[HIATUS] The Tide Rises

Chapter 14

"I think I see what the problem is," Brutus said, peering at the contents of the gun lying in front of them. There was a look of pure astonishment on his face as he examined them, a look Jules knew meant she had done something horribly wrong to her brother's weapon. "You're completely missing several parts. It's a wonder there was minimal damage to the gun, considering how many times I heard you fire that night last week, and yourself."

Jules bit her lip as she thought back to her attempts to upgrade it at The Authority. Now that she knew what was wrong, she clearly recalled having left a few parts sitting on the upgrade bench when she left, and they must have been key for the drum gun to work. How had she been so careless? Sure, she had no idea about the specifics of gun construction, not to mention she had been stressed about Skye's rescue, but it was no excuse to completely overlook all the parts she had left. She sighed. "I just... kind of did what I always do when I'm stuck, um... rearrange parts and hope for the best."

She looked back to Skye, who had gone off blabbering to Ocean about past adventures in the corner of the room. Skye looked her way, as if feeling her gaze, and offered a reassuring smile before turning back to their leader, and Jules sighed again. "I... I should've just left it alone," she told Brutus, turning back to him. "I don't know what I was doing and I just messed it up, didn't I?"

Brutus picked up a few pieces. "Midas has a unique model. I don't know where exactly it came from, only that it was passed down to him from your father. Willingly or not."

He muttered the last part in a somewhat darkened tone, a tone that made anyone shudder any time he used it. Their father was a topic they tended to avoid, and being the first Midas trusted after a... rather traumatic incident in their youth, Brutus held a hatred towards him as well. "I'll have to do some asking around. The people of Athena have experience with drum guns, so I may be able to get parts from them. I can get it back into service, though."

Jules looked at the parts, a small smile forming on her face. "Thanks... how long will it be?"

"Depending on who I'm able to talk to and when I get started, I'd hope for a day to a week."

He began putting the parts back together, and Jules watched closely as he did so, making extra sure she knew what went where so next time she attempted another project like this, if she trusted herself to agree to one, she knew what exactly to do. As he did so, he glanced once at her, and a strange expression crossed between a small smile and some sort of longing took over his face, as if he was contemplating something major. Something urgent he needed to get off his chest. With subtle hesitance, he spoke again. "If you had asked, I believe Hazard would have been more than happy to help you. She's skilled in the subject."

Something about the comment immediately perturbed her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it... that is, until she looked down at her pouch and realized there was still a piece of paper folded there, a letter addressed to her that... she was almost completely sure she knew who its sender was.

The pieces had slowly come together after she had shaken off the adrenaline of the battle, but she hadn't wanted to make assumptions then. But Hazard had been the one to walk out of a room directly next to after she had discovered the letter; who else could have placed it, unless she were only a proxy? Hazard had been the one ordering Stingray into the office as well, with the keys. And why had Brutus so suddenly brought this topic up?

Jules herself had worked with the woman, and despite her pushy, sometimes provocative, overbearing nature, she always jumped in to help if her services were needed. She didn't think anyone outside of SHADOW knew about her weapon-building work, which she never otherwise demonstrated outside of the organization. How would Brutus know she in particular would be able and willing to help?