Isolation

Chapter 04

"Is it time?" Mark asked.

"Yes."

This was the moment he had been preparing for since he was born almost seventeen years ago. Jason slid the small metal object from his finger and held it out to Mark. It was his most powerful weapon. The silver ring had an engraving of a running wolf that pulsed in light-blue light. He slid it onto his ring finger. It shrank until it was a perfect fit.

"Remember. It's going to be difficult at first, but-"

Mark was already focusing. Slowly, light-blue particles from the air started to come together into a central line in his open hand. The weight of it started to gain as more particles came together. The final product started to form from the hilt to the tip upon completion.

It was a katana, but not just any katana. It had a wolf's head as the sword's guard with its mouth open like it was eating the blade. This weapon was the sharpest blade in the known universe. It could cut things down to the molecular level. It also had a secret function that Mark found to work better than any blaster he shot. It can throw powerful arcs, or what they call "echoes," of the sword like throwing knives without ever actually throwing the sword. A single swing could pummel dozens of Drax easy if he knew how to use it. The longer he held it in his hand, the more he realized the sword weighed almost nothing.

"I now bestow upon you my son, Mark O'Connor, the blade of our ancestors: Wolfbane."

He lifted Wolfbane high in the air. He could feel the energy it was giving off run through his whole body. It was electric. Blaez and Edon both looked at it like it was something they never saw before.

"Now, you must be very careful with this. You could hurt or even kill somebody with it. Only use it during simulations. Also, I want you to keep your katana on your person at the same time. You need to wean off of it to adjust to how Wolfbane feels. I'll be using my own as a substitute."

"Is it still true that this is the only one known to exist?"

He nodded. "Scientists are still trying to replicate it, but since the original blueprints were destroyed and left behind on Earth, we've had no luck in successfully making a copy of our own. We don't even know what material it's made of."

"But, if you do, will you get one, too?"

"Of course. I've been using it for years. It feels a little lonely without it on right now, but I'll get used to it. Maybe I'll make a copy-cat out of titanium to make it feel like it's still there. Either way, Wolfbane is now yours."

"I can't wait to show James and Sara this," he said excitedly.

"Just remember-"

They said it at the same time.

"Be responsible."

"I know, Dad."

"I know you know. Just making sure you don't forget. Listen, I don't think I'm going to make it to supper tonight, okay champ? I've got some work to do."

Wolfbane disappeared. Mark looked into his dad's eyes.

"Did something happen?"

"Nothing serious. Just a couple of minor incidents. I'm looking into it with James's father. Don't worry about it."

"If you say so."

He looked at his hand like he just painted his fingernails.

"This is gonna be awesome."

"We did have a breakthrough," Jason said. "We perfected Spacial Fragmentation. We can transport long distances across space if we want to. If we ever need to escape or get back to Earth quickly, it'll be almost instantaneous."