When the sliding doors shut, Ryan paused, staring at them.

Did I really just get chewed out by Roman Monte?

Unfortunately for the Titan, the receptionist impatiently coaxed him farther into the building. The hallway felt sterile, different from the somewhat welcoming lobby.

Ryan shuffled down the hall after the attendant, putting the strange encounter at the back of his mind. At the moment, Ryan was more concerned with the R.N.R.

Unknown to Ryan, all of his wounds had already scabbed over. The Titan held still for long enough that night for his natural healing to finally close the worst of his injuries. It was too late to save the now-red lobby chair, but the giant no longer left bloody shoe-prints in his wake.

The receptionist guided Ryan into one of the side rooms to measure his height, weight, and temperature. Once the attendant- and apparently nurse- retrieved a finger-prick to test for the giant's blood type, he froze.

"This is...your blood, sir?" The nurse nervously questioned the bloody giant. Ryan gave him a curt nod.

Ryan stared at him evenly as the man hesitated. After a moment, the attendant shrugged and chucked the finger-prick back into its drawer. From there, he retrieved an abrasive swab and simply scrubbed some blood off the Titan's arm.

After that, the attendant told Ryan to wait in the side room while the surgeon and his team prepared.

With nothing else to do, Ryan flicked his hand to summon his AR screen. After a few cursory searches, the giant puzzled out how to log into his game account. From there, Ryan navigated to Frontier Online's forums.

A message notification blinked in the top-right, over the classic "mail" tab.

Curious, Ryan clicked on the mail symbol. The screen changed to show three pending conversations waiting for the giant.

[Syrna] (2)

[Urginok] (1)

[Little John] (1)

The Titan prevaricated, unsure whether to open the messages or not. A few moments later, Ryan decided to face the music and opened the messages, starting with Little John's.

[Rydr, first off, let me say thank you! After showing your Vambraces, on-stream divers mobbed the Trials!

Second, do you know anything about what's going on in Grotto? I heard that a Titan-Class was seen in the mines shortly before everything went to hell. As far as I know, you're the only Titan who started in Grotto.

I know it's shameless of me, but if I could get the details from you on-stream, I'll give you a percentage of the tips!

As advance payment, let me tell you something juicy. I'm not the only one looking for you. Shining Star members are looking all over for an un-named Titan-Class!]

Ryan read through the message twice, recalling the incident with Little John after the giant broke the strength Trial. The Titan was certain that the streamer was correct. Ryan was the Titan-Class seen down in the mines.

But, what is he asking about? What's happening in Grotto? Ryan shook his head, confused. The news about Shining Star searching for him alarmed the giant, but he would cross that bridge when he got to it.

Unsure how to respond, Ryan opened Syrna's messages next.

[Urginok and I revived in the graveyard. Where are you, Red?]

A few minutes after the first message was another.

[Log back on, Red! Izor is going nuts, and the village is in shambles. Divers and NPCs are getting dragged into the forest!]

Unlike Little John's long message, Syrna's seemed like she sent it in a hurry. The sparse details alarmed Ryan, especially because the two divers both mentioned something big happening in Grotto.

Ryan hurriedly opened Urginok's message.

[Hey man, Syrna won't admit it, but we only just figured out how to Private Message someone. Use that information at your discretion.

Besides that, we need you to log back in, dude. Shit hit the fan, and we can't even leave Grotto. Other divers are trying to leave town, but only the guilds are making it out. Nearly everyone who tried to escape more than once has been killed back to level one or two.]

Ryan was frustrated, wishing the three of them supplied more information. The giant sent a quick message to his party members. In it, he apologized for logging off, citing "circumstances IRL," and asked them for more information.

It was one thing if Shining Star was after Ryan, but he needed to know what he was facing when he logged in.

People are getting dragged into the forest? By what? Why do divers need to escape Grotto?

Ryan found and was about to open Little John's active streaming room when someone stepped through the side room's archway.

The Titan looked up from his AR screen, expecting the stuffy receptionist. Instead, a young brunette woman in nurse's scrubs observed the bloody giant in shock.

With a flick, Ryan dismissed his AR screen and asked, "Is everything ready?"

The nurse shook herself and put on a professional smile to mask her lapse.

"Yes, sorry for the wait, Mr. Harringer. If you follow me, I'll show you to the operating room." The nurse was much nicer than the receptionist after seeing Ryan's bloody form.

She kindly helped Ryan out of his seat, halving the time it took the giant to stand. Even though the Titan towered over her, the nurse gamely stepped up to his side and supported part of Ryan's weight.

Ryan tiredly thanked her for the help, and the two shuffled down the hall. A left and right turn led the pair to the center of the Nanite Clinic. A set of grey sliding doors parted to reveal the operation room.

Just as bright inside the room as out, the team of assistants froze at the sight of the bloody Titan.

A little over the reaction, Ryan and the nurse eased into the room while the team burst into motion again.

Ryan observed the room, nerves building inside him. In the center stood an operating table that looked diabolical. Like a giant cut-out of a silhouette, the operation table had large, hollow-cavity restraints to encase the patient's limbs.

Around the upper leg, arm, and even across the neck were flexible restraints. Ryan swallowed, his throat spasming as an older man in a surgeon's uniform walked up to the giant.

"Mr. Harringer?" The surgeon's baritone voice reminded Ryan why he was there.

The Titan nodded, swallowing to get some moisture in his throat.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Dr. Kroner. Before we start the operation, there are a few things you need to be made aware of." Despite the early hour, Dr. Kroner maintained perfect professionalism in front of the injured Titan.

"What are those, doctor?" Ryan paid absolute attention to the physician as he started to explain.

"First and foremost, the Rejuvenating Nanite Rebirth was not designed to be used on Titans. Tonight will be the first-ever attempt." The doctor blithely delivered the news that rocked Ryan's world.

"I have every confidence that the R.N.R. will be able to work as intended, altering your muscles, organs, and maximizing the effect of your genetic code. However, your bones are the problem."

Dr. Kroner knocked his fist against his elbow, "A Titan's bones are naturally denser and laced with carbon structures to endure your strength and size. Without these special bones, the Titans would all die under the weight of their own flesh."

The doctor smiled warmly at Ryan's obvious panic, "Don't worry. Clearly, you are here for your spine. I'm well aware that this is the only chance you have to possess a normal body. I won't snatch it from you without trying."

Relief rushed through Ryan, "Thank you, doctor."

The grey-haired doctor smiled and directed the Titan to a side room. Inside he spent a couple of minutes stripping down to his underwear. Ryan was lucky there wasn't a mirror in the room because the state of his body must be truly horrifying to look at.

Mottled bruises covered the Titan's arms and torso, even extending to his legs. The bruises looked a few days old already thanks to Ryan's fast healing, turning them an ugly purple and yellow.

Unseen by the giant was a pair of puncture wounds on his back. Most of the injuries happened when Ryan's unconscious body was ripped out of his gaming capsule. While he was blessedly unaware, John had nearly five minutes to beat his little brother's limp form savagely.

Welts and busted lacerations from Ryan's own cane covered the rest of his body.

As he shuffled shyly back into the operating room, the Titan's appearance brought the team to a standstill again.

Even Dr. Kroner's face paled as he absorbed the full extent of the Titan's injuries. The doctor circled Ryan's body with several quick steps, noting the Titan's lower back puncture wounds with concern.

"Dear God..." Dr. Kroner couldn't hold back the words after he appraised the Titan's injuries and deformity. The nearly two-hundred-year-old doctor was a veteran of the Gene Wars. Skilled with his hands, the doctor continued his trade after the Titan's Revolt.

However, the doctor could never forget the tortured bodies brought to him, recovered from the Intelligen camps. After helping so many captured soldiers and Titans, Dr. Kroner recognized the intentional destruction of the human form instantly.

Is there a Lunatic hiding in Apostle? It's not impossible that an Intelligen sympathizer snuck into the school, but why target an already crippled Titan?

The doctor's old loyalties to the Unifier Army flared up as he rounded on the young man.

"Who did this, Ryan? The pattern of strikes comes straight from a Lunatic torture manual. If they are moving inside Apostle-"

"It wasn't," Ryan interrupted the doctor, "It wasn't a Lunatic..."

Not by that definition, anyway. Ryan once again lamented his older brother's instability.

"Then who?" Dr. Kroner had worked himself up so much he forgot to maintain composure.

Ryan shook his head at the doctor, "It doesn't matter. There's nothing anyone can do to them."

Not unless I do something about him.

Dr. Kroner stared at Ryan's face pensively, "You know, there is doctor-patient confidentiality..."

Ryan smiled and shook his head again, "Thank you, doctor, but I am already doing something about it." The Titan gently waved his hand at the operating room, "This is the first step to taking them down a few pegs."

The giant shrugged painfully, "I wasn't born this way. It's time I started to fight for myself." Ryan's eyes briefly closed as he shoved painful memories to the side.

When the Titan opened his eyes, Dr. Kroner felt that a new person stood in front of him. Although the giant's pained posture never straightened, something imperceptible seemed to change in the young man.

Despite himself, Dr. Kroner grinned at the giant, shaking his head. So, he's resolved himself to fight.

The doctor nodded to himself. It seems fate will always put me in front of broken men when all I can do is send them out to break again. Nothing has changed since the war.

Dr. Kroner stepped to the side and waved Ryan toward the operating table, "Alright then, son, let's get started."