The next few days passed peacefully. Hunter went about his business as usual, only without seeing much of Tilda. He'd called her, and she'd said that something had come up with her family, and that she'd be away from the school for a while. If someone were to ask him how he felt about not having to spend time with Tilda, he'd say that at the moment, it was for the best. He didn't feel like his life was stable, and that there was something like a guillotine hanging above his head wherever he went.
Campus security had found out about his apartment and had reported that the security footage from the lobby was absent. Not doctored, but entirely gone. Since there were no witnesses coming forward, they had no way of finding out who was responsible.
Aera said she'd try to get another taser for him, but he'd refused. Hunter was ready to take his safety into his own hands. After his classes, he had spent as much time in the workshop as possible, even outright buying other people's sessions. He'd spent 500 credits a day over the last few days for some extra time, and so far, it had paid off.
Hunter was finishing up his final project for the day. His work with Tilda on force fields had led to a breakthrough. Over the past few days, several previously separate ideas suddenly connected.
The first idea had been about creating a force-field that expanded rapidly, and then shut off. Instead of using it as a wall of defence, what if he engineered a force explosion, like what had happened at the museum? He stretched his creativity to find a solution, and he'd come up with something that worked. The AR requirement exceeded his current battery supply by 15 points. However, at his current growth rate, this would be resolved in about a week.
At which point, he would just remove the battery and use it manually.
What's better was that he'd interfaced it with the wireless transmitter prototype. With a bit of extra power, he could supply both the enhanced armour plates and his invention, which Hunter was calling his F.P.E.
He nodded with satisfaction at the device he was holding. It had a handle, which had two rods which would arc upwards from both the handles ends, connecting it to an emission plate. It was the most compact device Hunter had ever designed, and he'd made four of them.
One set for him, and one for Aera. Hers were even more compact than his, since she wouldn't need any batteries.
Hunter's next plan was to make a small suit of armour based on the principles that he and Tilda had worked on, but he was worried about the timeline. He might not finish it before things escalated, and he'd rather have a surefire way to defend himself, which meant that the F.P.E.'s took priority. In place of a suit of armour, his next project would be the second-best idea. A large shield which used the same principle as the F.P.E.'s, as well as the force field enhancement and networks that he and Tilda had designed. It would be the best of both, combined into one.
He finished at the Artisan department at 6 pm, and the sun had already set. Hunter's strength had continued to increase over the last few days, and so had his appetite. He considered grabbing a bite to eat, but decided that given all that he'd learned recently, he'd probably just go home. The Artisan Department was in what he considered a safer part of the campus. It was a relatively straight walk back to the apartment building, as it was down a major street, which was well lit and busy at this time of the evening.
But he still didn't want to take any chances. Even with his new weapons, he would rather be home safe than forced to test his odds against another group of attackers.
All thoughts about going home in peace fizzled away as soon as he saw Jason Chan come around the corner at an intersection with a group of men. They appeared to be deep in discussion as they walked, and Jason's eyes lit up as he saw Hunter.
"Hunter! What a surprise. Are you hungry? My friends and I were about to grab some dinner, if you'd like to join us."
After calling Clark and telling him about the arrangement he'd made with Aera, Hunter was worried about what Jason's reaction would be. But he'd never called to find out. To Hunter, minimizing contact with Jason meant avoiding being caught in the middle of his fight with Aera. Although, now that he was more aware of what was going on behind the scenes, he wasn't sure that he could say that he wasn't involved. He found himself aligned against the Chans, whether he liked it or not.
"Sorry, Jason. I've got some homework, so I should get home," Hunter said, hoping that Jason would leave him alone.
Jason nodded.
"In that case, why don't I walk you to the apartment?" He asked. Hunter felt his hands sweat. He reached into his pocket where one of his F.P.E.'s was waiting to be used.
"That's okay, I wouldn't want to keep you all from your dinners," Hunter said.
Jason's smile appeared strained for a second, and Hunter felt like he saw something in Jason's eyes which he hadn't noticed before. A blankness, a cold disregard of everything he observed.
Was he imagining it, based on what he'd heard from Trey and Aera? But as soon as he saw it, Jason's friendly smile was back in full, his eyes full of cheer.
"It's no imposition. We'll keep you safe until you get to your apartment," Jason said, and then tsk'd, patting himself on the forehead, "I mean your sister's apartment, my apologies."
Before Hunter could reject any further, Jason was already walking ahead, and his friends were waiting behind, giving Hunter no option but to follow Jason.
He gulped.
Jason slowed his pace until Hunter caught up. He breathed a deep breath of cold air and made a satisfied sound as he exhaled.
"I love this time of year," Jason said, "don't you? I feel like the chill brings a stillness to the air. It feels a bit like being home."
"You're from up north?" Hunter asked. Aren't the Chan's from the LockeMark domain? That entire region was tropical, from what he understood.
"No, no. More like empty of warmth. Cold in another way," Jason said. He was silent for a while, and Hunter took the time to try to dry his palms.
"Anyway, the reason I'm so insistent on speaking with you today, Hunter, is that I need to know what you told your sister about me."
Hunter's anxiety returned, and he didn't hide from it. He didn't want to end up like he'd been when he first started practicing the Internal Arts. Instead, he let himself feel what he was feeling, and reminded himself of the stakes. Jason Chan was dangerous — no matter his intentions towards Hunter. And Hunter was no longer the helpless weakling he'd been at the beginning of the school year.
He and Aera had discussed what to say if Jason ever confronted him. He racked his mind, trying to remember the specifics.
The primary goal was to keep Jason in the dark about what they had planned, which was easy, because Hunter didn't think that they had a plan. Aera had promised him she wouldn't act without consulting him first.
"She found out that we met during the Society meeting. I told her what you told me, and I tried to change her mind. She told me to be more careful in the future, and that I couldn't trust you," Hunter said, summoning the courage to glance at Jason, to see how he reacted.
He didn't react. In fact, his complete lack of reaction felt more alarming than anything he could have imagined.
There was no disappointment, no anger, there was nothing.
"I see," Jason said, and the silence between them stretched for a solid minute.
"Well, I'm sure you had your reasons. I'll be seeing you Hunter, stay safe," Jason said, walking back the way they came. His friends, or Hunter suspected they were guards, made way for Jason to pass through and then followed him.
Hunter found himself alone, feeling both relieved and suspicious. Yet he had no way to channel any of the nervous energy, no thoughts to attach to the emotion, so he did his best to let it go. Hunter felt the guillotine above him shudder. He felt that the string which held it aloft might snap at any moment.
Fortunately, he made it home without issue. He wanted to tell Aera about his strange meeting with Jason, but she wasn't home. She had left him a note on the kitchen counter.
Hunter, I've got some business to attend to. Gonna end things with Jason tonight, and some loose ends to cut off. Don't worry, I should be safe.
Despite her assurance, Hunter couldn't help but worry. She was facing Jason alone?
Was that safe?
But then, what had Hunter expected? That she'd bring him along? She didn't know what he'd been working on, or about his AR. She knew he was getting stronger, faster, and could train longer, but was that enough for her to know she could rely on him?
Hunter tried to calm himself down enough to focus, but the focus wouldn't come. He kept thinking about Aera.
He wondered if he should call Trey.
When midnight struck, Hunter heard a knock at the door.
He frowned. Aera wouldn't knock. Maybe it was one of her friends? He was about to answer it, but then the door suddenly shuddered as something large hit it.
Hunter froze.
It was happening, and it was happening now.
He ran back to the living room table and picked up the F.P.E. devices. He walked towards the door again. He couldn't give whoever was on the other side time to plan an attack when they saw him; he had to strike first.
When Instructor Immanuel made him spar against Emelia, he hadn't realized how much of a gift he was being given. Learning from a loss could be just as rewarding as winning.
The door shuddered again, and he saw the tip of a boot break through near the door handle. Gripped by a sudden urge, Hunter got closer to the door.
It reminded him of the museum. Trapped in a room, with a hallway full of bad guys waiting for him. Except this time, Sly wasn't here to protect him and save the day.
And the biggest difference was that Hunter wasn't helpless. He reached towards the door, pointing the plates of the F.P.E.'s towards the door, and thumbed the activation trigger.
There was no recoil, no light show, and no sound to signal the rapid emergence and disappearance of the field of force with would have expanded outwards in the blink of an eye. But what it lacked in presence, it made up for in effect.
The door to the apartment flew off its hinges with the force of a tornado, slamming backwards into a group of people wearing balaclavas. The destruction was surprising, and with eyebrows raised, he stepped out into the hallway, assessing the damage.
5 people down, by his count.
He'd honestly just hoped to take them by surprise. With a newfound appreciation, he admired the devices in his hands. This time, he'd outdone himself.
With these puppies, 5 versus 1 didn't seem like such terrible odds. Hunter had grown to enjoy fighting. However, he was conscious of his limitations.
He wasn't Aera, neither was he Emelia. Hunter Koar was no warrior.
But being pissed off wasn't a trait exclusive to warriors.
The group got back to their feet and watched Hunter warily. One of them was grabbing at their arm, cursing to themselves. He recognized them. Not by his face, which was covered, but by the pair of boots with the word "CODY" written on them.
Hunter had been looking forward to this day.
"It's been a while, Cody. Good to see you," Hunter said. He stretched his arms out, each F.P.E. facing a different end of the hallway.
He triggered the devices. The pulse knocked back the people closest to him on either side, and he attacked while they were disoriented. The two to his right were the most affected, while the three to his left seemed like they were hyping themselves up to attack him. He wouldn't get too many more uses out of his devices before he'd be powering them himself, and that could exhaust him if he wasn't careful, but he figured he should be able to end this before that became a problem.
He charged at them.
The one closest tried running away, but he bumped into the guy behind him, who swore and pushed him back towards Hunter, whose fist connected with his face. As the man dropped to the floor, Hunter followed through, pointing his fist at the next attacker and triggering the device again.
The second guy flew back a few feet, and the third was already running. Someone grabbed Hunter from behind, and he knocked his head back, feeling a crunch as the back of his head met the attacker's nose. The attacker swore but didn't let go. Hunter felt one of his legs kicked out from behind his knee, and he fell. The man didn't seem prepared for that, as Hunter's fall pulled the attacker off balance. Hunter pushed himself back as hard as he could and the attacker stumbled, losing control and letting Hunter go.
Hunter spun and activated the F.P.E. at the man's legs. He hadn't centred his aim right, but the edge of the area of effect was all that Hunter needed to do damage to his assailant. He winced as he saw the man's leg snap back at an unnatural angle, and the man cried out in pain as he somersaulted through the air.
Hunter could use the device again, but he knew it would be overkill. The guy wouldn't be walking for a long time.
Having watched Hunter summon eldritch forces from the constructs on his hand to toss his friend around, Cody stood again. He stepped backwards as Hunter walked towards him. He held his hands out in front of him.
"P-Please, I'm sorry, let me go," the man said. Hunter slowed down, but didn't stop.
"Is your name Cody?" Hunter asked.
"N-no. I'm George, Cody's my brother's name," he said, then he looked down at his boots.
"Oh," George said, and then he flew backwards as Hunter activated both of his devices.
He wouldn't laugh at the man's misfortune, nor would he call him weak. Hunter would not let himself become like the people who that had attacked at the start of the school year.
But he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy watching George get launched through the air, likely unconscious from the blast. It was payback for the abuse which he and his friends had been so eager to inflict on Hunter. George turned into something like a rag doll as he rolled across the ground. He was still breathing, so Hunter decided not to worry.
Four groaning men lay sprawled across the top floor of the apartment building. Hunter felt drained, but was far from needing a rest.
He inspected the devices in his hands. They were still in good condition, but he could feel that there were some places where the network was having some trouble. Force fields were still difficult for him to work with, especially like this. But he was already thinking of ways to improve them.
He called campus security. They knew already that he was staying at his sister's place, and that the men were all in balaclavas bode poorly for their innocence in this exchange.
The security guards asked him questions for a while and told him to wait while law enforcement was called.
Hunter couldn't wait. He couldn't stop thinking about Aera. There was no way the timing of this attack was a coincidence, and he can only assume how their meeting had gone based on what happened here. He had to find out what had happened.
He called Clark.
"Hello?"
"Clark, I need some information."
"Shit, Hunter. You sound pretty upset. What happened? Are you alright?"
Hunter breathed for a few seconds. As far as he knew, Clark was one of Jason's guys. He needed to weigh his words.
"I was wondering if anything big is happening on campus today? Not any of the official events, maybe something a bit more under the radar," Hunter asked.
"Yeah, there's the weekly club thing. I'm surprised you haven't been told about yet. Oh yeah, don't tell anyone about it, okay?"
Club? He thought.
"What kind of club?" Hunter asked.
"It's this gathering that Jason runs. Most of the big names are down there — all the Council-sponsored youths. Your sister has been making a name for herself. They call her the Queen of the Ring. Like, the fighting ring."
Hunter's eyes widened.
What the fuck was Aera doing in her spare time?
Fighting in a club organized by Jason Chan? He shook his head. The dots weren't connecting, but the picture wasn't making any sense.
Wasn't that the last place she would want to be?
"Any idea where this club is being held?"
"Yeah. You need to be invited, but Jason knows you, so I'm sure it won't be a problem. It doesn't start for another half hour. It's held underneath the bar where we held the Society meeting. I'll meet you outside and bring you in," Clark said. Hunter thanked him and hung up.
His nerves felt like lines of fire flaring through his chest and arms. Hunter needed to confront Jason, and he bet Jason wouldn't be very open to that. Anything could happen. Hunter left the apartment with both sets of F.P.E.'s, the two he couldn't fit in his pants pockets he wore on his hands, tucking his hands into his jacket pocket.
The bar was busy, with a line out the door. Clark saw him approach and waved him into an alleyway behind the bar. Hunter's guard was up.
He didn't trust Clark.
But his paranoia was for naught. Clark led him to a set of stairs leading down to the bar's basement. Clark nodded at the burly man guarding the entrance.
"Who's this?" the guard asked.
"Friend of mine and Jason's," Clark said.
"Never seen him before," the guard said, eyeing Hunter s
"Do you want to explain to Jason why you barred his buddy from the festivities?" Clark asked, his voice holding a hint of warning. The big guard paled, opening the door and waving them in.
"Put in a good word for me," the guard told them as they entered. Clark snorted.
"That was Jerry. Good guy, most of the time. I guess Jason pays him for being careful, so no hard feelings, right?"
Hunter shrugged, not trusting himself to speak. He felt like he was surrounded, a sensation oddly close to something like claustrophobia. Every glance his way was another potential vector of harm.
He remembered the sight of bodies flying as he unleashed primal forces of nature towards the last attackers who tried to mess with him. It gave him a sense of confidence that he was desperate for. It didn't calm him much, but it helped him regain his focus.
He scanned the basement. It was less like a basement, and more like an entire establishment. Even bigger than the bar and restaurant upstairs.
The room had multiple levels. At one end was a spectating area. Surrounding the rest of the top tier and down to the penultimate tier were the patrons. All being served with food and beer, shouting in pleasure or disappointment at the fight below.
What he saw in that ring filled Hunter with a sense of icy dread. His breath caught in his throat.
"Holy shit," Clark whispered, turning to Hunter, "I swear, I had no idea—"
Hunter threw off his jacket and sprinted towards the ring.