’s with high aura Attributes. But holding up a shield.” He shrugged. “Or stabbing with a blade. I could see you doing that in small bursts. What’re aura Attributes at?”
Terry tempered his excitement at Silver’s words, his grandiose dreams of hauling up a car or stopping a speeding train dashed to the ground.
But I guess holding up a shield is pretty neat!
“I’m a E4 average. E7 Perception, E4 Control…” He trailed off as he noticed Silver’s blank stare. “Wh-what is it?”
“E4? E?” He emphasized the letter like he’d misheard. “Didn’t you Awaken yesterday?”
A flush of embarrassment colored his cheeks, but also a bit of pride. “Yeah…but I had a good teacher even before I Awakened.” He shrugged, trying to maintain a modicum of humility. “I don’t know.”
“Well, damn, son. Okay, then.” He chuckled to himself. “Maybe you’ll be lifting this desk in no time. So, how does it work? What do you need from me?”
Terry cracked his neck in anticipation and prepared for a long session. He didn’t know if it could be done in a single sitting—didn’t even know if he could stop and start again without losing the mold in his mind. But he was excited to find out.
“Basically, just use the Skill and I’ll study your aura.” He hesitated, suddenly realizing what he was asking. “I should warn you, when I cataloged my dad’s F-grade body tempering…it took me about three hours. For an E-grade Skill—” He shrugged. “—who knows.”
Silver pursed his lips in thought. “Well, I had hoped to catch up a bit, but if this is what you need, I’m happy to help.” His aura started to activate, then shut off as he seemed to remember something. “Oh, you better message your father. Don’t need him chewing me out for kidnapping you or nothing.”
“Oh, right!”
> [Terry]: Hey dad, I’m okay. Silver and I are gonna try and catalog one of his E-grade Skills. I might be out of contact for a few hours.
>
> [James]: Thanks for the heads up, Terry. Good luck, message me when you’re done.
Terry turned back to Silver, ready to begin, when another message rolled in.
> [James]: I love you.
He read that message a couple times, feeling how far they’d come in only a day. And now he had Silver in his life, as well. Just last week, he’d felt so alone, abandoned and isolated from his family. Now, he felt just a little less lonely, grounded in a way that he hadn’t felt since his mom’s disappearance. And not only that, he was also Awakened. He had power! Or, the beginnings of power.
With a grin, he rolled his shoulders. If things went according to plan, he was about to have a little more. Maybe he’d even hit E-rank today!
> [Terry]: Love you, too
“Okay, I’m ready.”
“Then here we go,” Silver said. He reached into the nearby desk drawer and pulled out a metal pen. “Let’s go small.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a chagrined expression. “Don’t think I can hold up the desk for too long.”
Terry nodded, focusing his aura sense.
His Analysis Skill prompted him as Silver’s aura seeped into the metal pen. He activated it, feeling his own aura reach out and start to work. At first, he wasn’t sure if he needed to cover Silver’s entire body like when he’d cataloged his father’s body tempering Skill or if he could just cover the pen. But as his Metaphysical Analysis Skill guided his aura, he felt it drawn toward both the pen and the tendril of Silver’s aura that connected him to the pen—but not the entirety of the man’s aura.
As soon as the connection felt complete, Terry knew he had quite the hill to climb. Whereas his father’s F-grade Skill had been almost like a textured plane of power, this Skill possessed layers upon layers that were obfuscated to his senses. The layers interlocked and he spent a few minutes examining the entire corona around both the pen and the connective tissue leading back to Silver.
Once he’d done a once over, he felt ready to dive in. He started examining a section at random, feeling the surface with his mind and beginning to form the Skill’s mold. The actual texture of this outer layer wasn’t much more dense or difficult to catalog than the F-grade Skill, but it was only a fraction of what he needed to fully create the mold.
All the same, his ability to memorize and catalog the mold had improved over the three hours spent cataloging the F-grade Skill, and he could already tell that he was moving at a faster rate. Around the time he was finishing up the outermost layer of the aura encompassing the pen, a series of notifications rolled in, pulling him away from the Skill.
Aura Projection: E2 → E3
Aura Control: E4
Aura Perception: E7 → E8
Presence Average: E4 → E5
Silver felt him stop, his eyes narrowing in question.
“Need a break?”
Time felt tenuous to Terry when he was in the midst of his Skill, but he still felt fresh in comparison to his marathon session with his dad.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Just got distracted by my Attributes updating.” He tried and failed to suppress the smile on his face. “E5 average now.”
His grandfather snorted, a disbelieving smile on his face. “You’re a monster, kid. Ready for more?”
Terry chuckled. “Oh, I’m just getting started.”