Nanowars: Rebirth - 16. Chapter 16: The Bargain

Chapter Sixteen: The Bargain

With no distinction between night and day Lanyon had no idea of how long he sat in his cell. It did not matter. All he could think of was the danger Avery was in. Why were they separated? Was he being kept in another cell? He doubted it. Avery was too rare a prize to waste in the brig.

He was ruminating on just that when another prisoner was shoved in his cell. “Avery!” The figure remained where he fell. When he reached him he saw it was not Avery but Talon. “Not you again.”

“Please… please don’t hurt me.” His eyes were bloodshot and crusted with dried tears. All over him were deep black bruises. He had clearly been tortured.

“Naw… you’re not worth the effort.” Stepping away He found himself dragging Talon along. The kid was clinging to him like a suckered squid. “Hey get off me.”

“Don’t leave me. I can’t be alone. I can’t.”

Lanyon didn’t know why, but he began to suspect that Talon’s injuries had been self inflicted. “Talon, where’s Puggles?”

“They took him from me… Please, please don’t leave me alone.”

Poor kid. He has had never known a moment left by himself. “I guess I can keep you company for a bit.” Practically dragged to the floor he did what he could to comfort the lad.

It took a while but when he was sure Lanyon would not run off he calmed down enough to sleep. “If you weren’t such a brat I might come to like you.” Lanyon combed the knots out of Talon’s hair while he slept.

When the cell doors opened again it was Avery who entered. “Ave!” Bolting to his feet Lanyon practically tackled his friend. “What the hell is going on? Are you alright? Let me take a look. If they’ve dared hurt you I’ll…”

“I’m fine Lan… As fine as I can be.”

“What do you mean?”

“Wait.” Avery went over to where Talon was cowering in a corner. Reaching into a pocket he handed him a blue vial. “Here.”

Talon consumed its contents in a single gulp. Whatever it contained took effect quickly. The bruises faded and his skin gained back a little of its color. Talon’s trembling muscles relaxed to stillness. “Puggles?”

“You will see him soon.”

“What did you just give him?”

“They call it Blue. I don’t have a clue to what it really is or how it works. Talon mentioned it once but until now I’ve never seen its effects.”

Talon chuckled, a wide grin on his face. Lanyon took note of it. “Seems to do more than heal. Probably addictive.”

“Yeah… better for us to avoid it completely.”

“Have they offered you any?”

“Not yet though I don’t know why. From what I understand it’s part of their daily diet.”

“I…” Seeing Avery again and safe left Lanyon mute. That did not mean he could not share his sense of relief. He pinned Avery against the nearest wall. He peeled away their clothes. Like a starved man reaching for bread his hand grabbed at Avery’s flesh. If Avery wanted to protest his mouth over his lips silenced him.

Just as he reached for Ave’s belt, Avery switched their positions just in time to take the full force of a stun bolt. “Ave!” Avery collapsed into Lan’s arms. He looked for the shooter but he caught only the tail end of the fleeing guard’s cloak. “Why Ave, why?” Carefully he lowered his friend on a cot. The spot where the bolt hit was red but flesh appeared undamaged.

“Don’t leave me,” Ave whispered.

“Leave you? Not in this life.”

Catching a movement in the shadow out of the corner of his eyes. He twisted about to find the slaughtered head of the guard rolling at the foot of the cot. The thrower stood three feet behind him. He was covered head to foot in black armor. Even his face was covered. In both hands he wielded a staff with tipped with two foot blades on either end with a just as long grip in the center.

Talon, seeing the head and the staff’s wielder screamed.

“Silence!” The man commanded in deeply accented English.

Avery pulled Lanyon closer. “Don’t leave me.”

“Never,” he whispered back.

The man with the staff commanded Lanyon to move away from Avery. “Stand aside Centarii.”

“No… you stand aside.”

“You dare defy me?”

“Where Ave is concerned yes.

“The masked man pressed a sword tip against Lanyon’s chest. Even when it cut into his flesh he didn’t budge. When it became clear that he would not back down, the mask man threw the weapon against the opposite wall and screamed in defeat. Tossing his mask aside he went to his knees. “Please Ave, I’ll give you whatever you want. Don’t let this fool stand between us.”

Lanyon turned back to face Avery. “What is this?”

“The price of your life.” Avery sat up and turned his attention to the Segundo. “He is a part of me. To harm him is to harm us.”

“Then I will spare his life.”

“No! You will do more than that. He is to remain with me. Remain with us. If you want me to accept you then you must accept him.”

Everett clenched his jaw but nodded.

Avery wasn’t done with his list of demands. “You will give Puggles back to Talon.”

“I will give both to you but I will not give them back to each other.”

Avery knew better than to demand more. “If you do these things and find my father I will stay with you until a way home is found.”

“And after?”

“You will have to decide what matters to you more: me or the Maze.”

“You would take me back to your world?”

“Only you and no other. I will not let you deliver the horrors of your world to Earth.”

“You are asking too much. How can I give up all I have strived for?”

“The decision is yours. If ruling the Maze is more important to you than me you must swear you will let us go.”

“By the Personas you deal a hard bargain but it is fair. If I value my throne more than I will come to value you than I have no right to keep you.” Everett took Avery’s hands in his. “Will you give me your hand?”

“I… I do.”

“You have made me the happiest man in the Maze. We’ll have a ceremony at once. I’ll see to everything. The towering Segundo headed out of the cell. “You will not regret this.”

Lanyon kept his silence until he was sure Everett was gone. “You might not but I do. What are you think Ave? What about Karl? What about us?”

“It is the only way we can survive. Without his protection we will find ourselves the lab rats of the Personas. He is also the only one who can help us find my dad.”

“Do you love him? Can you?”

“He is a Walker.” Aaron said as if that explained everything.

On returning to the Fisher Estate Karl focused his full attention on reading through the companies files on Lordon and Walker Industries. What he found didn’t bode well for him, Ave, or the Dozens.

Cal was proving quite skilled in diverting the attention of his father’s old friends in the company. Robert was putty in his hands and willing became one of the Dozens. Soon Robert, also a lawyer would replace his father as Fisher Industries chief legal consol. The same steps were being taken to replace the board with men loyal to Cal. Only when the time was right would Karl take full control.

Karl was buried in a stack of files dealing with recent nano research when he felt a pair of hands massage his neck. “Mmmm that feels nice.”

“I’m glad.” Cal whispered. “I think you’re due a break.”

Reaching around he pulled his husband into his lap. “You might be right. There is so much I need to learn.”

“Why not delegate? We have plenty of experts on the payroll.”

“When I think of egg heads… hot and sexy doesn’t come in mind.”

“They don’t have to be among the Dozen.”

“I don’t think I can trust someone who isn’t.”

“There are always the Symbiotes.”

“I do not think I could stomach doing that to another man.”

“Just a suggestion.” As Cal walked away he left of trail of clothes behind him.

Greatly tempted to follow Karl turned his gaze on the picture he kept on the desk. It should him and Ave shirtless and in each other’s arms. For Ave it had been an innocent act. For Karl it had always meant much more. Each time he felt his determination weaken he gazed at the photo to remind himself what the true prize was. His commitment to Ave was share by the original Double Dozen but not the newer ones. They only desired tender affections of the originals. That would cause problems one day but not before he had Ave back.

“You summoned me master.” Captain Ryan Gains was one of the few of the newer Dozens that he trusted as much as one of the original Dozen. It took a while for him to discover the reason why. But thanks to contacts within the Pentagon he learned that the Captain’s father had been part of the mission that Thad Labatt had led to find Ave’s dad.

“Come over here.” Karl slapped his empty lap.

The redhead’s lips form a wide grin. “More than happy to.”

Karl dropped his pants to his knees, freeing his erect cock. After he gave the captain a good ride they retreated to a spy-proof conference room. “What more have you learned about your father’s mission?”

“Not much. Unlike Winters and Labatt, he never came back. According to the debriefing Colonel Labatt made on their return he had been among the men who ended up trapped in the Maze when the Relic gateway had been destroyed.

“Who destroyed it and why?”

“Your father and Avery’s led a revolt at Walker’s secret base. They intentionally led Walker into the Maze then destroyed the Relic and trap him there.”

“Why not kill him?”

“I do not know but they must have had a good reason.”

“From what I’ve read on Lordon’s records of the Eye Ave’s dad and Travis were both born in the Maze but influenced by polar opposite gateways, the Eye and the Relic. That might be the source of the bond between them. They might not have killed Travis because Ave’ dad wouldn’t let it happen but I’m only guessing.”

“Makes sense given your bond to Ave. Most of the Dozen are decedents of those born under the influence of the Relic. Beside’s Ave you’re the only one who’s father was influenced by the Eye who is a member of the original Double Dozens.”

“True. We need to know more however.”

“Is that the mission you have for me?”

“Part of it. It is as you said. I am the only one other original other than Ave who was born under the influence of the Eye. You might not be an original but so where you. Where were you born by the way?”

“I assumed it was before my father went on that mission but I can’t say for sure.”

“I am however. You were one of those Ave’s father brought back with him. That is why I trust you more than the new Dozens . You were not only influenced by the Eye but by Ave’s dad as well. That is why I am sending you into the Maze. To find Ave and if possible our dads, yours included.”

“I am honored by your trust in me. Will I be going alone?”

“You can take whoever you want with you. The only condition I have is that they were made a part of the Dozens by no one other than you or me.”

Ryan clearly like the idea of that. “That actually sounds fun.”

“Consider it a going away party.”

“What of Cal?” The Captain was all business again.

“He has his uses but there is something about him I do not trust. There’s a streak of jealousy in him I’m uncomfortable with. I will have to deal with it eventually but not before Ave returns.”

“If there is a member of the Dozens you cannot trust then that person should be eliminated.”

“Are you offering to do the deed?”

“If you so order it.”

“I might have to but not now. I will have the originals keep a closer eye on him. I am fond of him but Ave comes first.”

“You and me both.” He gave Karl a salute. Karl replied with a kiss and a grope.

Julian would have put more of his people around the Fisher Estate but that would have drawn too much attention. They were not all that needed given he had the perfect spy he could depend on. It had not been hard to convince Fisher’s chief consul the need to take steps to remove Labatt and his friends as a threat to Cal and the company.

Breaking Cal fully from his conditioning was impossible without killing him. Weakening it was possible. It involved the use of emotional altering drugs delivered by nanos.

Having Glenn’s son put the drug in his food was easy enough. Even though Rob had quickly been converted afterwards the drug needed only be delivered once.

Slowly but surely the drug would weaken his connection to the others. His growing isolation would lead to paranoia. His paranoia would lead to his betraying the Dozens. His betrayal would bring the Dozens back under Julian’s control.

Julian’s people were already feeding his fears with stories of Karl’s undying love for Avery. Karl’s own obsession of getting the Winters back only served to aid Julian. When the time was right he would push Cal over the edge. It would be a blood bath. Karl would survive… Cal would not dare harm him. But before the smoke cleared the gestalt Karl had carefully built would be in ruins. He and the survivors could then be dealt with without a fuss.