It
was an old subway platform, and Dominic didn’t know why it had been abandoned.
He didn’t care, and it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the purpose it was
serving now. It was new enough to have been outfitted with Lightglass fixtures,
but it was old enough that all of them were broken. No power from the surface
came down anymore, but the Vassals using the tunnels had found a series of
generators that could serve as a decent back up. The broken Lightglass fixtures
flickered and fumed, not able to give off any sustained light.

            In
the flickering darkness of the old tunnels, Dominic walked from fixture to
fixture, making sure the ends of the elements were still emitting Aer. Current
passed through condensed Aer produced a solid, tangible light. Useful for
computers, televisions, billboards, signposts, streetlights, any number of
practical applications. If the Aer wasn’t properly condensed, no Lightglass
would be produced.

            When
he was certain that the lights were all properly broken, Dominic grimaced and
cracked his neck, the resulting sound resounding through the platform like a
sound from a hangman’s noose, and turned to the decrepit train car that sat
uselessly on its old tracks.

            “They’ll
be coming soon.” He was fighting to keep his voice calm, he knew he must sound
mad to Sera. Her eyes were wide, staring terrified from the inside of the train
car. She was resting comfortably on one of the subway benches. “But everything
is ready here.”

            Sera
couldn’t speak, her mouth was gagged and her hands were bound behind her back.

            “No,
you don’t understand.” Dominic explained, walking over to the train car,
looking directly at Sera through the shattered window. “You’ll be fine. I just
needed you as leverage.”

            Sera
shook her head, tears welling in her eyes again. The tears angered Dominic, so
he raised his hand and made the water evaporate. No crying.

            “I’m
not like that monster.” He tried to explain, but Sera didn’t understand. “He
took my sister away. If I didn’t….” He shook his head, “Isaac is….It’s not my
fault. And my mother, don’t you see? So I have to do something.”

            Sera
shuddered, tried to scoot away from him. Dominic saw her shuddering. “Are you
cold? I’m sorry I can’t make a fire.” His face spread into a wide grin, eyes
blazing, as if he’d told a hilarious joke.

            [Dominic, I think you should…]

            I think you should be quiet!

            Basel obeyed, he didn’t say
anything else. Instead, he silently appeared beside Sera, placed a paw gently
on her arm. She shifted away from him, but she couldn’t move far. He sat next
to her, keeping her company.

            Nearby,
Dominic had converted a bench into a work table. Scattered around the table
were various pieces of technology, things that had seemed useful before, but
Dominic didn’t think he’d be needing them now. The one useful thing, however,
was his Circuit Armor. How should he calibrate it? It had plenty of settings.
Endurance, agility, power. What would be the most useful in fighting Isaac?
Dominic had never been good at calibrating his armor, but he would have to make
due.

            Isaac
was a quick mover, tricky to catch. But with the right spells, it wouldn’t
matter. Isaac didn’t have any offensive magic. He set the armor to Kinetic
Defense, and decided it would be good enough. Isaac’s silly stick wouldn’t be
able to do much against it.

            Dominic
heard a noise from the distant end of the darkened platform. He glanced first
at Sera, saw she was still where he’d left her. “Who’s there?!” He yelped, his
voice cracking, he wasn’t ready to fight yet. It couldn’t be.

            “A
tunnel. Appropriate place to find a ferret.” A voice spoke as the figure
approached, a hefty silhouette in the shadows.

            “What
do you want? I don’t want to see anyone but Isaac.” Dominic spat.

            “You’re...small.”
The lights flickered, illuminating Chase for a split second. “It’s not your fault you don’t know what is going on.
But you don’t.”

            “Oh,
don’t waste my time with this.” Dominic spun his finger in the air impatiently.
“I don’t want to talk about your big picture stuff right now, Chase.”

            “You’ve
got a little bit of time left before the show starts. And everything here looks
like it’s ready to go. So I don’t think I’ll be wasting time you need for
anything else.” Chase explained. He gave a quick, dismissive glance to Sera.

            “Why
do you care what I’m doing here?” Dominic waved at Basel, instructing him to
dematerialize, in case Dominic was in for a fight.

            “I
don’t. That’s the point. You’re small. But what happens here, that could be
big. I want to see how that plays out.” The kangaroo leaned back on his tail,
as if he was lounging.

            “So
what do you want?” Dominic could feel the power pooling in his palms as he
prepared to attack if necessary.

            “I
wanted to come warn you. I know that you and Isaac are going to fight. And
after that, I don’t know what will happen. I can’t see the future, after all.
But he’s important.” Chase flickered with the lights, and appeared directly in
front of Dominic. He was close enough for Dominic to smell him. He felt Chase’s
whiskers on his cheeks. “And so are you.” The kangaroo gently pressed a claw
against Dominic’s chest.

            “I
know I am.” Dominic whispered, staring into Chase’s eyes.

            “But
small. And so is Isaac. You’re both small.” Chase was looking directly into
Dominic’s soul, or so it felt. “Which one of you is smaller?” His claw dragged
slowly from chest to lower abdomen.

            “But
I’m not small.” Dominic glared, fingers crackling with electricity.

            [Dominic, don’t. You can’t fight him.]

            Chase
wrapped a paw around Dominic’s wrist. “Come now.” The kangaroo said, lifting
Dom’s hand, pressing the electrified palm against his furred chest. “If you
want to fight Isaac, if you have to fight Isaac, then that is what will
happen.” Chase leaned forward, pressed his nose to Dominic’s shoulder, and
inhaled deeply. “But you’re afraid. Steel yourself.”

            “Or
you could walk away.” Another voice intruded on Dominic’s platform. “Let Sera
go, disappear, and we’ll pretend nothing ever happened.”

            Dominic’s
attention snapped over Chase’s shoulder, to look at the newcomer. Chase didn’t
turn around. They both recognized the voice. Soft footsteps approached across
the platform.

            “How
are you all finding me? I’m not ready yet.” Dominic complained.

            “We
can resolve this without spilling any blood, Dominic. We’ve been friends for
years. Basel doesn’t want to do this, either.” Alkaid stepped forward into the
flickering light.

            Dominic
felt something deep in the pit of his stomach. Was it the fear that Chase spoke
of? “I’m not here to fight you, Alkaid.”

            “Then
don’t. You don’t have to fight anyone.” Alkaid said, ignoring Chase completely.

            “I
have to fight Isaac. I have to prove to Tyloki that I’m better.” Dominic said.

            “This
isn’t how you do it.” Alkaid held out a welcoming paw. He was offering Dominic
a chance to walk away.

            “Dominic.
You want to prove that you’re better?” Chase stepped forward, pressing the
entirety of his body against Dominic. Dom leaned back against his workbench,
but couldn’t get away from Chase’s warm embrace. “Isaac just sold out every
single Vassal in the city to try and get to you.” The kangaroo leaned over to
whisper in Dominic’s ear. “And he’s still beating you by a long shot.”

            “Chase,
what are you doing?” Alkaid reluctantly drew his sword. “Dominic, come with me.
You know I don’t want to take Sera by force.”

            “Alkaid.”
Chase spoke sharply. He didn’t move or take his body off Dominic. “Your human,
Archer. He has aspirations, am I correct? There is something you agreed to help
him with.”

            Alkaid
grunted, waiting to hear what Chase had to say.

            “If
you want that dream to be a reality, then you are the one who will have to walk
away. This is something I want to see play out.” Chase explained.

            Alkaid
slowly lowered his sword. “What are you talking about, Chase? This isn’t about
the Registry, or even about Isaac. It’s about that girl, right there. Isn’t it
our job to save people?”

            “I
already tried that. And you know what I learned? You can’t save everyone.”
Chase said. “So you need to go. Or Archer is going to find himself transferred
to the Acadian border, and he can spend the rest of his days dealing with
immigration.”

            Alkaid
ever so slightly lowered his hooded head to obscure his face from view.

            “Sera
will be fine, you have my word.” Chase guaranteed before Alkaid sheathed his
sword and turned to walk back into the shadows.

            “Isaac
will be coming soon.” Dominic breathed slowly, Chase still pressed against him.

            Chase
smiled, and he kissed Dominic on the lips. “Good boy.” The kangaroo vanished,
and Dominic was left on his platform. It was just Sera and him, alone.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Yesterday, a Vassal by the name of Dominic
Hale kidnapped my sister, Sera.”

Maps of the city
lined the table, corners falling off the edges as they struggled to fit,
overlapping. Piles of papers laid out various plans, each meaningless on its
own, but together, it was a grand tapestry. And it was almost ready.

Freeman Sandover
paused the video feed and shook his head, clicking his tongue. “They group us
together, as if we were a single cohesive organization. As if we weren’t simply
any given person with the desire to be free.”

A voice hissed
from the shadows, the darkest spot in the corner of the dimly lit room. “They
don’t understand freedom. They cling to the Registry as if a simple list of
names and addresses could provide structure and order to the world.”

“It does provide
structure.” Freeman chimed in, “Which is what allows men like Canaan to control
the minds of so many people.”

“They believe
themselves to be free.” The voice replied.

“They do, Anje.
It’s part of Canaan’s charm. But the Collars of today, they haven’t seen the
same things that we have. They haven’t experienced war. They know nothing of
how men can act when there are simply no humane choices left.” The old man
mused, looking over his plans.

“That is the
purpose of Indicia. To govern man, to ensure that those who take inhumane
actions are dealt with, no longer blighting society.” Anje spoke with pride.

“And yet the
Registry, and Canaan, see Indicia as tools for humans to use, to wage war and
fight the Thralls. Thralls aren’t a symptom.” Freeman looked over at Anje.
“Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Canaan has had
himself appointed as a ruler, a false king. The Indicia should be the ones
ruling the humans, with the consenting as our loyal vassals. Dissidents should
be made to keep in line. Humanity has long proven to be unable to govern
itself.” Anje agreed.

“So we need to do
them the kindness of bringing a war to them now, under our terms. Before the
Thralls do it again, and we’re unprepared.” Freeman folded his hands in his
lap, and turned finally to Jensen, who had been sitting at the far end of the
table.

“And to do that,
we need whatever InCorp has in the vault, underground.” Jensen said with a nod.

“Precisely.”
Freeman said with an inviting smile. “And to get into that vault, there is
something we need to acquire.”

“I’m no good for
helping acquire something, without my totem.” Jensen threw his hands into the
air helplessly.

“I have some good
news regarding that. After your escape from InCorp, we were able to have one of
our inside men retrieve your totem.” Freeman placed a small box on the middle
of the table.

Jensen eyed the
box suspiciously, but he took it and sat before opening it. Sure enough,
resting inside was an antique pocket watch. He took the watch out, held it
tightly in his hand, and then slipped it safely into the inner pocket of his
jacket. “Alright, now what do I need to steal?”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isaac didn’t wake
up from his peaceful sleep until his LINK vibrated on his wrist. His first
thought upon waking was that he hadn’t slept so well in months. The current
situation didn’t immediately return to him, and he was mildly confused as to
why he was naked, tangled up on a couch with Riley and Rain. Slipping his LINK
off his wrist, he looked groggily at the name of the person who was calling. Everett.

His stomach filled
with acid as it came back to him. He had fallen asleep with Riley and Rain
waiting for news about Sera. Any grogginess lingering from his sleep was washed
away by adrenaline. Riley and Rain began to stir slowly as Isaac answered the
call, certain of the worst outcome.

“We found
something. And I promised to call as soon as we found something.” Everett said
as soon as Isaac answered.

“What? Is Sera
okay?” Isaac found he was practically shaking as he waited for Everett to talk
again.

“We haven’t gotten
her yet. But we know where she is. I’m sending someone to bring you here.”
Everett sighed, his voice echoing, wherever he was.

“Where?” Isaac
slid off the couch, untangling himself from the otter who was reluctant to let
him go. He looked at them pointedly, to let them know it was a call about Sera.

“The Underway.
Isaac? Come ready for a fight, just in case. The man I’m sending is named
Darius. He’ll be there soon.” Everett spoke reluctantly, Isaac could tell he
didn’t want to bring him into it. Whatever it was, they must not have much of a
choice.

“I’ll be ready.”
Isaac returned his LINK to his wrist and hurried to his room, to prepare his
Aer Armor. He’d never really fought a person before, but fighting Dominic
wouldn’t be a problem, would it?

Aer Armor could be
calibrated for different settings. In most cases, this required hooking each
piece of armor up to a computer and manipulating variables through a program on
the computer. The other way was to have presets on a device such as a LINK,
which could be used to quickly calibrate the armor to a set of custom settings.
Isaac didn’t know how much time he had before Darius arrived, and he was still
naked, so he was eager to get dressed quickly. He didn’t want Darius getting
the wrong idea about what had happened between him and his friends. A moment
after he felt that worry, he wondered to himself why he cared. What he did on
his own time was no one’s business.

[Your time is not your time. It is my time.]

I don’t need you right now, Ty. I have to go
fight, something you can’t really do without magic.

[Something you can not do, even with magic.]

Haha, no time for this right now, Tyloki.
I’ve got to get ready.

[How are you planning to calibrate your
armor?]

Isaac shrugged and
scanned over the presets on his LINK. Endurance, agility, strength. Various
settings that could augment his physical ability. Aer Circuit armor was
standard for almost any profession requiring physical activity. Most armors
weren’t customizable. His old armor, as a delivery boy, had been preset to
agility and was not easy to reconfigure. His new armor had more variables, far
more uses.

[You are already faster than Dominic. He is
not a physical fighter, so endurance and agility are poor choices.]

“So I could
augment my strength, make my punches hit harder.” Isaac reasoned.

[It would slow you down, diminishing your
single and only useful attribute.]

Okay, you’re helping. I’ll go naked.

[Sarcasm does not suit you.]

Isaac shook his
head, staring at his armor. “Magic is just a specific manipulation of Aer,
right?”

[That is correct. It is a simple concept, one
you should not have to ask about.]

“I was just…”
Isaac took a deep breath and got back on track. “Why do I try and talk with
you? If magic is manipulation of Aer, then I could configure the armor to be
repellent to Aer.”

[A wonderful idea. If you did not rely on Aer
for your own magic.]

“Good point. If I
needed to shield myself, that wouldn’t be good if there were no Aer around me.”
Isaac sighed. After a moment of silence, Tyloki spoke again.

            [Go with what you are used to. Agility. You
will be more likely to succeed if you are not trying to learn how to move in
unfamiliar armor.]

            Isaac
nodded in agreement and calibrated his armor for the increased agility he was
used to. On an even playing field, Isaac would be able to swiftly outmanoeuvre
Dominic. An even playing field that didn’t take magic into account.

            [Dominic’s abilities are elemental. He will
strike at you with fire, water, stone, and wind.]

            So I just won’t let him hit me.

            Isaac
suited up, first putting on a tight fitting layer of an athletic material,
followed by the lightweight, flexible fabric alloy of his Aer armor. Powered on
by the ambient Aer, the circuits running through the armor glowed crimson,
indicating that it was functioning properly. There was a knock at the door, and
Isaac emerged from his room as he snapped his staff onto the magnet on the back
of his armor.

            The
man Isaac presumed was Darius stood in the doorway to the common room, Riley
and Rain were still on the couch, both still naked. They made no attempt to
hide themselves. Isaac rolled his eyes at them as he passed by them.

            “We’ll
get dressed and come join you in a bit.” Riley ensured.

            “Yeah,
you can count on us.” Rain said, though he sounded as if he was eager for some
privacy.

            Isaac
smiled at the absurdity of the two as he left the room, following Darius to the
Underway.

            The
Underway looked how it sounded. Dark, dank, and abandoned for good reason.
Sounds echoed with a forlorn quality, and the whole place felt forgotten. It
appeared to have been abandoned a long time ago, and Isaac wanted to leave as
soon as he entered. But Sera was down there somewhere, and she couldn’t leave,
not until he saved her. So he couldn’t leave either.

            Darius
led Isaac through a winding series of tunnels, occasionally checking a map on
his LINK. There was also a trail of flares on the ground, leading the way.
After they had walked across what felt like the entire city, Isaac could hear voices
in a tunnel just ahead.

            Turning
the corner into the next tunnel, which had at some point been the tracks for a
subway train, he saw the place had been transformed. Portable computers had
been set up, and the room was almost brightly illuminated by all the Lightglass
and Aer Circuits in such a small space. The tunnel was overflowing with people,
presumably all the people that had helped in the search through the massive
network for Dominic and Sera.

            At
the back of the tunnel, Isaac could see what appeared to be a tactical strike
team, outfitted heavily in Aer armor, some with exotic weapons that Isaac
didn’t recognize. Talking to the group was Everett. In front of all the
computers, technicians, some Collars, some not, but definitely the type of bespectacled
scientists Isaac had seen walking through the Registry lobby from time to time,
heading to some unknown research lab. At the center of it all, Canaan and
Chase.

            Isaac
walked directly to them, and they turned to greet him. “We found him.” Canaan said,
no doubt speaking first to try and take credit.

            “And?
Why haven’t we taken him out yet?” Isaac asked, crossing his arms.

            “You
said you wanted first crack at him. You were going to kill him, if I recall
correctly.” Canaan replied.

            Isaac
took a deep breath, steadied himself. He deserved that one. “I was being
unreasonable. So what’s the plan, then? Where is he?”

            Chase
pointed at a door off to the side of the tunnel. “That door leads to a nearby
station platform. He is holed up there.”

            “So
we rush in, shoot him if he tries anything. Take Sera, and all get out of
here.” Isaac said impatiently.

            “We
had that idea. We did.” Canaan spoke slowly. There was something they weren’t
telling him.

            “And?”
Isaac was getting impatient.

            Instead
of getting an answer from Canaan or Chase, Isaac’s LINK rang again. He looked
to see who it was, and his heart stopped when he saw it was from Dominic. He
fumbled to answer it as quickly as he could. He was greeted by a bout of
hysterical laughter.

            “Dominic,
we found you.” Isaac threatened as the laughter stopped.

            “I
knew you would. I knew it. So I prepared. I got ready for you.” Dominic spoke
quickly, with intensity.

            “What
do you mean you got ready for me? Why don’t you come out and fight me already?”
Isaac looked at the door that Chase had pointed at. If Dominic was on the other
side of that door.

            “I’m
waiting for you to come to me.” Dom explained, and Isaac started to walk to the
door.

            “Why
are you waiting for me? You can come to me just as easily. And why bring Sera
into this at all? If you wanted to fight, you should have just punched me in
the face.” Isaac stopped in front of the door, and looked back at Canaan and
Chase, who motioned for him to open it.

            “I’m
waiting for you because I want to know how much you care about your precious
sister.” Dominic spat.

            Isaac
raised an eyebrow and pulled the door open with his free hand. On the other
side was a narrow maintenance tunnel, which no doubt led to the station
platform Chase had mentioned. That was where he would find Dominic. But the
hallway had been rigged. Dom hadn’t been lying, he had prepared. Hanging from
the walls and ceiling and thrown carelessly on the floor was a fantastic amount
of barbed wire.

            It
was a thick enough web of the wire that it was hard to see through it all, even
with all the light thrown off from the nearby tunnel.

            “What
the Hell am I looking at?” Isaac asked, looking back at Canaan and Chase with a
cocked eyebrow.

            “Call
it a gauntlet. Call it the test you never had when Tyloki accepted you as his
Collar.” Dominic explained.

            “If
this is about Tyloki, trust me, we both hate him. Maybe we don’t have to fight
after all.” Isaac looked at the hallway of barbed wire. It was insane.

            “We
have to fight, Isaac. It is about Tyloki, but we have to fight.” Dominic ended
the call, and Isaac’s LINK went silent. He put it on his wrist as he stormed
over to Canaan and Chase.

            “There
has to be another way onto the platform.” Isaac reasoned.

            “Any
other tunnel we’ve found leading that way is collapsed. It’ll take some time to
dig our way through, and it might be time we don’t have.” Chase said, clasping
a comforting paw on Isaac’s shoulder.

            “So
why don’t we cut our way through that wire, storm in there, and take him down?”
Isaac was agitated, and he was afraid. He wasn’t in control of the situation,
Dominic was. He hated that feeling.

            “We
already spoke with Dominic. There’s two things you need to understand, Isaac.”
Canaan spoke slowly, so Isaac wouldn’t miss any of it. He didn’t respond to
Isaac’s clear agitation in any noticeable way. “First, he told us that if
anyone but you comes through that door or finds any other way onto the
platform, he will kill Sera.”

            Isaac
winced at the last words, his mind unable to resist imagining that possibility.
It turned his stomach over, made his head spin. He nodded, to show he
understood.

            “Second,
Dominic has rigged the platform using old Lightglass fixtures. They’re
producing condensed Aer, but it isn’t contained the way it should be. The
platform is full of loose, condensed Aer. Any spark or open flame would cause
the entire platform to go up. No doubt this was a contingency in case Tyloki
had the ability to create fire. But it also limits our alternative options.”
Canaan explained.

            Chase
put his second paw on Isaac’s other shoulder, and looked him directly in the
eyes. “The safest way for us to get Sera back is for you to go through that
hallway, and fight Dominic directly. It’s what he wants, and it’s what you
want.”

            “It
isn’t what I want.” Isaac shook his head. “I don’t want to fight. But I have to. I’ll kill him if I have to, because
he took Sera. But I don’t want to
kill anyone.”

            “You
might not have to kill him. You can use your shield to get through the hallway.
You can knock him out, take him alive. But you need to do whatever it takes to
save Sera.” Chase squeezed Isaac’s shoulders.

            Isaac
nodded slowly, trying to get his thoughts together. It was simple. Fight
Dominic. Save Sera.

            [Is now a good time to bring up the fact that
your press conference lie amounted to nothing at all?]

            Shut up.

            [Do not take your current situation as
absolution of the mistake you made.]

            I’ll deal with it later.

            [I will hold you to that.]

            “Okay.
I’ll do it. I go through that hallway. I fight Dominic. I win. And then it’s
over.” Isaac spoke aloud, trying to believe it.

            Behind
him, he heard familiar voices. He turned to see Riley, Archer, and Miria
waiting off to the side, but all watching him. His friends. They came to
support him. Seeing their faces as they waved to him, knowing they were there
for him, it bolstered him. Made him feel stronger, helped to slow his racing
thoughts.

            “We’ll
be right here, Isaac. If anything goes wrong, we’ll be here.” Archer promised.

            “If
anyone gets hurt, I’ll be here to treat them. I’ve got a whole team.” Miria
smiled, and she brushed her hair back behind her ear. He loved when she did
that. Even in this dark place, she was radiant.

            Riley
walked closer before speaking. “If you need me to, I’ll run through the wire in
that hallway. I don’t care if it tears me apart. We lost Jin because we weren’t
there. We...won’t lose you the same way.”

            Isaac
waved to his friends. “I’ll be fine. Dominic’s nothing.” He smiled as he lied,
his heart pounding with fear and adrenaline.

            “We’ll
be right here.” Archer repeated.

            Isaac
took in a deep breath and turned to the barbed hallway.

            You ready?

            [I am never not ready.]

            Then let’s go.

            “Isaac,
we’ll be listening to everything that goes on in there. If things go south,
we’ll send a team in. Do your best to save Sera. She is the priority here.”
Canaan said, and for the first time, Isaac believed the words that Canaan
spoke.

            The
web of razor wires was thick, but not so thick that Isaac couldn’t move it out
of the way and push his way through. His armor would protect him from most of
it, but he still opted to surround himself completely with a shield as he
started to press against the wires. He kept the shield close to his body,
mimicking his form, and without a doubt it was the most complex shield he had
ever produced. He had to keep his eyes open, he needed line of sight to the
shield he was creating. His heart pounded against his chest as he made the
first shove into the wires.

            After
his first push, it was too late to go back, and Isaac was regretting it immediately.
Like the rain that showered against his shield and pattered against his skull
like a headache, the barbs bit into his shield, and it felt like they were
digging into his raw flesh. He couldn’t help but let out a howling scream, but
he tried to keep it down, not wanting to alarm his friends outside.

            What good is a shield that doesn’t prevent
the pain?

            [It prevents the damage. That is what
matters.]

            Isaac
felt forward, trying to find the next gap to slip his hands between, to force
open and slip inside. It didn’t take long to tell with wires would give the
most, and he was able to take his next big step forward. He screamed aloud
again as the wires scraped across his shield. Maybe it would be a better idea
to let the wires dig into his armor. It should be able to defend against it.
But if any of the wires were damaged by the barbs, it’s increased effectiveness
would be nullified. And then it would be better to fight naked.

            It
was slow going, but each cut and gouge that Isaac felt only increased how
infuriated he was. It only amplified how much he wanted to kill Dominic.
Before, he had said he didn’t want to kill Dom, but he was wrong. He definitely
wanted to kill Dom. He grunted, and he managed to keep the screams to a
minimum, at least, as he pushed further through the hallway. Before long, the
path he had come through closed behind him, and it would have been nearly
impossible to go back.

            He
had no intentions of going back. He was going to rescue Sera. He would do
whatever it took to save her, and he meant it. This was nothing compared to the
pain he had endured as a child, protecting Sera then as he was trying to do
now. And upon that realization, the pain seemed to lessen, and it merely fueled
his rage as he pressed on.

            Time
was lost to him as he made his way through the tunnel. He didn’t know if it
took minutes or hours to get through. No one else spoke, not on either side of
the tunnel, nor Tyloki. It was just Isaac, alone with his thoughts. After an
eternity, he placed his hand on the door handle at the far end of the tunnel.

            Pushing
the door open desperately, he collapsed out of the barbed wires and onto the
station platform. Even as he heaved for breath, heart racing, he tried to take
in his surroundings. It was about the size of a monorail platform, and a
decommissioned subway train rested on the tracks to the side of the platform.
That was where Sera was, he could see her terrified face staring at him. On the
platform, Dominic stood smugly by a workshop table. He was fully decked out in
Aer armor, glowing a sickly purple. The purple color of the circuits reminded
Isaac of the Thrall that had killed Jin, and likewise brought flashes of every
bad event that had led to this moment.

            Jin’s
death. The Thrall attacking his home. The threat to Sera and the rest of his
family. The pact with Tyloki. The siege on InCorp. The training. The pain, the
suffering, the sickness. The clashes with Tyloki, the fights with Thralls. The
darkness, and the fear. The distance from his family. It all led here.

            He
stumbled as he entered the room but quickly regained his balance. Without
hesitation, he drew his staff off his his back and extended it to it’s full
length.

            “Took
you long enough.” Dominic scoffed.

            “What
the Hell is wrong with you?” Isaac shouted across the platform as he took a
combat stance. Something he’d been taught by Alkaid, as if he’d been preparing
for this exact moment.

            “Tyloki!
He is what is wrong with all of us!” Dominic shouted, finally having a sounding
board for his insanity.

            “If
this is about Tyloki, why bring me into it?” Isaac asked, taking a careful,
tentative step forward. Dominic allowed it.

            “Because
you are a part of it.” Dominic had no weapon, but Isaac could see shards of ice
dancing in the air around his fingers. Canaan had warned him that the smallest
spark or fire would ignite the entire platform. A quick glance around confirmed
this. Numerous broken Lightglass fixtures were flickering unreliable light, and
the entire platform had a peculiar odor.

            “How?
What do I have to do with any of this?” Isaac asked, ready to learn for sure
what this what all about.

            “Did
he not tell you what he did to me?” Dominic shouted. “Am I that unimportant?”

            What is he talking about?

            [I could not tell you.]

            It seems kind of important right
now.

            [That does not mean I remember.]

            “He says he doesn’t remember.”
Isaac replied, still ready to move.

            Dominic
responded with another bout of laughter. “He thinks that I’m that unimportant?
It was the most important day of my life!”

            “What
happened? Would someone just tell me already?” Isaac asked, as angry with
Tyloki as he was with Dom.

            “He
took my mother and my sister from me! He took my family and he threw them away
like they didn’t matter! I was a child, yes, and I wouldn’t have been worth
much as a Collar. But I pleaded with him to help me save my family. I was
willing to fight, I would have done whatever it took. And you know what he did?
He scorned me! He said I was worthless, he refused to help me save my family!”
Dominic screamed, his voice rough and raw, the sound of desperation.

            “I’m
sorry he did that, Dom! But what does that have to do with me?” Isaac asked.

            You really don’t remember this?

            [The life of a human is similar to
the life of a pet for you. If you had as many humans as I have, the life of one
who you only encountered for several minutes would be equally as
inconsequential.]

            Disgusting.

            “You only made the pact to
protect your family. You didn’t even want to fight. And he took you on as his
Collar after Jin died. He took you even after he deemed me unworthy.” Dominic
growled. “You! He decided you were worthy and I was lacking.”

            “I
hate to break it to you, Dom, but he hates me. He wants me to die, really.”
Isaac attempted to reason with Dominic, even if it seemed hopeless.

            “That
might be! But he still gave you the chance to save your family. And so I knew
what I had to do. I had to prove that I was better than you. I had to show
Tyloki the mistake that he made. I had to prove the everyone that the wolf is
not a god. He isn’t even a human. He’s the worst kind of life. A parasite,
living off those he deems ‘worthy’! So I took Sera. So we can see who is truly
better. Who was truly deserving of Tyloki’s power.”

            “So
I’m wagering Sera to prove I’m better. What are you putting on the line, then,
Dom?” Isaac asked, keeping his eyes keenly on the shards of ice around
Dominic’s fingers.

            “I
already threw my life away for this. Even if I win, that’s not something I’ll
ever get back. No matter what happens, I’m not getting out of this. But I will
prove that I’m better. That was my wager. My life.” Dominic lashed out
suddenly, swinging his hand in a wide arc through the air.

            Sharp
icicles formed in the air along the arc and sped towards Isaac. He raised his
hand quickly and built a shield wall in front of him, confident that it would
protect him from the ice. But when the shards hit the shield, it shattered, and
it racked his head with pain. The shards, for the most part, broke against the
shield, but as the shield fell, Isaac was showered by tiny, sharp icicles.
Small cuts opened on the exposed flesh of his face and hands.

            Instantly,
he was worried. Nothing had ever broken through his shields before. Was Dominic
that much more powerful? No time to worry. Dominic was already preparing
another spell. Isaac rushed forward nimbly, moving quickly was his specialty.
He had a lot of distance to cover between himself and Dominic, but he could
clear it in seconds. As he approached Dom, the mage threw another spell. It was
air based, this time, and Isaac buffeted back by a wall of pressure. It wasn’t
enough to throw him off his feet, but it was enough to stop him in his tracks.

            He
pushed against the air, slowly making his way forward. But this was no way to
start a fight. He put up a shield between himself and the wall of air, and
found it was easier to push the shield forward against the wind. Moving at a
brisker pace, he approached Dominic again. Dom countered with some sort of
blades conjured out of wind. Isaac had never seen anything like them, as they
sliced forward, digging into his shield, once again delivering the pain of the
attack into him directly.

            Isaac
dropped his shield, and the blades of air whizzed past him, missing him
mercifully. He wasn’t sure if his armor could stand up to them, and he hadn’t
calibrated his armor for resistance to sharp attacks, which Dominic seemed set
on.

            [When he changes spells, the previous one
ends.]

            Isaac
nodded, and he rushed forward again. When Dom switched to the air blades, the
wall of pressure had dispersed, allowing Isaac to make forward progress again.
Finally, he was close enough to strike, and he swung the staff out in a wide
arc, aiming for Dominic’s feet. Dom hopped deftly, and the staff swung under
his feet. Isaac took advantage of the situation, spun the rest of the way
around, and jolted the back end of the staff straight backwards, towards Dom’s
chest. The mage took the hit on his chest, and he coughed as he stumbled
backwards, hitting the workshop table behind him, almost losing his balance.

            Isaac
now took advantage of Dom’s instability, going for another spin, bringing the
staff around again, stepping forward. He went for a high strike this time,
maybe he could take Dominic out with a strike to the head. Dominic leaned back
against the table, and the hit didn’t connect.

            The
platform shook, and Isaac lost his balance as well, and he retreated a few
steps for safety. He saw the ground under him had been rent, and he saw that
Dominic had been the cause, his hand was encased in stone as he lifted it in
the air. The ground under Isaac shook again, raising in the air as Dominic tore
it up from the platform. This must be why the monorail platforms were made of
metal, and not stone. This was annoying. 
He just wanted one good shot at Dominic’s jugular, to rip it out and see
the blood flow. Isaac jumped back off the spot that Dominic was pulling from
the floor. He was losing ground.

            Sera
couldn’t watch, her eyes were shut tight. Isaac hazarded a glance in her
direction to make sure she was safe from the storm of stones that was beginning
to engulf the platform. If she couldn’t look, that must mean she thought Isaac
would lose. But even if he did lose, Canaan and Everett would force their way
through and save her. She was safe. But she didn’t know that. Or maybe she did,
and her worry was for Isaac’s safety, not her own.

            “Tyloki
stole my life from me!” Dominic screamed, throwing another blade of wind that
narrowly missed Isaac’s shoulder.

            “That
sucks! But Tyloki isn’t the one who took my life from me.” Isaac replied,
looking over at Sera. His heart sank, and the realization set in. He couldn’t
beat Dominic. If he lost to Dominic, there was a chance he would kill Sera out
of spite. There was only one way out of this.

            “I’ll
be the one to take the rest away.” Dominic cackled, throwing shards of ice
Isaac’s way.

Isaac put up a shield, even though he expected it to shatter
against the strength of Dom’s spell. To his surprise, it was a darker blue than
usual. Less translucent, more opaque. As he built the shield, he could feel the
pain from his cuts and scratches fading slightly. The shield flickered, but it
didn’t shatter, as the ice broke against it. His head hurt, but it wasn’t
excruciating.

It was all in a moment, but it was the busiest moment of
Isaac’s life. Icicles formed from both of Dominic’s hands, and Isaac knew he had
to save Sera. Her eyes widened, and she made a move to duck out of sight, but
she wasn’t fast enough. The icicles left Dominic, and sped towards their
targets. Without a second of hesitation, Isaac put a shield in the window, in
front of Sera, protecting her from the ice shard. The shard that had aimed for
Isaac hit him in the shoulder, tore easily through his armor, and buried itself
in his flesh.

He stumbled back,
but he didn’t scream. It was nothing, compared to all of the pain he had ever
felt in his life. He had to breath slowly, and he fell down to kneel on one
knee. Dominic was smiling, and Sera was screaming, even through the gag that
she wore. Dominic raised his hand, ready to make another spell, but Isaac put
his hand in the air, and Dom stopped.

“It’s time to give
up your life, Isaac! That was wager. Either you’re giving your life to save
Sera, or she’s going to die!” Dominic screamed, sounding petulant. “Are you
truly willing to give up your own life to save your family?”

Isaac smirked. And
then he chuckled. The chuckling turned into laughter. The ice was buried deep
into Isaac’s left shoulder, of course the stronger of his two arms. Luckily, he
was still right handed, even if the lingering infection in his right shoulder
made it slightly weaker. He reached his right hand into his pocket, and he
looked up at Dominic with determination. “We first met almost six months ago.
That was six months for you to get to know me, to really learn something about
me. I can’t blame you too much, I didn’t know you were fucking batshit until
you kidnapped Sera. So maybe it’s not possible to really learn about someone
unless they let you. But that doesn’t mean you didn’t make a huge goddamn
mistake.”

Dominic raised an
eyebrow quizzically, but he didn’t strike, he let Isaac talk. Isaac coughed,
blood dripping to the ground from his shoulder. In his pocket, he felt a small
metal block. Something Dominic had given him months ago, to mock him and
Tyloki. He had kept it on his person all that time, to remind himself of something.
Maybe it was to remind him of the power Tyloki used to hold, and how he had
caused Tyloki to give that up. Maybe it was to mock Tyloki, after all. It
didn’t matter. Well, it made it more amusing, brought a smile to Isaac’s face.
But what really mattered was the fact that it was in his pocket in this moment,
in this place.

“I’m going to tell
you something I’ve never said out loud before.” Isaac coughed again, and he
pulled the metal rectangle from his pocket. “Congratulations. The only other
person who knows this is Tyloki, and it must be why he hates me so damn much.
You don’t know me very well, not after all these months of training together.
You asked me what I’m willing to give up to save my family?”

Struggling, Isaac
forced himself to stand all the way up. The pain was excruciating, and the ice
in his shoulder was starting to melt. If it melted all the way, he would bleed
out for sure. He held the metal box in his right hand, and he snapped the cap
open defiantly.

“I learned from a
very young age that my life isn’t worth much. Almost every day, it was
literally beaten into me. I lived through a lot of pain when I was a kid. And
there was only one thing I wanted to do. I wanted to protect my sister from
it.” He nodded at Sera. “I couldn’t protect my mother from him, but I could
protect Sera. She was the reason I stayed alive. My father was a monster, and
no matter what Rufus tells me about how he used to be, I’ll never see him as
anything else. I still have nightmares about it. He beat me, and when he tried
to beat Sera, I put myself in his way. My life wasn’t worth much, after all.
When he wasn’t beating me, he reminded me of that, every day. How useless I
was. But I could give myself a purpose, I could save my sister.”

The metal box in
Isaac’s hand was a lighter.

Any spark or open flame would cause the
entire platform to go up.

He held it up high
so Dominic could see. With pleasure, Isaac rolled his finger over the tumbler,
spinning it, but not enough to cause a spark. He savored the flinch it drew
from Dominic. Click.

“I found a
purpose, in my father’s abuse. I protected Sera. And then the bastard died. He
took my only purpose away with him. So I was content to live the rest of my
life alone. I shut myself away, because I didn’t have any more value, now that
Sera didn’t need anyone to save her. But do you want to know what I thought
every single day?”

Dominic stared,
wide eyed, at the lighter in Isaac’s hand. If he lit the thing up, it would all
be over.

Isaac
concentrated, and he put a shield around Sera, protecting her from the
potential blast. She screamed as loud as she could through the gag, she
struggled and tried to get free. Sera was smart, and Isaac knew she had figured
out his intentions.

He rolled the
tumbler again. Click.

No spark. Dominic
flinched.

“I made Tyloki
burnout within a week of being his
Collar. Maybe I didn’t know at the time that it would kill me, but even if I
had, I would have done it anyway. Because there is something I know without a
doubt. If I can die and save someone else’s life in the process, I can give my
life meaning. My life, that I know has no purpose, I can die for a reason.
Every day that I live knowing how little my life is worth is nothing but agony.
Dominic, that’s my secret. I know my friends are listening, and I hate for them
to hear me like this before I go, but that’s my secret. I want to die.”

Once more, Isaac
rolled the tumbler, and he grinned maniacally, tears filling his eyes. “Click.”
Dominic practically shuddered, this time.

A tear rolled down
Isaac’s cheek as he continued. “So if you brought me here to see what I would
give up to save my sister, my answer is anything. I would give your life, I
would give anyone elses life, I would give my own life to save her. Because
keeping her safe is the reason I’m alive. The reason I was born. My father made
sure I knew that there was no other reason for my to be here. So that’s my
answer. You think you’re better than me? You’re probably right. I live every
day hoping for an excuse to die. So for that, I want to thank you. Thank you
for giving my life meaning, when I couldn’t find any myself.”

Click.

“And one more
thing, Dominic.” Isaac looked over, into Sera’s eyes. The look told her
everything he needed her to know. He was sorry, he didn’t want to leave her
alone. He had spent years promising that he was okay. But he had never been
okay. He had been broken by their father, and that was something he didn’t
think could be fixed. He didn’t blame Tyloki for the way he had treated him. It
was harsh, but never worse than Edgar. He hated Tyloki, but he didn’t blame
him. Maybe, deep inside, he had hoped that Tyloki could help him find a new
purpose.

At least he would
get to go out on a high note, saving Sera.

“What?” Dominic
asked carefully, eyes hawkishly watching Isaac’s finger on the lighter.

“It’s been a
really, really long time.” Isaac said, another tear rolling down his cheek. And
he saw, behind Dominic, a new opportunity presented itself.

“A long time since
what?” Dominic asked.

“Since you’ve
looked behind you.” Isaac said, and he rolled the tumbler one last time.

Dominic panicked,
believing that Isaac would really spark the lighter, taking them both out at
once. He threw another shard of ice at Isaac as he looked behind him, wondering
what Isaac had been talking about. The icicle left his hand just as he saw the
massive wolf standing behind him. Tyloki grabbed Dominic’s shoulder with his
hefty paw, digging his claws mercilessly into his flesh. Slamming him down onto
the table, he grabbed Dominic’s other arm, and as he bounced off the metal
table, head spinning, Tyloki threw the mage into a stone pillar nearby. The
tiles that covered the pillar shattered at Dominic smashed into them.

Tyloki appeared
above Dominic as he landed on the ground. The wolf kicked the mage in the
stomach, and kicked him again. He reached down and grabbed Dominic by the
throat, lifting him into the air. Without saying anything, he held the human up
to his muzzle, stared into his eyes. And Dominic saw how empty Tyloki’s eyes
were without their fire, and he smiled. Tyloki smashed Dom into the pillar,
shifting the entire thing, and then he flung Dominic into the far wall. Dominic
groaned as he hit the wall, and by the time he landed, Tyloki had materialized
again. Dominic rolled on the ground, already broken, in agony, as the wolf
wailed on him.

At the same time,
the icicle Dominic had thrown at Isaac hit its mark, and buried itself in
Isaac’s stomach. He dropped the lighter, which bounced along the stone, landing
a few feet away. As he fell to his knees, he wondered if he could have done it.
Within seconds, the Registry was inside. Isaac saw a group of Everett’s
soldiers moving to go to Sera, and he was at peace. He knew that she would be
alright.

Falling further
forward, he expected to hit the ground, driving the icicles in his stomach and
shoulder even further into his body. Someone caught him. He saw a quick glimpse
of Rain, and he felt the icicles in his body solidify. Maybe that was Riley
standing next to him as he was flipped over. A whole group was amassing around
him. He couldn’t focus very easily anymore. At the far end of the platform,
Tyloki was repeatedly smashing Dominic into the stone wall. Fair enough. It
wasn’t a bad way to end.

They were talking,
everyone, but he couldn’t really tell what they were saying. He was cold, maybe
that was just the ice buried in his flesh. Miria was by his side. That much he
was sure of. He could smell her, and her golden hair was just so unique,
unmistakable. His vision faded, but he knew all along that Miria, Riley, Rain,
Archer, and Alkaid, they were all there with him.

Once, he opened
his eyes and they weren’t in the Underway anymore. They were in the Registry,
most likely, in the hospital. Miria would be mad at him. She told him to stop
ending up in the hospital. There was no way she would go on a date with him
now. Now that she knew he wanted to die. But that wouldn’t matter. He was going
to die.

“We’re losing him.
The infection is gaining ground.” A frantic voice said.

“Miria, you can’t
treat him. Step away.” Another voice said.

“Miria.” Isaac
whispered.

“The infection is
from a few months ago. It shouldn’t be able to progress. Aer Infections are
subdued in Collars. The Indicia keep them at bay.” Someone said. Very helpful.
Isaac couldn’t feel much anymore, but he could faintly see Miria standing
nearby.

“It looks like
neither of them are actively fighting it.” Someone else. Of course he wasn’t
fighting it. Isaac had said he wanted to die. He wanted it to be over.

And as he drifted,
Isaac thought of every good thing that had led to this moment. He was there
again, reliving them all. His love for Sera. How triumphant he felt when he
saved everyone at InCorp. Any time he made Alkaid proud. His date with the cat,
and what had followed. His friendship with Riley and Archer. Their acceptance
of him in their squad. The nameplate on his locker. Miria’s beauty. The smiles,
the laughter, the joy. Watching movies in the nude. And he realized something.

“Miria.” He
whispered.

Miria perked up, and
she leaned in closer. “Isaac, what?” She obviously didn’t think he was going to
make it. She was a mess, crying and distraught.

“Miria.” He
whispered again, and when she was close enough, he managed to say what he
thought might be his last words. “I don’t want to die.”

As he drifted off
one last time, he saw her place her hands over her mouth, and she stayed put as
they carted him off somewhere, to try futilely to save his life. She couldn’t
help to try and save him, because she cared too much.

After some time,
Isaac came out of surgery. And in the hospital, his friends waited anxiously.
Riley, Archer, Miria, and Sera sat in the hallway outside. They looked through
the window, watching Isaac, waiting for him to wake up. When he did wake, they
would need to figure out how to make him feel like he was worth something. Each
one of them wondered to themselves how they could do that.

Sera stood up and
walked over to the window. She pressed her hand against the glass. Isaac was
out of surgery, but there was no guarantee he would wake up. In the next room
was Rufus, the older brother she hadn’t seen in years. Sera walked slowly to
the door and pushed it open. She hated Rufus for abandoning them. But none of
that mattered anymore. Rufus and Isaac had both ended up in the hospital trying
to save her. She walked into the room and sat next to Rufus’ bed.

He would be
alright, the doctors had told her. Still, he reached out and grabbed his hand,
squeezed it gently. The Cross family had been broken for a very long time.
Isaac, Rufus, Sera, everyone was suffering. All because of Edgar. Even after he
had died, he left them with nothing but suffering. Sera sat with Rufus, and
waited for him to wake up, so she could talk to him. So she could fix things.
Because if she wanted to save Isaac, the first thing she needed to do was put
the Cross family back together.

“That runt is
taking me with him.” Tyloki felt faint, and he leaned on the wall. He was in
the hospital room where they had put Dominic, who was shackled to his bed. He
wasn’t in critical condition, and Isaac needed much more care. The work that
Dominic needed could wait. No one knew that Tyloki was in there, of course. If
they did know, they would know that Tyloki was there to kill Dominic.

“Good, you deserve
to go together.” Dominic coughed, staring defiantly at the wolf. “You’re both
the worst. A human who can live but doesn’t want to, and a wolf who doesn’t
care if humans live or not.”

“I care if humans
live. Just not ones like you or Isaac. You are worthless.” Tyloki growled,
storming over to the side of Dominic’s bed.

He looked into
Dominic’s eyes, and the mage looked back, and they stared quietly for a minute.
Tyloki felt faint. Isaac dying shouldn’t affect him so much. But here he was,
feeling like he was fading away as the boy was dying in another room.

“I’m the worst?
All I ever wanted was to fight and to save people. To be a hero like my
father.” Dominic literally spat in Tyloki’s face. “And that’s what I did for
years. Until you took Isaac as your Collar, and you disgraced me and my loss so
completely.”

“I did not even
remember you. When we met at the Registry, I would have thought it was the
first time. You are so forgettable.” Tyloki ignored the spit in his face.

“You forgot about
me. And yet, here I am. I’m going to live. It sounds like you and Isaac are
going to die together. You let someone as worthless as me or Isaac end your
life, the great Tyloki the Flame?” Dominic laughed, and he coughed. “No, just
Tyloki. No flames left. I’m worthless, and yet I’m still alive. Jin is dead,
and I’m still alive. Looks like you bet on the wrong horse.”

Tyloki narrowed
his eyes, glaring at the human. He didn’t even know why he was bothering to
talk to him. When Isaac died, he would be gone, also. He supposed it had
something to do with the burnout, but he couldn’t be sure. But he could feel
himself slipping away.

“You want to know
something, Tyloki? They day that Jin died, I was on call. I was nearby. I watched
him die.” Dominic smiled, staring directly into Tyloki’s eyes. “I could have
helped, but I didn’t, because if Jin was so great, he should have been able to
save himself. I was the first on the scene. Isaac doesn’t remember, but I was
the first Collar to arrive after he fought the Thrall off.”

Dominic watched
Jin die. For the first time since the burnout, Tyloki felt passion. He felt
rage. And he knew that death was too good for Dominic. He closed his eyes, and
when he opened them, they weren’t cold and empty anymore. They were full of
flame and strength. And Dominic’s eyes changed, so they were full of fear.

The wolf loomed
over Dominic’s bed, a twisted visage, a demon of fangs and flames. Tyloki held
up his paw, and fire sparked and burst into life, swimming around like wisps.

“As long as we are
sharing, it occurs to me.”

Tyloki waited, to
let Dominic wonder, to enjoy the fear in Dom’s eyes. “It occurs to me that if
you hadn’t done all of this, I might have told you.”

“Told me what?”
Dominic asked, breathlessly.

“About your
sister.”

The wolf didn’t
give Dominic a chance to respond. The truth was that Tyloki did remember
Dominic. He remembered everything that had happened that day. But he would
never tell Dominic that, not now. The fool would just be left to wonder, to be
confused, until he died. Fire flooded out from Tyloki like a typhoon, filling
the room, washing over everything. And Tyloki directed the pyre onto one place.
Dominic.

Dominic screamed,
but as the door to the room was pulled open, the fire was too hot for anyone
outside to intervene. Tyloki leaned in close, pressing his nose to Dominic’s
face as he burned the human’s skin, burned him inside and out, making him
thrash violently against his shackles, and wail louder than Tyloki had ever
heard anyone wail before.