In a remote underground location in the Vosges Mountains in France, two individuals sat across from each other in a dimly lit white sterile room. One was a young man, no more than 25, in a well-tailored navy blue suit. He had fair skin with slicked-back light brown hair and emerald eyes. He reached for the cup of coffee on the table. Golden cufflinks caught the light. The cufflinks had two Adder snakes making their frame. In the crest's center was the druid spiral.

  Sitting across the small coffee table was a young woman. An olive-skinned beauty with light brown eyes. She wore a gray pants suit with an oversized open trench coat draped over her shoulders. On its left lapel rested a crest pin shaped like a bouche shield. Its borders were fashioned with the visage of the intertwining of the deadly Oleander flower. At its center, two ornate daggers crossed.

  "The coffee here always tastes like shit." The young man grumbled.

  "It's annoying getting the imported stuff here. So your delicate German taste buds will have make-due with store-bought." The young French woman responded.

  "How have you been, Stefan?"

  "It's Mr. Müller. I'd prefer if you didn't speak to me so casually, Ms. Léonie Laurent." Stefan snapped as he took another sip of the less-than-adequate coffee.

  "We've known each other for almost a decade, and you still act like this?" Léonie commented.

  "Killing one's mentor will have that effect on someone." Stefan chided.

  "Your mentor went too far; the same can be said for my father."

  "I'm well aware. I don't condemn what you and Devin did. Doesn't stop me from being more than a little upset about you killing my only father figure."

  "I concede to your point. Hopefully, we can grow past this eventually. So, what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Müller?" Léonie adjusted her sitting position.

  "I'm here to discuss what happened at the Akihabara Train Station."

  "Yes, I hear you lost quite a few Chasers."

  "Yes, and I hear you lost none." Stefan flared.

  "I got lucky, I suppose."

  "More like your American Boy Toy got lucky later that night."

  “Let’s not get nasty, Mr. Müller. From my reports, those Adders of yours were far more aggressive, particularly that Blaze Chaser. His aggression cost your people their lives and allowed my people to slip away. I won't deny my relationship with Devin. However, business is business; Devin and I both understand that." Léonie corrected Stefan’s rude assertions.

  “Bl?dsinn!” Stefan cursed.

  "Do you take me for a fool Léonie?!"

  "I take you to be many things; a fool is not one of them, Stefan." Léonie sighed.

  "Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. Devin had Suzuki Kenji with him. Even if he wanted to pursue my Chasers, getting that boy somewhere safe was smarter. I also presume that Suzuki Kenji is why you're here?"

  "You are correct. That boy is a Taboo Child. Now Devin has his hands on two. Although I suppose that isn't much of an issue to you." Stefan said with a frown as he calmed down.

  "That is where you are incorrect. There's a reason Devin is no longer with The Oleander Boutique. He has a very different view of the world and the place of Chasers in it. I personally believe what my father and your mentor were doing wasn't incorrect. They just took things too far."

  "And here I thought he left because he wasn't interested in fashion. Speaking of, you should consider doing business with me. The Weaving Adders textile mills offer the highest quality fabrics. I'll give you a good price. We work with several of your competitors already." Stefan joked.

  Each of these Chaser Organizations had a cover for their operations; Oleander's cover came in the form of being a highly successful fashion company in the same vein as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, or Prada. The Oleander Boutique was a relatively new fashion brand that had taken the world by storm. Weaving Adders on the other hand, owned some of the most prestigious and luxurious textile mills in the world.

  "And, if what you say is true, then you should understand how this is a problem," Stefan said.

  "I don't. Zac is a Taboo Child as well. While extraordinary, even without a Program, he doesn't tip the scales meaningfully. There's no reason the same won't be true for Suzuki Kenji." Léonie reasoned.

  "I have information that says otherwise. Unlike with Zac, the Nano-Machines have taken root in Suzuki Kenji, and the results are astonishing. Even worse…" Before Stefan could finish his thought, Léonie interjected,

  "Using Kenji as a base, it shouldn't take long to figure out how to make them work for Zac. If that little freak gets access to Nano-enhancements…."

  "Correct, with Devin already keeping us in check almost by himself. Suppose you add an empowered Zac. Forget the current balance; what would stop The Renegades from completely taking over all operations." Stefan warned.

  "That's not even mentioning Kenji, oh dear. How do you have this information, Mr. Müller? Don't tell me you have an insider at Renegade Technologies?"

  "I wish that were the case. Devin is annoyingly thorough with what he recruits and employs."

  "And it can't possibly be the U.N. The most important clause in the S.S.O.A.P Initiative was they would not get involved with disputes among the Chaser Organizations as long as we kept things out of the eye of the public."

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  "It's not the U.N either. I’ve come into contact with a rather old, rather powerful group. Our predecessors were aware of them. It seems they don't like the way things are progressing." Stefan said with worry in his voice.

  “Explain.” Léonie demanded.

  "My Weaving Adders were established in China and control operations in most of Asia and Russia. Your Oleander Boutique handles most of Europe and South Asia. We collectively used to handle the Americas, but Devin and his Renegades have taken over operations there. But haven't you found it odd? That no separate power presently or in the past has arisen in Africa or Australia? After all, both have some of the highest activity." Stefan asked.

  "Now that you mention it. That is quite the particularity. Never gave it much thought." Léonie sat in contemplation.

  In the past, there was only one Chaser Organization. Naturally, disputes happened, and factions were formed. They split off from each other and fought for territory. Eventually, only two remained, the Oleander Boutique and the Weaving Adders. Even then, many individuals wished to break off and establish themselves elsewhere. The only one who was successful in recent years was Devin and his Renegades. However, even after recalling the Chasing Organization Secrete past, something stood out in Léonie's mind.

  "Any attempts to monopolize Africa or Australia were met with crushing failure. Even with Devin joining the power struggle, there has not been any real success in establishing solid footholds. Almost as if-"

  "There's an organized driving force behind the activity there." Stefan interrupted.

  "Exactly." Léonie agreed.

  "So is it an organization we are unaware of?" Léonie asked.

  "More like The Original Chaser Organization that ours split from."

  Stefan saw the astonished look on Léonie's face and smiled. He had invested a lot of time and resources in discovering all this. Léonie's hostile takeover and rebranding of her father's Organization were time-consuming; even if she wanted to look into such things, she needed more time. On the other hand, Stefan's rise to the top was set in stone for a while. Replacing his predecessor was seamless, and the information left behind was substantial. He didn't mind sharing with Léonie because he was sure he couldn't handle what came next alone.

  "Like human life itself, our origins began in the heart of Africa, as far as I can tell. Humans have been plagued with these paranormal threats since our birth. Near present-day Egypt, around 3100 to 3300 BCE, a tribe encountered a being that would later be recognized as Heka, the Egyptian God of Magic. This being 'blessed' them with powers and taught them how to defend themselves. Not too long after that, Egyptian Civilization was formed."

  "Hold on. The God of Magic, really? Come on, Stefan, we aren't a religious cult." Léonie interrupted.

  "To be fair, I'd be more surprised if a religious cult wasn't our origin, considering. However, you're overlooking something; I believe it was Arthur C. Clark who said it."

  "Any significantly advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. So not a god of magic, just someone or something with advanced technology or know-how. However, the first known human Civilization was in Mesopotamia; why wouldn't this being start there?" Léonie responded.

  "I assume they did try in Mesopotamia first. But there are a couple of issues. If Mesopotamia was already an active civilization, then if such a person appeared before them, well…."

  "Right, they could be labeled a heretic or even as one of the paranormal that hounded humanity at the time." Léonie reasoned.

  "Not to mention Mesopotamia was destroyed by dust storms and prolonged winters. Also, much was lost of Mesopotamian culture; who's to say this being or beings weren't a part of their rise? However, their influence is more pronounced and easier to find in Egyptian culture."

  "Go on." Léonie beckoned.

  "There's not much more to say, really. This group in Egypt, or at least the earliest version I could find, began to fight against the creatures that threatened humanity. They spread beyond the borders of Africa as if chasing after these creatures. But they held strong roots in Africa and eventually established strong roots in Australia, long before British colonization. There were also signs in Aztec culture, but their traces completely disappeared after a certain point. Eventually, our organizations began to fracture into our current state."

  "You think whoever or whatever this Heka is, taught them how to create the original serum?" Léonie sounded less than convinced.

  "I couldn't possibly know what was originally used to empower our ancestors other than what they called 'the gift of magic.' It also seems that Taboo Children were frowned upon by our progenitors; they disposed of any children conceived by Chasers. Which brings us to the present." Stefan sighed.

  "I was contacted by three of them."

  "What?!" Léonie nearly jumped out of her seat.

  "It seems the fracture of the Original Chasers hundreds of years ago was allowed to happen. We had all but conquered the world and the creatures within, and our growth had become stagnant."

  "So they allowed us to fight against each other to give us a way to push our limits. It seems like Heka sees us as an experiment." Léonie sighed.

  "You speak as if they are still alive." Stefan smiled.

  "It'd be odder if they weren't; we've seen stranger things." Léonie chuckled.

  "I have the same thoughts. They see us as an experiment for something, and it seems that Taboo Children are detrimental to their endeavors. I have to admit you're taking all this rather well. I expected more pushback."

  "My father had notes on the subject. It detailed his suspicions, but nothing was specific—mostly incoherent ramblings. What you have discovered paints a clearer picture," Léonie explained.

  "So they allowed us to direct ourselves for so long, but now reveal themselves when a Taboo Child has successfully been injected with Nano-machines. They must want you to depose Kenji and Zac."

  "They only mentioned Kenji; it seems they have no intention of going after Zac." Stefan corrected.

  "Really? Interesting. Regardless, I see why you didn't call Devin to this little meeting; he'd never be on board with killing that boy."

  "Are you?" Stefan asked.

  Léonie went silent as she stared into her cup of coffee for what seemed an eternity. She tapped her finger on the coffee table and clenched her fist,

  "We don't have much choice, do we? We don't know our progenitors' depths or their influence's true reach. It's clear they have eyes and ears everywhere that even we are unaware of. They may also control the present-day paranormal entities we have encountered, or at least know how to manipulate them."

  At Léonie's conjecture, Stefan's eyes widened. He hadn't considered that possibility. This expanded his thoughts further as he added,

  "Both the activity and strength of the paranormal have been increasing over recent years. Heka may be responsible for that recent phenomenon and their appearance from the very beginning."

  It made a certain amount of sense. If Heka saw humans as a giant experiment, they'd need to test them against something. Stefan and Léonie both sighed at the implications.

  "It's best to do as they say now until we can better arm ourselves against them. One Taboo Child's life isn't worth invoking their wrath and threatening everything we've built." Léonie made her resolve known.

  "Devin won't be happy." Stefan smiled.

  "As I said before, my love for Devin is one thing. This is business. Potentially humanity-altering business. So, what do you propose we do?"

  "Under the S.S.O.A.P Initiative, Taboo Children are listed as a paranormal entity. What do we do with Paranormal Entities, Léo?"

  "We chase." Léonie's eyes darkened.