Zac was home and Machi was too. Evermore was... asleep. After the last few weeks she needed sleep. "And anyways, she has that gala event today with all the benefactors of the city. As well as Lord Hogwood and Lord Hellyer being in attendance. Lady Harkness needs some beauty sleep." The scientist teased his sleeping wife. Zac was also attending not as Evermore's husband but as a researcher and one of the strongest in Academy City. "And will I also be asked to come?" Machi sighed.
"Lord Hogwood's daughter and Lord Hellyer's grandson - mind you he's 5 - will be in attendance. So yeah, come along."
But what Machi wondered was why he was leaving now. "I've... got to speak to a friend."
'Go, he's going to speak to Dawson if my instincts prove true.'
The voice scared him when he remembered he now had Carbine in his mind. And thanks to him, that's how the pair ended up arriving at Jo's residence. "You know, if the only time I was here wasn't because I got in trouble at school... I'd be much happier being here." Machi nervously chuckled. After all, unlike Evermore, who picked a house close to the school and the centre city, Jo had picked a nice house nearer to the outskirts.
Well, Dawson picked it.
"Aunt Jo is at work though." Machi said in confusion.
"And just like that IQ of 217 gets slashed to 60. Not everyone will have a friendship like you and Rocco." Zac sighed. Knocking on the door a few times in what would be perceived as random, but Machi didn't believe so, the door opened and Dawson just looked at the guests.
"Why are you here?"
Holding up two drinks, Dawson sighed and let them in. "I'm just here because I don't fancy being stuck with women and their gala madness today." Machi said before Dawson got any ideas as to why he was here. Almost as though he knew he thought Machi was going to ask about his father. But the Harkness kid really hated being around his mother when it came to dressing up. Being subjected to an entire day at a boutique at the age of 14… he vowed to never go back to that dark place. He wasn't a fashionista.
Noticing the state of the couch, it didn't take someone with a high IQ to realise he slept on the couch ever since he arrived back. Zac didn't say much and neither did Dawson. Just drank their chilled sodas in the silence. Well... 'silence'. There was muttering and swearing coming from behind them where Machi sat on the stool of the kitchen island.
"Machi what on earth has you so angry?" Zac asked. It was almost in a fatherly voice Dawson had never heard from him before. It was shocking, refreshing yet scary to see how much his best friend of over 20 years had changed while he was away.
"My stupid game. Rocco made me lose points AGAIN. I may be smart but I always forget he's horrible at the game." He huffed angrily.
Placing his game down, Dawson watched as he calmed himself down and let himself relax.
***
"Trouble at home?" Ever asked her best friend. Anne noticed the saddened face of Josette Black and she sighed. Felt bad for her, after all Dawson was the man she loved wholeheartedly. Considering in this world, where the possibility of war was dependent on the groups in the northern hemisphere, and Dawson travelling there more than a few times, she was lucky she was able to find love with Dawson.
"No... its fine. Just... I don't get how Rylan, heck even Zac, managed to speak to him after missions." Ever wondered herself too but she knew this mission couldn't have been easy. Though he wasn't assigned to one, Evermore allowed the elemental head off, trusting in his powers.
"Is he coming tonight?" Anne asked as she added the flower band to Jo's hair. Wrapping the chain around her bun, Jo laughed. "Him? To one of these events? You'd have to be hallucinating." Sometimes... she felt like her love was being bounced back against a wall. No she didn't think she could change Dawson from his cold and annoying ways. She didn't want to actually. But she hoped that with time and their feelings... they'd make progress with their relationship. He could open up to her about their emotions, about their love for one another, any worries and stresses they had. But Dawson never was like that. Yeah, he did propose, he did marry her, confess his love, and all the other major events in their relationship, but Dawson wasn't… vulnerable.
Ever grabbed the dresses and her team walked in to ensure no dresses were ripped. "Zac will be coming. Machi won't." Ever said. Everyone knew Machi wouldn't attend events anymore which had them all recounting the wedding that happened almost a week ago and how Machi was basically the honorary guest.
***
Meanwhile, Machi yanked a suit out of his bag and Zac was impressed he possessed a third one. "What? I possess suits." He argued.
"You're going?" Zac asked - amused. Now the Harkness child didn't see the amusement in it.
"Yeah."
'Why?'
'Allows me to see how the city has progressed.' Carbine argued.
Zac walked out of the room and headed to see Dawson. He was in the bedroom of his best friend when Zac smiled softly. "This reminds me of when you got married. Us, in your bedroom, wondering whether you deserved to be married." Dawson looked at the mirror and recounted the day he married Jo. It was scary, he felt like he was going to burst but didn't hate it. Opening himself up for love, he never thought of it as a strength until he met Josette.
Zac held his shoulder and noticed the wedding ring now on his finger. "It's silver. It melts very easily." Dawson argued.
"I know."
"I also know that you can not let down your guard because the moment you do, and something happens, you won't make it in time to protect Aunt Jo." Machi was at the door. "Aunt Jo is not weak. She may not have the strength warranted for the inner circle of the high ranking members but she's a very intelligent person. But she's weak against emotions." Machi had to tell him the truth. His Aunt Jo could challenge the world but having her own husband be distant without an explanation hurt her.
But no-one but Rylan had ever told him the hard truth before.
"Out of everyone I should be the one to... warrant caution. You watched as my father died. But I'm not. I know... I'm beginning to learn my father was just like my mother. Never doing things without a reason. You know yourself that you can't beat Freed. So, even if my father had different reasons, he sacrificed one life to save two. You don't have to blame yourself for something he decided." Machi assured, not blaming Dawson, since in the end, after that moment Freed left. Otherwise, his mother wouldn't have been the only person to bury their husband that day.
***
Red ribbon decorated the ceiling of the hall, painted white and black with the ceiling possessing some ancient artwork. Progressing quickly, the gala headed full force without hesitation. Maybe because the room was filled with rich pompous brats who could buy their way into anything. High ranking agents also attended such as Klaus Sunridge - the man who pulled the stunt of adding Machi. He handles all the trainees, ensuring that the right level is assigned to them before they head back to their relative Training Academies.
Josette Black, communications and strategist, as well as being the top healer of Academy City.
Annalise Lowe, senior Agent heading on regular SS rank missions. She, paired with Jo, handled all the missions. Her job now was mainly assigning missions and ensuring that all the agents were in top shape.
Malachi Loupe is a strange one. Going by Kai, most knew him as the mad(der) scientist, before Zac. Though, he was the engineer that co-lead the project to create Rebus, and all the tech in Academy City and beyond.
Evermore may have been the founder, but Zac and Kai are what keep the City flowing like a calm river.
Other additions were Team Ruth, however only the leader was able to make it. Ruth Watson.
"How are the others?" Ever asked the Captain who was holding a drink in one hand and his other in a cast. They had yet to recover from the mission that had incapacitated them on the day of Machi's parent teacher conference.
"They're strong. Physically they're ok, mentally they're annoyed, PT is nothing to laugh at." He sighed and Ever wished she could do something. But in reality, she couldn't soothe anything. Only provide the tools they needed to help them.
"There was nothing wrong with the plan Annie gave us," Ruth said, "just... there were things that not even she or Josie could calculate."
Despite how Ruth held himself, he was actually only 24. Unlike the people around him, like Ever who was 39 and all the top elites being over the age of 30.
"Other than that, I plan to watch the Citadel exams. It's weird how Sunridge set them out. They haven't had any formal training yet, if they do well enough, they go on more missions than attend the TSA. It's like he's preparing for war." Ruth inferred and Ever wondered if that was where they were heading to considering Freed's return to this little pocket of the solar system. Ever nodded. Not even she knew what went through his mind but she at least knew that the man was on the side of the City. What she hoped right now was Zac turning up before she benefactors stopped socialising and began approaching her.
When she and Ruth realised the gala was abnormally quieter.
"Wow why do I feel so out of place?"
"It ain't just you."
Everyone went silent at the voices and looked to the entrance and saw him. Machi Harkness, besides the man that was there when his father died, Dawson Black, and his step father, Zac Kalona. Even Ever was shocked. She knew Machi hated these events and had no real reason to attend them unless he had to play a part or was asked to come. But even then…
'This is the richest in Academy City?' Carbine asked.
'Unfortunately. They're all rich idiots who buy their way to their wants.'
"Ooh a snack bar." Machi pointed out but was dragged by both Dawson and Zac. "You leave our side, you become subjected to annoyances." Zac warned and Dawson nodded in agreement. Machi didn't realise it was that bad that Zac was sticking to a group when he was always drifting about.
***
Instinctively, Dawson looked out for Jo as the conversations and music resumed. Evermore found the sight quite cute, watching this man who was on the same level as herself seek out the person who could help retain sanity and patience in this hall. Seeing his eyes drift around for her. Noticing she was talking with a group of people, smiling and happy, he walked over to Ever who was being all motherly and sorting Machi's hair and suit.
"Jo's talking." Dawson said before the family could judge.
"You are her husband. You could make an effort and introduce yourself to them." Ever suggested. But Dawson shook his head, leaving her be.
"How's your wounds?" Machi was now stealing food from the plate his mother had, refusing to go off on his own from now on, and watched the pair converse.
"They were healed just after I arrived. I have something you want to see though."
Machi looked around and saw Jo now talking to someone alone. He decided to let the adults talk and head over to her. "Aunt Jo. Save some crab legs for everyone else." Machi whined seeing the many on her plate.
"There's more. And as far as I know, you didn't grow up with such a refined palette. First lobster now crab?" Machi shrugged smugly and she chuckled and shook her head.
The man watched Machi and then looked to Jo. "Is this the Harkness kid?" He asked.
"Machi Harkness. And you are?"
"Dean McGarden."
'McGarden weren't a family around 17 years ago? Are they a new family?' Carbine asked.
Maybe Machi was overthinking but this guy gave him off vibes. 'I sense he's got some weird energy.' Carbine then said. He wondered what that man could do but Machi brushed it off and refocused.
"I'm sorry, I've never heard of you." Machi smiled. "I do pay attention to the different families wanting to buy my mother's approval on projects see." Jo hadn't realised it either.
***
Dawson saw Ever and Zac's faces drop and he nodded. Before more questions could be asked, they watched as a man went flying across the hall and landed in the snack bar.
"Hey! Not the snack bar!" They heard Machi yell.
"YOU BITCH!" The man yelled. He sat up, doused in food and drink, holding his now broken jaw as the rest watched Jo storm across the hall.
'Why were the sources wrong? Everything pointed towards Dawson marrying some weak defenceless woman. Who the hell is she?' Dean angrily thought when he felt his shirt being grabbed by Josette Black. "What do you want?" Jo asked.
"Knock him out!" Machi yelled. No one knew why but Jo did as he said. She looked and saw a syringe in his hand close to his thigh.
'How did he realise?' Jo wondered before Ever ran to her.
"What happened?"
Seeing how worried she was, Jo smiled sheepishly. "I lost a little too much control. Sorry about the snack bar." She apologised to Machi as he pouted angrily. "Now my reason to remain is gone. Fizzled out of existence." Everyone laughed and Jo looked to her wrist and winced.
Dawson approached her and realised they were right.
"Ow ow ow my wrist hurts." She complained. A drawback of using her power without control. Before she realised, a soft flame circled her wrist and the pain began to fade.