Titans of the Current: Hands of God Edition

Prologue

"In my eyes you must look and ponder what you see. More importantly, understand that which you hear from my pupils. However, it is most imperative that you look beyond what I am, and what we are, and peer towards that where you are going."

"Remarkable amazing... When do I get paid?" Jack's stern gaze could only be matched by the silent response of his accomplice.

A mood was set by the two men of business, similar to Jack's last job. Bystanders no longer stood between Jack and his view of the IAC corporate office building. No car was left parked on the sidewalk. Even the dogs, whose instinct is to call out to any moving matter, seemed to fearfully respect the presence of the two.

Jack looks at his nameless partner as the other man nods his head in the name of his own dismissal. As he leaves Jack could hear the utterance of his favorite words: "When you come back, tell me my name."

The lighted numbers on the black phone dim as the call is complete, give in two minutes I'll have everything I need to find the fifth Alrach. I never liked the IAC. Ever since the position of founder was handed to over to the Xio-Zher, I felt any former obligations to the bioengineering facility carried less its weight in paper.

Ironic really, if Torpor was still alive I'd be in debt to him, but he never took advantage of a favor. I owed him but he refused to collect. His kindness was so abruptly replaced by the zealous greed of the Zher.

I approach the front gates of the corporate plaza as I am greeted by screams and the calls of guards: it's the little things that make life worth living. In an almost comedic display of seriousness I traverse the chaos-stricken plaza into the main hall where the screams of terrified security and patrons were replaced by smooth jazz on the intercom and a familiar voice.

"Jack please, I've told you that you come with the intent to terrify the clients and staff you could at least note that on your appointment schedule," the young brunette Levy sported a gray suit jacket with matching paints and still black shoes. Her green eyes alwayd behind the yellow tint of her glasses, displaying them as a brown rather than green. Her lean figure points to the stairwell as she sighs "due to your last visit please use the stairs Jack"

"It's been three years! It doesn't take that long to rebuild with Xio's infinite pockets?"

A scornful look radiates from her clearly unamused face "no, but it's pathetic when a company cannot install elevators into their own building because of work related risk!" She looks away as she announces "your appointment is in five minutes, should I leave?

She flinches fiercely at the sound of my laughter " Not today, I'll aim for the top half this time." The sound of cynical joy ends upon my arrival to Durant's office. Looking back I see Levy chose to leave anyways, and at a brisk pace too. I can only chuckle as I walk into the glass room once again.

Durant utilized all of his collective courage to open the door. It was a day of reckoning like the one so many years ago. That was the year Jack escaped, and the year Durant learned just what the world came to after the events of the squall. A man a significant stature and composure, one could not tell his traumatic past, riddled with tragedy at the lost of his family at the hand of the IAC, but now he works for them.

"Jack, I've looked at your records and I noticed something interesting: you have none." Shifting the position of my legs I anticipate what can only be a signature Jack remark. However he just stares at me, as if to read my mind on the matter.

He breaks his silence "Durant, it's been three years. Only movies and soap operas keep people on comas for that long."

So it's gonna be this then, Jack comes to negotiate his debt only to beat on a dead horse, well a dead boy to be accurate.