Chapter 360: Instability (1/2)

In the Sydney branch’s media operations centre, Terrance was going through the footage Jason had stolen from the EOA at Broken Hill again, discussing it with his publicity staff.

“The key to what he’s doing here is that he’s not telling us what the EOA’s secrets are, which would get people immediately calling bull. He’s ‘inadvertently’ letting slip in his anger that he knows what the EOA’s secrets are. Instead of people denying what he’s telling us, he’s got them wondering what he’s keeping to himself.”

He pointed at one of his staffers.

“Hailey, what is number one on trending right now?”

“Which platform?” she asked.

“Just pick one.”

“Alright, boss, just a moment… number one is #scottbaioeyebeams.”

“Scott Baio? The Charles in Charge guy? You know what I’m looking for, Hailey.”

“Number three is #wheredothepowerscomefrom.”

“Where do the powers come from?” Terrance repeated. “When the monster waves started, people were asking about the powers but it was one more thing in a world gone crazy. Now people are getting a handle on monsters and superheroes, so it’s time to refocus that question, which is exactly what Asano just did.”

The doors opened up and Aram came in.

“The Steering Committee wants an in-person update,” he said.

“Very well,” Terrance said. “Hailey, take over the analysis. Pay particular attention to the way that instead of going against the EOA’s hero narrative, Asano played into it to give himself the authority he then used to undercut it. Seriously, I could kiss that man. I mean, I couldn’t, he was very clear on that, but still…”

Jason and Dawn were riding the underground tram out to the cloud house.

“You’re getting close to silver-rank, now,” she said.

“Events have accelerated my advancement,” he said flatly. “If I had the choice, I’d rather it take longer and not have all the death.”

Globally, the death toll from the monster waves was over two-hundred thousand, although those were soft numbers. The count was potentially much higher.

“You have a question for me,” Dawn said. “One that you need to ask before we can move forward.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about Farrah?”

”You realise that you could have asked that instead of punching my nose through my brain.”

“No regrets. I bet you were all ‘that little bastard’ afterwards.”

“Of course I wasn’t,” she lied. “I’m an ancient and powerful being, so I’m a little more mature than someone who just turned twenty-six. I noticed that you didn’t celebrate your birthday last week.”

“It’s not a celebratory time. I never liked my birthday anyway.”

“Because it’s on April Fool’s Day?”

“It might seem like a fun combination but it’s not,” Jason said. “Why didn’t you tell me about Farrah?”

“Because of you.”

“Me?”

“If I had come to you when you first arrived back, what you have done?”

“I’d have gone and got her.”

“No,” Dawn said. “You’d have died trying. Think about the state you were in when you got back. No local resources, no allies, no information, no understanding of the magical society of your world. You were also still very much caught up in a war mentality. Your first instinct to every obstacle was to murder it.”

“I’d have found a way.”

“You did, when you were ready. You had allies, information and a more balanced mindset.”

”You could have shown me how.”

“And would you have trusted me enough to listen?”

He grimaced.

“No,” he acknowledged.

”She was sent here to help you, not just as a warrior but as a friend. She understands what you've been through because she has been through much the same. Most of all, she is someone you can trust. It took time to get there, even with your family. Except for your niece, but she couldn't offer you the support you needed.”

“I know what Farrah represents,” Jason growled, then his face softened. “And I am grateful that she was brought back.”

“You can thank the Reaper for that,” Dawn said. “He was the one who offered. He wanted to avoid the World Phoenix sending your soul zipping back and forth across the astral with her tokens every time she needed you in one world or the other.”

“And now I have to figure out how to astral travel fully intact or not at all,” Jason said.

“You will.”

The tram tunnel emerged from underground into the underwater section.

“This is rather nice,” Dawn said.

“I like it. I have more questions for you.”

“The Builder did not violate the agreement,” Dawn said.

“Then how are the Engineers of Ascension making converted with his clockwork cores?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I don’t know everything, Mr Asano, and I can only tell you so much of what I do. What I can tell you is that the Builder has not intervened in this world any time in the last five centuries or so.”

“Unless he found a way to sneak past you.”

“Sneaking past me is possible,” Dawn said. “Sneaking past the World-Phoenix is not.”

“You’re saying you can’t help me figure out what’s going on, then?”

“I am not saying that. I would direct you to the defector from the EOA leadership who is working with the American Network branches. She has insights into their enhancement program from its very origins.”

“How exactly is it that you get your information?” Jason asked.

“I’m not going to tell you that.”

“Is it just a bunch of people?”

“It is not just a bunch of people.”

“You don’t want to tell me who they are because then I could just go ask the bunch of people myself, right?”

“It is not just a bunch of people!”