[Other Original] The Branded King: Book 1

[JabaWaba]

The Branded King is a tale about a Regg named Gideon and how he ended a thousand year long war as well as liberating the world.

This story takes place in an alternate world set in 1792. It incorporates both science fiction and fantasy aspects introducing an entirely new world named Grottosnia, as well as being moderately adult themed.

You will follow Gideon on his journey. You will experience his pain, his happiness, and his guilt for he is The Branded King.

I must give a disclaimer as certain scenes such as rape, abortion, suicide, murder and torture will be featured in the story as well as being vaguely described. If these topics make you uncomfortable then this may not be the book for you.
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Chapter ONE​

It was quite the silent sunny day in Galvin City. So peaceful and relaxing. It needed to be interrupted by drama right? Drama is something that's never too far shy of Gideon; regardless if it is he who provoked it. He can't help it. It is in his blood to be harassed, assaulted and mimicked in a world that treats dirt with far more respect.

When you are part of a race that created a shift in the world's population through genocide, you are bound to get many unwelcoming eyes. It honestly made Gideon tired of who he was. Even though his eyes burned a rare amber color far from the dull blue and greys Reggs have, it still makes no difference, because people see him as his kind, as one thing and one thing only; Murderous.

Again the day was it's usual sunny self and Gideon who normally would hide away in the classroom for recess, was coerced by his teacher's to play outside and make some friends. It was a task Gideon knew was impossible and he knew the teachers were aware of the impossible task. For some reason however, Gideon took it upon himself to take their advice. Call it a hunch, with the determination that flared in his eyes and the relief that released itself from his nostrils, Gideon took these seconds of determination and prepared himself for the outside world. He couldn't live the rest of his life letting the words of others get to him. He had to realize that for himself at a rather young age.

Making it to the courtyard where all the other children seemed to have been playing, Gideon tried navigating in a way as to not draw attention, however the fluffy white head of hair he possessed ruined any chances he had at becoming the wallflower he desperately yearned for.

Not even minutes of being outside and a girl points her finger to him immediately catching the eyes of everyone.

"Oi! Is that Gideon?" She yelled as her face lit up. She sank into the now forming crowd of people before reappearing with a boy by her side. They walked up to Gideon surrounding him against the wall. The girl couldn't stop smiling as she stared Gideon down, "Yuni, Gideon was trying to hold my hand during second lunch yesterday," she let out fake whimpers and babied her voice to really sell the deal.

"H-he did what?" The 9 year old said trying to add intimidating features to both his voice and demeanor, "Is this true?"

Gideon's eyes widened for he knew it was a lie. He hardly ever interacts with anyone who isn't faculty. He keeps his head low and under the radar. Had it not been for his race and their history, the one and only reason these kids bother Gideon for, he would never be bothered in this lifetime or the next. He stood helplessly casting a confused gaze over the millions of eyes that gazed back. Yuni got closer to Gideon as he became increasingly rough with him. When Gideon hadn't answered his question, Yuni took it upon himself to shove Gideon forcefully against the wall. It was that one shove that set everything else in motion.

Gideon launched himself off the wall, diving into Yuni, tackling him to the ground. The two scuffled about for a moment while the students surrounded the boys with cheers. Of course the girl was nowhere to be found. It didn't matter at this point. The ever-growing crowd of youth fueled the fight even more with their cheering.

Yuni had gotten a few good punches in but it was clear how one sided the fight itself was from the start. Once Gideon got on top of Yuni it was over. He continuously punched every part of Yuni he could see within his peripheral, and though Yuni cried and begged him to stop, that mercy switch in Gideon's head had been turned off.

Soon enough the cheering had died down and the kids started understanding the seriousness of the situation though none were brave enough to take that step forward.

"S-someone s-stop that Regg! Stop Gideon" a child frantically announced.

"I don't want to touch a Regg, I'm sorry Yuni!" Another child yelled from behind. The pummeling lasted just a few more moments before the girl had returned with an army of teachers and the Dean. The girl pointed her special finger at Gideon and waved it a few times for good measure. She really wanted to make sure the teachers knew it was her who told. The dean fanned her hand at the teachers urging them to detain Gideon and Yuni immediately. Though it took one teacher to move Yuni away from the situation, it took damn near four to keep Gideon still.

"Young man Calm down!" The Dean commanded as Gideon only had his sights set on Yuni, "what is the meaning of all this?" She continued looking to Yuni specifically for answers.

The students behavior doesn't fall far from that of the Teachers who instruct them. The blatant racism in the air was so thick it was practically suffocating. Yuni held his face and nursed his cheek really selling the injured animal look.

"I was just walking in the courtyard minding my own business and Gideon being his weird usual self shoves me. I tried to defend myself and it backfired...I know I'm not the strongest Corleik...but I'm trying," tears rolled down Yuni's face as Gideon couldn't help but roll his eyes. The lackluster story was enough of a motive to drive the Dean's decision.

"I've heard enough, take Gideon to my office and send everyone else back to class," Gideon was left dumbfounded as the teachers began to walk him away, however that didn't stop Yuni from really driving in the nail.

"No wonder people hate you Kreggy's! You are all nothing but Barbarians!" Gideon's body began to jitter with rage. He turned around as the teachers attempted to halt him but with no luck Gideon found a mighty strength within him to where even a tank couldn't even stop him. Taking a swift step forward Gideon swung an arm from behind his back connecting with Yuni's eye socket shattering it.

The crackle of bone echoed throughout the courtyard as blood trickled down Yuni's face and off Gideon's hand. Everyone surrounding the two stared in disbelief. How could a 9 year old boy shatter someone's eye socket with a single punch? Sure there are some 9 year olds out there that can but Gideon...his physique alone wouldn't allow it. It didn't take the Dean long to restore order to the situation as she quickly scuffled up Gideon and had the rest of the staff tend to the Yuni and the other students in the yard.

No words were spoken. Gideon knew what he did, hell half of the region probably knows what he did. The Dean had sat Gideon down just in front of her office where she vanished momentarily making several phone calls. A good 15 minutes had gone by before she stepped out of her office to speak with Gideon.

"Your parents don't seem to be answering their phones," she said, sounding almost impatient.

"Yea...what else is new?" Gideon retorted avoiding any kind of visual contact with the woman towering before him.

Gideon's relationship with his parents isn't at all complicated. He knows he can count on them when he is in their presence, but once they are apart it is like they never existed.

"Is there another way I can contact them?" She asked, adjusting her arms revealing her ever-growing impatience. Gideon shook his head as the Dean clicked her tongue retreating back to her office before returning with a rushly made slip.

-PLEASE KEEP YOUR CHILD AT HOME-

-DEAN EVELYN WATTS

Gideon's hand shook from reading the letter but he knew he had to keep calm if he had any chances of going home, "You're free to go," she said waving her hand at him. Gideon did not hesitate as he seized the moment, gathered his belongings and hightailed it out of the first exit he could find. Though he was aware a punishment was surely coming his way when he saw his parents, he did not care. Any punishment is worth more than an hour in that school.

Gideon quickly ran home, not caring for the stares he received or the aggressive glares that burned into his sides. All he cared for was the comfort of his own home; and its safety.

The moment he made it to his front door he quickly shuffled in his pockets for his keys. Just hearing the key enter the lock was more than enough to give Gideon that reassuring comfort and safety of his house.

"Is anyone home?" He said locking the door behind him waiting for the obvious answer, "Of course not," Gideon sighed. He made his way to the kitchen where he'd see a note on the counter top informing him that both his mom and dad would be home late tonight. He was so used to getting letters such as those that it would surprise him if he came home to anything else.

He walked to his father's workroom where he noticed a pair of gloves laying idly on a bench. They seemed to be one of his father's more recent projects, but usually when they've been benched it means he's given up on it. Gideon took this opportunity to put his Regg skills to good use. All Reggs are naturally adept at repairing, constructing and tinkering with things to ultimately create or make something better. Sometimes they just simply fix things, but all in all Reggs are highly intelligent. The lowest IQ a Regg has been known to have is 5000.

Gideon grabbed the gloves and moved them to the workstation. Once he grabbed a plasma producing screwdriver and a pair of goggles, he was off into the vast land that is a Reggs mind. Not exactly knowing what his father's intentions were for the gloves, he decided to continue the started project setting his own plan in motion.

About 45 minutes passed before he had fallen asleep working too hard. I mean with a day like his own, him being exhausted is fairly understandable.

Another 45 or so minutes had gone by before his parents entered the home. The look on their faces seemed they were upset about something but seeing Gideon sound asleep in the workroom made them forget almost immediately.

"I guess we'll have the talk with him in the morning," Enyo, Gideon's father, had said to his mother Kiari. The two looked at each other before Kiari scooped Gideon in her arms carrying him up stairs to his room. Enyo followed after grabbing the gloves Gideon worked on. His eyes widened as he was astonished by Gideon's craftsmanship, "well I'll be," he said fiddling with the gloves on his way to Gideon's room.

As they tucked in their slumbering giant and exited the room, a faint voice called out to them both.

"Mom? Dad?" Gideon spoke through the grog. They both turned to face him as they reentered his room. Kiari sat at his side while Enyo stood behind with a hand placed on her shoulder. They both looked at each other before returning their focus to Gideon. Though he was tired it was clear he was upset. He shifted himself into an upright position to face his parents. His white hair gleaming in the moonlight, "there was a fight...at school today a-and I don't know w-what came over me b-but I-" Kiari cut him off with a warm gesture of her hand.

"We know," she said with a tone in her voice that lightened up the darkness stained on Gideon's face, "We received the messages," she said.

"All one-hundred and fifty-six of them," Enyo added snarkily with a playful chuckle for added flavor.

"Truth of the matter is Gideon," Kiari took a deep breath. It seemed as though she was having trouble finding the right words. It was almost as if she didn't want to say them at all. Enyo took note of Kiari's sudden mood shift as he understood how uncomfortable she must have been with the decision they had to make. Slightly tightening his grip on her shoulder. Reassuring her everything was okay. He motioned his eyes forward as he picked up where she left off.

"What your mother is trying to say is we are moving," Enyo was surprises by how blatantly he had said that, but given the events that have transpired and even earlier ones that occurred in this family's lives it is safe to say that a change in scenery wouldn't be to bad thing.

Gideon's eyes widened to the news. It wasn't at all what he was expecting. Did they really listen to those messages? He cracked a kid's skull with his fist. Are they not at all concerned? By the looks of it, it seems like they've already forgotten it was an issue. It was almost like weights had been lifted from his chest and shoulders. Relief wasn't a word best suited to describe how Gideon felt in that moment but it surely will do the trick. He hopped out of his bed and immediately began packing his stuff. Both Kiari and Enyo watched as he darted to all corners of the room finding anything and everything he could bring with him on the move.

"Gideon?" Kiari said trying to catch his attention, "what are you doing sweetheart?"

"Packing up now. Aren't we leaving tomorrow?" Gideon responded while still shoving stuff into his bag. He didn't give Kiari a chance to speak before darting across his bed to gather more things.

"Well no, we still have to purchase our tickets. It is difficult traveling to the south from the north especially with how this war has been going down. We have to make sure our travel route is as safe as possible," Kiari saw the little flame of hope slowly wither away little by little as she informed Gideon the move wouldn't be immediate. It was news he didn't want to hear. Stopping his packing and returning to his bed he slumped his head on the pillow. Gideon dreaded having to spend any more time in the North. He never felt welcomed or safe. He always felt as though everyone was out to get him.

At the end of the day the North was trying to adjust to a diverse system forced upon them by their ruler/leader, Koba Moari. He was a man polished with power, praise and nobility. Koba had thought his influence alone would be enough to shift the hearts of the people but the majority are unfortunately set in their ways. Too thick minded for change. It appeared as though Gideon was more aware of that aspect than Koba, hence why he is trying to leave immediately.

Kiari and Enyo took note of Gideon's mood-shift as they both knelt at either side of his bed facing him, "if everything works out Gid, we might be able to leave from here in two days. It just requires a little patience and some hope," she brushed hair from out of Gideon's face assuring him through eye contact alone that everything was going to be okay.

Enyo stood up after patting Gideon's head. He let out a large yawn that could have caved the house in. Kiari looked at him and smiled realizing that bed time had approached for everyone. Kissing Gideon's forehead she tucked him in and followed Enyo out of the bedroom cracking the door behind them. The rest of the time spent for the next hour was spent preparing for bed as everyone finally managed to sleep...-

Or so they thought.

Tossing and turning in his sleep from an apparent nightmare a large yelping sound would break Gideon from his slumber. His eyes shot open as he flung his torso upward practically gasping for air. Once his surroundings shifted into focus he noticed a shift in the air that sent a chill down his spine. He noticed his door was closed, but it was only ever closed in the middle of the night if his parents were having an important discussion. Even then something felt off and Gideon had to see for himself.

Quietly exiting his room Gideon slowly crept down the hallway to the stairs. Crouching as far as he could he tried poking out an ear toward the banister but all he could hear were muffles. Gideon proceeded with caution down the stairs as he took note of his father's gloves sprawled on the floor. He went to pick them up and soon after doing so a large thud ruptured in the living room.

"Gah!" Enyo let out a painful groan. Gideon's heart began stampeding throughout his chest. Everything was fine just a few hours ago. What could be going on?

"Shut up you insolent kreggy!" A man with a deep yet knowledgeable voice commanded. Peeking around the corner Gideon got a good glimpse of the situation. There was one man on the floor with his head removed. Two other men stood towering over Gideon's fetaled parents. One was wearing a fancy black trench coat and had a blue Mohawk while the other wore a real jumpsuit and sported spiky blonde hair.

A rush of rage surged through Gideon as he charged in the living room activating the gloves. An electric field generated around them and Gideon immediately grabbed the man in the jumpsuit sending a surge of 20,000 volts through his body. The man immediately collapsed.

The commotion was enough to startle the blue haired man as Gideon used the opportunity to activate the gloves again. However a second time around the gloves unfortunately short circuit on him.

Noticing this mistake the blue haired man smirks snapping his fingers. Gideon's body tenses up as he is quickly constricted by an invisible energy.

"I am surprised you managed to break through my sleeping fatalis. I've used it to defeat behemoths who took shits larger than you," Gideon struggled as the blue haired man turned around to fully face him. He was an Altamone. His bluish skin gave it away. His eyes, as polar as the arctic with lips darker than night.

Gideon grunted as the Altamone's eyes widened. The energy constricting him was visibly bursting. His teeth gritted as he began stretching the binds from off his body.

"W-what are you?" The Altamone took a step back. His demeanor shifted to a defensive stance. Being as distracted as he was by Gideon this gave Kiari the opportunity to grab a switchblade she had hidden in her sleeve. Pressing a button on the mechanism the blade soon expanded into a claymore. Not missing a beat she swiftly sprung from her position, lunged at the Altamone striking him down.

"Arrghh!" He held his hand or what was left of it in agony. Kiari managed to cleanly slice off his right hand. Once the Altamone was injured the spells that bound both Gideon and Enyo were broken. Kiari kept her sword pointed at him ready to strike at any moment.

"Leave now, or else your head will be next to your friend's," she said panting through the fear and anger. The Altamone looked at the situation. With one partner dead and another unconscious the odds weren't in his favor.

He hobbled over to the unconscious one And threw him over his shoulder with his one good arm. Flicking his fingers back and forth he spoke a few words as his severed hand flew into his attached one.

"Mark my words! You haven't seen the last of me?" He almost sounded like he was going to cry as he winced the entire way out the door and down the block. Once he couldn't be seen or heard the family all looked to one another before running at each other forming a group hug.

"Can we leave now?" Gideon asked.

Kiari and Enyo looked at each other and both couldn't help but let out agreeable yet relieved laughter. The move was in motion.

 

[JabaWaba]

Chapter TWO


Things operated quickly after the almost fatal home invasion. Kiari and Enyo began burning papers and pictures as well as some clothes. They had been arguing the entire time about finding a different home that's not in the south. Though Enyo was for the south, Kiari was afraid of the South's ruler and wanted nothing to do with her or her affiliations. Gideon was used to hearing his parents argue but something about this particular argument felt all too personal. When he had walked in on them confusion riddled his face.

"Is everything okay?" He asked as the two of them looked at each other. Kiari being visibly upset. She turned her head away being too emotional at the time to utter even the faintest of words. Enyo took a deep, solemn breath as he approached Gideon who had been fully packed up ages ago. He knelt to eye level with Gideon placing a hand on his shoulder; his grip tightened.

"Listen to me, son. We have to move quickly and quietly. No messing up. Stay close to me or your mother. We will explain everything else when we make it to my contact's location," it was either the seriousness that clung to Enyo's voice or the Daggers that pierced through his eyes but whatever the case maybe the information registered to everyone in the room. Gideon didn't even bother asking anymore questions for he already knew the answer.

The moment Kiari zipped her bag she clenched Gideon's hand as she followed Enyo out the front door. The city was quiet. The sun nor it's light hadn't broken free from the horizon. The city lights had all been cut off and nothing but the whistling of wind could be heard chasing itself through the city streets and alleyways.

Enyo signaled two of his fingers toward the wall as he guided his family down the sidewalk staying close to the buildings. Gideon began digging in his bag as the family continued to navigate down the street. Unannounced however a vehicle appeared from out of nowhere startling Enyo enough to snag himself and the others into the nearest ally entrance he could find. Poking his head around the corner he took a moment to analyze the safety of the situation before proceeding.

Gideon continued to dig through his bag as his eyes lit up when it seemed he had found what he was looking for. As the family made it to an intersection, complications only increased. A few civilians were roaming the streets chatting among each other.

"D...did you h-hear about that R...regg boy that punched that kid?" One said as it was clear he was drunk.

"Y...yea! S-****'s crazy. F....f-**** the Reggs!" His friend seemed to have shared his interests both racially and socially. Enyo continued to watch them as they had already taken cover behind a large staircase. He turned to Gideon and Kiari as he placed a finger on his lips.

"We have to assume everyone is hostile," he said as he placed the finger to his lips again signaling continued silence. He fanned his hand in the direction of the civilians for it is where they had to go. He stayed a safe distance behind them for he did not want to be captured nor seen.

Galvin City operated differently during the darker hours. Primarily the evening and midnight areas. Reggs weren't allowed to go out past a certain time for their own safety. Since the majority of the population was far from Regg, the ruler thought it best to think of the majority. Granted the north as mentioned before aren't as overly fond of Reggs as the south are. The northern ruler tried his best to create a just system and equality in diversity but the peoples hearts were stone. No one wanted to forget how dangerous a Regg could be; no one.

After about minutes of slowly tailing the two civilians, Enyo halted Gideon and Kiari pointing at the ground. Beneath the feet of the two civilians was a sewage drain, large enough for them all to fit in. Enyo stared the men down as they didn't appear to be moving.

"H...h-have y-you ever thought about...y-you k...know?"

"I-I m...mean yea of c-course. W...wait what?" Enyo gritted his teeth as his patience was breaking. The two men were standing atop their only means of escape and walking up to them asking them to move was definitely out of the question. Out of everyone in the situation though, Gideon seemed to be the most calm and collected. That same surge of energy rushed though his body as he revealed the device to Enyo.

Kiari and Enyo looked at each other confused before shooing the device to the side. That was when Gideon nudged Enyo hard enough to express how serious he was. Gideon signaled for both of his parents to watch him as he pressed a button on the mechanism. Soon enough a tiny dimmed light flashed around the machine and engulfed Gideon. He was gone.

Enyo and Kiari stared at each other shocked and almost on the verge of panicking before Gideon reappeared in the same position he was in before he vanished. Enyo couldn't help but flash a satisfied smile as he quickly hugged and kissed Gideon's forehead.

"A Cloaking device," he whispered as he examined it for a bit before nodding at Gideon and Kiari. Once the message was clear, Enyo pressed the button on the device once more turning invisible. Kiari and Gideon watched the two drunk civilians, closely awaiting Enyo's signal. A minute pissed as the two watched carefully.

"Ahh!" The two people went down hard as Enyo uncloaked himself. He smiled as he had taken off the pair of gloves Gideon used earlier.

The group knew celebration would come later as Enyo quickly lugged the bodies toward two trash cans as he placed the cloaking device between them hiding all traces of an altercation.

Running to the sewage pipe, Enyo helped Kiari pry it open, tossing in their belongings, Gideon, and then themselves.

Everyone took a few moments to gather themselves before pressing onward. Kiari checked Gideon for any cuts or bruises. He fanned her hand away expressing his embarrassment. She kissed his forehead standing up to face Enyo who had been watching them the whole time. He walked toward Gideon; awe lighting his face. He placed both of his hands on Gideon's shoulders pulling him into a hug.

"You surprise me every damn day, you know that kid?" He said gleefully, "a cloaking machine? At your age?" Gideon's face warmed up once he saw how happy he had made his father. The two hugged it out for a few more seconds before switching gears and focusing on the main objective at hand.

Enyo dug in his back pocket pulling out a thin slab of glass no larger than a note card. He pressed on it a few times before it lit up flashing a blue and green light. Once the light show ended Enyo pressed the slab a few more times before placing it to his ear. Almost immediately someone picked up on the other side but their words were too muffled to make out.

"We'll be there in five minutes," Enyo said to the voice on the glass device before placing it back in his pocket. He adjusted his luggage and clothing as he and the others proceeded down the dark sewer. The smell alone was enough to knock someone off their feet but given the circumstances this was a dilemma they'd have to fight through. The closer they got to the destination the faster Enyo began moving. So many sharp turns and halts almost caused Gideon's head to spin, but for his family's sake he pulled it together. He wasn't expecting the move to be as stressful as it was, but life operates in funny ways.

Once the group made it to their destination, or what Enyo made seem was their final destination, Gideon stared confused. They were looking at a sewer wall. Nothing more nothing less. A wall sweating with bodily waste. Before Gideon could ask any kind of question Enyo placed the slab of glass on the wall. The wall almost immediately responded as it activated shining a bluish light before opening up.

Once the wall was open Gideon's jaw fell through the ground. One of the biggest trains he had ever seen was loading a handful of Reggs onto it, all of which seemed to be carrying luggage as well. He looked to Kiari and Enyo for Answers. It was clear he was amazed, his face couldn't hide it. His eyes lit up the closer they made it to the train. It was a pristine jet black, with gold trimmings trailing the entirety of its body.

"Glad to see you all made it. We were just about to leave," a woman had announced to Enyo. She placed out her hand as he handed her the glass slab. She slipped it away in a pamphlet she was holding before motioning them to follow her. She had short white hair, dark blue eyes and beautiful umber colored skin, "This train will take you straight to Hun City in South Odrea. It won't break from the underground until it makes it pass the war zone. If you have any questions, you shouldn't, you know why you are here. Aside from that brief run down, please be safe out there. Especially in times such as these," she placed a comforting hand on both Enyo and Kiari's shoulders before placing one on Gideon's forehead. Enyo nodded at the fellow Regg, expressing his gratitude.

"The train will leave in approximately six minutes. Please have all belongings with you at the time of departure and keep all devices off until we have passed the city limits. Thank you and Be safe!" The announcement cut off as Gideon took it upon himself to walk around for a moment. He didn't notice many kids around and felt that to be odd until he caught the glimpse of a girl with a white afro puff on, resembling the tail of a winter rabbit. The two briefly made eye contact before she smiled and continued running off. Gideon had the urge to follow after her but Enyo had tugged his arm bringing him back to reality. Looking back Gideon noticed the girl was gone. He knew he didn't imagine her...he just hoped she would be on the train.

As everyone began boarding Enyo, Kiari and Gideon managed to find a room in one of the carts completely free for themselves. Almost immediately after entering the room both parents began setting up resting areas as well as laying out clothes and pulling out food.

Once everyone was onboard the train began slowly starting to move. Gideon looked out the window as the Reggs that had helped them were waving goodbye. He couldn't help but wave back. But after a few minutes they were gone as the train had been submerged in the darkness of the tunnel.

"Where are we headed?" Gideon asked, feeling as though he can finally speak.

"Where are headed to Hun City. It is the old capital of the South. This train is going to take us straight there. A very long time ago Reggs built this tunnel to escape from the north and we still use it till this day. It is our greatest secret," Gideon looked out the window into the darkness of the tunnel astonished. Hearing about his race's history always warmed his spirits. Gave him hope. A few hours had gone by but Gideon was asleep far before then. Kiari had pulled out one of the seats forming a bed for Gideon. Throughout his slumber however he couldn't stop himself from tossing and turning. Kiari tried soothing him but it would only work for a few moments until the tossing fit continued.

BOOM!

A large sound rumbled the tunnel, shaking the train ever so violently. It was enough to wake Gideon up into a state of panic. Enyo immediately covered his mouth and held him closely until the noises passed over. He rocked Gideon back and forth nurturing the fear away. Once everything quieted down Enyo slowly released Gideon from his arms.

Looking as dazed and as confused as ever Gideon's eyes trailed the entirety of the room making sure he knew where he was at.

"W-what was that?" He said, voice somewhat shaken from the near trauma.

"That would be the war, didn't think it stretched so close," Enyo said as he began unraveling his napping gear, "It is going to be like this for a few days before we reach Hun City. This train may be fast but this region is massive," Enyo chuckled as he lay his head back on a pillow. It didn't take him long to immediately pass out. He had been up since the morning of Gideon's school incident. His mental awareness was shot and all of the adrenaline he had pouring out of him drained his energy dry. Kiari placed a hand on his cheek before kissing his forehead and turning to Gideon.

"Sweetie, the train is the safest place for us right now. You can roam around if you want to or stay and catch some more shut eye?" Gideon hesitated to answer as he shook his head, hugging Kiari. She nodded and returned the hug, "Please be safe," she told him.

"After that first explosion I don't know if I can sleep again right now," he let out a weak chuckle as he exited the room closing the door behind him.

Though the exterior of the train seemed rather futuristic the inside had some modern tones to it. The lights bled a eggshell white or a watered down lemon. The walls were wooden. A smooth light brown in color with dark red trims lining both the top and bottom. The door frames, window frames and light fixtures were all gold.

Gideon hardly saw anyone outside of what appeared to be the general staff. Anyone who he classified as a 'Regular Regg' was either in a rush to get somewhere or not at all too talkative. Gideon didn't mind it one bit, this was the first time he was able to see so many of his kind in one place. He'll take what he could get.

As he walked down the hall he tried speaking to a few Reggs who either chose not to respond or acknowledge his presence. After a while it was kind of discouraging for Gideon. He took no offense to it however. The look of sorrow and defeat was scribbled across their faces. Gideon wondered if they shared the same feelings as his mother did for the south.

He continued to attempt greeting people when the faintest glimpse of a white puff attracted his peripheral view. Snapping his head quickly to face the direction of the glimpse he noticed the same girl from before, large white afro puff, light blue eyes, dark beige skin. She had been staring at him from the other end of the hall, smiling, waiting. She held her hand out and beckoned Gideon to step forward. Gideon of course was hesitant at first but he was already curious about who she was and this was the only way he could find out.

He slowly walked up to her as she began to turn around guiding him further down the train. The two had been walking for nearly 6 minutes as the girl immediately stopped. Gideon does the same watching her closely. She walks through a door as Gideon tries closing the gap and ends up walking into a large lobby full of other Regg children.

Gideon almost forgot where he was for a second. He looked across the room watching all the kids play as if a war wasn't happening above their heads. He rubbed his eyes making sure what he saw was real. Back at his now old school he was the only Regg child on the roster. Seeing all of these Regg children here in one place comforted him somehow.

A tap on the back broke Gideon from his brief taste of paradise. Turning around he'd notice the girl he had been following earlier standing right beside him. She joined him for a moment as they watched the children play together. Gideon continued to watch her as she paid him no mind. She continued to smile watching the kids play. She wore a long sleeve black button up dress with a short red skirt sewn to it. She had white leg stockings and lovely black polished leather shoes.

"I'm Cecile," she looked at him with a closed eye smile.

"Gideon," he returned the gesture. His eyes soom trailed back to the kids. Just knowing Reggs knew happiness gave him more hope than active could ever realize.

"You must be new here," she said as she grabbed his hand pulling him to a separate corner of the room; a part of the room less in your face with children. She took a moment to analyze him before taking two chairs and placing him in one. Sitting in the one next to him she begins pointing at the somewhat distant group of children, "Most if not all the kids here are Orphans. Myself included. As much as the North loves preaching diversity, the mortality rate of Regg parents is increasingly high because people want a world with less of us in it." Cecile turned her head to Gideon who nodded ensuring her that he was following, "My brother and I hop on this train from time to time to recruit any orphan we can find and who still has some fight left in them. We are going to stop the war."

The passion in her voice nearly made Gideon's eyelids flutter. Cecile captivated every part of his existence. This is the most talking he had ever done with any child his age ever. It both scared him yet made him happy at the same time. A small pocket in the back of his mind was trying to wake up. It was waiting for him to snap back to reality but after a few minutes of attempting to bring himself to, he gave up relieved to know he wasn't dreaming.

"So you guys help Regg kids by giving them a home?" He asked. She nodded immediately just as eager as ever to respond.

"We help with it all! Food, clothes, shelter, supplies. We operate under the nose of the Monarch's of course but we have been running our group for a year now," Gideon's face revealed curious confusion as a name that Cecile had mentioned caught his ear.

"The Monarch's?" Cecile looked at him eyes wide. She busted out into immediate laughter but soon stopped just as quickly when she noticed Gideon was serious; visibly taking no offense to the sudden outburst might I add.

"You really have been living under a rock haven't you?" She said with a soft smile assuring Gideon she was teasing, "The Monarch's is the name of the organization that operates the Army of the South. The leader of the fleet and organization is known as the Queen of the South, Yasiella Jhun," Cecile's light blue eyes dimmed their tones when she mentioned Yasiella's name and Gideon took note of that.

"What is she like...Yasiella?" Gideon had asked, but before he could get an answer the train stopped and an announcement on the intercom informed everyone needed to return to their rooms immediately. With almost no time for Gideon to meet the other Reggs or even have his question answered, Cecile pulled out a pen and quickly wrote 'Mourning Cloak' on his hand.

"Find us in Hun City," she said before disappearing in the stream of children that poured out the doorway. Gideon waited a few minutes before exiting the room as he didn't feel like being shoved.

Once making it back to his room he noticed both of his parents were still sleeping. After going on that mini adventure with Cecile, Gideon himself felt tired as well. Navigating through his parents he made his way to his sleeping area and almost immediately fell asleep. A small smile resting with him.

The next several days on the train operated rather quickly. Gideon tried going back to the room with the children but whenever he went no one was to be found. He even tried going at different times and it was almost as if they never existed. Looking at his hand he panicked as tears nearly formed in his eyes but the reassuring scribble of "Mourning Cloak" on the back of it eased his worries and calmed his doubts.

He never told his parents about his encounter with the children. Come to think of it he didn't feel the need to do so. This was a secret he was fully content on keeping.

The train soon announced its arrival in Hun City and the feeling of goosebumps clustered throughout Gideon's body. The family had already packed their stuff as they were one of few who left almost immediately. Just like in Galvin City, Enyo led the way while Gideon and Kiari followed close behind. He had ordered them a cab service as their place was a little ways away from the station. All cabs in Hun City are completely self operational and only require the destination address and payment to function.

Enyo called one down as Kiari began taking off her luggage and Gideon's whose eyes seemed to have been shot open the entire time. Standing before him was the large copper, steampunk Capital of the south, Hun City. The cars, though all seeming to have been scrapped together, ran at an optimal rate. Several large blimps hovered overhead broadcasting announcements about the weather and current news on the war.

The cab soon approached as the family hauled all their belongings in the back getting inside.

"Hello! Yasiella Jhun welcomes you all to Hun City. Hallowed be her name!" The cab vehicle soon drove off as the family decided to remain in silence most of the way to their new abode. The sky was bleak and the clouds leaked with little to no effort. Gideon stared out the window watching as all the Reggs walked by in their natural habitat; his natural habitat.

15 minutes breezed by as the family had arrived in front of their new abode. Though it was a large brick wall building, the bricks were sanded down to make the texture all one layer on the outside. There was a cozy feel to its appearance as Gideon almost immediately adjusted. The moment Kiari told him to pick a room he had darted upstairs and threw his clothes in the first room he spotted. Soon leaping back downstairs Gideon presented himself in front of his parents.

"Can I go explore?" He said, eager to check out the new city. He had already put on his poncho for the rain and took off his shoes for boots. Both Enyo and Kiari couldn't help but look at each other, they never thought they'd see Gideon be so excited about anything. Surely denying his request would be inhumane.

"Just please be careful and watch your surroundings," Kiari said as Gideon was already halfway out the door now. Enyo comforted her as they watched Gideon walk down the bronzed street.

Little did they know, Gideon had an agenda set into motion one he was hoping could be accomplished today.

"Mourning Cloak," he muttered looking at the back of his hand. He had no idea where to look or who to ask and with what little information Cecile managed to give him, Gideon found himself fishing in the dark. Throughout his search for the Mourning cloak he took a few moments to sight see. There was a vast number of towering scrap sculptures, a few dozen street merchants and more than enough soldiers in white.

"Those guys must be the Monarch's," he said watching an entire squadron navigate down the opposite side of the street. He pressed onward and after about an hour of searching he nearly gave up before something stopped him. Looking to his right he saw a large dark alleyway which he proceeded to walk down. All that could be seen was a faint light shining on the onyx plastic of the trash bags. The closer Gideon got to the trash a sweet aroma penetrated his nostrils.

The smell brought Gideon face to face with the garbage as he noticed a sticker debuting a sword with an angel wing hilt slapped on the can. Out of instinct he knocked on the can a few times before scratching his head. Nearly giving up he would soon find that the floor beneath him had given way causing him to fall down an air shaft that seemed endless.

After about five minutes of falling Gideon finally came to a thud, "Ow" he exclaimed, rubbing his lower back area.

"So this is the kid you were talking about?" A boy with glasses and a cane walked up to Gideon eyeballing him, "He doesn't look like much," Cecile had appeared from behind the cane wielding boy guiding him back as to respect Gideon's space. Once Gideon's vision was able to adjust he had to double take the situation. It was another room full of children only this time they were all staring as right at him, almost as wide eyed. It appeared to be a bunker with a plethora of screens and monitors lining every inch and corner of the room.

"Be nice Arin. Everyone, this is Gideon, welcome to the morning cloak." She said helping Gideon to his feet. Everyone stared Gideon down several moments longer before welcoming him as well. Everyone except Arin of course.

"Yeah we'll see how long you last," Arin descended further into the bunker. He never really did like being bothered.

 

[JabaWaba]

Chapter THREE

FIVE YEARS LATER

Life in Hun City felt almost as natural as breathing the moment Gideon and his parents arrived. They felt as though they could worry less about their surroundings and actually make plans for the future and not just the next day. An insane yet needed upgrade from Galvin that's for sure.

Since moving to Hun City however Gideon began seeing less and less of his parents as the days bled into months and the months withered into years.

About a month or so of living in Hun and Gideon's parents were almost immediately summoned by Yasiella For work. Their work required them to travel to the floating fortress which was Jun City, a newly remodeled Hun. They couldn't travel back and forth as freely as they wanted to and Gideon would sometimes go days by himself. For this very reason, and others including the Mourning Cloak, Gideon managed to persuade his parents in homeschooling, hiring him a full-time butler, babysitter and mentor all in one.

The Butler was a man named Sarvius. He did sport a large moustache and soul patch, but aside from that he wore a long black turtleneck sweater with light grey dress pants and black dress shoes. He didn't look like your run of the mill butler. Though he was well versed in quite a few fields of education presented to him for Gideon's studies, he seemed oblivious to actually looking after children during the earlier years of being Gideon's butler.

Throughout the time of Gideon being mentored by Sarvius, the man has failed to catch Gideon sneaking out of the house all 34 times that he has done it. He has gotten better, though these slip ups created ways for Gideon to explore Hun City for himself and to break himself of any remaining fear he was holding on to. He's broken free of his days of feeling like a damsel. Though he is only 13 now, Gideon's definitely shown aspects of exponential development.

"Gideon!" Kiari called from downstairs. Both Kiari and Enyo were dressed in a fancy royal blue blazer with a white line streaking diagonally from the shoulder and a silver burette hanging slightly off his head. It was their usual attire most days now. Yasiella required all Monarch employees, soldiers, and representatives to wear their uniforms at all times unless they were sleeping. She wanted to make sure the presence of security was felt in all corners of her cities.

Gideon made his way downstairs. Definitely a lot taller than he had been before. His white fluff of hair had been beautifully dreaded, his once lightly tanned skin had darkened from the temperature of the South. He was wearing a red tank top with black shorts. Honestly if it wasn't for his amber eyes no one would be able to tell it was him. The moment he spotted them in uniform his nose turned up.

"You guys are going to be gone for another week aren't you?" He said stopping at the bottom of the stairs. Kiari and Enyo were standing at the door but Gideon refused to approach any further. Ever-growing tension thickened the air as Sarvis walked from out of the kitchen with fancy yellowish-pink drinks. He always tried to intervene when a family argument was underway. They seemed more frequent now than ever.

Gideon grabbed one of the glasses Sarvis had present and began to drink from it. Enyo and Kiari politely declined before addressing Gideon.

"We go through this every time...we have to work for Kiari if we want to continue living here in Hun," Gideon rolled his eyes as he sat the drink back on Sarvis's platter. Before Gideon could continue his rant Sarvis had placed a hand on his shoulder. Gideon looked at him and took a deep breath. Enyo remained silent the entire time as he and Gideon kept eye contact for a few seconds before Kiari opened the front door, "We will see you in a week, Gideon. Please stay out of trouble," Kiari said before exiting the house with Enyo. As soon as the door closed Gideon couldn't contain himself anymore.

"They are always gone! Things were supposed to be different!" He threw one of the glasses as it shattered against a wall. The yellow liquid slid down the will dragging glass bits down with it. Sarvis, unfazed by the situation, rolled his eyes and immediately cleaned up the mess. Gideon took note of the situation and regretted it instantly, "I'm sorry Sarvis... I could have cleaned it," Gideon said as Sarvis waived his hand at Gideon's offer.

"This is what they pay me for. Plus you're just a kid who wants to see his parents more. There isn't anything wrong with that," Gideon's face softened up as Sarvis smiled at him. He gestured for Gideon to follow him as he scooped up the remaining bits of the mess and walked into the kitchen. He motioned for Gideon to sit at the table before disappearing into the pantry to throw away the mess.

Closing the door behind him he went to go sit across from Gideon, "How about we break some rules today?" Sarvis asked with a roguish smile.

"What do you mean?"Gideon flashed him a puzzled gaze. Sarvis walked to a nearby counter top that had a stack of regular physical books. I say that because most if not all forms of reading of any sort is done digitally.

Sarvis grabbed a book titled 'Your Augment and You' and sat it on the table. Things were silent for a moment as he flipped through the pages reading the source material. A few faint chuckles escaped his lips as he finished up his skimming. Gideon sat, patiently waiting for Sarvis's grand reveal. Usually Sarvis always taught Gideon from a tablet-like device that projected 3D images for better interaction, but today was a different day and Gideon felt it. All of Sarvis' instructions have taught Gideon a lot about the world before him and the races that inhabit it. Ever since his first lesson, Gideon never lost focus.

"What do you know about Augments?" Sarvis asked.

"Nothing. You never taught it," Gideon's response caused Sarvis to shoot him a disappointed yet understanding look.

"That was a safe answer. Technically you shouldn't know anything about Augments at all unless you work for or with the Monarchs. An argument is an extension of what Reggs are," Gideon went wide eyed as this was the moment he was waiting for. True knowledge that'll teach him more things about reggs; about himself, "You are a smart kid Gideon, and I don't mean that because you are a Regg...intelligence comes naturally to us but there is a greater intelligence buried deep within you, which is why I am sharing this information with you," Gideon readjusted his seating as he pulled out a tablet to jot notes on.

Though the two seemed to have always been strangers to each other, in these recent years and past days Sarvis has been an outstanding father figure to Gideon. Just hearing the compliment Sarvis gave him unleashed a smile he tried to contain.

It has been a rough couple of years adjusting in Hun City. After the home invasion and having to move overnight the family thought they'd be able to live like a family again but Sarvis was immediately hired a week after Gideon and his Parents arrival and crom that moment forward Enyo and Kiari were Yasiella's newest lap hounds. They'd have one or one and a half days to themselves before they were off working again.

What they did for work even till this day was still a mystery to Gideon. Every time he'd ask it would lead into an argument, but his perception was too high. Eventually Gideon figured they were up to no good. He remembered how much his mother cursed Yasiella's name. There was just so much he didn't understand and wanted answers to and his parents were being uncomfortably withholding. Sarvis just seemed to be the comforting shoulder Gideon needed in these years of adjustment.

Moving back to the two of them in the Kitchen, Sarvis further explains in detail a Reggs Augment.

"Even though we weren't granted the flashy abilities our neighboring races possess, we were gifted something even greater, a power that is as strong as we ourselves make it," he got up from his seat and walked over to the counter opening up a drawer. Digging inside of it he pulled out a notebook and a pen, "I'll demonstrate my own," he says, grabbing the book about augments placing it in front of himself whilst closing his eyes.

After a few seconds his eyes shot open and a glowing cyan ring appeared around his iris slowly fading in and out. He opened the book and flipped through the pages cover to cover once through. Closing the book he grabbed the journal and began filling the pages with words in seconds.

After two minutes had passed Sarvis closed the journal and handed both it as well as the book to Gideon. It all happened so fast that Gideon barely had a chance to follow, but playing along he took both the journal and book. He opened the journal first and the look of disbelief didn't shy away from his face. The first page of the journal looked identical to the cover of the book. Flipping through the pages he noticed that the journal was in fact a written replica of the book.

"How can I do that?!" Gideon asked gleefully. It was the first time he's ever seen a Regg perform such a feat and how amazing it was for him to see it for the first time.

Sarvis cackled as Gideon's spirit in learning gave him an immense amount of joy.

"Well not every Regg has the same augment and or an augment at all. Even with knowledge being withheld from the general public the chances of a Regg having an augment are fifty-fifty," Gideon shot Sarvis, a look of disappointment. Noticing the sudden mood shift Sarvis switched gears, "now that doesn't necessarily mean you don't have one," Sarvis motioned for Gideon to stand up so he could position the chairs to face each.

Signaling Gideon to sit down, Sarvis did the same in the chair facing him. Sarvis closed his eyes once more as they opened up with the same ring around the iris only this time it was a bright silver color, "I can assure you this will hurt us both but it's how one Regg is able to communicate with another without using words. It's what we call a Stigma Link. By clasping hands with a fellow Regg you are able to share information with them through your own knowledge and even access their dormant augment to unlock and awaken it," while Sarvis explained Stigma Linking, Gideon took it upon himself to jot down every word he had spoken. Sarvis paused for a moment as he let Gideon take the time to finish up his notes.

He smiled at the boy, it was a smile that had tones of sorrow smeared in its corners. He had looked at Gideon as if he was pleased yet sad. Though they've only known each other for just a little over 5 years Sarvis was pleased he managed to help be apart of Gideon's growing progression. He was proud at how far they had come.

Once Gideon was done with his notes he gave Sarvis his full attention. Sarvis reached out for Gideon's hand grabbing it firmly.

"Since you haven't activated your augment I'll teach you how to stigma link first," Sarvis' eyes switched from silver back to cyan as a surge of digital energy could be seen resonating off his hand seeping into Gideon's. As much he wanted to scream the information overload that Sarvis had provided to him was more than enough for him to excel in his future studies, "My augment also allows me to instantly share knowledge as well without the hassle of a Stigma Link but in your case and the future you're going to need a link of your own if you want to truly survive in Southern Odrea."

It was some much needed fruit for thought as Gideon sat in the chair recovering from the Stigma Link trauma. After about five minutes Gideon took another deep breath nodding at Sarvis informing him he was okay. Just as soon as he was going to ask a plethora of more questions his eyes shot wide when he took a glance at the clock, "Oh no, is that the time?!"

Without giving Sarvis much time to respond Gideon had bolted up the stairs to his room. Not even seconds later he comes stampeding down the stairs fully dressed in different clothes. A white sweater, grey poncho, black pants and black boots.

"I promised some friends I would meet up with them later, thank you Sarvis! You're the best!" Gideon immediately walked out the door closing it behind him as he darted down the street.

"Class dismissed," Sarvis set unable to hold in a pleased chuckle that continued for a few moments until he cried, "That boy is something alright," he said wiping the tear from his eye.

Meanwhile Gideon found himself dodging his way through people as the rain pelted his face. The sound the water made as it hit the metal piped streets was melodic. A sound that has become much too monotonous for the people of Hun, but not for Gideon. It was an aesthetic that made it worth waking up every day.

Gideon made a sharp right down the next road. Around every corner was a person wearing a blue blazer and silver burette; the monarch staple. They never did bother Gideon though, primarily because he was a kid. However these were darker days.

The road he had turned down halted at a dead end. It was a cul-de-sac of abandoned homes, all of which have seemed to have been forgotten in history. Gideon approached the house to the far left. It was the most intact with faded cinnamon walls. It had the only thing closest to a garden among the rest of the deserted homes.

In fact, most homes in Hun City do not have gardens, front yards or backyards. Hun itself is completely industrial. There are too many factories and construction sites for any kind of vegetation to be thought of or about. The streets were primarily made out of sheet metal, pipes and stone. The city itself had been scrapped together from the ground up and many don't want to change how it looks so they fix and repair what is needed.

As Gideon made his way into the abandoned home he took one last glance behind him as to make sure he wasn't being followed. Directly in front of the front door entrance, inside the house' was a small coat closet that Gideon had opened and walked into. He pressed a few buttons inside the closet as it rotated around revealing what appeared to be a large control room. Computers mounted on every wall, blueprints sprawled across the floor, tables and ceiling and kids galore, hard at work, doing what it was they were doing.

Gideon took off his poncho and hung it up on a nearby stand as he proceeded toward everyone.

"Gideon's here!" One of the kids shouted as they happily ran over to Gideon locking him in their arms. He greeted them with the same friendly gesture as a few other kids repeated the action. Everyone else had their faces buried in some sort of screen or blueprint. All of whom seemed to be hard at work.

"You finally decided to show up?" A voice peered through the sound of welcoming children. A boy with glasses, a low top haircut and a metal cane had walked up to Gideon; a scowl burning into his expression. Gideon held his hands expressing his innocence with a smile, "Did you forget what today was? What we have been planning for the past several weeks now?" Everyone in the room went silent as the moment grew awkward.

"Sorry Arin. I had a surprise instruction today," Erin rolled his eyes as he clicked his tongue. He sped-walk with his cane as he grabbed Gideon using his free hand. Arin led him into a room far off in the back where several other kids, all more or less Gideon's age, seemed to have been patiently waiting.

"We were all thinking you weren't going to show," an older Cecile would say as she turned to face him from a bench. Her hair had been finely styled in a colony of braids that bundled themselves around her large afro puff like a hair band. She handed him a suit which he quickly stripped down to put on.

Cecile and everyone else in the room turn their heads gasping in disbelief.

"Ew Gideon!"

"Gross!" A few of the kids had shouted as Gideon shrugged and proceeded with clothing himself. The outfit provided to him was primarily black with outlines that breathed a cool blue color.

"You guys seemed like you were in a rush. If that wasn't the case, well then this is what you get," as he adjusted all the right areas properly fitting himself, Erin rolled his eyes and proceeded center stage to the room. Everyone gathered around as they finished putting their own gear on.

Including Gideon, 6 Reggs occupied the room; Gideon, Cecile and Arin of course as well as three other teens, Naia, Gavin and Elle.

"Let's get this rescue going!" Elle boomed with excitement. She was a smaller girl who had tan skin, dull gray hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. She pulled out a small device which she slid her finger across, dimming the lights in the room. A spherical image project itself just behind Arin as he turned around to face it. It was a 3D Image of Hun City mapped out, block to block.

"As you can see the transport departed Docking station A about fifteen minutes ago. If we cut across the Lex District, we can intercept them at their next layover," Gavin made his announcement. He seemed to be one of the taller Reggs with buzzed white hair, mahogany toned skin and a middle lip piercing.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Naia added. Her two large white havana twisted braids hanging just past her shoulder blades and skin kissed by cocoa. The energy radiating off of the Reggs filled the room. Everyone's hearts were pumping. Gideon and Cecile glanced at each other, sending nods of understanding.

"This is probably one of our most dangerous missions. With how drastically the war has changed course, the Monarch's have been slightly more on edge than usual. Pay attention to each other, pay attention to me, and most importantly pay attention to yourselves," after Arin finished his brief speech everyone wearing a suit placed their hand on their chests. Black helmets formed around their heads instantly. As they all proceeded to a doorway toward the back.

"Operation Rescue starts now!"

 

[JabaWaba]

Chapter​

FOUR​

The Mourning Cloak was founded by Arin and his twin sister Cecile when they were both 6. They lost their mother during birth and their father took his life after 5 years of pushing strong without the mom. Arin and Cecile didn't have any other family to turn to and if they did they certainly had no clue where to find them.

The initial vision of the Mourning Cloak was to find and rescue other orphaned Reggs and provide them with a home, generally a group house. Every Monarch Rescue train that left Hun City they managed to sneak on in hopes of finding orphaned children. Their no casualty success rate was at a whopping 96%.

It wasn't until after meeting Gideon did the vision for the Mourning Cloak expand. Gideon had the kind of soul that wanted to help everyone. If he saw someone in need he'd put aside his own worries and would help them instead. It was a trait that inspired the Mourning Cloak and all its members. They wanted to do better than how they currently were. Be better than who they currently are.

It was because of Gideon that they saw their true potential and how far they could take themselves. It only took a little push to set everything in motion, but that is usually just life right?


"Squad A. here and ready."

Proceeding back to the mission however, everyone was in position. Gideon, Naia, and Gavin were perched atop a tall building, just across the street from the Transport Station. Cecile and Elle were in a large truck wearing Monarch Uniforms, posted outside one of the transport stations. In the back of the truck were two older men. Both bound, gagged, bloodied, stripped and unconscious. They seemed to have been wearing Monarch Uniforms. Arin was posted back at the Mourning Cloak HQ where he operated as the eyes and ears for everyone.

"Squad B. here! We managed to subdue the Monarch soldiers. They are hurt but nothing major at all," Elle chimed in through a head piece. Arin smiled from behind his screen as he began typing away adjusting his glasses. His eyes scanned every symbol and word that appeared on the screen before responding to Elle.

After pressing a few more keys and switching screens he adjusted his glasses clearing his throat, "The transport will be arriving to you guys in approximately fifteen minutes Cecile and Elle. Gideon, I need you, Naia and Gavin to tail the truck the entire way to Cecile. Apprehend any and all Monarch soldiers who pose a threat, but under no circumstances must you put your life or others at risk."

Everyone agreed to the current plan in motion. Gideon and Naia, well more so Naia decided a brief conversation was needed to kill the time as they waited for the transport to depart. Naia was the embodiment of suspicion and although she has known Gideon for just a little over 3 years she still treats him, from time to time, as a complete stranger in dire need of some interrogating.

"So you say you're a Regg, but your eyes are definitely orange. No Regg has ever had orange eyes. It's always blue. Maybe a different shade, but blue nonetheless," Naia raised an eyebrow at Gideon who only chose to acknowledge her once she was finished talking. She squinted her eyes as if prepared to catch him in a lie.

Gideon just stared at her. He's given her the same response time and time again. He had no idea what else she wanted to hear. As far as he knew he was a Regg. Only his eyes were a different color but every other Regg feature checked out. He couldn't even form an appropriate response to her question. All he did was shrug his shoulders and flash her an innocent smile.

Naia obviously hated the response as she scoffed rolling her eyes. Moments later a large door slid open from the Transport station as a hover-crafted truck pulled out beginning its departure.

"It's heading off," Gavin chimed in the radio breaking from his silence. Squad A. began to scale the adjacent rooftops. As they would prepare to jump from one roof to the other their suit's shoes would light up sending out a pulse strong enough to launch them a good distance forward.

The truck made a series of turns but Gideon and his crew never let it out of their sight. Though the blanket of night was a good enough cover for them not to be seen, they still had to be careful of any Monarch air surveillance they might encounter.

It had been a good 10 minutes of Gideon, Naia and Gavin tailing the truck from the rooftops. Nothing strange had happened outside their predictions. Everything was going according to plan.

"Why are rescue missions a pain in my ass?" Naia asked as she lept to another roof following Gideon with Gavin close behind. It was an obvious rhetorical question that Naia dared anyone to answer but knowing now wasn't the time for pointless banter everyone remained silent from that moment forward.

They had soon arrived in front of the station where Elle and Cecile lay in wait for a single.

"Wait somethings not right," Gideon said as everyone watched the truck park in front of the station momentarily before quickly pulling off.

"What the shit?" Naia said. Everyone was clearly confused by the sudden change of course. Gideon on the other hand had adapted to the situation almost too quickly. He had continued to follow the truck as its speed began to increase. It was an odd situation indeed. Just the very look on Gideon's face gave it all away. He had no idea what was happening or what he was doing.

The mission had to be completed. His actions alone shouted those words. Naia and Gavin understood as they followed him.

"Elle. Cecile. We are going to need you guys to tail them with us. They are rerouting but I have no clue why," Gideon said, hoping Arin had an answer but he was just as at a loss as Gideon.

"Their GPS is offline as well. I can't follow where they are going," Erin through a glass he was drinking across the room. Too frustrated to figure out a different plan. No one knew what else to do, but the mission had to go on.

Cecile and Elle were following behind in their truck. There were several vehicles between themselves and the transport as they didn't want to be spotted before they got closer. Everyone remained silent as they tried to see where the transport was going exactly.

They continued to follow it for 10 adrenaline pumped minutes. Naia and Gavin were already losing their breath but Gideon could probably go on for a few more days. His entire demeanor revealed that. He was unfazed by the constant jumping and diving needed to be done in order to get from roof to roof. It was almost as though he was partly treating the mission as a workout, but that's just the kind of shape Gideon is in.

He was tired of how scrawny he looked and felt and has been working at himself day by day to do and be better. And the results and certainly paid off.

The truck soon comes into contact with an expansive intersect. Cecile and Elle manage to follow it just fine, as for Gideon, Gavin and Naia, they were surely about to face some problems.

"That is a big jump Gideon," Naia said as he saw how far the other roof was from where they were, "These suits were built for distance, but they aren't the newer models. They can only go so far!" Naia said whilst still trying to catch her breath. Gideon continued to press forward. His vision tunneling in on the mission objective: The Transport.

"They are right Gideon, you guys can circle back around and meet the transport at the Umber District. I managed to snag their GPS destination goal. Do not do it Gideon, if you guys reroute now- Gideon!" Without giving it much thought Gideon had decided to mute Arin while speaking to Elle and Cecile.

Although Arin was the acting leader of the Mourning Cloak, Gideon never once acknowledged him as anything more or less than a friend or a brother. It didn't have anything to do with him being the leader, he just viewed him as his equal and nothing more.

Naia and Gavin slowed their pacing as their eyes widened. Gideon had made it a good two roofs ahead of them before making it to the large street gap.

"Keep driving Elle!" Gideon shouted as his speed began to gradually increase. From afar he would almost look like a blur. It was as though all of his other instincts had wiped themselves from existence. His determination and strong-headedness got the best of him, as it usually always does.

Once he had made it to the last rooftop, he curled his toes off the edge of the building, crouching downward, launching himself at Elle and Cecile's vehicle. Gavin and Naia immediately stopped dead in their tracks once approaching Gideon's take-off point. They just stood at the top in disbelief.

"Holy fucking shit! What was that?" Elle said almost slamming on the breaks.

"Keep driving, it's Gideon!" Cecile said smiling back at Gideon in the side view mirror. His head was hanging over the edge of the truck top as he waved back at Cecile.

"Is he insane?!" Arin's voice blared through everyone's radio, "I make simple rules for a reason, we aren't indestructible," Erin being upset was justified, however the mission itself was still going on meaning all other banter would have to wait until later.

The transport seemed to have been oblivious the entire time. The streets were also generously filled so any or all outlandish stunts had the potential of going unnoticed. There honestly wasn't a better time for this mission to be happening. It was almost as though the stars were aligning in their favor, which was good for obvious reasons; the Mourning Cloak's 96% mission success rate will not be tarnished.

Gideon laid his body on the roof of the vehicle as Elle proceeded on with Naia and Gavin following behind from the rooftops. It was a chase that had gone on an hour longer than what they were planning on, but as the vehicle began to reach the more secluded areas of Hun, the Mourning Cloak knew they had to be on their toes.

The civilian count in the area they transitioned to drastically depleted. Less cars. Less people. Less buildings. After one final turn made by the transport the destination they were all waiting for was in view.

It was a far smaller station than the one they were originally at. The outside of it even looked beat up. The windows were cracked but not shattered, at least not completely. The doors and walls were corroded in rust and even the security gate took a few years to fully respond.

The transport soon stopped as Gideon snuck his way into Elle and Cecile's vehicle. Elle managed to silently maneuver the truck up against a run down building cutting off the lights and engine. They didn't know if they've been spotted or not but at this point it didn't matter. There was no point of return, not when Gideon was around.

The three of them stared at the transport waiting for someone or anyone to step out. They needed to know what they were up against, but after 5 minutes of waiting not a single soul stepped foot outside.

"C'mon what's happening?" Naia spoke through her radio watching from above with Gavin, "is it safe for us to move forward?" Fear and anticipation mixed together in the bowl of her voice.

"They are just sitting in the vehicles, no signs of movement yet," Gideon had responded leaning his head over the dashboard squinting his eyes to perfect his vision enough to catch any kind of a glimpse, but with no luck he slumped himself back between Elle and Cecile. Everyone was at a loss and didn't know how to proceed forward.

"...G...Gid...G-gideon!" Arin's voice broke free from Gideon's radio, "Mute me again ass hat and see what happens!" He was angry for obvious reasons but he knew his anger had to wait for the sake of the mission. He was just internally excited to rip Gideon a new one, "I can hack their radios from inside without being detected. I just need you guys to keep ALL of your radios on and switch them to frequency 3 so I can have a perfect signal."

Switching the frequency of their radios, everyone waited while Arin worked his magic. It didn't take longer than 3, maybe 4 seconds for him to hack their communication system, linking it back to everyone's radio. It was a gift of Arin's; one he himself took great pride in.

"This place has always creeped me out. Why did we move everything out this way again?" One of the soldier's voices came in through the radio.

"Yasiella's Orders. I guess we have to be more discreet with our cargo now. Too many people watching," they were far too correct for their own good.

Once Arin cut the transmission everything was silent for a few moments as the group gathered their thoughts. Naia and Gavin managed to sneak down from the roof they were on as they maneuvered their way into the back of Elle and Cecile's stolen vehicle.

"We know there are two of them. We also know they aren't aware of our presence," Cecile silently chimed in, "we have the numbers," she added.

"But what if they have guns? I wouldn't want to risk a rush," Gavin stated.

"I hardly doubt they are going to shoot at us kids," Elle mocked.

"Is that a risk you are willing to take?" Arin asked.

As the group went on about their options Gideon kept his eyes locked on the transport. He was two having inner chats with himself about what would and wouldn't work. You could practically see the smoke rolling out of his ears.


Gideon sat still heavily thinking about what could be done and how he could go about doing it. It was then when he had noticed the transport door opening on the passenger side.

"I'm gonna go take a piss, start unloading the cargo," he soon vanished out of view as the driver side door opened up revealing another soldier. Gideon fanned his hand to draw the attention of the group. He examined the full exterior of the soldier and saw nothing that posed a threat other than the soldier himself. Gideon quickly crept over Cecile as he slid out the passenger side door. Keeping his head low and his footing silent he quickly worked his way to one of the pillars holding up the gate.

Cecile and the rest wanted to chase after him but couldn't risk being exposed and Gideon was counting on that. They all peered through the window watching carefully, hearts pumping with fear and adrenaline.

Gideon has pulled a countless number of stunts like this. Putting himself in harm's way for the sake of others. Most loved as well as hated him for it, but it is in his nature and after a while most if not everyone eventually accepts it. Eventually.

Gideon took a few moments to examine the situation again. The soldier hadn't turned around. He was too busy jimmying open the lock to his truck to notice or even spot Gideon. With this careless Gideon seized the moment and activated the pads on his suit's hands. Sparks jolted from them as he charged at the man full throttle.

"Hey what the f-!" The soldier shouted just before Gideon managed to send jolts through his core knocking him out cold. The moment the body slumped to the floor a 'HELL YEAH!' screeched from his radio. He quickly shut it off turning around as Naia had her mouth covered apologetically waving at Gideon.

A heavy set off tension rested itself atop Gideon's body. He took a look at the transport after making sure the soldier was unconscious. Just to his luck the door had been unlocked granting Gideon immediate access inside. Quickly sneaking inside the darkness of the transport Gideon tapped his shoulder switching on a flashlight.

"O-oh wow," Gideon could help but stand in amazement by what he had seen. That back of the transport had rows of cages all with different kinds of infant creatures inside. Switching on his radio he approached one of the singular occupied cages. A tiny Pulm was inside. Pulm's are serpent-like saber tooth cats. Their fangs are translucent while the poison that sloshes in them is always dark in color. It was completely spooked, "I found them," Gideon said as he managed to open the cage to try and comfort the Pulm cub. It whimpered at Gideon but never did it strike him. It had a beautiful salt and pepper coat with an array of speckled light brown spots on it.

The Pulm began to sniff Gideon's hand as he adjusted his fingers to make it easier. Once the Pulm got a good enough scent it rubbed its head against Gideon's hand causing him to smile, "Attagirl," he said as he managed to pick her up, "Now how does female Pulm have fangs as large as yours?" Gideon said smiling at his new friend as she licked his nose.

He walked throughout the rest of the back as he examined all the creatures that were in cages, "Let's get you guys out of here," he said as he made a makeshift sash out of some materials nearby to hold the pulm easier.

"Uhm Gideon? The other soldier is coming back. What are you doing?" Elle shouted through the radio as Gideon hadn't thought about a means of dealing with the other guard. Quickly flipping through files of ideas in his head Gideon responded.

"Everyone stay put, we all can't be seen if anything goes south please think about the Mourning Cloak," Gideon turned his radio off once more as he could hear the footsteps from outside approaching.

"What the hell happened? Oscar?! Oh shit," the soldiers scuffling about caused Gideon to take a rather noticeably loud step back. The soldier immediately reacted to the noise drawing his gun. He walked into the back of the transport gun drawn trigger finger ready. Gideon had turned his flashlight off prior as he watched the soldier through the cages, "I know you are in here," the soldier said, making his way closer and closer to Gideon.

Once the soldier had made it a decent way away from the exit, Gideon began to slowly creep his way toward it. Just seconds away from freedom and he felt it. As he got closer he could hear the soldier readjusting his gun.

As Gideon managed to make it to the exit a clicking noise behind him erased the pigment from his skin and the shit from his bowels. After taking one big gulp Gideon slowly turned around to meet his demise.

BANG!