Master Giles estate. The 'dragon' is out of sight, but Dean Albert of the Auroran Institute looks frazzled as he sits in a wooden chair.

The blue monkey wearing an apron is thwacking a broom's handle against its palm in a threatening manner. I don't need to do the beatings if the dean doesn't talk.

"Where is my mother?"

"Ah! So it's about this. I see. Ellis, your master didn't explain too well what was happening. I was quite surprised when a dragon and a Wang broke the top of my barrier and kidnapped me."

"Wang?"

"Yes. Old Wang helped me with extracting the dean. He only participated in cracking the barrier since we only needed to *break* into the institute."

"Cool. Albert. Where is my mother? She disappeared during the quake. Does the security detail you put on her have a teleport ability? Where would they go?"

"Many good questions, Elis. I see that our relationship is at the level of using each other's first names. Your mother..? Yes, your mother..."

"Hurry up and spit it out!"

The blue monkey was going to wack the dean over the head, but Master Giles stopped the broom in its track and silently chided the monkey.

"Both guards were acquired from the protection agency - a branch of the enforcers - and there was one for each parent. I don't recall their exact skills and equipment. There shouldn't have been any long-ranged teleport skill that wasn't a magical item or similar."

"Okay. Keep talking."

"If you are sure her disappearance was due to a teleport incident, it's probably not a short-ranged one. I'm sure you would've found her then."

"..."

"Long-range teleportation items typically have a preset of designated locations. I wouldn't know where exactly, but since it was most likely not an item from home, the protection agency would know. Organizations - regardless if they are a part of the government have a teleportation log, especially if they 'rent' them out."

"Do you have any ideas? So far, you haven't been helpful."

"There are multiple bunkers throughout the city. That's what the sirens are for, telling people to get to a safe bunker."

"Who would go underground after an earthquake?"

"That's why I turned on the barrier. Your mother might have been teleported to a bunker or an agency-sponsored safehouse. Perhaps even to their main office."

"I see, thank-"

"Unless some mishap happened and your mother and her guard got jettisoned out somewhere."

"What!?"

"Yeah. If teleporting goes wrong - long-ranged teleporting especially - then you can end up who knows where. Why do you think teleporting isn't commercially available? It isn't safe enough yet."

"Who knows where... Like the space between fractures?

"How do you know about that? Thankfully no. Teleport victims just end up 'somewhere.' You fell into a fracture before. It's like that but not necessarily 'into' a fracture."

"I'm going to freak the fuck out. I am freaking out."

"Don't worry, my disciple. Your master will do his most to help find your mother. The dean will help me."

"I have other students to worry about and watch over as well. You can't volunteer my assistance without some discussion."

"Don't worry, my disciple. The dean will help me."

"...alright. Master Tamer Giles, I'll help find the representative of humanity's mother."

"We will go to the branch office of the protective agency and get some answers."

"I'm coming with you!"

"That won't be necessary. I understand you are emotionally charged, but your presence will only hinder us. Keep doing the work you've been doing instead."

"How would I hinder you?"

"I'm afraid you will do something that would break our agreement if you don't get the desired answer."

"..." I can't refute him. But that doesn't fucking mean I shouldn't come with!

"I'm coming with."

"Disciple..."

"If I start acting in a manner you don't like, then do something. Discipline your disciple, but me in a body bag for all I care. I want to know if my mother is alright. I *need* to know."

"...Alright."

"Hey... Can you drop me off at the institute for a minute?"

I look at the dean. If looks can kill, I'd have a murder charge.

"It's for a good reason. The instructors might think the worse if I don't show up and tell them about my absence. Especially if they investigate the scene and realize I - technically - got abducted."

"..."

"He has a point, disciple. I'll go with him to ensure that everything goes smoothly. We can meet up outside the office and head inside together."

They leave the room, and I'm left alone with my tamed beasts and the blue monkey.

The monkey puts a hand on my shoulder and looks at me with understanding as if to console me before sweeping the surrounding area.

[Maybe we should pick up the shark before finding your life-giver.]

"...That's a weird way to say mother. Technically she's my foster mom, so that isn't even correct."

[Thisss one's suggestion still stands. Perhaps informing the person who was born from your mother of foster of this devolvement is something you wish to do?]

"..."

I enter my mansion, surprising the monkey that I can just disappear behind a magic doorway. I travel up the stairs and hear multiple people talking in my foster father's room.

I check it out, and Val and Rain are both in the room talking to each other while my foster father listens.

"...and that's why I needed to open a shop. If my theory is correct, the blood I wanted from that masochist will conjure a shit ton of credits, meaning that my debt with my dad is paid off."

"So, you've treated my brother like a lab rat?"

"He doesn't seem to mind. You should get him checked out by a psychiatrist. Anyways, yeah, his blood might be unique. Do you think you have any special qualities of your own?"

"..."

"Shouldn't you let Father sleep?"

"Oh, Ellis!"

"Did something happen?"

"Hey, son."

"Dad seems better after a power nap and potion."

"Ellis, just in time. I finished the draught and fed it to your father. It's a draught - not a potion - because it's technically alcoholic. He might have to learn how to walk again, depending on the severity of the initial injury. Regardless he'll be fine after a big meal and a shit ton of sleep."

"...I cannot express how thankful I am."

"Yes you can blood boy. Hand it over."

"I'm not fully healed yet."

"Good. Seven gallons of life-force saturated blood. It's going to be great."

"Life force? What does she mean, son?"

"Don't worry about it. By the way, there's a lead with finding mother."

That changes the atmosphere of the room. If it was joyous before, thanks to the good news about my foster father's recovery, it's now tense as all heads are listing raptly to my words.

"My Master Giles got the dean to come out of his shell, and he told me information about mother. She might have been teleported to a safe place, but that isn't confirmed. We are headed to the protection agency's office."

"I'm coming with you!" Val immediately shoots up from her chair.

"I can't stop you. I wouldn't stop you, but it's up to my Master. I will fight tooth and nail if he says no."

"Good. Let's go. We'll be right back with good news, Dad."

"Stay safe out their kids. I'm sorry I can't come with you two."

"Sir, eat this nutrient bomb and go to bed."

"Alright, Alchemist Rain."

~~~

I don't know where the fuck the office is. I should've asked, but my mind was preoccupied. If I was fast enough, I could catch up with Master Giles at the institute, but I don't think we can outrun a full-grown dragon.

"Hey, Val. Do you know where the protection agency's office is?"

Val slowly turns her head and locks eyes with me. "You don't?"

"...I will ask for directions."

I head back to where I know some enforcers are since they should know something since they are in the same agency technically. I can pick up Khan and give 'orders' to my 'volunteers while I'm in the area.

Huh. There's a bunch of commotion going on. Oh fuck, don't tell me.

My group of 'volunteers' have tripled and are yammering about something. There are more enforcers, and the tension is palpable. Some members of my group are throwing rocks, and some people seem injured. This doesn't look pretty.

The injuries are realistically from the disaster, but it still looks incriminating for our boys in black.

I sneak my way up to someone near the back.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"I don't know, man. I just got here. I'm leaving once people stop throwing random shit and start slinging abilities. Then the enforcers will definitely shoot us all."

Pushing past the crowd, I return to where I left Khan. Nicely nested in between the conflict. I pat one of the bodies before looking curiously at one of the noname healers in my group, unmoving and bloody, not too far from the enforcers.

Khan is acting as a separator between my group and the enforcers. The healer is beyond Khan on the enforcer's side. I think Khan didn't 'protect' that person even though I ordered him to because they 'left' the group I told him to protect.

Curious. I'll remember this for next time.

"You shot a healer? What the fuck is wrong with you people?"

The shared sentiment of the crowd drowns out my voice.

"Mr. Vincere. You will be needed at headquarters. Please call off your tamed beasts and comply."

"Am I being detained?"

"You're about to be shot if you don't get your men to back off."

"Hey man, there are women in the crowd. Are you saying they can stay?"

"Hey Ellis, What is going on? I'm not turning enforcers into pincushions if you think I'm backing you up on this."

"Val."

"I'm like seriously outgunned here. A small group wouldn't be an issue, but there are over thirty of them."

"We aren't going to fight them. Our mother should be the priority here. But that sure as hell doesn't mean I'm getting arrested. I wasn't even here when things went south."

"Mr. Vincere, your conversation isn't as private as you think."

Hmm... My mana is perpetually empty because I'm fixing my leak isn't helping this situation. I use [Broken Blood] to refill my mana, using a few hundred to [Bolster Resistance] before using half my mana to help quell my aggravated life force for using that skill. I save the remaining mana in my back pocket.

I walk up. Before I got shot, this time, that didn't happen. The enforcers seem to have more trigger discipline since an incident bigger than themselves can be triggered by a spark.

I walk up to the facedown healer and assess their situation. Older male, shot multiple times but nowhere immediately vital. Oh. They *just* died. I touch their back and dump some healing into them.

I feel a tug, and he starts coughing. To make it seem I didn't revive a man, I yell out, "He's still breathing. Get a healer over here!"

I say that, but Duchess casually air-vacs him to where the other healer is. Some people cheer, but rescuing this person hasn't done much to stop the chaos.

"I'm going to give you two options, enforcer dude. I know you know me, so take this at face value. Either you answer a question of mine, and we can talk about de-escalation, or things get uglier."

"Mr. Vincere, you are in no position to threaten us or deal ultimatums."

"Then shoot me."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Are you buying time? I have to be somewhere soon."

"...My superior officer has informed me to let you do whatever you want as long as the situation de-escalates. What is your question."

I didn't see him move or anyone whisper into his ear. Maybe it's something similar to Duchess' [Telepathy] or a similar skill/item effect. Perhaps he's lying. I wouldn't know.

"Cool. Where's the protection agency office? The agency that's a branch of the enforcers. You know the one."

The enforcer points behind him. "Uhh, twenty minutes on foot away. It's on Blackwood Ave. Big brownstone building with the words 'we protect' on it."

Although going back on my words would lead to a 'humorous' situation, I won't.

[Thisss one can't see how one would find humor in a riot.]

I would be amused. Duchess, lift me a bit, will you?