Argent Eye II

11

"So, I have some intel." Ronan said, walking with me to uni- he'd just decided to appear when I reached the other side of the tunnel, on the uni side.

"Oh, yeah?" I asked, curious.

"Yeah. I asked an old friend- another Dreamwalker. Now, he said to me that over the last couple of weeks, there have been rumours of a group who know about Argents. He doesn't know how much they know, but he thinks they're involved in these stabbings. I told him about what happened with Jake, and then he made the connections."

"Have they somehow got hold of Black Prometheum, as well?"

"As far as we know, yes. But you said it didn't feel like normal Black Prometheum?"

"No, it didn't." I said. "It felt weird."

"Yes, so it's not the Black Prometheum. My friend thinks that they're trying to replicate the process of turning people into Argents. The only problem with that is that if they're normal humans, they're not going to know if someone not only has potential, but is ready. Hence, why those four students are dead. It didn't work."

I paused for a moment in thought. "Do you think that there have been ones that worked?"

"Possibly." He said. "If that's the case, then the people it's worked on are out and about, and then the ones it failed on, they just left."

"Hang on a second." I said. "Surely if your friend knows about them, then they can just find them and sort them out?"

"Well, that's just it." Ronan said, his tone more intrigued than anything. "Nobody can find them. Whoever knows about them is either part of the gang, or isn't blabbling."

"But someone must have blabbed." I pointed out. "Otherwise where did the rumours come from?"

"Who knows." Ronan said. "If it's that secretive, then the rumour starter could well be dead."

"But we're just talking about ordinary humans here. How is it that a Dreamwalker can't find them?"

"Well, we don't know if they are ordinary humans." Ronan said. "If there were people who the replication thing worked on, then who knows what kind of power these people have. Their experiments, or whatever they are, are not legit. They might be doing things we've never heard of before."

"Like what?" I asked.

Ronan shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm just imagining the possibilities."

I frowned, very confused. "I guess we just have to try and find them, then?"

"Exactly." Ronan said. "I hate to say it, but you're probably our best chance at the moment. They're targeting students."

"I feel like they saw my face before, though." I said, remembering the reaction when I'd caught the fake Prometheum before it stabbed Jake.

"Hm, true." Ronan said. "But who knows how big the organisation is. Perhaps not everyone in it knows your face. Maybe those guys didn't even tell anyone."

I gave Ronan a look.

"Okay, they probably did, but who knows." He said, just as we approached the door to the uni. "Just keep an eye out."

"Will do." I said, and Ronan vanished.

__________

"Oh, hi Irina." I said, passing her in the corridor.

"Hi, Millie." She smiled. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good thanks. How's the teaching?"

She nodded a little. "It's good, I think. I-"