“Kenji! Kenji!” Akiko called out Kenji, and his father entered the Japan Branch Training Ground. He and his father were the last to arrive. Kenji looked around and saw the concerned looks on everyone’s faces. It didn’t seem anyone knew what was going on. Kenji felt the cube on his bracelet give off a strong vibration and looked over to see Ume looking at her bracelet as well. Kenji and Ume made eye contact, and Ume gave Kenji a knowing nod.
“Kenji, tell me you have some idea what’s going on. Ume seems to know something, but she’s not sharing.” Genkei's boisterous voice echoed through the area.
“I told you, let’s wait and see what Devin says.” Ume folded her arms, looking visibly upset.
Kenji chuckled; he couldn't tell what was going through her mind, but he had a general idea. He was having many of the same thoughts and was sure she probably pieced together far more than he had. Kenji narrowed his eyes at the fact Devin wasn’t there. If his thoughts were correct, he was sure that Devin would show himself here. Was he wrong in his assumption?
“It seems everyone is here. Good.”
Everyone looked over their shoulders to see Devin walking into the Testing Grounds. On his side was Léonie, and behind them were the individual mentors of the Tiny Tots.
“What is she doing here, Devin?” Ume asked, dropping all pretense of respect.
“I’ll be getting to that; we have a lot to talk about this evening,” Devin responded, picking up on Ume’s apparent displeasure with him.
He walked through the crowd, heading toward the center of the Testing Ground. He tapped the watch on his wrist a few times as a platform rose out of the ground, and several drones floated around the area as they started to broadcast the Devin to the other branches. Léonie joined him on the stage as the mentors and upwards of 100 other members of the Japan Branch found themselves a place to stand within the crowd of Tiny Tots.
“Good evening, good morning for some of you. I have urgent news, as I’m sure you have probably surmised.” Devin took a deep breath and continued,
“There's good news and bad news. The good news is, The Oleanders have agreed to join the Renegades.” At Devin’s announcement, there was noticeable chatter among the crowds watching. However, most of the Tiny Tots simply stared in disbelief.
The 3 organizations had clashed several times before the Tiny Tots had joined their ranks; however, what they did to Kenji was the first overtly hostile act that any of the organizations had committed against each other. It left a bad taste in their mouth that they were now supposed to forget that any of that ever happened. They all stared at Kenji and his father, who both had the same disdain on their faces.
“What exactly does this joining entail?” Ume asked from within the crowd.
“We will be handling information gathering and talent acquisition as always. Daily operations like the Oleander Boutique fashion brand will remain under my control. All mission approvals and distributions will be handed over to the Renegades. Essentially, we will function as additional branches for Chaser business.” Léonie explained as Ume narrowed her eyes.
“What’s in it for you, and what’s in it for us? Other than Devin not having to watch his girlfriend getting killed.” Kenji was the one to ask this question.
The aggression in his voice was a shock, but they could understand his attitude towards Léonie.
“What’s in it for you? Access to our facilities, bases, data, and information network we have built for countless decades. The Renegades are clearly exceptional, but your organization is barely 5 years old, if that. What you gain by absorbing the foundation the Oleanders have built is priceless.” Léonie smiled and continued,
“What we gain is equally as priceless. As you so aptly pointed out, we get to retain our traditions and our lives. Not to mention those fancy new nanites of yours.” Léonie giggled as the statement caused an uproar from all branches.
“Have you lost your mind, Devin?” While plenty were upset about the decision, Yu-jun was one of the few bold enough to state his objection.
“Have you?” Devin responded with a chilling tone.
His usually vibrant pale blue eyes turned into a deathly stare. However, Yu-jun did not back down as he locked eyes with Devin.
“Answer my question, boy,” Yu-jun said coldly.
Devin’s dead eyes quaked for a moment, as too did the air around Yu-jun. Léonie grabbed Devin’s arm, who instantly calmed down. He cracked his neck and then said,
“They are not receiving the know-how; they are replacing their nanites with ours. This means my Successor and I will ultimately control their members. Thus, they will be subordinated by every aspect of the word.”
“Except for Léonie there, who would still be a Zero; what’s to say she won’t go rogue as soon as she’s gotten what she wants?” Kenji jumped in.
“Well, it’s a little late for that concern; I’ve already received my upgrade. It was one of my conditions for the Oleanders' full surrender and cooperation.” There was another burst of objections from the crowd, and even Watabe’s emotionless face began to start to show some concern. Léonie waved her hand to quiet the rabble.
“You all see me in a rather negative light, fair enough. You call me many things behind my back and to my face. Most of it is probably quite accurate, but know this.” Léonie looked at Devin with a smile and then back at the crowd.
“I made a promise to Devin after we killed my father. That if he could find a better path than mine, I would follow him whenever, wherever. I may be many things, but I assure you I am not an Oathbreaker.” Léonie stated as she stared directly at Yu-jun and Kenji.
Their eyes widened, and Kenji's anger began seeping over as he nearly growled. Akiko turned towards Kenji and asked,
“Are you ok?”
“I'm fine, just pissed off,” Kenji responded. Akiko nodded her head in understanding.
Devin looked around the Testing Grounds and then at the screens in the artificial sky. He waited for anyone else to speak their objections. After none came, he continued,
“We will begin integrating the Oleanders at the end of the month. Once fully integrated, Léonie and I will take Helena, Franky, and Hachiman to The Adders and negotiate their surrender. If all goes well, we may be able to end all of this with the least amount of bloodshed.”
“What does sensei Zac think of all this?” Ume, who had been holding herself back, spoke up.
The eerie tension could be felt throughout the grounds after Ume asked her question. Knowing everyone thought of it, Devin replaced Zac with Léonie on his usual team. Also, Zac and Shaila, two founders, were absent and were not mentioned this entire time. It was true that they were still on their honeymoon, but given the importance of this announcement, there was no way the two of them wouldn’t be involved. And their honeymoon would be over in time for Zac to participate in the negotiations with the Adders.
“Well, that brings us to the main point of this impromptu meeting and some… tragic news.” Devin sighed.
He tapped the interface above his watch face, and a larger screen appeared in the middle. On the screen was a snowy landscape with a deep groove that looked like an animal large beyond imagining had swiped its claws through the area.
Trees were toppled over or reduced to splinters. Still, even more shocking, some areas sported gashing holes with unnervingly smooth surfaces. These holes were not created by any known force but seemed more like they had portions of themselves erased. The camera panned to show a mostly destroyed building in the background.
“What is this?” Akiko spoke up.
“This is where Zac and Shaila were enjoying their honeymoon in the Lapland region of Finland until today,” Devin answered.
“Finland? That’s Oleander territory. Did they attack just before you finished this little treaty of yours?” One of the Tiny Tots chimed in.
“It wasn’t us; I didn’t even know they were in Lapland. Even if I did, I have some morals and am not a fool. I wouldn’t go after The Anomaly while he’s honeymooned with his pregnant wife. From what I heard, he got more powerful than ever, and I’d rather not enrage that.” Léonie responded.
“On the contrary, Léonie was the reason this was brought to my attention so soon. According to the Oleanders. Strange readings were coming from Zac and Shaila’s location. Léonie reported these strange readings as soon as she was made aware of them, and I went to investigate myself; this scene is what I found, along with…”
Devin once again fiddled with his watch, and the screen changed. The image now on screen was Dr. Hamilton standing in the room holding a tablet, with tears rolling down her face. Beside her was a coroner, and in front of them was the lifeless pale body of Shaila Varma-Zym.
Everyone went silent. Ume bowed her head as she clenched her jaw. Akiko covered her mouth as tears almost instantly streamed from her face. Everyone had similar reactions. There was no one among the Renegades who did not adore Shaila.
“Was it the Adders?” Someone offered to finally break the silence.
Everyone was filled with sorrow and rage; they all needed a target, something, or someone to vent their frustrations.
“It was neither the Orleanders or the Adders. I believe this was caused… by Zac himself.” Devin turned his face away from the crowd as everyone entered a frenzy. The look of disgust on Ume’s face could paint a thousand words.
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“What the hell are you talking about?!” Kenji snapped.
“I understand this may be difficult to understand, but let me…”
“Bullshite! What in the bleeding fookin’ hell is this bampot talking about, huh?! Cankerous glassy-eyed son of a whore! I dare you to say that again! Ya, lavvy heid bawbag! ” Patrick shouted and continued to spew out a rant of obscenities. Until Micheal managed to calm him down. Most of the Tiny Tots wanted to do the same. Still, none could match the variable torrent of colorful swears Patrick could produce per second. Devin shook his head at Patrick’s outburst.
“Let me explain.” Devin sighed.
“I was the only person who knew where Zac and Shaila would be having their honeymoon. I took them there to ensure they couldn’t be tracked; they also checked in with me every night around 7pm WST. Around 4:30pm WST is when I received the information.”
“And?!” Kenji snapped.
“I can bend space to my will; I can be anywhere in a blink of an eye. I was on the scene so fast it would have been impossible for anyone to flee without me noticing. All that was there was this mess and Zac holding Shaila’s dead body. He gave her body to me, apologized, and ran faster than anything I’ve ever seen. His eyes were cold and lonely.” Devin recalled the moment in vivid detail.
He then sucked in a deep breath like he was gasping for air, tears clearly forming his own eyes.
“Maybe there was a monster or something, and you’re just not as fast as you think, " Genkei said.
“I wish that was the case. But regardless, this is my fault. There’s something I've been keeping from you all for a very long time. Zac is not a Taboo Child. He’s not human at all.” Devin said as he let out a deep breath.
“Son of bitch!” Ume shouted; her usually composed self could not hold back.
This bastard wanted to blame the death of his Shaila and their unborn child on a man who was not present to defend himself. Kenji was in a similar position as Ume. If he had not heard the message from Shaila, he would have believed everything Devin had said without question. He still didn’t understand what Devin could gain by telling this story.
“Dr. Hamilton, if you please?” Devin asked as he knew this would all be hard for them all to believe. Dr. Hamilton wiped the tears from her eyes and composed herself as she began,
“O-once, Shaila… Dr. Varma-Zym died, and I was instantly granted access to hidden files. In one of those files was extensive data regarding Zac, The Anomaly. The further you look into his chart, the more obvious it becomes that he’s not human, not even close. Dr. Varma-Zym obviously knew.” Dr. Hamilton finished. She would typically go into great, strenuous detail, but she wasn’t all there.
“Shaila and I both knew Zac was not human since the first time the nanites failed him, and we tried to figure out why. However, Zac seemed to have no idea.”
“So you decided to keep a monster around? What the hell were you thinking?” A woman from the New York Branch shouted over the screen.
“That monster has done more for humanity than you ever will.” Mawu was the one who spoke up as she glared at the woman on the screen.
“I had contemplated killing him then and there. However, he lived his life as a human and did everything in his power to preserve human life. He embodied being a Chaser better than most.” Devin folded his arms.
“I see; that’s also why you wanted to give him nanites… to put a leash on him,” Yu-jun said as clarity came over him. Everyone heard him and turned their attention towards Devin.
Kenji’s eyes widened as he remembered Devin's upset at the news of Zac not wanting the nanites. Zac was also becoming stronger at an astronomical rate, to the point that Devin would struggle to keep up if things kept going the way they were. Kenji’s breathing started to pick up as all the pieces fell into place. He looked over at Ume, who was biting her thumbnail.
She was already a step ahead of him and probably thinking about what her next move should be.
“I wouldn’t say leash. There’s a good chance he could have been a Zero, but it would have been nice to have something that could regulate his power so something like this wouldn’t happen.” Devin corrected.
“So what happened, and what is he?” Duendes asked.
The only ones aware of this secret before coming into this meeting seemed to be Devin, Léonie, and Dr. Hamilton; everyone else was thrown for a loop.
“As far as what he is, we don’t know. He’s like nothing we’ve ever seen and unlike anything ever recorded. As far as what happened. I can only guess that he awakened his abilities and could not contain the outburst fully. I can only imagine that whatever his species is, they live in reclusion until they can control themselves.” Devin answered.
“Like his mother.” Someone gasped.
They had all noticed how Zac’s mother seemed to look at them like children or ants. They also saw how much reverence Devin and Léonie paid her. It went beyond what one would show to an elder.
“Are we just going to let her walk around freely?” A young Asian man in the crowd asked.
“If you want to hunt that thing down, then by all means. We’ll be sure to tell your family you died bravely.” Léonie waved off the foolish man.
“Zac and his mother lived a benign existence until Zac was mistaken for a Taboo Child. Mrs. Zym owns a successful flower shop and doesn't have so much as a parking ticket, let alone a mysterious disappearance associated with her. The fact that Zac is involved with Chasers can be attributed to a tragic accident. Which is what I see this entire situation as.” Léonie further emphasized her point with a genuinely sad expression.
“Convenient,” Ume muttered.
Everyone looked at Ume, who stared at Devin, annoyed. Everyone knew how much Ume cherished Zac, so this news must have shocked her. Watabe moved over and touched Ume's shoulder to try and get her to calm down. It was rare that she so outwardly showed her emotions, which never ended well for the person in question.
Ume slapped Watabe’s hand away as she kept her gaze on Devin.
“You have something to say, Ume?” Devin asked.
“It’s Sage or Ms.Chiba for you,” Ume responded coldly, much to the shock of everyone there. Watabe sighed and backed away. There was no stopping her once she got like this. It was best to let her vent.
“Yes, I have plenty to say, most of which would fall on deaf ears. So, I’ll cut to the chase. I don’t believe you.”
“I assure you that Zac is indeed not human. Whether you wish to accept that or not is…” Devin began to speak but was cut off,
“Whether or not Sensei is human is irrelevant to me. All that matters is his goals and competence. He aimed to create a world where his child could live safely and freely. And his competence is without question. It is the latter point that makes your story unbelievable.” Ume offered.
The idea of Zac getting so lost in his newfound power that he would kill Shaila by mistake, who was pregnant with his child, made no sense.
“Not to mention most creatures, regardless of how mindless, always instinctively protect their young,” Kenji added.
“Precisely. Your story doesn’t add up.” Ume mused.
“Or maybe you think too highly of Zac, Sage. Everyone has their limits.” Someone within the crowd called out.
“Of course, you would think that. You’re only human.” Kenji mocked.
Most of the Tiny Tots started to chuckle; even Watabe had a smirk on his face. The news of Zac not being human clearly meant little to them. It could be because, unlike most Chasers, the Tiny Tots group was chosen mostly from children with stable lives. None of them experienced the horror of monsters killing their loved ones.
There was no initial bias against cryptids. To them, Zac, not being human, made things make a little bit more sense in a world that progressively became more confusing. It was a happy surprise rather than a gut-wrenching betrayal.
“So what is your take on this then?” Devin asked.
“It’s a simple story you often hear. Someone who has too much and yet wants more,” Ume asked.
“Speak plain.” One of the Chasers on the screens overhead spoke.
“Devin found a tiger cub and thought to raise it. The tiger grew beyond his expectations and means to handle.” Ume smiled.
“So he thought, ‘damn, that’s a tiger,’ and decided to cage him or put him down. Is that what you’re saying?” Kenji finished with a smile.
“How dare you say that to me. Zac was my best friend!” Devin snapped, and the entire space began to shake.
“Was? Well, that’s interesting. But you said it yourself: you were the only one who knew their exact location and the only one who could get there in such a short amount of time. That’s the only thing that makes sense to me. Everything is just too convenient for your purposes. Unless…” Ume teased.
“Unless what?” Léonie interjected.
“Unless there’s a 4th party involved, that’s not The Renegades, Weaving Adders, or Oleander Boutique?” Ume smiled deviously.
“Sage, you are out of line. We knew Zac and Shaila longer than any of you. I understand you're upset about everything, but throwing around crazy theories to preserve your image of Zac isn’t helping anything.” Franky blurted out.
“Whatever, what are your plans for Zac now?” Kenji said as he shook his head at Franky, disappointed in his mentor.
“What kind of question is that? He’s a monster who took the life of his own wife and child. We hunt him like all the rest.” A random voice in the crowd spoke. But before anyone could pinpoint that person's location, roots shot up from the ground and wrapped themselves around the man.
The sounds of his scream echoed as everyone turned to see a pillar of thorny roots digging into the man’s flesh. Ume’s dead eyes stared at the man who was holstered into the air with only his face visible.
“Say that again, I dare you.” All the Tiny Tots and their mentors also looked at the holstered man. But there was not a trace of concern on any of their faces. They all waited for the man to repeat his statement, most sharing Ume’s sentiments. The man apologized through his screams.
“Release him, Ms.Chiba,” Devin commanded.
With an annoyed grunt, Ume released him very aggressively. The roots ripped themselves free of the man, taking chunks of flesh. There wasn’t an inch of the man’s body that was not gravely wounded. By the grace of having the upgraded Nanites, his life was saved, but those vicious wounds were filled with potent poison, and it would take him months to fully recover.
“I don’t know what to do with Zac. I want to give him time to process what’s happening before we bring him in.” Devin sighed.
“You said he may not have control, and he’s extremely emotional. What happens if more lives are lost.” Duendes said sternly.
“I don’t think Zac would put himself in a position where that would be possible. If what Devin says is true, Zac will isolate himself. Until he comes to grips with everything.” Mawu added.
“That’s if he is even in his right mind. He just killed his pregnant wife. I don’t think any man could be stable after that.” Franky mumbled.
“Still saying he’s a man is laughable.” One of the mentors chuckled.
“ENOUGH OF THIS FARCE!” Ume shouted and then started to walk towards the exit. Many of the Tiny Tots grabbed her arms to try and stop her, but she simply slapped their hands away.
“Sage! Where are you going?!” Devin asked.
“To find sensei. So I can hear his side of this fantastical tale that everyone is content to shovel into their maws,” Ume responded.
“I have not given you permission to do so.” Devin retorted.
“I don’t need your permission; Article 4 Section 3, paragraph 2 of the Renegade rules and regulations, state, and I quote, ‘Chasers who have made significant contributions to the organization, are entitled to extended leaves of absence lasting no longer than 1 year.’ end quote.” Ume stopped as she looked over her shoulder.
“Team Conductor brought in Dr. Desire Lea Hamilton, who enhanced our current nanites and introduced the Overclocking protocol. My team and I have contributed more than enough to facilitate a leave of absence. Consider this my notice.” Ume then walked out as the doors slid close behind her.
Devin sighed as Zac and Shaila created those Rules and Regulations. Kenji looked at the closed door and then balled his fist. He then turned his attention over to Akiko who nodded her head,
“Go… you need to find him.”
“She’s right, go, I’ll hold things down until you return,” Yu-jun said as he smiled at his son.
Kenji turned to walk towards the door.
“And where are you going, Kenji?” Devin frowned.
“You can consider this my notice too. I’m going to look for Zac.”
“I can’t let you do that, Kenji.” Devin glared.
Kenji started to laugh as he turned to face Devin with a cocky smirk on his face that was reminiscent of Zac; he held out his arms and said,
“It’s Trigger… and you think you can stop me?”