Blink... Fragments.
A cold hand wrapped around his own, steady.
The distorted shadow of an oak tree over him.
He looked up at a face he did not recognize.
A static voice bled into the air.
"... Kane... wake... up."
...
Beep. Beep.
Monitors hummed in uneven rhythms.
Behind the sliding door was Yvette.
Her care was intense.
Bloodshot eyes.
A cold sweat.
There was almost no sign of life in him.
Yet she still tried.
The door slid open.
Grimm and Art stepped inside.
Grimm pointed at Yvette.
"Has she been like this all day?"
"Three days."
Grimm was surprised.
"She's something else."
Art nodded in agreement and then called out to Yvette.
"Hey, Yvette! We brought you some lunch."
Art placed it on the desk.
Yvette didn't look up, still checking vitals.
Her arms stretched over him, a green glow emitting from her veins.
Yvette noticed a change on the monitor indicating that he could wake up any minute.
His eyes cracked open.
Light flooded in.
His pupils narrowed.
Static faded.
The ceiling replaced the oak tree.
He slowly peered around the room.
Yvette staggered back and collapsed, with one hand on her chest.
Relief softened her face.
He couldn't understand why her shoulders trembled.
Grimm helped her up as Art got closer to him.
His unkempt hair covered most of his face.
He was frail.
Yvette tapped Art on the shoulder.
She motioned to a seat and they sat down.
Yvette spoke with a tender voice.
"He's alive. He needs to rest one more day before he can start consuming liquid food."
Art had some concern.
"Are you going to be ok?"
Yvette leaned back.
"I have to be okay."
Grimm interjected.
"Let's go."
Art's eyebrows twitched.
"Fine. Yvette, eat the food and recover."
Art and Grimm got up and left.
"Thanks, you two."
"Yeah!"
"You're welcome."
Yvette exhaled slowly.
She reached for the food on her left and opened what Art and Grimm brought her.
She ate in silence.
Yvette leaned over the back of her chair and looked at him.
He's stable.
She turned back and wrote her report.
Once finished, she got up and headed for the door.
The light switch was flicked off.
"Get some rest. Goodnight."
The next morning, he was able to sit up.
His head turned slowly, studying the unfamiliar room.
Yvette still cared for him in the coming days.
His condition stabilized.
Grimm and Art visited with food.
Art looked at his face.
She wanted information.
"What's your name?"
Kane looked at her and tried to speak.
No words emerged, only a slight grunt.
Yvette answered for him instead.
"Kane Bolt. Tremor was able to obtain all the prisoner data thanks to you hacking into the control system on your mission."
Grimm chimed in.
"How'd he end up there?"
"According to the report, Kane was captured as his desire manifested.
He was charged at twelve years old with first degree murder and cannibalism."
The air was still.
Kane's hands twitched.
The word lingered.
Something shifted softly in his being.
Art observed the much healthier state of Kane.
She cleared her throat.
"Your work is always impressive, Yvette. To bring him back to life is a miracle."
"It's thanks to my power after all."
"What about Joe?"
"That battle junkie? He never comes in here.
He just stays in his room as always after a mission. It's something to do with his desire."
"You're right."
Once the crew was finished eating, Grimm and Art cleaned up and were headed towards the door.
"Thanks."
Art turned around at the sound of that struggling thanks.
Kane was turned towards them, looking at both with the same quiet confusion.
Grimm was already outside, so he didn't hear Kane's response.
Art smiled softly and spoke before leaving.
"You're welcome. Yvette, well stop by with lunch again."
Yvette, looking down at paperwork on her desk, replied.
"See you tomorrow."
Another two weeks of this went by. Yvette checked his vitals.
Everything is in order.
She permitted his discharge.
Grimm and Art were sent to guide him around.
Before leaving, he turned towards Yvette.
His lips parted slowly.
"Thanks"
Yvette smiled.
"No problem."
Kane followed Art and Grimm through the door.
They led him into the center courtyard.
Art and Grimm began to give Kane a tour of the place.
"This is the main lobby and courtyard of Cygnus.
It serves as the central hub.
It also acts as a convergence point for the different departments."
Kane wasn't focused.
His mind was drifting.
Art noticed.
"Let's continue."
Art pointed towards a hallway with a symbol of a swan's tail above the entrance and the word Deneb on it.
" Support unit. Five members."
Kane was looking elsewhere.
Grimm pointed at the place they originally came from.
"That's the second department. The only things down that way are Yvette and Tremor."
Art's eyes twitched.
"It's called Sadar. That's our technology and medical unit."
Grimm snapped back.
"I knew that."
Art didn't believe him.
She led them to the entrance of another department.
Above this door was a left wing symbol and the word Aljanah.
Art started to walk into the hallway. Kane and Grimm followed.
"This place is where the insurrection squad works. Our mission is to bring liberation and freedom to Maker's City."
Grimm nodded in agreement.
Kane was puzzled.
Maker.
The word pressed against something buried.
His thoughts wandered.
There were six individual rooms.
Each for one person.
Sounds of an active spar could be heard from the training hall.
Elaina and Jean were sparing.
They noticed the trio and stopped.
Grimm looked at Elaina.
Kane gave a blank stare.
Jean waved at Art.
"Hey, Art."
Art waved back as Jean got closer to her.
"How's it going?"
"The spar?"
Art smiled.
"I was winning."
Elaina was shocked.
"No way you just said that."
She puffed her cheeks and turned away.
Grimm didn't look away.
Jean leaned in close to Art.
She whispered and pointed at Kane.
"Who's that?"
Art glanced over.
"That's Kane."
Jean was confused.
"Who?"
"The other prisoner I brought back."
Jean was stunned.
Throughout this interaction, Kane was still.
He observed the people around him.
Quietly.
With Calmness.
Elaina and Jean returned to their training.
Art guided Kane and Grimm back to the center courtyard.
Kane left Art and Grimm.
He walked over to a window.
Kane gazed outside.
The area was desolate.
It had different mountains and hills with massive dug out areas that lead downward.
Inside these ravines were machinery cutting and transporting blocks of stone.
Art noticed Kane and walked over to him.
"Those are stone cutters."
Kane looked confused.
Art tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to another pathway.
It had the word Fawaris and a right wing symbol.
"They are a part of Fawaris. This place, Cygnus, is a quarry. On the outside at least."
Kane nodded.
His gaze lingered.
Grimm complained.
"Lets rest a bit."
The trio found a spot to sit down at the fountain in the courtyard.
Art pointed to the final department entrance.
It had the word Albriedo and a swan's head.
"This is Albriedo. It's our leader's office and where we go for briefings."
Kane felt something.
His gaze was set on the entrance.
Grimm's stomach growled.
" I'm hungry, man."
Art sighed.
"Let's go."
They grabbed food and returned to the courtyard.
Kane ate quietly.
The ache in his stomach dulled.
After, Art led him to the design studio.
His hair was cut.
The long strands fell away.
The veil over his face was lifted.
Chains were bound into his cheek, fused through his ears.
Art stared.
Grimm didn't speak.
Kane studied his reflection.
It did not look away.
For a moment, he wondered which one of them had woken up.
Buzz. Buzz.
The small communicator in Art and Grimm's pockets buzzed.
Art pulled hers out. On the screen a message was displayed.
Insurgents, report for briefing,
Bring 05.
The emptiness within him faintly stirred.