We were guided through the mess of engineers and their cable-covered desks until finally, the Progenitor stopped before a seemingly innocuous station. The man working it stood before a rack containing a simple exoskeleton, the framework of all modern armor. His hulking form and thick arms made his project look diminutive and twig-like in comparison. He had gray hair that was slicked back and stained with grease, tied in a small bun with a thin cable. When he turned back, gentle amber eyes contrasted his stern, weathered face.
He scratched his cropped scraggly beard, frowning slightly. "These are the ones Vivianne sent?"
"Yes, your radiance." The Progenitor did the familiar prayer gesture, and the gray-haired man returned it, his tight black shirt revealing the exact shape of his pecs.
"Well, alright then. You're dismissed."
"May the Brilliance embrace you." And with that, she left.
He grunted, taking a step forward. I had to look up to meet his gaze, and the scent of sweat and grease washed over me. "Hel—" I coughed at the overwhelming smell. "Hello."
Johnny stepped up, "Stellar Radiant, did Vivianne inform you what we're here for?"
"She did." He turned away, pulling up a golden screen from seemingly nowhere. "But I didn't read it. Tell me yourselves, in person."
I glanced at Johnny, and he gave me a tiny, almost imperceivable wave, signifying that it was okay. "Alright. Well, we're investigating the disappearances of pregnant women around Saer-Eh, namely his mother—" he gestured to me, "—and the boss told us you had information."
"James? That Id-touched fool." The Stellar Radiant cracked a smile. He looked at me, giving me a nod. "Dissonating?"
I nodded. "We're…" I paused, the memory of suffocation encroaching on my consciousness. My skin felt clammy as I finished my thought, "We're working on it."
He nodded, the light dimming in his eyes. "Sorry. Dissonance is the hardest part of wielding the might of an Icon. I would only wish that fate on a Sillianist." He chuckled, shaking his head as he thrust his fist through the golden pane of holographic light causing it to conform to his hand in a mock version of the exoskeleton. He threw a test punch, and the dangling body threw a lightning quick jab of its own. The Stellar Radiant nodded in satisfaction, watching carefully as the exoskeleton's arm settled back at its side. "Damned lightless bastards have been getting rowdy." The holographic coating dispersed, and he picked up an oil can and a screwdriver.
I nodded my appreciation, an inkling of a theory forming. "I-if you don't mind me asking… do you have an Icon?"
"Aye, an Incarnation, hence the exoskeleton, and not a Progenitor." After a few tweaks, he turned back, raising his voice over the hubbub. "Got anything specific you need to know?"
Johnny shook his head, his colorless form starkly contrasting the messily brilliant atmosphere. "Just the general rundown and anything that sticks out to you, it's the kid's first time after all."
He stroked his beard, leaning against the metal desk his tools sat on. "We've received reports from just about every corner of Saer-Eh, more so the ones bereft of Brilliance. The majority come from 'round district 2 and its adjacent districts. We suspect they're being moved underground, but we don't have near enough manpower to check that. I'd check around district 2 to start."
My heart sank. Brilliante, ironically, one of the few districts that generally reviled the Brilliance, and all other religions for that matter. Before Johnny could get his words out, I interjected, "What about who's doing it?"
"That's where it gets stickier." He grunted, lifting a bottle of motor oil to his lips.
"W-wait!"
He glanced down at me, then at the bottle, and still took a swig. "Incarnations change your body in odd ways," he added succinctly before continuing. "The cases don't seem to be connected, aside from their natures. Few were apprehended, and even then, they chose to sink to the Realm Bereft of Light before we could get answers."
Suicide? I frowned, my fists balling.
"However, from our findings, it seems to be a network of crime syndicates, families and gangs who have been unified for a purpose we can't be exactly sure of at this time." He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow, thick black boots clicking against the floor as he tapped his foot. "Our running theory is some form of large Cerebrus gathering operation, as most have been captured with extraction needles… but knowing their ilk, they could just be addicts."
Johnny nodded slowly. "Did your Legionnaires take any photographs?"
"Yeah," he sent a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of another offshoot hall, "They're in my office. Follow me." With that, he pushed off the metal table, turning away and dropping the screwdriver behind him.
"What's your name boy?" He didn't look back, retying his shoulder-length hair as we walked.
"Donovan."
He finished with his hair, taking a turn. "Got any questions that fool didn't answer that I can?"
"The Detective? Well… um, I'm curious why you work on your own armor instead of letting one of your engineers do it for you?"
"Never use something you don't understand, and if you do, don't rely on it to save your life when worst comes to worst. I trust myself enough to hold my own, thus I'd rather have mediocre tech that I know inside and out than the best gear in the world that I cannot begin to comprehend. Plus, it's good for morale."
I frowned, confused. I can see that… I guess?
"Haven't done much fighting, have you?"
My face heated, embarrassed by my lack of proficiency in front of a Stellar Radiant himself. "No, not at all."
"James didn't send you to Valor Hall yet?" He snorted. "Foolish. Ask him about it when you see him again." The Stellar Radiant cast his gaze over his shoulder. "Bloodshed is in your future; it is the destiny of all Icon wielders."
"The Detective said something similar."
"And he still didn't send you to the Hall?" He shook his head. "Step inside." We had arrived at the Stellar Radiant's office. It was up a flight of stairs and had massive glass walls that overlooked a sparring room filled with sweaty men and women fighting like their lives depended on it. The room was rather basic and threadbare, but cleanly and clearly cared for.
"I assume you meant the original, physical copies of the photos, correct?" He walked around his desk and reached into a cabinet, almost knocking over a lamp sculpted to resemble Ah-Legoria holding up the bulb.
"Yes, thank you."
"Makes sense as you're Incorporated with James, and that was always his most useful ability as a Radiant." He smiled faintly, "He's the whole reason we keep these antiques." From within the cabinet he withdrew a white paper box with the golden symbol of the Brilliance emblazoned on the lid. A small label on the front read in simple script, "Pregnancy." He spread the polaroids on his marble desk, swiping his hand just over their surfaces. With a glimmer of golden light from a small white band on his finger, a holographic screen of light magnified the images in full color.
The corpse of a pregnant woman surrounded by eviscerated, splattered gory messes of flesh and bone caught my eye for its sheer brutality, and clearly it caught Johnny's as well. He picked it up in his black gloved hand and rapidly waved it back and forth. The slim piece of film shimmered like frosty glass before disassembling into a stream of mist. My eyes widened as the room began to shift, an ethereal veil drawing itself around the room.
I blinked, and suddenly, I was on a hazy, black and white street. Panic flooded my veins and I reflexively flinched back as I took in the sudden change. Johnny and the Stellar Radiant were still there, finally allowing me to take a long breath out. The sky was filled with pulsating lights, and tall disheveled buildings framed the horizon. The ground was littered with garbage and soaked in various liquids I could only imagine smelled foul. I took a step forward on the pitted and poorly maintained sidewalk, shock and wonder filling my heart as I scanned the twisted mess of metal that was district 2 – Brilliante.
A pregnant woman —her body starkly clear and detailed compared to the blurry surroundings— suddenly materialized from the edge of the misty bubble, trailing faint foggy afterimages as she ran. I wanted to reach out, to warn her for what was about to befall her, but my heart froze, and I watched in horror as a non-descript figure lunged out, throwing a bag over her head. As she struggled, two more figures leapt out of an alley, ramming a syringe into her arm while another looked to be… laughing as he kicked her in the back over and over.
My blood boiled, fury making my face hot and my fists tight. But still… I could do nothing. It was the past. I took a deep breath out, and watched in disgust as they panicked, realizing they'd killed her. Everything froze, and slowly the misty surroundings swirled like a vortex was pulling them in. The lights and surroundings compressed into streaks, flowing into the internals of Johnny's cloak before dispersing completely, restoring the appearance of the office.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears, the realization that that could've happened to my mom crushing my heart like a vice. No, it's a different district… yet my mother's face superimposed itself over the dead woman's in my mind. My stomach churned as I desperately clung to Johnny's emotional manipulation.
He gave me a glance and a nod before turning back to the Stellar Radiant. "East Melarie Street?" Johnny muttered, scratching under his chin.
"Indeed. Specifically around the corner of East Melarie and Basinview."
"The middle-class area—""
"That was middle-class?" I couldn't help but blurt.
The Stellar Radiant nodded gravely. "We don't normally send Legionnaires there, but we had heard reports on this case, and a few others of high importance."
"We'll look into it, thank you Radiant. Could you ship that to the boss?"
"No problem. Got any time to spar with my guys? I'm sure they'd love to fight an Incorporated." The Radiant grinned.
Johnny shook his head. "Not here to stomp on anyone's pride. Besides, kid already paid the price with Vivianne, so we're all paid up."
The Radiant cast me a sympathetic look. "The last Venerated was more reasonable… I do apologize."
My face heated, thinking back to our encounter. "I-it's nothing."
Johnny and the Radiant gave each other a look before chuckling. "C'mon kid," Johnny turned away.
"Thank you, Stellar Radiant." I awkwardly bowed, stopped, then did the correct gesture.
He smiled faintly. "Don't sweat it. You remind me of my son. If you need something, come ask." As I opened my mouth to respond, he added, "And please, call me Derrick."
"Thank you, Derrick." I nodded, then followed Johnny back into the hallway.
Johnny snickered as I stepped out. "Lucky you. He isn't known to be one of the kind or friendly Radiants."
We began our trek back and a question floated into my mind. "Why do you call the Venerated by her name, but Derrick by his title?"
He fiddled with his cigarette, flipping it up into the air before catching it. "A matter of respect."