Deal.

I saw the grimace on Dean Fogg's face but I saw no answer.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He insisted.

Alright. Let's push a little.

Maybe reveal his and Jane Chatwin, aka, Eliza's secret about the time loops.

"Really? So you wouldn't mind me talking about what you and Eliza are-"

"Stop!" Dean Fogg shouted, "I get it. Everyone, out. I need to talk to this man alone."

"Henry you have to be joking. He is .... We don't even know what he is. The potential for disease transmission-" Professor Lipson argued.

"Yes. You felt that magic too didn't you? You can't expect us to leave you alone with him here!" The herbology professor, Bax, yes.

I remember him now. Hamish Bax.

"It will be fine. He's no threat. He doesn't even have any magic left, do you Mr. Walker?" Dean Fogg asked.

I shrugged.

Of course I had some magic left. But I wasn't going to tell him that.

Keep a few cards up my sleeve.

"Nope. I was hoping my bluff would work but I guess you're not a master magician for nothing."

"He can just use the ambient magic in the air."

"He won't." Fogg turned to me and noting the surprised look on my face he smiled smugly, "For some reason you're not absorbing the ambient magic. I don't know why and honestly I don't care."

"Then we should send him away now before-" Lipson interjected.

"Sure. If you think you can take the Beast alone. After all, you did so well the first 39 times didn't you?" I chided.

"What is he talking about Henry?" Lipson asked.

"Nothing. Just trust me. Please. I can handle it. Out now. We have other students to interview. We can't waste too long on him." Fogg requested.

"Okay. But I want an explanation once it's done." Lipson insisted, as the teachers moved out of the room.

As they left the room, I pulled up a chair and sat down opposite to the Dean, leaning back, relaxed.

"So.....Dean Fogg. Can I call you Henry?"

"No."

"I'm gonna call you Henry." He rolled his eyes.

"So Henry. Here's the deal. I can help you beat the Beast, minimal casualties."

"And I should believe you why?" He asked.

"Because you have no choice? It's either me or everyone dies. Again.

You might want to use a short term memory wipe on them after by the way." I advised as Fogg put up a soundproof barrier around the room.

"I won't need to. They are trustworthy."

"But not trustworthy enough to know about the time loops eh?" I teased him but he chose to ignore it.

"And besides, if you fail, they won't remember a thing next loop. I must say, you better be right.

I'm not looking forward to dying a 40th time."

"Yeah about that. This is the last loop. Eliza dies this time." I spoiled.

"And the good news keeps coming." Fogg chuckled, taking a swig from his hip flask.

"How much do you know?"

"Enough. In that Martin Chatwin is the Beast. Uses wild magic. Drinks from the Wellspring to gain power. Has a moth fetish. Should've named him Mothra by the way. Big missed opportunity for you guys.

But getting back on topic.

He has supposedly killed Umber and sent Ember into hiding. He rules Fillory with an iron fist. He's trying to shut it off to the multiverse as we speak.

He kills off most of you by the middle of the semester.

And you loop it back to the start and change a variable. Try again.

Wash, rinse, repeat. Tell me if I missed anything."

"That's about right. We get screwed every time. And we keep trying." Fogg snorted with laughter hysterically.

"Well worry not. I'm here and I will take care of it this time." I assured him.

"I hear a but coming." Fogg snarked.

"But you have to pay a price. It's just business."

"How's this for a price. I let you stay at Brakebills and don't kill you right here, right now."

"And take on the Beast all on your own? My oh my! How brave of you! I'm sure the Beast will relish gutting you one final time."

"Tch!" Fogg clicked his tongue, "And how do you plan on dealing with him? He can fight off the entirety of our staff. Incapacitate gods."

"So can I." I replied nonchalantly.

"And that's another concern of mine. For all I know you work for the Beast. Or are the Beast."

"Don't be ridiculous. If I was the Beast you'd be dead." I said, laughing, "I can deal with you even without magic."

"Sure you can." He scoffed, but at least he seemed convinced that I wasn't the Beast.

It was expected too. Despite all his skepticism and caution, he was given to certain presumptions.

It was the same reason he couldn't figure it out when the Beast possessed a former student and infiltrated Brakebills.

Because when he doesn't know something, he tends to default to what he dies know and sticks to it, unwilling to take risks until he has consulted a specialist.

An admirable attitude for a scholar, but when fighting a monster who has created his own branch of magic, it was a wholly inadequate attitude.

Because with the Beast, no specialist could determine the nature of a magic they didn't even know exists.

Not that I'm going to point it out. It works better for me this way.

"We have tried everything. Nothing works." Fogg explained, defeated.

"Everything you say? Have you tried orbital bombardment? Guerrilla warfare? Fillorian insurgency? Just burning all his supplies in the middle of the night? Just stealing a nuke and y'know.... " I made 'bwush' noise, gesturing bombing the world out, "Because I'm willing to bet he won't survive that."

Dean Fogg's face was a picture of surprise and horror.

I chuckled.

Everything my ass. They didn't even try basic tactics.

"Sometimes, the solution isn't magic. It's simply more dakka."

Dean Fogg mulled over my words for a moment and looked me up and down.

"That is certainly a ... unique solution. Provided you can achieve this." He doubted my words.

"If everything goes according to plan, I won't need to. Orbital bombardment is just one option. I have more. Many more solutions."

Fogg made a 'hmmm' sound and rubbed his face, in worry.

"Say this solution works.....what do you want in return?"

"Nothing much. Just a place at Brakebills for me and my wife while we're here. An exemption from expulsion. Your supply of living metal and a guide to making magic batteries. Some living clay for research. Complete access to your library, warding scheme, and perpetual magic battery designs, including the good shit you hide out back.

Two spells.

The Rhinemann Ultra and The Voltaic Transfer.

Eliza's magic watch and key.

And a Word As Bond contract with you swearing to secrecy all that I do. Don't want your superiors taking advantage of my tech. Especially Irene and her scheming family."

Irene McAllister. Board member, trustee and puppeteer behind most of the Brakebills stuff.

She and her family, the McAllisters are minor antagonists in the show, enslaving fairies, using their ground up bones as a magical substitute for mana. They are freed by one of the protagonists, Julia Wicker during a later arc as part of her journey to godhood.

That won't happen this time though.

Because I will steal it from her. The god seed that is.

I will be the saviour of the fairies. And in return, I intend to get a hefty bargain.

Some of the rarest and choicest materials only available in the fairy realm, including one of seven magical keys that can be used to control all of magic itself when brought together.

A long term plan.

For now though, I will prepare, skulk about in the shadows and let the plot progress as it will so I can milk the world for all I can get.

And maybe, just maybe, have a relaxing, enjoyable experience this time around in college.

Unlike five years ago where I was the model student, and party pooper that never had any fun in university.

Might as well enjoy university like it was meant to be enjoyed.

With shallow friends and shitty beer.

"Irene isn't so-" He argued, only to get a deadpan look from me.

"Fine. She's opportunistic." He agreed, producing a contract, "I can agree to all those terms except the watch and key. They don't belong to me. I can't give them to you. The living clay is a gift for Lipson's next birthday. And I don't have the Rhinemann Ultra. You will have to find it yourself. The rest I can provide."

"That's understandable. Mind if I...?" I asked.

He shook his head handing it to me.

I went over the contract and added in a few details, altered some clauses and handed it back to him.

He skimmed it and frowned.

"What do you have against the library?" He asked, probably having read the secrecy statute I put in there.

"Nothing much except that they're authoritarian dickwads who hide away important knowledge, trap people in absurd contracts and peep into everyone's lives with their pet prophet. They're practically running the lovechild of the gestapo and a black company there. It's less a library and more of a cult." I ranted.

"That's exaggerating it a bit. They are selective but-"

"Let's not get into semantics Henry. Just....if they don't know something about me that you do, keep it secret. Not asking anything more of you." I pushed the contract at him.

Fogg sighed, and nodded, swiping his hand over the contract adding another line.

"Okay. Fine. But don't drag us into whatever conflict you have with the library."

"I'll try." I said.

"That will do. Now what about this wife of yours. Where is she now?"

"She's currently... indisposed but will arrive here soon enough. Just grant her admission like any other student." I explained.

"If she doesn't enroll within the first month, I'm afraid, even I can't help you with that. It'll draw too much suspicion.

Unwanted attention and prying eyes are not good when keeping a secret."

I nodded in agreement.

"So then, deal?" I asked.

"Deal." Fogg replied, signing the contract and I followed suit, "Let's hope you weren't lying about the god killing part." He sunk back in his chair, defeated and handed me a packet with my coursework details.

I grinned back.

"I wasn't. Send the materials to my dorm by today. I'd like to get to work asap. And uh.... don't tell Eliza anything. Keep the loop as you had originally planned this time. No changes. It's important, trust me." I said.

"Sure thing." Fogg groaned, gesturing with his hands, undoing his barrier spell.

"Come in!" He shouted, and the professors, walked in, taking their seats again, but their eyes remained transfixed on me.

Especially Lipson who was giving me a particularly nasty stink eye.

"You're giving me an absolutely sinful look there Professor Lipson. If you want a taste you need only ask!" I winked at her and she fumbled with her words.

"Bu-what? N-no!" She cried, composing herself, "No."

"Doesn't do well to hide your feelings darling." I teased, "But fine. You know where to find me if you change your mind."

"You!" She cried indignant.

"Enough!" Fogg bellowed, "We have come to an arrangement. Mr. Walker here will enroll in Brakebills alongside his wife." He put an emphasis on that last part eyeing me with warning, "And they will be put together in a dorm, in secret. No questions asked. It is matter of great emergency so please, I request all of you to keep it a secret. I will explain everything once the time comes. That is all. You may leave now, Mr. Walker. We will talk later."

"Yeah. Just get out!" She growled, blushing, as the door slammed open.

"Alright alright. I'm going." I laughed and ran out as a snow globe flew past my head smashing on the wall.

Hehehehehhe.

How cute!

I'll have fun teasing her.

Now then, let's prep that magic battery and re arm myself.

I need a portal gun asap, so I can fetch Wanda in time for the school year.

With that, I left the school grounds to gather supplies for a new lab and workshop.

Best to be prepared, after all!

________________

MC makes a deal. Dean Fogg has his horizons expanded.

Orbital Bombardment is always a good option.

More dakka!

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