The darkness of the cave gave way to new blinding lights as they arrived at their new location. They landed in a strange technology filled white laboratory of sorts. The room smelled strongly of disinfectants and various alchemical mixture. All around them where small tables and chairs lined up with monitors set up to observe something in the middle of the room. At the center of the room stood a massive glass enclosure, its thick, reinforced panes clearly designed to contain whatever experiments were conducted within. The chamber exuded a sense of foreboding, the kind of structure built to withstand unimaginable forces and keep its contents firmly locked away.
A chill ran down Astra’s spine. He pulled out a chair and sank into it, rubbing his temples. “Uhh… I don’t like the look of this room,” he muttered, still trying to settle his queasy stomach. “I mean, I don’t know what’s supposed to happen in here, but I’ve got a bad feeling about it. And, ugh, I’m sure people are gonna show up any second. We need to leave as soon as… I stop wanting to puke.”
“Indeed, I’d say you’re right. This place reeks of experimentation namely on people who can conjure. Their current subject looks like a little boy named Xavier if these files are to be believed,” commented Bootstrap as he picked up a piece of paper off of a stack. There were plenty of paper with handwritten notes on them scattered around the lab.
Astra straightened in his chair. “Wait, what? A kid?”
“Seems so,” Bootstrap said, his tone darkening as he skimmed the notes.
“Conjurers are indeed a rare bunch, but what are they trying to accomplish by pushing the limits of conjuring. Are they trying to create a super being or amass an army that are easier to control?” As Bootstrap posed the question, the murmur of distant voices and the rhythmic thud of approaching footsteps echoed from a hallway to their right. The sound grew steadily louder making the moment more urgent. Bootstrap straightened. Time was slipping away, and hesitation was no longer an option.
“Alright, let’s move. We can’t solve every mess we stumble into, not with what we have right now. Sorry, Xavier.”
Grabbing Astra by the arm, Bootstrap pulled him to his feet and steered him toward a hallway on their left. Astra stumbled along, protesting as he tried to keep pace. “Wait, what? We’re just leaving? We can’t leave him here!”
Astra began to protest, but Bootstrap chimed in. “I know your instincts, Astra. You want to save everyone you meet, but listen. You can’t always be the hero,” Bootstrap said, his voice steady though edged with the weight of experience. “This isn’t some comic book where everything ties up neatly in the end. Not everyone gets a happy ending, and we have to accept that, no matter how much it stings.”
Astra bit his lip, frustration bubbling in his chest. He hated it, but he couldn’t argue with Bootstrap’s logic with the footsteps growing louder behind them.
They silently snuck out the side halls waiting and listening as they went. Every few feet, they would pause with ears straining to listen to any sound of footsteps, shuffling of shoes or the murmur of voices. Each hall was getting progressively louder with the chatter of more people arriving in the main hall. The scent of the sterile air and disinfectants from the lab soon became less prominent. They continued on in silence as they made their way through the halls.
Eventually, they found an exit door in what seemed like a cafeteria. Astra ran by what seemed to Astra like a hastily eaten breakfast with half eaten pancakes and some kind of mystery meat patty with a strange blue hue. This was probably where all the scientist was before they came back into the big lab. Relief spread over the two as they spotted the glowing exit sign and made their way to the door. The oppressive atmosphere of the building seemed to have melted as they got outside to the cool open air.
Looking up at the building once they made it far enough, they saw it was actually a university research center. Towering above them was the tall university building with a unique mixture of old architecture and new sleek technology wrapped around the original building. It was a marriage between modern science and old traditionalism.
“What the…” Astra blinked in confusion. “It’s a… university?”
“That would explain all the students arriving at the building so early in the morning, but, like, that does not explain why they are experimenting on humans.” Said Astra. “I guess, maybe the students don’t have access to that particular lab or have no idea the experiments were going on.”
Bootstrap squinted at the building. “If you look at the building a bit closer, Astra, you can see some faded letters under the new letters. It reads Neo Domino University Research Center, but those faded letters underneath concerns me. I have a feeling this place was a lot more before it got renovated for the research center.” Replied Bootstrap as his sharp gaze lingered on the building. “Ominous architecture and foreboding vibes aside, we’d best make ourselves scarce before they find a couple of suspicious people on a college campus and detain us.”
As they started to walk around the city, they were awestruck at how advance the place was. The further into the city they went, the more technology they saw. Everything from advertisements and storefronts were lined with holograms trying to get your attention. Sleek vehicle pods smoothly slid on metallic rails in the streets that took passengers anywhere in the city. Children roared in excitement as a whole park dedicated to holographic card games came to life. With all the new noise and flashing colors, the city was a bit too overwhelming for them. The buzzing of all the holograms nearby and the murmur of the crowds of robots were too overstimulating. It was too far-removed from where they both came from. Everything seemed too good to be true. If Bootstrap knew anything about advanced civilizations, it is that there is always a price to pay for advancements.
Bootstrap had seen his share of utopian societies, where gleaming facades often concealed rot and corruption in their underbellies. His sharp eyes quickly picked up on the pervasive security measures around them. There were cameras mounted at every corner, their lenses sweeping the streets like unblinking sentinels. “No Loitering” signs plastered storefronts with the subtlety of a slap, a constant reminder of the city’s disdain for idleness. The sheer lack of privacy set his teeth on edge. Seeking some respite from the ever-watchful cameras and the ceaseless buzz of city life, Bootstrap and Astra headed toward the park, hoping for a moment of peace and quiet amidst the chaos
Walking into the busy park, Astra pondered the scene before him, Hmm, that’s curious. A park without animals is weirdly unnerving. Like, even in the middle of a war zone back home, you’d still see some pets here and there especially cats. Those things are survivors.
As they wandered to the more serene part of the park, Astra’s eyes were drawn towards a small stand with a flashing neon sign. Wow, this city sure love their neon colors and signs. Thought Astra.
“Oh yeah! Look they are handing out free samples around the corner.” Yelled Astra excitedly.
“The big neon sign reads, ‘Free sample, no sign up or ID chip required!’” Said Bootstrap as they approached.
Astra thought, Huh, that’s odd but maybe, that was just what their society was like. Eh. Astra dismissed the thought as unimportant.
The thought that even free samples can lead to intrusive advertisements was truly foreign to him. He then noticed that the samples were mini hotdogs. He hadn’t seen a hotdog since he was just a boy so he grabbed a handful of them. The familiar scent reeled him in with its familiarity like magic. The juicy hotdogs contrasted to all the tough jerky and vegetable that he had eaten for the past couple of days with Bootstrap. Astra lost in gluttony and drool decided to feast on all the hotdogs.
The boy standing nearby was wiry and pale, his oversized shirt emblazoned with a cartoonish hotdog, the bright print at odds with the sharp judgment in his eyes. His thin frame and hollowed cheeks gave him a fragile, almost ghostly appearance, but his posture spoke of someone who had long since learned how to stand his ground.
“Hey,” he called out, his tone cutting through the quiet like a knife. “Those are for everyone, you know. Don’t act like you didn’t hear me.”
Astra froze mid-motion with a fistful of hotdogs.
The boy stepped closer, voice rising with each word, and projecting enough confidence to make up for his sickly frame. “I said, you can’t just take all of them. I don’t care if you’re not from this planet. Don’t play dumb. You hear?”
The boy’s medium length brown hair was combed neatly to the side with a few strands falling across his tired face. If it weren’t for his gaunt figure and sickly pallor, he could’ve passed for a magazine model. The kind with brooding stares and effortless coolness, but there was nothing intimidating about him. Yet something about the sheer nerve in his tone made Astra hesitate.
He must be the worker in charge of the hotdog stand. Thought Astra who was now five hotdogs too deep to play dumb.
“Yeah. Well, you’ve got some nerve,” Astra muttered under his breath.
The boy didn’t flinch, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah, and you’ve got sticky fingers. What’s your point?”
“Okay, Okay. Sorry about that. I was just starving, and I can’t help myself when I see some good food.” Astra said while grabbing some more hotdogs to give to Bootstrap. Bootstrap happily took some more.
“Alright, alright. My bad, okay?” Astra raised his hands in mock surrender, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “I was just starving, and, I mean, can you blame me? Good food’s hard to come by, you know?”
Even as he spoke, Astra snatched up a few more hotdogs, tossing them over to Bootstrap without missing a beat. Bootstrap caught them with a bemused smile, clearly unbothered by the commotion. “Hey, can’t let the old man go hungry either, right?” Astra added, flashing a quick wink.
“Oh wait, wait, how did you know we aren’t from this world?” Astra asked astonished.
Xander crossed his arms, his sharp eyes locking onto the runes like a predator sizing up prey. “Yo, the name’s Xander,” he said, his tone casual but carrying the weight of someone who knew more than he let on. His gaze flicked between Astra and Bootstrap before landing on the glowing etchings of their translation runes. “Those runes tell me you ain’t from around here. Visitors from way out, huh? Or at least mages with some off-world gear.”
He pointed at Astra first, his smirk growing sly. “That one? Straight up elven. Clean script, too. Probably someone fancy taught you to wear that.” Then, his hand gestured toward Bootstrap, his head tilting slightly as his expression grew more curious. “But yours?” Xander’s finger lingered in the air, pointing at Bootstrap’s forearm. “I’ve never seen anything like that script. Looks old, but not local.”
Xander tapped the side of his head with two fingers with a wry grin playing on his face. “See, thing is, mages on this planet? We ditched the old-school runes a long time ago. Nowadays, it’s all about magitech earpieces or those fancy translation implants.” He gestured at his temple, the light catching on a faint metallic sheen. “Like this. Modern tech, way more reliable.”
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping into something more pointed. “The problem with runes? Too easy to mess with. A little magical tampering, and boom! Your whole spell’s outta whack, maybe even lethal. That’s why we stopped trusting the old methods. A thousand years ago? During the war? Sure, runes were the jam. Now? They’re just a liability.”
Cocking an eyebrow, Xander leaned in and whispered, “You guys outlaws or somethin’? ‘Cause you sure don’t look like tourists. Kinda too ragged for that.” Xander squinted at them. “And what’s up with your accents? Definitely not local. So, what’s up?”
Seeing their expressions shift, Xander leaned in as his tone dropping a notch. “Relax, I ain’t a snitch. I’ve never been a fan of the peacekeepers here anyway. Bunch of no-shows when it counts. When seconds matter, they’re always only minutes away,” he said, his voice carrying a sharp edge of irritation. He paused as the words settled before continuing. “Anyway, I’ve got a situation. One that needs… let’s call it an ‘off the books’ assistance. If you’re the types who don’t mind skirting the rules, maybe you’ll hear me out.”
“I’m not sure we’re the kind of help you’re looking for,” Replied Bootstrap looking around. “We’re just passing through. We’re just honest visitors trying to keep to ourselves. Trouble’s not exactly on our itinerary.”
Xander crossed his arms. “Honest visitors, huh? That’s cute. Let’s hope you’ve got a visitor’s visa ready when the peacekeepers decide to sniff around. Would be a real shame if they didn’t buy the ‘just passing through’ story.” Xander said smoothly as he glanced between them. “But hey, I’ve got a spot out of sight where you can crash for a bit. You both look like you’ve been through the wringer. Call it a peace offering.”
Bootstrap and Astra gave each other a look. Both instinctively realizing they bumped into the wrong person.
“Well, you sure seem to hold a lot of attitude for such a small person.” Astra said before Bootstrap could push him aside.
Bootstrap adjusted his stance. “You seem unusually well-informed for someone running a hotdog stand. Knowledge like that usually comes with strings attached. So tell me, how exactly do we know we can trust you?” His tone was calm but carried a weight of quiet suspicion as if he were probing for cracks in a carefully built facade.
Xander leaned in slightly, his voice low and measured, though there was an edge of desperation beneath his cool demeanor. “Trust is built or earned so you ain’t gonna trust me no matter what I say. Words don’t mean jack until there’s action backing ’em up. But you seem like a reasonable guy, so here’s the deal. I’ll gamble my life on this.”
Xander locked eyes with Bootstrap. “If I lay my situation out for you, no fluff, no lies, will you help me and my family out? In return, I’ll give you a place to lay low and keep my mouth shut about your little visitor gig. Sound fair?”
Sighing Astra said, “Alright, I guess I’ll hear you out. I mean, I can tell that you are serious.”
Bootstrap nodded.
Xander told them he had to finish his shift real quick, but they can meet his brother at the pier. They just have to tell him Xander sent them. Xander pointed in the direction of a large construction crane and told him to meet up with a person named Xaden so Astra and Bootstrap went to the pier toward the direction of the ominous looming crane. As soon as they got out of the city limit, the neighborhoods started to be more of what Astra was used to. There were more weathered buildings and houses that gave off a feeling that there was a clearer divide in this city than Astra first thought. They passed by all the same things Astra was familiar with back where he was from. He counted at least five drug addicts begging for more, four pickpockets sizing up a target, three children selling fake lottery tickets on the street corners, two police officers harassing an ex-convict and one kid who is just trying to get through his day ignoring the world. The pier gave off the same feeling as the rest of the area around it. It was a mostly abandoned construction site with a rusty old warehouse on the edge of it. It whispered of unkept promises and broken dreams.
As they reached the center of the pier, their path was abruptly blocked by a towering figure. The man before them exuded an air of unshakable confidence, his presence as commanding as his physique. With blond hair tousled in deliberate disarray and a muscular frame that spoke of countless battles, he looked more suited for a professional fighting ring than the mundane life of pier work. He wore a large leather jacket over a silver button-up shirt and black jeans. This man did not look like he would be or even should be working at the pier.
Raising a hand up to Bootstrap, his voice boomed as he spoke, “This is a construction site so no visitors are allowed. Do you guys have any business here?”
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Bootstrap adjusted his cloak, his voice calm and measured as he addressed the imposing figure before them. “A boy named Xander directed us here. He mentioned we’d find his brother, and I presume that must be you?”
Xaden leaned back against a nearby post, crossing his arms with a cocky grin plastered across his face. “Xander sent you, huh? Figures the kid finally found some suckers to con! Classic.” He chuckled, his laughter echoing across the empty pier. “Look around. No witnesses, no backup, not even a nosy bird in sight. You two really stepped into it, didn’t ya?” The man’s laugh echoed on the nearby containers.
“You’re welcome to try,” he said, his voice steady, carrying the weight of measured assurance. “But honestly, you don’t strike me as particularly tough.” His calm confidence lingered in the air, a quiet challenge wrapped in understated composure.
The man laughed again. This time, he was nodding his head like he was confirming some suspicion in his mind.
Xaden smirked, dropping his arms to his sides in a gesture of ease. “Alright, I like you. Got some backbone,” he said, his tone playful but sincere. “Sorry if I gave you a scare. Just testing the waters, you know?”
His grin widened as he extended a hand, first to Bootstrap and then to Astra. “Name’s Xaden. And truth is, we could really use someone like you. Tough, level-headed. We need help getting our brother back from some people who don’t play fair.” Despite the lightness in his voice, there was a flicker of seriousness in his eyes that underscored his words.
Flashing a confident grin as he gestured to himself. “You’re probably thinking, ‘Wow, this guy is big, handsome, and clearly the funnier sibling. How is he even related to that sickly kid, Xander?’” He ran his fingers through his hair dramatically, pausing as if to let the thought sink in.
“Well, surprise, they’re my adoptive brothers,” he said with a shrug, his tone as matter-of-fact as if he were stating the weather. “I found them out on the streets looking all sad and lost, so I figured, hey, someone’s gotta step up and show them the way. Might as well be me.” He spoke with such unshakable confidence, it was clear he genuinely believed every word, and not a trace of sarcasm laced his voice.
Seeing Bootstrap rolling his eyes, Xaden said, “Fine. Fine. Maybe I was the one saved by them. We all saved each other. Okay? We have been a family for a long time so please when Xander comes back, listen to his offer.”
After the brief introduction, they all went inside the warehouse on the pier. Their foot echoed on the hard floor of the warehouse. It was a big metallic warehouse with a big open space in the middle to park cars or other vehicles to get fixed and a second floor for the brothers to live in. It was a small room with three beds all lined up against the wall and one small desk in a corner with some blueprints and articles spread out on it. The room was warm which contrasted with the cold chill in the open space on the first floor. The room could be described as more cozy than cramped. There was not a lot of space to move around in there but every inch of it was filled with memories for the three brothers. On one wall, there were photos of them fishing on the pier. On another wall, there were small toys and tokens a kid would get from arcades. Next to a notebook with Xavier’s name on it, lay a well used flute.
Glancing around the room, Astra noticed. Xavier must have used it for a long time if it had that much wear on it. In a corner, you can clearly see an open birthday card with the words “best brother ever” written on the inside.
Xaden plopped down in a chair across from them, holding out two bowls of soup with a grin. “Here’s some leftover soup we’ve got lying around. Squash and fish—don’t ask me how the combo works, it just does. Anyway, help yourselves. Xander should be back in about twenty minutes, so no rush.”
He handed the bowls over, the thin broth sloshing slightly as he did. Then, without missing a beat, he launched into conversation. “So, did you guys notice that weird new shop opening downtown? The one with the purple sign that said ‘Eggroll King’? Yeah, it’s totally a front. Saw some shady stuff going on there last week.”
Bootstrap and Astra exchanged glances as Xaden kept talking, his words flowing like an unstoppable river. He leaned back in his chair, gesturing animatedly as he filled them in on local gossip, from the latest market drama to the new troublemakers in town. He didn’t seem to need any input from anyone. Just having an audience was enough to keep him going. For all his rambling, it was clear Xaden had a knack for knowing what was happening around him. By the time they finished their soup, Astra couldn’t decide if he was impressed or just overwhelmed.
“…and that’s how I ended up naked and hanging from the balcony of the Kcorp hospital,” Xaden finished with a dramatic flourish, leaning back in his chair. “They still gave me the job though—full-time paramedic, can you believe it? Only catch is, I’m not allowed to drive anywhere near the school in that district. Weird restriction, but hey, rules are rules, right?”
Astra blinked, caught between disbelief and a stifled laugh. Bootstrap’s brow furrowed as if mentally filing the story away as evidence of Xaden’s questionable life choices.
Just then, the door opened and in came Xander. He wasted no time and hurried to where they were relaxing. “Looks like I missed story time.” His expression serious and sharp. “I hope Xaden didn’t scare you guys off. He’s only got one brain cell, and it has to recharge for twelve hours before it can fully work.”
Tossing his Spectacular Hotdog work shirt on his bed, Xander sat down at his desk and sighed. “Okay,” Xander got a step closer to Astra and Bootstrap. “I wouldn’t be asking this if I had any other way, but I need your help to save my twin brother Xavier. He’s been taken by this secret organization called the Shadow Garden.” He held up a hand, anticipating their words. “I know it all sounds made up, but just let me tell you how we ended up like this before you answer.”
“Shadow Garden, huh? Sounds like we do have something in common. Ah, sorry. Please continue your story.” Astra apologized for interjecting.
“Well, good. Glad we’re on the same page,” Xander began, his usual edge softening as he leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. “So, how did my brothers and I end up here? It ain’t a fairy tale, that’s for sure. If this is gonna make sense, I gotta take you back to the very beginning, back to my mom.”
“I can still hear her voice sometimes, telling us her stories. She had this way of talking, like she was trying to make the world seem less harsh than it was. But here’s the truth. The cold truth. She had us when she was young, too young. And her family? They weren’t exactly the supportive type. Soon as they found out, they cut her off completely. Left her to fend for herself.”
“As for our dad? She didn’t say much about him, not really. Just that he wasn’t around and we probably wouldn’t need to meet him. Sometimes, though, I’d catch this look in her eyes, like maybe she was still hoping he’d come back one day. She never admitted it, though. My mom was tough like that. But tough ain’t the same as happy, you know?”
“She worked her hands raw as a janitor at some lab just to keep us fed. I think she was counting the days till we were born, not just ‘cause she was excited to be a mom, but ‘cause she was lonely. Like, real lonely. She wanted something, someone, anyone to love her unconditionally, to make all that pain worth it. We were all she had. And living like that? Well, that kind of life can really get to you.”
Xander’s lips twitched into a halfhearted smile as his gaze drifted somewhere distant. “So, when we were finally born, we became her whole world,” he began, his voice quieter, as though speaking too loudly might disturb the memory. “She named me Xander for the ‘defender of mankind.’ She said she hoped one day I’d grow up to help people, people like us, stuck in the same mess we were born into.”
“For my brother, she named him Xavier. It means ‘new house.’ He was supposed to be the safe place, the castle where we could all feel protected.”
Xander chuckled softly. “That’s how she was. Always thinking everything had to have a purpose, even when the world didn’t make much sense.”
Bootstrap folded his arms, watching Xander carefully. “She sounds like a remarkable woman.”
“She was,” Xander said, his voice quieter now. “No matter how rough things got, she never let us see her sad. Never let us see her break. She was… a lot stronger than I’ll ever be, honestly. Always smiling. Always telling us, ‘Things can only get better.’ And you know what? She meant it. She’d say we were the best things that ever happened to her. And I believed her. I really did.”
Xander let out a long, weary sigh, his shoulders sagging under the weight of the memory. “But nothing good ever lasts, right?” he muttered, his voice tinged with bitterness. “Xavier… he was special. Always was. There was something about him, something that set him apart. At first, it was just these moods he’d get, real intense and unnatural, especially when certain people were around. It was like he could feel everything they were feeling, every little emotion, like it was his own.”
Astra’s brow furrowed. “Empathic magic?”
“Yeah,” Xander confirmed. “But it didn’t stop there. It got worse. This weird, eerie aura would creep around him when he got upset. And then, one day… people started getting sick. Really sick. It was like his emotions leaked out and poisoned the air.”
Xander paused, his jaw tightening as he rubbed a hand over his face. “Even then, we were okay. At least, I thought we were. Our mom… she never stopped smiling. She stayed as chipper as can be, always acting like nothing was wrong. I still don’t understand why she did that. Maybe she thought she was protecting us, or maybe she just didn’t want us to worry. But she should’ve told us. She should’ve said something.”
He swallowed hard, his voice lowering as the memory sharpened in his mind. “She should’ve told us she was getting sick too. From him. From Xavier.”
Astra shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Wait… she got sick because of him?”
Xander nodded, his expression pained. “Yeah. I didn’t even notice until it was too late. One day, she just… collapsed. Ended up in the hospital. That’s when I overheard her talking to the doctors. She’d been sick for a while. Months, maybe longer. She should’ve gone in way earlier, should’ve been treated. But she didn’t. She never had the time. Never had the money.”
Letting out a slow, shaky breath, Xander lamented, his voice heavy with grief, “The worst part? The doctors… they didn’t have a clue how to help her. No clear cure, especially not at the stage she was at. And by the time we figured out that Xavier was the cause of it all, she still refused to leave us. She wouldn’t even think about being apart from us, no matter what it was doing to her.”
Astra’s chest tightened. “That’s… awful.”
He paused, his gaze distant, as if staring back into a memory he wished he could forget. “So, in the end, she got what she wanted. She was never alone. She had us, Xavier and me, right by her side. That was the one thing she feared more than death, you know? Being alone. And she faced it the way only she could, with that damn smile on her face.”
Xander’s voice dropped lower, the pain raw in his words. “Right up until her last breath, she told me one thing. Just the one thing she wanted from me. ‘Always protect Xavier.’ That was it. That was her final wish. And now, it’s just us. All we’ve got is each other.”
Astra noticed a quick glimpse of regret and some other emotion in his eyes for a split second before he continued.
Bootstrap’s gaze softened. “And what happened after she passed?”
“That’s when it all went downhill fast, Xander said, his voice laced with bitterness. “The debtors came first, vultures picking at the bones of what little we had left. They took anything and everything that wasn’t nailed down. And what were we supposed to do? We were just kids. We were twelve years old. We had no family to claim us, no safety net. Just… nothing.”
He paused, his jaw tightening as the memories replayed. “Then came the lowest of the low. The ones who didn’t just want to take our stuff. The ones who wanted to use us. Use us for what we could do. For our magic. That’s when Shadow Garden showed up, like leeches that latched on and never let go. I wasn’t like Xavier. I wasn’t ‘special’ enough for their plans, so they tossed me aside like trash. But Xavier? They held on to him, wouldn’t let him go no matter how much I fought. I told them I wouldn’t leave without him, but they just threw me out onto the streets. They had no use for me.”
He nodded toward Xaden, a flicker of something softer crossing his face. “And that’s when I ran into this guy. Xaden was wandering the streets too, looking just as lost as I was. He didn’t look like he belonged here, but somehow, we figured it out. We learned to work together, doing whatever it took to survive. He was loud, brash, and way too full of himself, but he had my back when no one else did.”
“Heck yeah, tell ‘em how we formed the XXX squad.” Xaden hollered, puffing his chest out with pride.
Sliding a hand down his face in pure exasperation, Xander muttered, “Please, for the love of all that’s decent, don’t tell people that was our name.” Xander looked apologetically at Astra and Bootstrap. “Sorry.”
Astra and Bootstrap briefly glanced at each other before Astra let out a chuckle, and Bootstrap shook his head.
“You thought it was funny at the time.” Xaden retorted refusing to think it was wrong to use that name.
“Nope! Not even once. Back to the point. We did rescue Xavier from the lab once,” Xander began, his voice steady but tinged with regret. “It was a close call, but we made it out safely. Back then, their security was lax compared to what it is now. We managed to exploit their system and sneak in under cover of night. Honestly, their guards were sloppy, and the whole setup was amateur hour.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “But that was then. Things are different now. It’s like they realized we were serious, and they doubled down on their defenses. Cameras everywhere, biometric scans, DNA cannons. You name it. And yeah, we messed up. During that mission, they managed to get a sample of our blood. We were careless, and now they’ve got our DNA in their system. With that, they’ve got everything they need to identify us.”
His jaw tightened as he continued, “Since then, they’ve been targeting us harder, and the place is like the senator’s vault now. We got Xavier back for a while, but they weren’t about to let him go. They took him again, and this time it’s worse. Their experiments have only gotten more intense and their DNA cannons are too advanced. It’s why we can’t afford to screw this up again.”
Seeing the confused expressions on Astra and Bootstrap’s faces, Xander quickly raised his hands to explain. “Alright, if you’re not familiar with DNA cannons, let me break it down for you. These things are no joke. They’re fast, accurate, and brutal. The second you step into range, the system scans your DNA and matches it to their database. If it finds you flagged. Boom! You’re vaporized. No time to run, no second chances.”
He paused, his voice lowering as he glanced between them. “That’s why we need you. They don’t know you guys. They don’t have your DNA on file yet, which makes you the perfect wildcard. If you can help us get to the main control room and disable the cannons and alarms, we have a shot at getting Xavier out of there alive.”
His gaze softened as he leaned forward, his tone shifting to something almost desperate. “Please. My brother doesn’t deserve any of this. It ain’t his fault. He’s just a kid caught up in something way bigger than him. If this was your brother, wouldn’t you do whatever it takes? Wouldn’t you risk it all to save him?”
With concern etched into his face, Bootstrap said, “I’ve got a few questions before I can give you a definitive answer. Let’s start with the most pressing one. You mentioned Xavier’s magic is harmful to those around him. If that’s the case, what makes you think it’s safe to release him? For him or anyone else?”
He leaned forward slightly, his tone growing even more deliberate. “Secondly, I believe I know the location you’re talking about. If I’m correct, this lab you’re referring to isn’t some top-secret military compound, but a university research facility. A campus with students, classrooms, and professors. So why in the world would they have DNA cannons of all things? Cannons designed to vaporize people? That doesn’t line up with what I know about this place.”
His gaze didn’t waver as he waited for Xander’s response, his expression a mixture of skepticism and curiosity. “Help me understand the full picture, because right now, something about this situation doesn’t add up.”
Xander leaned in, his voice steady but laced with urgency. “Oh, nothing is as it seems on the outside. Trust me on that. The building? It’s state-of-the-art, alright. All the security measures you’d never think to look for are hidden beneath the surface. Shadow Garden doesn’t care if they’re using innocent people as cover. They’ll keep doing what they’re doing as long as no one questions it.”
He straightened, his gaze sharp and unwavering as he continued, “And about my brother? I can handle him. It ain’t a problem. I’ve spent my whole life preparing for that. I’ll use my mana to seal his powers. It’s something I’ve done before, and I can do it again. You don’t have to worry about him being a danger. Let me deal with him.”
Xander’s tone softened slightly as he locked eyes with Bootstrap and Astra. “Look into my eyes. You’ll see that I mean every word I’ve said. My family means everything to me. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect Xavier.”
He took a steadying breath before giving them both a long, serious look. “So… are you in?”
Astra spoke up, his voice carrying a spark of defiance. “Well, Bootstrap, don’t you think we really should start fighting back against these Shadow Garden people? I mean, They’re clearly out of control.” He turned toward Xander, his curiosity and determination blending in his expression.
“Hey, Xander,” Astra continued, “I think I’ve got a problem too. Last time we ran into Shadow Garden, I’m pretty sure I got hit by one of their bio-trackers. It looked like some kind of freaky mosquito monster. Umm, if they’re tracking me, I might just lead them right to us. Do you think you can disable it? Because if not…” He hesitated for a moment, then shrugged with an apologetic grin. “Well, I don’t know if I can help you out either. Yeah, I’d rather not have them breathing down my neck while we’re trying to rescue your brother.”
Xaden, lounging against the wall, perked up and jumped into the conversation with his trademark enthusiasm. “Oh, my time to shine! I can handle that. Bio-trackers are nothing compared to what I’ve seen.”
He grinned confidently, pushing himself off the wall with exaggerated flair. “I’m actually really good at fixing people up. All I need is my bio-scanner to find that little bugger, and then I can short it out with my magitech disabler. Easy peasy.”
He shot them a smug smile, clearly reveling in the chance to show off. “Breaking things is kind of my specialty,” he added with a playful shrug, before turning to rummage through his bag of tools with the energy of someone who was genuinely excited to help.
After running the bio-scanner over Astra with a focused look, Xaden frowned slightly. “Huh… or maybe not. Let me test this out real quick on you, Bootstrap, just to make sure it’s working right.”
Without waiting for a response, Xaden turned the scanner on Bootstrap, scrutinizing the readout with exaggerated seriousness. After a few seconds, he abruptly slapped Bootstrap on the back of the neck. “Oh, my bad. Bad habit.”
Bootstrap stiffened, his eyes narrowing to deadly slits. “Was that really necessary?” he asked in a voice that promised retribution.
Xaden gave a sheepish grin, holding up the scanner. “Hey, it worked though! You’re all human. Congrats. But for Astra, well, bad news. This thing’s working just fine. I might need something else.”
Bootstrap rubbed the back of his neck with a grimace, the spot already feeling sore.
Xaden leaned in, tapping the bio-scanner thoughtfully. “This tracker’s got some flair to it. It’s magitech, sure, but it’s mostly alive. What nasty little hybrid tech. I’ve seen these used on the homeless around here. If you try to kill it without disabling it first, it’ll release toxins. Real bad news.”
He glanced up, his grin wide and mischievous. “Here’s the plan. We’ll need a better bio-scanner and a fancy magitech bio-neutralizing pill. The scanner will map the tracker’s bio-signature, and then the pill will do the rest. Once you swallow it, the pill will hunt that thing down and neutralize it. Real high-end tech. Should work like a charm.”
Before anyone could respond, Xaden’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Lucky for you, I know where to find what we need. And by ‘find,’ I mean ‘borrow’ from my workplace. Don’t worry, I’m great at this.”
With a wink that radiated pure mischief, Xaden darted off, leaving no room for objections. His electric energy and can-do attitude lingered in the room like a whirlwind of chaotic charm.
Astra chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced at Bootstrap. “Well, looks like saying no isn’t really on the table anymore, huh? Geez.” He let out a resigned laugh, his optimism stubbornly clinging to the edges of the situation. “Like, we’ve definitely walked straight into a cosmic-level mess, haven’t we?”
