It wasn’t like he’d expected it to go down like it had, and he wasn’t exactly looking for sympathy when he got back. He simply wanted to play it off, and while he was sure they and his friends would have questions, he had prepared excuses for them. All he wanted was for things to go back to normal so he could find his feet again.
“How’s the wound, Kaiden?” Sasha asked. The ace ran a hand unconsciously over his chest.
“It’s…all right, I guess. I plan to have Dr. Soni look it over if it hurts too much or interferes with Animus training.”
“A possibility,” Laurie concurred. “Considering the circumstances and the purpose of the training, real-world injuries transfer over when you sync to the Animus.”
“You’ve taken on another scar, I noticed,” Sasha pointed out and gestured at his eye in the rearview mirror. “Is that some sort of macabre collection?”
“Tattoos are expensive,” he responded to brush it off as he trailed a finger on the scar along his eye. “I guess these are too in their own way.”
Silence fell again, but Kaiden didn’t want it to drag on. “Am I in trouble or something?”
“There’s no reason why that I can think of,” Sasha said. “I was able to get your files from the fixer station, so you are clear on your missed days, but you’ll probably have some work to make up.”
“How did you manage that?”
“As a student at our Academy, we retain a certain guardianship over you. It took very little time for Councilor Mya to find the files and transfer them to me. She wishes you well and hopes you’ll stop by soon.”
Kaiden shifted in his chair again. “You haven’t said it out loud, but you know what went down, right?”
“I got the details from Mr. Alverez,” Sasha confirmed. “I am amazed you survived a run-in with someone on the Revenant List. It must have been terrifying.”
“It wasn’t something I was prepared for. The mutants are still kind of a new thing, but I’ve dealt with them. Even assassin’s and hitmen and guys like that, but he was…something different.”
“Try not to make it a habit if you would.” Laurie turned his chair and smiled at him. “These luscious locks of mine are rather expensive to maintain. I wouldn’t want to ruin them with grays.”
Kaiden blinked in surprise before he nodded and responded with a small grin of his own.
Laurie leaned forward. “I know you will probably want to rest when we return but stop by as soon as possible. I need to scan Chief for any potential viruses and his records of the incident.”
“What for?” the ace asked. “This wasn’t academy business or anything.”
“True, but Gin is wanted galaxy-wide. Even our alien allies all have reasons to pursue him. We don’t have a lot of records on him, so this is the first time in a while that we’ve been able to get more than blurred pictures or snippets of video of him,” Sasha explained as he turned to look at Kaiden.
“My guess is that he has some sort of interference device or uploads a virus to remove all but his choice traces of footage,” Laurie suggested.
“It’s a game to him,” Sasha concurred.
“That seems like his thing—he’s kind of a technophile.” Kaiden shrugged. “At least, that’s the image I got, plus what Magellan said.”
“Magellan?” Laurie asked. “Which Magellan?”
The ace looked up with a slightly amused smile. “What circles do you move in that you have a group of Magellans to confuse?” He chuckled “A bounty hunter, Magellan Desperaux.”
As he leaned back Laurie’s gaze darted to Sasha, but he didn’t return the look. A ringing sounded from the front of the car and the front screen opened to show the car driving up to the entrance of the academy. Sasha smiled. “It appears we’re back.”
Laurie left the two after they arrived. He returned to his office after he wished Kaiden well and reminded him to visit after he had recuperated. Sasha escorted the ace across the school grounds. It was still raining, and the plaza was eerily deserted save for a few students under arches or who ran across the grounds to reach a building.
Laurie had given Kaiden his umbrella and told him to return it to him when he came by. Both he and Sasha walked through the plaza. “You don’t have to walk me to the dorms,” he said. “It was nice enough that you drove me here.”
“I have to go this way anyway. I’ll see a staff member after this,” the commander explained. “I can understand that you want some alone time, but I doubt you’ll get that.”
“Why would you say—”
“Hey, Kaiden!” someone shouted. He turned as Flynn, Amber, Marlo, Genos, Chiyo, Jaxon, Luke, and Silas ran from behind a building.
“Good Lord, are they a hive-mind?” he mumbled and waved.
“Where you been, mate?” Flynn asked. He and Amber were under an umbrella as was Chiyo. The others simply wore rain jackets with the exception of Jaxon and Genos, whose skin, Kaiden noted, had never looked as shiny as it did in the rain.
“I went out for a bit and went on a little bender,” he said, which was technically true.
Sasha shook his head. “Adva Jericho went on a personal mission during his free time, during which he was attacked and nearly killed by the serial killer Gin Sonny.”
Gasps and shocked stares issued from the group as well as Kaiden, although he looked at Sasha.
Dick! He clenched his teeth in frustration. “Why?” he groaned.
“You have a few lessons to make up,” Sasha stated and turned away from him. “And as an ace, you should learn not to hide too many things from your comrades.”
Kaiden sighed in annoyance. He’d known he wouldn’t get off easy.
“I will depart now, Kaiden,” the commander announced. “I’m sure your friends can escort you the rest of the way as you catch up.”
The group was silent as he walked away and entered the main building. The ace looked at the expectant faces of his friends and twirled the umbrella for a moment, unable to hold their gazes. “I would have told y’all eventually.”
“You almost died?” Flynn asked. “What happened?”
He filled them in quickly, although he left certain parts out at his discretion. They listened quietly and occasionally, their eyes widened, or a horrified look would cross their faces when he talked about certain fights and when he had confronted Gin. He finished with when he was stabbed and then woke up at the fixer station.
“Man…I mean… That’s horrible,” Marlo stammered.
“Before anyone asks, I didn’t keep it a secret for any reason. I honestly didn’t think it mattered,” Kaiden added. “The gigs I’ve done up to this point weren’t anything special, especially considering what we’ve gone through in the Animus. This should have been a cakewalk, all things considered. Shit happens, I guess.”
“That is rotten luck,” Flynn huffed. “I know that sounds like I’m making light of it, but I’m not. I wanna say something like you should have taken me with you, but I can’t think that I would have been much help there.”
“Honestly, it was probably better that none of you were there,” he admitted and earned different reactions from the group. Some were confused and others worried or angry. He held up a hand. “I’m not saying I think you can’t handle yourselves. But I almost died, and three others did die. If that had happened to any of you…I can’t say I’ve been trained to have to deliver news like that yet.”
“Yeah, I follow.” Silas nodded and looked away for a moment. “I’ve trained since I was a kid, in prep academies and skirmishes and all that. Hearing about this, though, would it be ironic or corny to say it feels like what we’re doing… It feels more real?”
“Probably both, but appropriate,” Kaiden admitted.
“Friend Kaiden, might I see your wound?” Genos asked. Jaxon glared him, and he realized that what he’d asked might have been too forward.
“Yeah, that’s fine, Genos.” Kaiden lifted his shirt to reveal the scar. It ran vertically over his sternum and was ab
out three and a half inches in length, and the rain falling onto it made it look darker.
“Damn,” Luke muttered.
“That’s so precise,” Amber whispered almost inaudibly. “Surgical.”
“I want to have your mom take a look,” Kaiden said as he lowered his shirt. “But later. Right now, I wanna rest a while.”
“Oh, right.” Flynn nodded and backed away. “Sure, mate.”
“I’ll let the others know,” Jaxon said. “For now, you should get some rest and know that you’re safe here.”
“Thanks.” Kaiden walked through the group and toward the soldier’s dorms. As he drew nearer to the building, he heard the splash and tap of water behind him. He turned as Chiyo ran up to him.
“Hey, Chiyo.” She stopped and simply looked at him. Her eyes…he had to admit to himself he had trouble reading her even under normal circumstances, but she seemed despondent. “What’s up?” Her silence continued and Kaiden leaned back, a little uncomfortable. “I get that it’s probably shocking and everything, but I’m all right. I’m sure that I’ll be back to normal in a few days.”
She nodded and stepped closer. “I know it’s not your fault.” She placed her hand over his wound. He looked down at her hand and then at her. “But please don’t be so reckless.”
“I…uh, I won’t,” he promised.
She nodded and moved her hand away. “Please mean it this time.” With that, she turned and left. The rain slowed as Kaiden stood in front of the dorms. He placed his hand over his wound again; it felt unaccountably warm.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Wolfson grumbled curses to himself as he continued to clean the weights area after his last class. “Damn negligent idiots. You take care of the equipment as much as you do yourself.” He removed the weights from one of the bench press bars and heard the door to his gym open. Kaiden walked in with a small black box. He tossed the weight aside and hurried forward to greet his student. “Well, look who’s finally returned,” he bellowed cheerfully. “You look a little glum there, Kaiden. Did the gig not pan out like you thought?”
The ace shut the door and looked at his instructor, his face pensive but curious. “You don’t know?”
“How should I? You haven’t reported back until now. It’s been almost a week since you left. You’ve missed two classes and personal training.” As he moved closer, he noticed the stoic look on Kaiden’s face. “Is something wrong?”
The ace moved the box from one hand to the other, opened his jacket, and pulled his shirt up. Wolfson looked at the scar, and his face fell. “What happened, boy?”
He sighed as he let his shirt drop. “I guess Sasha wanted me to fill you in myself, which I had planned to do anyway.” He handed the man the box and slid his hands into his jacket pockets. “The gig didn’t go as planned. We ran into a guy named Gin Sonny.”
Wolfson’s hands clamped down on the box so hard the corners at the top and bottom warped. “That killer? The one on the space station?”
“Among other hot spots, including the Amazon, apparently.” Kaiden leaned against the wall and looked away. “This is the last time I give anyone the summary. It’s now become a drag.”
The instructor thought back. He had been in some rough situations during his time in the WCM, but he was typically in a unit with men to cover his back, strategies to consider, and a large battlefield in which to maneuver. He was at a loss, and while he could see Kaiden tried to keep a cool demeanor, he was obviously shaken.
“To cut a long story short, we finished the job, but three members of the team died at his hands. I almost died and would have without the help of two of the others. It’s up there with my worst moments.”
“I see,” was all Wolfson could muster. He was usually good at rallying the troops when the need arose, but that was during times of do or die. When it came to the drop afterward, he wasn’t as good without the assistance of liquor or a round of sparring, but Kaiden didn’t look up to doing either. He opened the box and the recreation of Debonair lay within, slightly scratched and scuffed but nothing he couldn’t fix and shine in a few hours.
“I lost my Tempest and most of my armor, so I gotta replace it the next chance I have some free time. Fortunately, I got extra creds. The bounty hunter I was with gave me his cut—another thing to thank him for.” Kaiden pushed off the wall and looked at the pistol. “It served me well. Thanks for getting it for me.”
“It was your gift for training so hard and winning my scenario in the Alaskan wilderness,” Wolfson muttered. “Raza sent a message while you were away. He wanted to know how you were doing. I should tell him and see how he deals with an angry Sauren warlord on his heels.”
“Don’t bother,” Kaiden requested.
“You know that Sauren live for a good hunt, and he took a shine to you. He would hate it if someone killed you before he did.”
“And I appreciate that particular brand of Sauren comradery,” Kaiden assured him jokingly. “But he is a warlord, and that comes with certain responsibilities. I don’t need him to run off on behalf of a human. Sauren relations are lukewarm and practical. If one of their leaders shows any more of a heart, I would imagine that’s not a good look.”
Wolfson thought about it for a moment and huffed. “I guess that’s about right.” He withdrew the pistol and retrieved the object wrapped in a dark cloth beneath it. “What’s this?” he asked. The dark metal of Gin’s Yokai pistol gleamed in the light.
“That was his gun or one of them at least,” Kaiden explained. “Does it look familiar?”
“It’s one of our development division’s designs,” the instructor muttered.
“I don’t know how he got his hands on one. But apparently, he’s known for taking experimental or high-grade technology from different labs and facilities.” Kaiden shifted and removed a hand from his pocket to rub the back of his head. “Do you think he could have gotten in here at some point?”
Wolfson walked to his desk and placed the Yokai on top. He wondered for a moment if he should tell him but decided that it should be done later—he had enough to concern himself with now. “No, the development center here focuses on creating things for the Academy proper. The bigger facility in Seattle focuses on weapons, armor, and all that for council projects and graduate items. I don’t think he got in there, no matter how good he is or how many doodads he might have. I am almost certain that we would have heard about such a break-in. My guess is that he stole it from a graduate or got it on the black market.”
Kaiden stared at it for a moment before he nodded and headed to the door. “I can’t keep it on me. I’ll probably get expelled, and it’s not my kind of weapon anyway. I already turned it down during initiation. You can keep it or give it to Sasha the next time you see him.”
“Where are you headed, Kaiden?” Wolfson asked as the soldier opened the door.
“Out to clear my head. I have some stuff to make up, and I hear there’s gonna be another test in a week so I gotta prep,” he answered. “I’m still a bit sore. I’ll come back for training in a couple of days. Later, Wolfson.” With that, he left the room and shut the door softly behind him.
The instructor folded his arms and his fingers tapped against his elbow as he thought. He picked Debonair up and primed it. It still seemed in working order. He examined it for a few seconds before he turned it off and retrieved the holster from the box. Calmly, he slid the pistol into it and grabbed his coat.
Kaiden walked through the academy grounds and looked aimlessly around. It was almost lunchtime, but he didn’t feel particularly hungry. He received a network notice from Flynn but ignored it and canceled the screen.
“That’s the fifth invite you’ve declined in the last two days,” Chief muttered. He retrieved his optic shades and put them on, and Chief’s avatar appeared in the corner. “They’re worried, partner. Sure, some of them come from military families, but this is probably the first time they’ve really had to deal with something like this.”
“You’ve only gone to two workshops,” the EI noted. “It’s your time and all, but if you miss exams and missions, that’ll cost you in more ways than one.”
“I’ve already told you I’ll prep for the test next week,” he retorted and stopped in front of the Animus Center. He looked at it for a moment, and a small tremor of concern raced through him. It was quickly replaced by annoyance. “I think I’ll start now.”
Kaiden appeared in the middle of a circular cave with two tunnels on either side and platforms above him.
“You can begin the trial when ready,” Chief informed him and appeared over his shoulder “Are you sure you wanna run one of these?”
“It’s only a three-wave horde match,” Kaiden responded. He opened the loadout screen, selected his saved option, and his weapons appeared—the Raptor in his hands and Debonair in its holster on his side. “It’ll last fifteen minutes, tops. I gotta shake off the dust and stretch.”
The EI studied him for a moment before he moved to Kaiden’s HUD. “Droids and explosions. It’s good to be back to something normal,” he quipped.
“Begin,” the ace ordered. A loud alarm clanged, and words appeared on his visor.
Wave 1 Commencing
Several Security droids appeared. Kaiden spun and obliterated three before they could so much as take a step. Two others fired, but he dodged their slow shots and returned fire to blast one’s head and drop the other with two rounds to the chest.
Animus Boxed Set 1 (Books 1-4): Initiate, Co-Op, Death Match, Advance Page 110
