Krystal Fae and Alex left the docking bay and found their way into the mess hall. Torrik got up from his table and hurried over to them.
“I’m glad you’re here.” He greeted them.
Krystal smiled. “I thought you would be. You’ve sent me five messages asking when we would be back.”
Torrik said, “I’m so sorry I used such a powerful sleep spell on you, Alex. I didn’t know it would stick for so long.”
Alex shook his head and gave a shooing motion with his hand. “Don’t fret. Three days of sleep did a lot of good. I haven’t felt this refreshed since before the baby was born.”
Krystal said, “I was far more worried. I tried every counter spell I know. What kind of magic was that?”
“Old wizard spell. I don’t know too many wizard spells, but the ones I know are powerful.” Torrik gestured for the lift. “I assume you’re here to give a report to Nova.”
“Yup. What little we can tell him.” Krystal stopped at the door and swiped her BADGE authorization card.
Torrik asked, “What does it look like on the ground in Africa?”
“Pretty messy.” Alex stepped into the lift with Krystal and Torrik. “The earthquakes and fissures shredded a ten square mile area. The ground consumed entire forests and several small volcanoes erupted.”
Krystal added, “Fortunately, once Antaeus’s powers were no longer causing the problem, the volcanic activity receded back into the deeper parts of the earth. So, no more lava threats.”
Alex said, “The ground has suffered extensive destruction. Almost no plant or animal life to be found. And the stress on the natural fault line has set all the seismic sensors on alert. It will take some time for things to settle down.”
“The people are also still struggling. So many people were kidnapped from their homes. We also know that many people lost their lives. We don’t have exact data. All the people working for Antaeus underwent brainwashing. They remember little to help identify who was executed. This is going to take a long time to sort out.”
Torrik waited as the doors opened and then stepped out with them. “I wish I could go down and help. I could use my own magics to help clean up the rocks and ground and encourage plant growth.”
Krystal said, “I, too, wanted to offer help. But, people are feeling nervous around there. Magical beings running around scares them. A satyr and a fae aren’t as welcome right now as you might think. But, in time, they will give us the chance.”
Torrik asked, “So, did you find anything out about the spheres for Nova?”
Alex frowned. “How did you know we were... “
“I’ve been running investigations for two centuries in Yohan. I realized what you were up to pretty quickly.”
Nova, standing in the front of the monitor of the room, called to them. “Are you going to report or not?”
Krysta and Alex walked down with Torrik behind them.
Torrik said, “I just came to let you know I’ll be working with the ATLAS team for a while, helping run things for a few days.”
“Thanks. Arx needs some time off.” Nova said, “Now, what about your report?”
“Do you want to do this in private?” Krystal asked.
Nova said, “Torrik knows what you were up to, and I suppose his critical mind could be of use. So, let him in.”
“Fine.” Alex started, “We found little. We know no more about what is inside those spheres or why they are out there. But we are now certain they are behind people gaining new powers.”
“What makes you so sure?”
Krystal said, “Deductive reasoning. We explored thirty of those spheres. Every location had a massive increase of people with morphonic powers.” She snapped her fingers and a computer data chip appeared. “Here, I did a correlation map.”
Nova took it and plugged it into the computer nearest them. On the monitor were thirty small icons, each with a city name under it. Nova pointed to three of them and they opened up to show a simple map of the city where the spheres denoted and red dots around them.
“What am I looking at?”
“Each read dot is a person who discovered their powers after those spheres appeared. In every city, with no exception, the numbers show an extreme difference between the zones further away and nearer to the spheres. There is no question they are causing the powers to manifest. How and why, we still don’t know.”
Alex said, “We were going to explore further and continue with a new angle for this investigation when we were caught up in the Antaeus situation.”
Nova said, “This isn’t enough to force Renn Tech to allow us access to their technology. I want you to get back to this investigation. You’ve done exceptional work. Keep at it. We need to crack this.”
“After some rest, we’ll get back to it,” Alex said.
Nova saw a strange look in Torrik’s eye. “Do you see something?”
“Not about this map. But, an idea. In my world, people can’t learn magic unless they’re born with the innate ability. And, there are different types, elemental elves, witches, satyrs, wizards, pixies... and others.”
“Where are you going with this?” Krystal said.
“Are people born with morphons?”
“Not that we’ve found. People gain powers from having morphons infuse their bodies.”
Torrik pointed at the map. “There are hundreds of dots in that city alone. But, I’ve been in this Paris before, I know it is full. There are hundreds of thousands of people. And I know more than a few hundred pass that sphere every day. Why aren’t they all coming down with powers?”
“I don’t know.”
Torrik said, “You might investigate the possibility that people are born with something in them that grants them the ability to use morphons. That could help.”
Alex asked, “In what way?”
“Any information is good information in an investigation. Knowing more about how morphons cause powers can only give you help in finding answers.”
“Good idea. I’ll talk with Dr. Henderson about this,” Nova said.
Torrik looked at the screen. “Oh, look at the time. I have to help the trainees in ATLAS work through that Antaeus simulation.”
Krystal asked, “When do you think Arx will be ready to get back to work?”
Nova answered, “soon. He needs to be with her for a while.”
***
“Do you want to talk?” He asked.
She said, “The therapist says I should talk.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Cry. But, I can’t. It’s like my body is tired of crying and won’t let me.”
He reached over and took her hand. “I know how it feels.”
“How?” Her tone was bitter, as if no soul in the universe could know how this feels.
“As Arx, the celebrity villain, I threw an aircraft carrier at Los Angles. The video recording I, unfortunately, saw caught the screams. I got to hear the hundreds of people I crushed. There is a memorial in the Heroes Hall to the hero who gave his life to save the city from my last petty act. I get to see his smiling face and hear people remember him. I cried like a baby when I heard those screams. I cried when I saw that hero’s face. I cried in my sleep, I cried in my therapy, I cried all the time until I felt my body simply ache instead of crying. I still dream of the babies that probably died, the families torn apart...sorry, this is not the time to talk about this.”
She gulped back the dryness and then said, “No. I get it. You know pain like I can’t, and I know pain like you can’t. But, in a way, we both understand the pain in a way most of the others here don’t. It helps. I don’t feel alone.”
He leaned over and took her around the back with an arm. “You aren’t alone. And you can hold me any time you feel lost and abandoned. I was so alone with my pain and there was no one there to hold me. I want to hold you and keep you from feeling loneliness.”
She buried herself in him, pushing her face into his left shoulder as her body shook in deep sobs. “Does it ever go away?”
Pressing her up closer to him, he said, “No. But, in time, you learn that life will go on. That you can live, and that the sadness is not something wrong, it means you care. Right now, you can break, fall apart, and be utterly sad. I will hold you and keep your pieces in my arms so you never lose them when you are ready to put yourself back together.”
She broke out in sobs again, crying out, “I miss my brother.” Arx held her to him and let her weep at what she has lost.
***
“AGENT JUSTIN!” A BADGE agent ripped open the flap on the tent Justin slept in.
Sitting up in his cot, Justin groggily said, “Do you know what time it is?”
“Sir, we have an emergency.”
“At four A.M.? What is it?”
“The remains are missing?”
“What?” He jumped out of bed.
She led him outside to an energy barrier. BADGE scientist stood outside the barrier holding sensor equipment. This was ground zero of the battle with Antaeus.
“I see nothing? Is someone attacking?” Justin asked.
She said, “No. We came to start the morning scans and found none of Antaeus’s remains present.”
“None? There was a square mile of dust and rocks left behind.”
She said, “All of his remains carried a specific energy signature. We can’t find a scrap of him out here. It’s like someone has removed him down to the last atom.”
“Who could do this? And why?” Justin asked.
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