Some time had passed since the reveal that Volt Meyers still lived. Sincan was flying through the sky on Okshender, getting a better hold on his controls for when he’d have to face the other man again. After finishing his training for the day, he felt a bit better about his chances and decided to head back to the mansion.

The rest of the group had made themselves at home over the course of the past few weeks. Despite the size of the abode, it had begun to give off a homely vibe. Sincan sat silently in his pilot seat, looking around at the glowing controls and lights. A screen connected to a camera displayed the clouds passing him by. His shifted around on his seat and tried to start a conversation to pass the time.

“So, Okshender, any memories come back to you?” he asked the gear. Okshender could hear him, though how he could accomplish that was still a mystery to Sincan. Jake had looked over the Gear multiple times and had found no functioning organs, something that Sincan was glad for. Gears were a military project long abandoned for their numerous problems, some of which included their cost, maneuverability, weight and the lack of good combat applications. And none of those projects had yielded a gear that could talk.

Sincan let those thoughts fester as Okshender gave him a reply. “None yet, young Sincan. I can sense that you seem to be in a somewhat contemplative mood. Was there some reason behind your query?” Sincan relaxed his handle on the controls and let the gear take over for a bit. “You can read minds too? Honestly, you are purely magic, aren’t you?” he asked.

“Haha, if I was, then we would not have faced these many problems on your journey, my pilot. I can read your emotions however, and they paint a picture of your thoughts.” Okshender replied telepathically. Sincan stayed quiet for a bit after that. “How do you see the world, Oksh?” he silently said.

“I watch all, young Sincan. I see and hear in every direction at once. Would that I could see how you do, maybe I could be of better help.” They flied off.

****

Moris moved around the house with Nato. They were equipped with cleaning equipment and ready for the massive task at hand. Nato did his job diligently while Moris would sometimes use his Water Wheel to get especially hard to reach areas normally. Nato looked over to the leaning man and warned, “Don’t move around too much, Moris. You could open up another injury.”

Moris groaned. This was the seventh time this week he’d said that. He understood that it was necessary as he recently had developed a habit of getting himself into danger, but how was it that they couldn’t see his Wheel? All he had to do was put a bit of water over a wound and it’d close up nice and fine, leaving behind the barest of scars. “I will, I will,” he replied to Nato. He’d be kidding himself if he didn’t feel nice that someone cared, however.

The sounds of the wind outside gave him notice that Sincan had returned. As soon as they died down, he heard Firil’s voice shouting down the hall. “Breakfast’s ready, guys!” He set his broom up against a door and nudged Nato to follow him to the dining room.

****

They finished up their breakfast quietly. They sat in expectation for what was about to happen next. Firil was noticeably a bit on edge and tried to calm her breathing. She looked at them all and got up from her seat, gesturing Sincan to come with her. “Public phone?” he asked. She nodded without looking back. Leaders need to be confident after all, and she didn’t look the most confident right now.

They had to head far out in order to hide their call. Firil was sure that if they didn’t, Oxe would find them out in a heartbeat. She walked outside and gave threw the keys at Sincan. He fumbled for a bit before catching them and stepped into the driver seat. “Going through Okshender would be faster, don’t you think?” he asked.

“You try getting carried through the air by a giant metal hand. Doesn’t feel as comfortable as that seat you get.” She sat down and they took off. Oxe didn’t know of this location, or at least Firil hoped he didn’t. Her grandfather had made it for her and her parents but they had decided to live a more modest life. I should have gone to them first… She didn’t know why she didn’t. She hadn’t seen them in so long that they must have been worried sick about her. No, not until he goes down. She stared outside at the streets that they passed by and waited.

After a long and arduous journey, they’d finally made it. Olivar was a big city and Firil didn’t want to go alone at the risk of getting into trouble. Bringing Sincan along helped as he was undoubtedly the strongest of them all. Throughout the trip, she did wonder if she could beat him. Excluding his giant Gear, she was sure that it wouldn’t be an issue as he had no way to counter her charge Wheel. Well, getting naked is one option but I’m not sure if he would risk that. She looked over at his serious face as he drove down the road to the nearest payphone. I shouldn’t test it.

They finally found one and a convenience store right next to it. Sincan parked at one side and opened the door for himself. In an exaggerated motion, he opened it for Firil as well. She stepped out onto the chilly evening and rubbed her shoulders together. Had it really been so long since they’d left? She walked over to the payphone and gave Sincan a glance. He stayed next to her as she dialed in the number to her uncle’s phone. A few rings later, a man’s voice came out from the other end and she tensed up.

“Hello, this is?” Oxe asked. Firil replied quickly. “The dunes near Frepalm resort in Olivar, four days. I have the safe,” she said and quickly hung up. Sincan loosened up after she hung up. “We really didn’t need to come so far, Sincan,” Firil said. “No knowing who he has working under him.” He turned towards the convenience store and started walking. “I’ll be back with some food. Stay in the car.”

“Bring me a cereal bar,” Firil replied and obliged. On the way back, they were much more conversational. The night stretched on as they talked about their lives and headed back.

****

The day of the trade came, with Oxe standing near those same dunes mentioned by the girl on the other end. It sounded like her niece but it couldn’t possibly be her. The knowledge that she was fine was comforting to him, even if she was still committed to this charade of hers. He waited and waited, showing up early and setting up a little resting spot for himself. He would not tolerate imperfect treatment, even in a location such as this.

He even thought of renting out the resort and using it later with his family, but decided against it. The weather was dreadful for something like that. He looked out and found sand as far as the eye could see. It was during this that he noticed a van pull up towards him and his group. He handed his cup to a servant and walked to see who had arrived.

Firil walked out with her friends behind her. Oxe tried to stop the fondness from spreading to his eyes as he still had a trade to make. He was glad, much gladder than you would ever get him to admit. Sincan and Nato hoisted the safe over their shoulders and stood behind Firil.

“Uncle,” she said simply. “Niece, I see you’ve come to your senses and are here to deliver the safe to me?” He knew that she wasn’t, but it was polite to ask. “After you tried to have me killed, uncle, I don’t think I’ll ever ‘come to my senses.’” Oxe gripped at his cane and shot back. “I would never do that!”

“I have no faith in you anymore, uncle. I know that grandfather is alive,” she said.

Oxe gripped harder. He hadn’t expected her to figure it out. “Fine, he is. Now what do you want from me?”

“I want to know where he is, uncle. Exact location. Tell me and you get the safe.” Oxe eyed it for a bit and looked back at her. “Fine, just give it to me and I will tell you. I won’t even get in your way if you wish to visit that old fool.” Firil hated how her uncle treated Volt, but she kept that to herself for now.

“First, the location,” she said.

“I see you’ve learned some business etiquette after all. Maybe you wouldn’t have destroyed all our assets had you been in charge. But no, you initiated this trade, therefore you need to present your assets first.”

Firil stared daggers into the man. Had she been a worse actor, maybe she would have let the fact that she was faking it slip. She ordered Sincan and Nato to take it over to the man and they obeyed. They heaved it in front of him and set it down. Before Oxe could get a hand on it, they put themselves in front of him.

“Now, uncle. Fulfill your half and let us be on our way,” Firil said.

“Fine, he’s in Jenaeda, Room 1302 of Elkaz Hospital. Lucky for you, he isn’t far. Now hand over the safe,” he said, gesturing to the two men in front of him. He should have given them a wrong location, but if this kept them off his back longer and somehow the old man convinced Firil that going up against him was a moot effort, then he’d take it.

Firil smiled at Oxe. Before he knew it, the dune right next to him and his security team started rising up. A giant hand swept in front of him and he jumped back on his enhanced legs. He gave a silent prayer to the goddess that his Wheel was good enough for this. Sand drifted off from the top of a giant white blue Gear that made its presence known to everyone in the area.

It roared and started smashing aside the chairs, tables and guards near it. It looked like a crazed monster, ready to end them at any second. Oxe landed and looked back at the safe, seeing it being carried. He moved bewl through his body instinctually, pushing it through his Wheel so that he could charge the safe and make it shoot back towards him. His sight was interrupted by the hand of the massive Gear. All around him, his guards were shooting at the machine with all their bullets, dealing minimal damage to its solid frame.

Oxe diverted his attention to the Gear’s hand, trying to charge it instead. He was stunned for a second as he couldn’t do it. The only reason that could even be possible was that the thing was alive. His fear doubled over and he shouted to his men to put their focus on the Firil’s group. Jake was protecting the van as best as he could from the soldiers. He stayed behind the vehicle with Moris and Kos, waiting for Sincan and Nato to carry the safe back.

Okshender tried his hardest to seem intimidating without hurting the others. Those were his pilot’s, rather his pilot’s friend’s orders. He did toss some people aside, but hopefully they’d land with all their functions intact. One particular derlin man seemed to be much more of a pest than the others, however. He shot into the air, repelled by some unknown force Okshender couldn’t identify. High above the ground, Oxe held a singular coin in his hand.

Who needed a gun when you were a walking repulsion cannon? He charged the coin first before he charged his gloves similarly. He’d practiced this often, so when it shot away from him, he wasn’t surprised. Only Nato reacted to the situation and jumped in front of Sincan, letting the coin impact his flesh and dig into it. He screamed out in agony and Firil ran over to him. Moris and Kos helped load him onto the vehicle as the battle raged on. Sincan quickly dragged the safe back into the van with the help of Jake, and they closed up the doors of the vehicle.

Firil wasn’t done just yet and watched Okshender fight the rest of the soldiers. She focused on Oxe who landed softly on the ground and ducked behind one of the dunes. Firil ran on top of the same dune and looked at her target. She magnetized his phone and her clothes oppositely. With enough attraction between them, Oxe’s phone shot towards her and hit her in the chest. Firil must have overdone it as she felt the impact. Before Oxe could reverse the effects, Okshender slammed down a massive sword between them.

Firil once again charged the ground and herself oppositely and was deflected into the sky. She was attracted to the hull of the car due to its magnetic properties and before slamming into the vehicle, she applied a smaller and similar charge to it to slow down her attraction. She looked down into the driver’s seat window and said one word. “Drive!”

Jake clutched at the wheel and started the car. The sound of the engines started up and Firil jumped into the passenger side window. The car kicked up some sand and drove off quickly, picking up speed as fast as it could. Firil looked behind her every few moments to make sure she wasn’t being followed and relaxed once she saw Okshender rising in the horizon.

That relief was soon replaced by fear as she turned around and looked into the car to notice Nato sprawled on the seat and Moris next to him. A reddish liquid was covering a hole in Nato’s stomach, showing no noticeable change. “I-Is it working? Are you healing him?” she asked frantically.

“Please, stop talking. I need to pay attention for this. Give me something long and small. I might need to pry it out,” Moris replied. He threw the used water outside and took out a fresh handful of it.

Moris was no medical expert, but he was trained well in the use of water Wheels. Firil handed him a nail cutter as that was all she could find rummaging around in the car. He slowly but surely pried out the coin that was lodged inside Nato, as the man screamed in pain. After getting it out, Moris put more water in the wound and started patching it up. After a few moments, Firil could see the deepest part of the wound closing up. Moris used as much bewl as he could and the wound on his stomach closed up. Firil watched as Moris wiped a sweat from his brow. Everyone except Jake was paying attention. They all sat back in their seats after Moris was finished.

Firil was the only one still looking at the man. There were stains on the seat and Nato sat there unconscious. The pain of it must have been a bit too much to handle at the moment. “Is Okshender watching us?” she asked Sincan without looking back. Sincan just said into the air, “Are you here, Okshender?” No reply came that Firil could here, but Sincan answered yes to her question. She trusted in the scalin’s words and sat back in her seat.

After that, Jake was the one to ask her something. “Where to next?”

“Jenaeda.”