Episode Forty Eight - Protective

Chapter Song Suggestion "Ghost Trigger by Shikimo ft. FRACTAL MAN"

*note : all dialogues like so {example} are spoken from the predator's perspective

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THE PAST | Veres

"You left her to die!" he shouted at Levente's detached expression. "You left her entire team to drown in that ocean. Their deaths are on you, Levente! How little conscience you have even though it was caused by your negligence. You and your unhealthy obsession with the lab experiments."

"I believe you are overexaggerating, Commander Falconer and this situation has been publicly resolved," Levente said coldly, resuming his paperwork. "I agree that their deaths were most unfortunate but, I do not appreciate you barging into my office and behaving in such an uncouth manner. You forget yourself, Commander."

His fists tightened. "No, you don't get to push the blame on someone else when it was your mistake. You didn't respond in time to their distress signal and even after, you only dispatched a small crew for appearance's sake. You're a selfish bastard, Levente."

That was enough to make the Lieutenant General pause in his writing. Slowly, he raised his head and finally, there was a glint of anger in his eyes — a reaction. "Watch your mouth, Falconer. Just because you are one of Ataxia's outstanding scientist doesn't give you the right to swear at me and accuse me of negligence. Get out of my sight. Don't make me repeat myself or I'll have the guards drag you out. You don't want to sink any lower than you already have, Falconer."

Veres threw back his head and laughed madly, hinting at a deteriorating mental health. "You think I care about my reputation at this point? No, Levente. It was your mistake to make an enemy out of me." He composed himself. "Fine. If this is how you want to play it, then you better be prepared. I'll have my vengeance, Levente. Even if I have to die, I'll drag you to hell to pay for your sins!"

The heavy doors slammed shut behind him as he strode out, intent to leave Ataxia behind him once and for all.

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PRESENT DAY

"Venetia…,"

His whisper snapped Eira out of her short-lived trance, and she moved to pull away.

"Just a little longer," he pleaded quietly. This unexpected vulnerability reminded her of the man she saw through Venetia's eyes. Eira didn't doubt that he missed his wife. Muscles relaxing, she tried her best to comfort a hurting soul. Feeling the weight of someone's stare, she noticed Regis watching them by the doorway. His expression was closed off, betraying not a clue to his thoughts.

Once he recovered, Veres gently pulled away. "I'm sorry about that."

Eira wasn't sure what to say.

"It seems you truly connected with my wife's memories."

She wondered at the surprise in his voice. "What have you done to me?"

"Regis showed you my late wife's memories. It's one of his abilities."

"H-How is that possible?" Her gaze darted to Regis — part horror, part awe. "What else are you capable of?"

"That's all you need to know," Regis answered her calmly.

"Would you like to meet her?" Veres reeled her attention back to him.

"Your wife?"

He nodded.

"Yes, I'd like that." Eira was curious to see Venetia's face. Although she had experienced the woman's emotions, she never saw herself in a mirror and Veres didn't have photos lying around. She also realized she was no longer in the greenhouse but in an actual home. It was nothing like the cold, sterile floors of the military dorm. The floors were made of actual wood, and sunlight streamed in from large, beautifully framed windows.

She followed Veres down a carpeted hallway to an isolated door at the end. Turning the knob, he held it open for her and she gingerly stepped in. The room was lightless, except for a single ray of sunlight peeking through the curtains. She heard Veres's steady footsteps and the light 'swish' of the curtains being drawn.

A gasp escaped her lips.

Lying on the four-poster bed, was a very beautiful woman in deep slumber. At least, she looked like she was asleep. "I-Is that…?"

"Yes," Veres answered solemnly. "That's Venetia Falconer, my wife."

"You found her body?" It might seem like an impersonal question, but Eira's hand trembled as she reached out to touch the body. "Is she…alive?"

"No. After I retrieved her corpse, I had her body preserved. What you see is just a shell of who she was."

A sob rose in her throat, startling Veres and Regis. "It felt like I was with her every step of the way. I'm so sorry this happened to her. She didn't deserve such a tragic end. Your wife loved you very much. Her last thoughts before she passed were on you and the baby." Eira glanced at Veres. "I-I thought you should know."

Veres squeezed his eyes shut. He knew this to be true but, hearing the truth from her lips made it hurt a hundred times more, renewing his thirst for vengeance. "After seeing the truth, are you willing to help me now?"

Before Venetia died, she had desperately uploaded her video logs into the Ataxian database. There must be a reason for it. In order to access those files, she needed to return and the only way Veres would allow her to leave was if she agreed to help him. "Fine. I will help you but, I have one condition."

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Lars dismounted and urged Aeolus to hide and wait for his signal. Whoever Falconer had sent after him was a tenacious bastard. They endured an interminable race against death, zipping in and out, over and under twisted groves of knotted branches and giant roots. Lars had never been more thankful for Aeolus's aerial dynamics. One mistake and they would have plummeted to their deaths.

They managed to lose the enemy while Lars hid between the cracks of two massive roots, his finger curved on the trigger. As soon as the marrow eater flew by, he released fire and watched it crashed to the swamp floor. He waited a few seconds until the coast was clear before whistling for Aeolus. Suddenly, his hideout was bombarded, forcing him to abandon it and take cover. Fireballs dogged his footsteps as he raced across the trunk.

"It doesn't seem fair that you know who I am, yet I don't know your name," Lars hurled the words over his shoulder.

His flame-haired assailant cocked a smile, posturing with his reaper. "The name's Kadmiel. And that was a dirty trick you just played on me. Now I'll have to find a new marrow eater."

Unlike Eira, Lars didn't have love to give for all predators but, he didn't appreciate Kadmiel's ruthlessness. Lars couldn't imagine shrugging off Aeolus's death as if he were a replaceable tool. The Gryphon was an honourable and loyal creature who had earned Lars's respect. "I don't think it's a new predator you need but a change of attitude."

"I don't take orders from no one," Kadmiel spat scornfully. "Now hurry up and die, Captain. I don't have all day." He aimed and fired.

Lars dropped and rolled, saving his ass from a barrage of fireballs. They were both long-range hunters and if this volley of back-and-forth retaliation were to drag out, there would be no end.

Think, Lars! he exclaimed to himself. Kadmiel was undoubtedly hot-tempered like his hair colour suggested. Arrogant too. Brats like him were predictable, and it was their glaring weakness. "Is that all you can do, Kadmiel? It seems Falconer has overestimated your ability if he believes you can kill a Captain. The joke's on you when I send you back in pieces." He surveyed their surroundings, looking up and down for something to use to his advantage. High above Kadmiel was a solid branch. An idea formed in his mind.

"Shut the fuck up!" Kadmiel growled, firing in the direction of Lars's voice. "I'm not here to listen to your chit-chat."

"Tell me, where is Falconer right now?"

Kadmiel snorted. "Like I will ever tell you. That's a stupid question."

Lars kept him engaged, ensuring the young man didn't move from his spot. Subtly tilting his neck, he saw Aeolus circling the air, no doubt awaiting his command. The beauty of a Gryphon's strength rested on its mighty wings and Lars trusted his companion's ability. Stuffing his fingers between his lips, he whistled sharply, commanding Aeolus to strike to his heart's content.

Before Kadmiel realized his intention, Lars lunged for cover as the Gryphon flapped its wings, creating a concentrated gust of wind that shook the surrounding forest. The leaves rustled and the branches creaked and moaned, protesting against the unnatural force.

Unknowingly trapped, Kadmiel shielded his eyes from the cutting wind. It was enough to distract him, and Lars took the shot, aiming for Kadmiel's head.

BANG!

The strength of his air bullet tossed Kadmiel into the air but not before his head exploded like a ripe watermelon. Lars wasn't a savage but, he was getting impatient. All he wanted to do was find Eira, not meddle with this surly brat.

"Aeolus! Come!" he roared, running out into the open. As soon as the Gryphon appeared, Lars didn't hesitate to jump and off they went – partners in crime. "Let's regroup with the others. Eira's missing and we need to find her."

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"What's going on, Captain?" Florian demanded agitatedly. "What do you mean she's missing? Eira was just with us!" His anger betrayed his concern for her.

"Calm down, Florian," Lars gritted his teeth. He was equally on edge with the turn of events, but as Captain, he was trying to keep a level head. "We don't know for sure, but I think she went willingly. There was no sign of a skirmish, and I found her bracelet. She was trying to tell me something."

"What should we do?" Like hell Florian was going to sit around and twiddle his thumbs while Eira could be in mortal danger. "How can we track her down?"

"I can do it," Anaelle volunteered without pause. "As long as the signal's not jammed, I might be able to track her chip."

Lars nodded curtly. "Do what you can, Anaelle." They were interrupted when his private communicator buzzed. It was Mickael.

"Can you talk?" his mentor demanded on the screen.

"I don't have much time. Have you found anything on Levente and Falconer?"

Mickael blew out a wisp of smoke. "As a matter of fact, that's the reason why I'm calling. It seems you were right about their history. Levente was responsible for the death of an underwater expedition team ten years ago and Falconer's wife was the head biologist. They were attacked by a Baskeray fledgling but, it was enough to damage the submarine and their evacuation pods. Bad luck wouldn't even begin to describe the situation." Disgust and warranted anger strangled his tone. "When headquarters received the distress call, Levente failed to take immediate action, delaying his response and after that dispatched a small crew to handle the aftermath. Upon media accusation of neglect and irresponsibility, Levente shoved the blame onto the dispatch team's inefficiency."

"That bastard," Lars seethed. "What was his intention?"

"Nobody knows what goes on in that fucker's mind. He's just an evil pain in the ass for years. Falconer became an aggressive activist against Levente and stirred plenty of trouble in the first year. He demanded compensation and pressured Levente to retire from his post. When nothing worked, Falconer disappeared but only for a short while."

"What do you mean? He didn't disappear altogether then?"

"No, he took a six months' leave and when he returned for duty, his subordinates reported his strange disappearances. Needless to say, his actions roused the government's suspicions and when he was summoned for questioning, Falconer conveniently vanished without a trace."

"He must have been planning his escape the entire time," Lars concluded.

"Who could blame him? With Levente rooted in the heart of Ataxia's corruption, the entire system is compromised."

"Does Falconer plan to execute his own brand of revenge?"

"It's the only logical explanation. If the law isn't on his side, then he's going to be his own vigilante. It's befitting of his reputation as a dedicated scientist, and I assume he would apply the same level of commitment in his revenge scheme."

"Clearly he's dangerous."

"Yes, he's a high-level threat. To humanity that is." Mickael frowned. "Have you discovered the little girl's whereabouts?"

Lars grimaced. "I don't know for sure, but I think Eira is with Falconer as we speak."

Blue eyes narrowed in a leery manner. "What happened?"

"Falconer's up to something," Lars admitted his suspicion. "He just launched a mass predator attack across all nations. We've cleared out Sciurus, but I believe this was merely a smokescreen for his real objective.

"Eira Ulva."

Lars knew Mickael would catch on quickly. "Yes, and I'm wary of what's next."

"Can you trace her location?"

"We're working on it."

"Let me know what else you find, and I'll update you on my end. If you need help, you need only ask." There was a wealth of meaning behind Mickael's words. He knew better than anyone that Lars would only ask for help when he had no other choice.

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Veres couldn't help but notice the dragon's odd behaviour around Eira. After she agreed to help them, Eira insisted to see her predator who had been restless ever since that incident in the greenhouse. It fought rebelliously against his mind control, even going so far as to destroy the windows of his greenhouse, roaring uncontrollably to regain its senses.

He had experienced this twice – now a third time – in his life. It was almost impossible to overwrite a predator's will when it was in the throes of volatile anger or fear. In rare cases, if the predator had a strong bond with its human companion, it would be overprotective – like Naga, his Thrydran predator – had acted when Venetia was pregnant.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Eira's question broke through his pensiveness.

He decided to satisfy his curiosity. "Are you by any chance pregnant?"

She stilled to the point where anyone passing would mistaken her for a statue. Eira recovered promptly, hiding the jitters in her stomach with a breezy laugh. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Predators don't usually berserk without a reason," he said plainly. "Your hybrid is being very protective of you. Why is that?"

"Xue Long's always been protective."

"Yes but, has there been any strange or excessive behaviour that deviates from its usual demeanor?"

Eira wondered what he was getting at. It was true Xue Long was gentler in their recent training sessions and overly attentive. Even Aeolus had been giving her strange looks if one could call them that. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You have much to learn about predators, Eira. Your dragon is overprotective of you because you're in a delicate state," Veres remarked point blank. "I experienced this when my wife was pregnant. Naga was…impossible to deal with."

This had to be the most bizarre captor-captive conversation in history, Eira thought wryly. "You have a predator?"

"Yes, perhaps you will meet him one day." Veres knew she was avoiding the main topic. "I didn't mean to pry; I was only curious."

Eira refused to soften up. Venetia had known how excited and blessed her husband felt about their baby. Veres was over the moon, but that dream died as quickly as it came.

"Father, we're ready to leave," Regis interrupted from the garden doorway.

"Regis will accompany you to Ataxia." Veres rose to his full height. "If you fulfil your part of the bargain, then I will release the little girl and the man."

Eira held him in a penetrating stare. "And after that you'll leave me alone?"

Those ethereal blue-grey eyes reflected open amusement. "That is an answer for another time."