"Star boss, we're almost there!"
Grimm-Guard exclaimed as we flew over the gates that lead to Andromeda. Usually, that would be a gigantic no-no, but considering I've been missing for the last four days, I figured it would be best to just head straight to the dorms.
As I flew over the campus, I was happy to see that nothing had changed in the four days I'd been gone. It was around noon, so most students were in class. Thanks to Grimm-Guard, I reached the dorms in a matter of minutes. Grimm-Guard descended from the clouds and levitated a few feet above the ground in front of the front door. I quickly hopped off his head and patted him for a job well done.
"Good job, Grimm! Thanks for getting me here so quickly." I praised him.
"Anything for the Star Boss!" Grimm-Guard exclaimed then returned to my farm crystal. I turned and approached the front door, and as I reached for the doorknob, I heard yelling from inside.
"Lady Jane, you need to rest! You've already spent all night looking for Chase. You're going to get sick if you keep this up!" Iris yelled.
"We left him, Iris! We left him and something happened to him! He's been gone for four days, and no one knows where he is!" Jane exclaimed. "If I hadn't been so prideful and hurt for how he challenged me the day before and just walked with him to the boutique, he'd be here now! I'm not stopping until I find him!"
The front door was suddenly jerked open, and Jane came storming outside and ran straight into me with Iris close behind. Jane jumped back and looked like she was about to snap until she saw my face. Then her eyes widened, and tears formed in her eyes.
"CHASE!" Jane exclaimed and tackled me so hard that I nearly toppled over. "I'M SORRY! IM SORRY! I'M SORRY! I SHOULDN'T HAVE LEFT YOU TO FIND THE BOUTIQUE BY YOURSELF!"
I flinched as Jane started crying into my chest. I looked to Iris, who was standing close behind Jane. She had tears in her eyes as well and looked like she was about to break down as well. I gave Jane a tight hug and shushed her.
"It's fine, everything's alright." I said softly.
Jane continued to cry for several minutes before she finally cried herself out. She wiped her eyes and took a step back to look up at me.
"Where have you been?" Iris asked. I groaned and scratched my head sheepishly.
"Unconscious. I used up all my mana and ended up passing out." I said.
"So you were involved in that massive fight in the poorer part of the city a few days ago!" Iris exclaimed.
"Yeah…I was kinda the instigator…." I said.
"Oh, for Set's sake!" Iris groaned and rubbed her forehead. "More than half of that part of the city's been a war zone for the last four days!"
"Yeah, that's cause I might have overthrown a homicidal gangster that was the leader of that area, and now the gangs in that area are fighting for the territory…" I said.
"WHAT?!" Iris snapped. She stomped over and slapped me on my shoulder. "It's always something with you!"
"Hey, in my defense, you two left me unsupervised!" I defended.
"You're eighteen! You should be able to not get in trouble for one day!" Iris snapped.
"And you know that is impossible for me! And despite knowing this, you left me unsupervised!" I exclaimed, then crossed my arms and huffed. Iris scowled and me then ran her hands through her hair before letting out an exasperated groan.
"Well, he's obviously fine! Stupid Star Child!" Iris grumbled, then turned and stomped inside.
"Love you too, Tri-clops!" I called out to her. Iris flipped me off over her shoulder and slammed the front door closed. I chuckled and then looked down at Jane.
"Are you okay?" Jane asked quietly. I smiled at her and flexed my fingers in my right hand.
"Better than okay. I feel well rested, refreshed…" I replied, and then I noticed the state that Jane was in. Her clothes looked wrinkled and slept in. She had dark circles and bags under her eyes and looked generally exhausted. Now that I had thought of it, Iris looked the same. "…you two looked for me."
"Yeah…everyone in class did…especially when it became dark and you hadn't arrived at the boutique." Jane said.
"Sorry, I worried everyone. I'll be honest I kind of forgot about the boutique and everything. I got wrapped up in a bunch of stuff." I said. Jane chuckled and wiped her eyes.
ccc "Overthrowing Gangster overlords…" She said softly. "…sounds like something that would happen to you. Sorry you have to deal with that alone…"
"I wasn't alone…a lot has happened, and I'll explain everything at a later date, but I think you need to get some sleep." I said. Jane blushed and brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Yeah…I probably look like a mess…"
"Only a little bit.." I teased. Jane chuckled and turned to walk into the dorms. "…you should go and see Lady Baset. She's been searching with us for you as well and is just as worried as we were."
"I'll head there now. You get some rest." I said. Jane started to head inside the paused and turned to look back at me.
"You are coming back, right?" Jane asked.
"Of course! I came back today, didn't I?" I said. Jane smiled and nodded.
"Yeah…you did." Jane smiled softly, then headed inside.
I turned and looked towards Baset's lecture hall in the distance and started walking towards the building. Since most people were in class, the streets of the college were basically deserted. It didn't take me long to reach the front door of the lecture hall and walked inside.
The lobby was deserted, which struck me as odd. Despite this, I walked over to the elevator that led to the upper levels and got inside. Taking it up to Baset's office, I felt the atmosphere suddenly became tense as I stepped onto the floor. I walked down the long corridor to Baset's office. As I approached, I heard Baset's voice screaming on the other side of the door.
"We have a student that went missing, and none of you can find him! What am I paying you all for!"
When I opened the door I saw a book fly straight for my head. I didn't have enough time to dodge and was hit square in the nose.
"OW! FUCK A DUCK!" I exclaimed and grabbed my nose. Inside the office was a half dozen of Baset's security standing in front of her desk at attention. Baset was standing behind her desk with her arm extended.
"CHASE!" Baset exclaimed then raced from behind her desk and rushed up to me.
"CHASE MY ASS! YOU HIT ME WITH A BOOK!" I snapped and took a step back. Baset walked around me looking me over for any sign of injury other than the one she inflicted then sighed in relief.
"You're okay." She said softly. I sniffled and rubbed my nose.
"Yeah. I ran into a spot of trouble and had to deal with and ended up singing all my mana. I just woke up a little earlier today." I said.
"Trouble…you were involved in that fight in the bronze city a few days ago…I should have known…" Baset muttered. She turned and addressed her security detail. "You're dismissed. Go back to your regular assignments!"
The men all quickly filed out of the office and closed the door behind them. Basey walked back over to her desk and plopped down in her chair.
"You gave everyone a good scare when you didn't show up at the boutique. Scared Jane and Iris to death when you didn't show up at the dorms by the next morning. Have you seen them?" Baset asked.
"Yeah I just left the dorms. They both look…tired." I replied.
"That's putting it mildly. Did you and Jane have a argument?" Baset asked.
"Not exactly no…" I said. Baset frowned at me then arched a brow.
"Jane and Iris were the last ones to reach the boutique and when I asked them where you were Jane said 'That egotistical Yankee can be rotting in a ditch for all I care!'" Baset said.
"Explains why I nearly died so many times that day. Jane cursed me…" I joked. Baset levels me with a gaze then frowned.
"What happened between you two?" She asked. I looked away and contemplated sawing nothing but found myself smiling my guts.
I explained what happened the day before class and the bet that Jane and I had made. Baset sat silently as I then went into a rant about the brutality of traditional splicing and how much of a bone head Jane had been for not even considering using techno-magi, how much of a idiot I had been for challenging her to a duel since I had no idea how to start revolutionizing splicing. When I had let everything out Baset sat silently for several seconds then let out a loud sigh.
"You really are something. You were missing and presumed dead for four days and the first thing you do on coming back is complain about a duel you challenged your teammate to." She said with a shake of her head. "I guess it's true what they say about thin lines…if you're going to try and change splicing why not focus on what you know about techno-splicing and then learn some more about splicing and splicers. It might help you with your duel though I'm sure that's the last thing on Jane's mind right now."
"Yeah…she seemed really worn down." I said, feeling a pang of guilt.
"Well it gives me an idea for the next class…which you should definitely make sure to attend Chase. Considering you've now missed four days of class." Baset said.
"Oh come on! The last one wasn't even my fault and who holds class when they're missing a student!" I snapped.
"You got lost going to the boutique! How is that not your fault?!" Baset exclaimed.
"I was left unsupervised!" I defended. Baset groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"How have you made it to eighteen?!" She exclaimed. She suddenly stood up and walked over to her bookshelf and scanned the entire thing looking for a book. When she found the one she wanted she pulled it from the bookshelf and tossed it at me, I caught it easily.. "Your homework, Mr. Incompetent, is to read that book and give me a four page book report on it!"
"BOOK REPORT!" I exclaimed. "Since when do you give book reports?"
"Since my top student decided to get lost for four days and then act like a smart ass when he comes back!" Baset snapped then pointed a finger at me. "My classes have been too east for you it seems."
"Easy! I nearly died countless times because you wanted to take the entire class to the ass end of the continent in the middle of the desert! Not to mention all the times I nearly died this time because you couldn't be bothered to leave directions!" I snapped.
"Quiet you! Four pages on my desk by next class! You're dismissed!" Baset exclaimed and shooed me out of her office. I narrowed my eyes at her then stomped out of the office.
"THIS IS BULLSHIT!" I bellowed as I made my way down the hall towards the elevator. Once inside the elevator I took a look at the book that Baset had given me then frowned as I read the title. "The oldest Magic, a in depth look at splicing…"