Chapter 1:

Grayson

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

I groaned, as the shrill ringing of the alarm only seemed to grow louder. It pounded through my head, and I could almost feel the echoes bouncing around inside my skull. I experienced a massive headache almost immediately, and I groaned again, apparently to someone's amusement. Whoever it was had been sighing and huffing at me in my semi-consciousness for the last few minutes, but it snickered now and I sighed. I could almost feel the disappointed expression boring into my head as he stared at me. I'm not sure what Adrian expected it to do though. I had gotten used to it by this point.

"You have no one to blame but yourself." He stated in his deep, monotone voice.

"Can we please save it for later?" I pleaded. "Why are you even in here anyways?" He wrinkled his nose in response. To say Adrian was a neat freak would be an understatement. Everything had to be in its place at all times, no exceptions. I was the exact opposite, and it irked him to no end since he couldn't do anything about it. He sighed again, and scoffed.

"Well, if you want to miss your meeting with miss Shiro, feel free. However, I think she might take exception with that. And with you." My eyes shot fully open, despite the glaring sun peeking in through the window. I quickly stumbled over to a nearby pile of probably clean clothes, giving the still ringing alarm a judicious kick on the way past. I didn't watch its arc through the air, but it made a satisfying, and slightly alarming, sound as it hit the wall.

"Well that was... Impressive." Adrian observed cooly. "You might need a new alarm after that." I rummaged through my clothes, ignoring him and flinging things everywhere. I heard Adrian sigh one last time and leave, closing the door to my room. I shortly found some serviceable clothes, and rushed out after him into the main area of the suite. I turned left into the bathroom and rifled through the random assortment of clothes I had grabbed. They turned out to be my long black jacket with gold and red trim, a white-ish shirt with gold trim, and a set of nice black dressy pants. None of them were pristine, but they looked fine enough to wear. I quickly stripped from my pajamas, some shorts and a t-shirt, and threw on my clothes.

I looked into the mirror to check my appearance. My tall frame barely fit in the mirror, so I was forced to crouch. The face that looked back was the same as always, good-looking but not necessarily handsome. My hair was a bit wild, but serviceable, it's normal silver glimmer a bit duller than normal, but that was to be expected. My blue eyes were bloodshot, and a bit hazy, most likely the result of my hangover. I had stumbled in early this morning after doing probably a bit too much celebrating with some old friends, or the ones I didn't get to see at work anyways. I was an Omega operative, and only certain kinds of people pursued a career with them. Omega was a sort of highly organized militia, and served as both the police force and the military for the Republic of Renton, where I lived.

I turned back, taking a breath before pushing open the door from the bathroom to the suite. I sauntered down the hall, away from my room, and entered the main living area. Unsurprisingly, it was nearly empty. The suite could accommodate up to five people, but Adrian preferred to live alone, and liked the extra space.

"Not bad." Adrian commented, rising. He had been seated on a sofa, but now circled me. He meticulously pulled parts of my outfit until he was satisfied, and nodded.

"Alright, you look presentable enough." He intoned gravely. Adrian had a rather serious look about him most times, but he flashed one of his rare smiles in encouragement. He didn't often show it, but behind that face had to be one of the most devious minds ever. It honestly was terrifying, just how clever he could be. And he wasn't beyond playing jokes on people. I shuddered at the memory of his past "pranks" that I had been unfortunate enough to endure and Adrian smiled.

"Don't worry, I have no intention to do anything." He reassured, uncannily predicting my thoughts. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding and clapped his shoulders.

"Adrian, thank god we're friends."

"That just means I know where you sleep." He responded, chuckling ominously. I frowned, and he patted me on the shoulder.

"You ruined the moment."

"I know. " Adrian pulled away, his grin fading, as he walked over to the rather spacious attached kitchen. "Breakfast is cold by now, but there might be something here."

"Oh, that's fine." I dismissed. "Izumi wanted to meet me at a cafe, so I can grab something there." Adrian sighed discontentedly.

"Fine, if you insist." Adrian fancied himself quite the chef, and enjoyed making food. It was usually amazing too, but I didn't have the time today, Izumi would be mad enough already at me as it was. I trotted over to the front door of the suite, stopping at a basket nearby. Out of it, I grabbed my keys, my digitech, and my pistols issued to me by Omega. I slipped the keys into an inner breast pocket in my jacket, and the pistols into holsters I had sewn into the tails hanging down the back of my thighs. I had done this with all 'work' jackets I owned, removing the need for a dedicated holster to be worn underneath, which saved not only weight, but also the amount of equipment I had to take care of. Finally, I secured the digitech to my wrist, and shouted good bye over my shoulder, before departing to go see exactly Izumi wanted from me.

A small time later, I was approaching the cafe Izumi had mentioned, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Gray!" It was a very distinct voice, sounding higher than what you would assume was normal. The suddenness of it immediately retriggered my headache, much to my annoyance. I shook my head to try and dispel the pain, and quickly walked over to the source, not that she was hard to find. Izumi was sitting at a table outside, leaning forward as she waved to me. Her bright red hair stood out, even among the flashiness of other Pyros. It was a complex mix of reds, ranging from maroon to nearly orange at the ends. Her hair seemed to flicker around in place because of this, as the wind pushed around the light strands flowing down her shoulders. This kind of coloring was known as a Stain. They resulted from Arcan being released in a person's body, though no one knew why, and since they appeared only on random people, it was nearly impossible to study them. Stains were a physical indication of a person's type of Arcan. This could range from 'physical' Arcan, like Pyro or Aquas, to 'ether' Arcan like Psyche, or Pure.

As recently as fifty years ago, magic, known now as Arcan, had been considered impossible, until one scientist, Reiko Sumato, had accidently stumbled upon it in one of his biological studies. He had been studying theoretical causes for psychic abilities when he found an individual who could control how ice formed. This lead to larger scale testing, and eventually, the first users of practical magic, the first generation arcanists. Over time, and with the aid of the arcanists, Sumato developed ways to harness these new abilities safely, leading to today's society, where Arcan and technology were equally utilized.

Ultimately, the process for 'awakening' a potential arcanist was somewhat simple. It had been refined and made easily accessible, to the point that all that was needed was an individual from the 'ether' branch of Arcan, a sufficient amount of magical power, or mana, and a simple chemical catalyst. It really was just the equivalent of a magical jumpstart, and could be used on almost anyone. However, it took a lot of magical energy, or mana, to pull off. This mana was drawn from willing volunteers, out of a reserve every person had, and stored for later use. The amount of mana a person carried differed from individual to individual, but it was always a finite amount, and could easily run out. While it only took rest to restore this stockpile of energy, it still took quite a bit of time to accumulate. This made extended use difficult, but there were, of course, exceptions.

"Gray!" Izumi screeched, interrupting my thoughts.. She was pouting at me, which only made her look younger than she already looked. She had always said she took after her mother, a short, stick of a woman, and I tended to agree with her. Izumi was much better built than her mother, but nonetheless, she still had an absurdly young appearance for her age. Unfortunately, due to this appearance, she was often mistaken for a student at Renton Academy, even now, years after graduating. She had attended the Academy's science division to gain certification in order to work an R&D job, due to her abilities as an inventor and practical theorist. She had easily graduated with full honors, and had gone on to become the youngest head of experimental development the Renton Scientific Association has had to date. Her hair swirled around her, as she suddenly leaned back into her chair with a huff.

"You weren't even paying attention, were you?" She asked, scowling.

"Yeah, no." I answered plainly. She sighed at my blunt response, shaking her head and looking at her shoes for a few moments. When she looked up again, her face was, thankfully, a bit brighter, and less fiery.

"Well, don't just stand there." She grunted. I realized then that I was still just standing next to her table, and awkwardly sat in the seat across from her. She smiled at me sweetly. Too sweetly.

"That hangover treating you well?" She teased. She cocked her head, resting her head on her hand, and letting the warm sun fall on her rather pale skin. She had grown up in Old London with her English mother, on the isle of Britain, before moving to Renton. This explained her fair complexion, as well as the slight British inflection to her words, despite Renton being located in the middle of the Pacific ocean.

"You're mean, you know that?" I answered her with a grin. She always had a way to make me smile. "What makes you think I might have one anyway?"

"I have my ways, and besides, you're denying it, so it must be true then, not to mention the fact that you are a rather simple man to understand." She crowed snobbily, before giggling. Her face became worried. "Still though, seriously, are you alright?"

"I've had worse." I dismissed easily, waving my hand. It was a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. "I'm more worried about why I'm here. I have the sneaking suspicion this isn't just a social call." Izumi feigned insult, crocodile tears quickly running down her cheek. This particular talent of her's had been the bane of her parent's consciouses since she was barely walking.

"Wahh, Gray, why would you assume that of me? Can't some friends just have a nice, innocent reunion?" I chuckled, as she faked sobbing into her hands.

"We saw each other a week ago. 'Reunion' is a bit strong of a word. Come clean, what do you want? You always seem to want me for something." Her playful tone quickly disappeared, her face contorting into a gentle grimace. We sat there for several moments, while I waited for my answer. Izumi squirmed a bit in her chair, before moving her hands to her lap and reluctantly opening her mouth. The waiter, however, offered her salvation, as he sauntered over.

"Sir, Ma'am, do you wish to order?" He asked politely. Izumi quickly turned to him, expression instantly lightening, relieved.

"Yes please, I'll have the special. Oh, and please, some grey tea, lightly sweetened." The waiter nodded, jotting down the notes on a pad. He turned to me.

"And you sir?"

"The special as well, and some coffee please. Cream, no sugar." The waiter nodded again, before turning to deliver the order. I turned back to Izumi.

"So, anywa-" Fortune occurred again on Izumi's behalf, as a small voice piped up from behind me.

"E-excuse me?" The slight voice intoned. I jumped, nearly falling back into whoever it was, and drawing a loud giggle from Izumi. The voice squealed, and I could feel slender, but strong hands pushing me back to a sitting position. I scowled at Izumi, before composing myself and turning to look over my shoulder. Standing there was a young girl holding a pen and pad to her chest. She blushed as I looked at her, a small squeak escaping from her lips.

"A-a-are you.. maybe... Grayson Blanc?" She managed, clearly flustered. She spoke in a strange accent, and her hair was forest green, an indication of her being a Gaia, or nature mage. I nodded, looking her up and down again. She was well muscled, on closer inspection, and had an air of discipline about her, somewhat. You could almost describe her as a whipcord, but she had a bit more bulk than that. Her hair was cut short on one side, while it hung in front of her eyes on the other. The visible eye, at least, was a deep brown, starkly contrasting against her pale skin. She leaned back slightly, and quickly averted her eyes as I looked at her. I held up my hands in a sign of peace.

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked worriedly, as the girl started trembling ever so slightly. Her eyes quickly glanced at me, before darting back to stare at her shoes. Her blush was almost to a maroon by this point.

"I-I-I.." She stammered, before jerkily extending the pad and pen. On it was the seal of Omega's head. It was a short, and detailed transfer application by a Renton Academy student named Danya Baltas, of the Jaeger Brigade. It documented her appeal to an apprenticeship, and down on the line for mentor was printed, unsurprisingly, my name. Below it, was her transcript from the academy. It was surprisingly short, only about three years of data, but well seeded with impressive marks all around, causing me to raise a brow.

"Hey, Izumi, take a look." I tossed the pad back to Izumi. She caught it daintily, and began scanning the page. As she did so, I looked up, to see the girl fidgeting around uncomfortably.

"So, you're Danya, I'm guessing?" She jumped at the name, before quickly fidgeting around again. Her hands finally settled in front of her stomach, after a while of her scrambling. She was dressed in a standard academy uniform, a black long-sleeved shirt and matching dress pants, I noticed. All of a sudden, she tensed up, and managed a somewhat believable salute.

"Y-yes sir!" She shouted, drawing looks from the other patrons. I sighed, and beckoned her into a chair.

"Stop that, and take a seat." Danya did as I ordered, quickly sitting down in an adjacent seat. She quickly began to fidget again, much to my irritation.

"Easy, girl." I teased. "I don't bite people I don't know. Wouldn't want to get sick." Danya's eyes widened, before she abruptly nodded, hair flopping around.

"I'm sorry Sir, I just-" She sighed ,closing her eyes, clearly calming herself. Her hands slowly stopped wringing themselves, and she sat straighter. When her eyes opened again, they had a bit more confidence in them.

"Sir, I came today to request permission to study in the field under you, as a junior officer. I have gained approval from the Head, and now just require your permission. Hopefully, my marks will be good enough to be accepted." She bowed low over the table, and I sighed. Ever since my graduation, I had been a member of the Donner Division, Omega's counter-insurgent forces. Through my various assignments, I had built a reputation for myself that was quite impressive within Omega, even earning me the nickname "Death" for my troubles. Most officers of note had a nickname, or title, that was bestowed upon them by their peers at the time of their first real engagement. This title was also sometimes used as a callsign during battle, to easily identify the various high-ranking officers easily.

"Okay, Danya, first, my name is Grayson, or Gray. Second, even if you'd be a trainee, you'd still be Omega, so act like it. Third, in order for this request to even be considered, much less forwarded, you would have to be one hell of a student. After all, only the top five percent of students even get the choice for a mentorship. Don't belittle yourself for no reason. You even have a brigade, without having been in combat before. Only the best of the best can claim the honor of saying that." Danya's eyes widened in shock, before she nodded vigorously.

"I would certainly have to agree on the last point." Izumi interjected, as I heard the pad clatter on the table. "Quite impressive, really. You're a model student."

"T-thank you." Danya stuttered, nodding again. Her nerves were starting to get to her again, it seemed.

"I don't believe I have introduced you two yet." My gaze shifted between the two of them, and I grinned. "Danya Baltas, I would like you to meet Izumi Shiro, head of Omega's R&D department. You've probably never heard of her before, since she hates sunlight, but she's not a horrible person." The girl's face went from solid red all the way to chalk. Her mouth stood agape, and she just sat there, staring at Izumi. .

"Aw, look what you've done Gray, you broke her." Izumi giggled. "Poor girl." I simply leaned back in my chair, grinning as I watched Danya try and maintain her composure.

"Y-y-you'r- B-b-bu- H-h-h-" She began, but the waiter, who seemed blessed with perfect timing, arrived with Izumi and I's orders.

"Here you are, sir, ma'am." He placed his laden tray on the table, and began distributing items around. He then picked up the now empty tray, and bowed. I halted him before he left, however.

"Can you please bring another copy of my order for this young woman?" I gestured to Danya, who had a bit more color in her face now, as she slowly overcame her shock. Apparently, the revelation that she was in the presence of one of Omega's three department heads was a bit much for her. While I might be pretty notable, Izumi was one of the few people who could actively do just about anything they wanted, if they so choose. I turned, to find said research head, a person with more influence than over ninety-nine percent of the population in the city, already halfway through her special, a roll filled with some kind of chocolate, it looked like.

"You're gonna choke." I observed, as she continued to devour the sweet. Chocolate was spread all around her mouth, even on the tip of her nose, somehow.

"It's not my fault I'm hungry." She panted, as she finished the roll in under a minute flat. I looked over to Danya, and burst out laughing at her expression of pure shock.

"I-I-I'm sorry." I managed, regaining my composure a couple minutes later.

"Are you good now?" Izumi said unamused. She had become more and more annoyed the longer I had laughed, while Danya had stared in disbelief. Their combined expressions had only prolonged my fit, however. I grinned.

"Yeah, I'm better now. Though, you should've seen her when she was a kid. I swear, she could eat food the literal instant it was given to her."

"Hmpph." Izumi looked away with a scoff. "I suppose then, you don't want to know what I wanted you for."

"Actually, lady Shiro," Danya spoke up at last, though timidly. "That seems kind of contradictory." Izumi's frown deepened, and I grinned.

"I like her already."

A short time later, we sat silently, our meals completed.

"So let's recap." I stated. Izumi and Danya just sat, watching me, so I continued. "So, Izumi, you are building- no, have built, a new brand of interspatial travel based on Kayaba's Particle Relations theory?"

"A teleporter, yes."

"And so, because this teleporter doesn't use a collector to reform a person's dispersed molecules, like an Andrews' style teleporter... "

"Yeeesss..."

"And because you don't know if you'll where you'll even 'land', so to speak, you want me to go with you, in order to protect you from any adverse conditions that might be present at the time of arrival, should there be any. You also wish to test the viability of multiple person transits, and, according to your previous tests on differing animals, it should all work perfectly." Izumi clapped her hands.

"Spot on!" She exclaimed. "See, you can teach an old dog new tricks!"

"You're older than me." I pointed out, matter-of-factly.

"Well, I'm not a dog." She countered. I grinned.

"Oh, that's right, how could I forget? Chihuahuas are large hamsters, not dogs. My bad." Izumi leaned forward and stuck out her tongue, before falling back into her chair.

"So, what do you think?" She asked, sobering instantly. I sighed.

"Well, I don't really like the idea of being a human test dummy, but it seems easy enough, and I've gotta get my paycheck somehow. But...," I turned to Danya. She had quietly sitting, watching us, but now blushed at my gaze. At least she didn't look away this time.

"If Danya's coming, then she needs to be fine with it too." Her face flushed a darker shade of red, and she now looked away, under both Izumi and I's gazes.

"I-I-I have no problem accompanying you on this task, Mr. Blanc. I would be honored to."

"Great, so it's settled then." Izumi grinned. "Meet me here tomorrow, at the same time, and we can get started. I wasn't planning on three people, but it'll work. I need to make some adjustments though, but that won't be too hard. It just requires an adjustment to the core settings, and maybe one to the disperser. Or maybe the processor... No... yeah, that's it! See you!" With that, she abruptly shot out of her chair, and briskly rushed around the corner to who knows where.

"And I'm stuck with the bill." I muttered, shaking my head. To say Izumi got excited about her projects was a bit of an understatement.

"Mr. Blanc?" Danya spoke up, and I turned to her. She was watching her wringing hands again,

"Mhmm?" I grunted, implying for her to continue. She sighed, before looking up at me.

"Does this mean that you are considering accepting me as your student?" I sighed, picking up the pad from its place from the center of the table.

"You seem like a good enough kid, and you certainly have quite the positive record, so yeah. Of course, this is as much of a commitment from you as it is for me. You'll be learning my way, and I'm not much into bookwork. And I'll still need a bit before I decide, but I have no objections to it as of right now. Consider this a trial run, of sorts." The girl nodded, and smiled for the first time.

"Thank you sir, I won't let you down." She rose, and gave a salute again, though it was more natural than before. It seemed at least some of her tension was gone now. I grinned at her, and rose as well.

"Come on, we need to turn in this form, before I get you stolen out from underneath me." As I walked away, my digitech chimed, indicating payment had been made automatically. AutoPay was one of the more useful functions of the device, but it could also keep atomic time, had map data, and was linked to various news outlets for an information stream. My military model also contained countless field manuals, from making a fire to stripping an assault rifle. I quickly exchanged friendly goodbyes with the waiter, an old classmate of mine as we passed by. Afterwards, I left the cafe, with my new mentee following close behind.