At first, all Gwen heard were muffled voices, garbled as though they were under water. Warm, comfortable numbness washed over her. Random images flitted through her mind, far too quickly for her to catch more than a vague impression. Sometimes the briefest glimpse of a face, other times a specific location, though none were the least bit familiar. It was because of this strange sense of disconnection that she instinctively knew she was dreaming. Or rather, had been dreaming, until the voices pierced through the veil between sleep and consciousness.
"The caduceus should be—"
"—Thessaly? This could prove much more challenging."
"—with it being such a populated area? It would be a miracle if we managed."
"What about—did the council...?"
"It was him, just like I said it would be. Listen, there's something I have to tell you."
The voices grew sharper, though Gwen still couldn't make any more sense of them than she could from the start. Who was talking, and where was she, anyway?
"Now is not the time to be reckless."
Was that Forneus?
"For the love of Mythos, listen to reason! This is the perfect time to take Reeves out of the equation, once and for all!" Strange, that sounded a lot like Phenex. "We might never get another chance like this! Please, don't try to stop me. Not from doing what we both know needs to be done."
Now she was absolutely certain it was Forneus and Phenex talking.
"Tell me, is it 'Phenex, elite solo operative', or 'Phenex, the harbinger of vengeance' doing the talking?"
An exhalation of breath followed this question, no doubt one of them sighing in frustration—that one more than likely being Phenex.
As the last traces of sleep cleared from her mind, Gwen opened her eyes, seeing only the fuzzy, soft hues of cerulean and lavender dancing across the ceiling until her vision cleared. Peering first to her right, where the bathroom was located, and then to her left, where a tray of food had been left at her bedside, she sat up with a groan. Rubbing the crust from her eyes, she turned her focus toward the two figures standing on the other side of the room, just in front of the marbled door.
When neither looked up, continuing their argument in hushed tones, she cleared her throat. "Who is Reeves, and more importantly, why are you guys holding a conference in my room?"
They looked up simultaneously, surprised. It didn't last long. Phenex averted his molten gaze, leaning back against the wall and folding his arms over his chest. Everything about him just screamed moodiness, and it seemed to Gwen that he'd been like this ever since they'd returned from Rome. Why, she didn't know, and nor was she inclined to find out.
Especially not when he looked like a bomb about to go off at any moment.
Forneus glanced at him as though trying to relay a silent message, the look in his eyes almost pleading. When Phenex refused to meet his gaze, Forneus heaved a sigh, and settled into the folding chair next to the bed, offering Gwen a smile as he did. There was something undeniably sad about his expression, the smile not quite reaching his eyes.
"My apologies for waking you," he said, grabbing the crystal pitcher from the tray next to him and filling the empty glass with water. He handed it to Gwen, and she took it with a grateful nod. "How are you feeling?"
"Better than I have for the last couple of days." Gwen took a long gulp from her glass, and set it back down on the tray. "So, what did I miss? It sounded like you guys were having a serious discussion." Seeing the flicker of tension that crossed his face, she hastened to add, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was asleep, but then I heard you guys talking..."
Forneus placed his hand on top of hers, offering her a reassuring smile as he did. "It's quite all right. After all, we were 'holding a conference in your room', as you so aptly put it." His eyes seemed to dance as he said this, crinkling at the corners in a way she was becoming accustomed to. "In truth, I was just coming to check on you when Phenex arrived with information from the council."
Though warmed by his concern for her, Gwen couldn't help but glance Phenex's way when he said this, noticing his thunderous expression. For once, though, his agitation didn't appear to be directed at her. Instead, he stared at the wall opposite, pointedly ignoring them both.
Giving herself a mental shake, Gwen turned back to Forneus, absently grabbing a sesame-seed bagel from the tray as she asked, "So...what's the news?"
Forneus leaned forward, his expression grave. "We now know the identity of at least one of the beings trying to impede our mission." Having just taken a large bite out of her bagel, Gwen simply nodded, encouraging him to go on.
Forneus obliged. "However, this specific entity isn't the only one hindering our progress. There are many others running amok, creating disturbances across the globe. Some, like the trio we faced back in the Colosseum, come after us with the sole purpose of stealing the artifacts, while others are merely content to cause havoc. Of course, all of this spells trouble for the Regulations Force, regardless." He paused, brow furrowed. "Furthermore, we suspect that 'the Akuma trio', as we've come to call them, are either working for—or with—the entity in question. There may be others, as well. Admittedly, most of this is simply conjecture on our part, but we are also trying to ascertain if there might be more to their agenda than preventing the seals' restoration."
Gwen took a quick sip of water to help wash down the piece of bagel that had gotten lodged in her throat, gasping, "What other reason could there be?" As far as she could see, whatever plan the 'bad guys' were concocting seemed fairly straight-forward. Prevent the High Council and the Regulations Force from restoring the artifacts' seals, and they would never have to worry about being trapped within their hellish prison again.
"As far as we can tell, there isn't really anything to support our theory...except for one thing." Forneus twisted the ring on his right thumb, a gesture Gwen was beginning to recognize as a sign of his unease. "If they simply meant to prevent their return to Nowhere, all they would need to do is destroy the artifacts. And yet from what we've observed, they seem interested in claiming them for themselves—though to what end, we don't know."
Between the pensive expression on his face and Phenex's palpable agitation, Gwen suddenly found she'd lost her appetite. Setting the bagel down, she stared at the clean, white comforter still covering her from the waist down, pondering over what the escapees of Nowhere could possibly want the artifacts for. No answer came to her, though this didn't really come as a surprise given how very little she knew about the artifacts and their powers to begin with.
Gwen excused herself and headed for the bathroom, taking her time as she brushed her teeth and doing her best to ignore the shadows under her eyes when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Not a word was spoken even when she returned, Gwen suddenly conscientious of her every movement, the soft slap of her bare feet as she padded across the smoky tile seeming loud in the otherwise quiet room. She settled back down onto the bed, cringing when it groaned under her weight. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and looked first at Phenex, then Forneus.
When it seemed neither was inclined to speak, she broke the silence. "So, this entity you mentioned...I'm guessing it's that Reeves guy you were talking about earlier?"
From the glance Forneus threw Phenex's way, she got the sinking feeling there was a lot more to Reeves than just being some ordinary, run-of-the-mill 'bad guy' from the movies. It was almost like...
"Correct," Forneus said, cutting across her thoughts. His posture seemed a bit more relaxed, one leg crossed over the other with his arm hanging over the back of the chair. "Reeves is an entity known as a Shade. Not like the souls of the dead you've undoubtedly read about in the old Greek legends, mind you. In this context, it refers to a shadow demon: a particularly powerful one, capable of giving life to the surrounding shadows and controlling them in whatever way he sees fit. In Reeves' case, for his own personal gain."
The room seemed to grow warmer as he said this, and Gwen had a feeling Phenex was responsible. When she glanced his way, she could see the barely contained fury lighting his eyes, the mottled amber giving way to fiery gold.
Forneus must have felt it too, for he leaned forward, his voice dropping an octave as he continued. "The High Council has made his capture top priority, though they have also issued orders for his immediate execution, should he refuse to surrender—this scenario being much more likely. The closer we get to the new moon, the more powerful he becomes. And once that happens..."
He didn't need to say the rest. Gwen had no trouble imagining the worst-case scenarios on her own, most of which involved complete and utter global annihilation. Given Phenex's reaction to the mere mention of Reeves' name, she again found herself wondering if there was more to this story than either of them were letting on. Surely he wasn't worried about fighting Reeves? She had seen him in the throes of battle, had caught a glimpse of his true strength, of the amazing feats he was capable of. So what was it about Reeves that put him on edge like this?
Peering at Phenex from the corner of her eye, she was certain he wasn't afraid. No, this definitely wasn't fear; the gleam in his eyes was pure, unbridled fury. This went far beyond his duties as an operative.
This was something personal.
When she met Forneus's gaze, he gave a brief nod as though to confirm her suspicions, despite her not having voiced them aloud. Given that she'd been told on numerous occasions that she wore her heart on her sleeve, this didn't surprise Gwen. Whether interacting with close friends, family members, or acquaintances, her expression always seemed to give her away. She didn't know what category Forneus fit into anymore, and not just because she'd been in his company for a week straight. Once again, she found herself seized with contradicting feelings of familiar unfamiliarity, as though she knew him, yet didn't. Or perhaps it was more like she had known him once a long time ago, and for whatever reason, could no longer remember.
She wanted so badly to ask him—had been on the verge of asking him quite a few times, in fact— but each time, something more important had come up, or she would lose her nerve. If she was completely honest with herself, she was scared of knowing the truth. Once you knew something, you couldn't un-know it—and what if the truth proved too much to bear?
Pushing the thought away for the time being—not just because she wasn't ready to hear Forneus's answer, but because there were more pressing matters at hand—Gwen opted to change the subject. Fearing that further talk of Reeves would send Phenex flying into a rage, she decided that asking about the next artifact was a far safer topic for the time being.
"Okay, so...with everything that's going on, is it still safe for us to...you know, search for the artifacts?" Feeling the intensity of both of their gazes, she pressed on, "I thought I heard you guys mention something about the third one. What was it, the cad...?" She tested the word out, unable to remember how Forneus had said it, his voice having sounded garbled at the time.
"Hermes' Ca-DOO-See-Us," Forneus replied, pronouncing it carefully, the way an English professor might for a pupil. "And in answer to your question, yes. Despite our present situation, our orders remain firm to reclaim the artifacts and restore their seals. Regardless of what lies ahead, our efforts to quell our enemies' plans will be for naught if we fail to retrieve every last artifact."
The weight of this wasn't lost on Gwen. For the first time since arriving in the Spectrum, her perception of everything she'd known, everything she had ever believed possible, was beginning to shift. The reluctance and uncertainty had begun ebbing away, and though fear and self-doubt still remained, a newfound resolve had taken root deep within her, growing until it overshadowed all else.
Turning so that she was completely facing him, she asked, "So, where is it? Hermes' Caduceus, I mean."
"We don't have exact coordinates, but we've traced it to somewhere just on the outskirts of Thessaly, Greece."
"When are we going?"
"That depends entirely on you." Forneus seemed to be studying her, his eyes lined with worry. "Are you well enough to undertake this mission?"
Gwen squared her shoulders, determined to keep her fatigue from showing. "Yes."
"Then as soon as you're ready." Climbing to his feet, he clapped a hand on her shoulder, and smiled. "We'll be waiting for you out in the corridor."
*
The moment he'd stepped outside the confines of Gwen's quarters, Phenex mentally prepared himself for what would follow. Forneus would undoubtedly want to continue the conversation they'd started prior to the girl waking up, and that meant trying to convince Phenex not to do exactly what he intended on doing: going after Reeves.
Alone.
Inevitable as it seemed, it didn't stop him from trying to get away from Forneus before the entire, unwanted conversation could come to pass. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. Forneus was hot on his heels, and before Phenex could get more than a few steps down the pyrite-flecked corridor, he felt a familiar grip on his shoulder, forcing him to turn around.
"Phenex—"
"I know what you're going to say," he interrupted, brushing Forneus off with a scowl. "There's nothing more to discuss; my mind's already made up." He tugged at the collar of his leather jacket, fixing Forneus with a baleful glare.
Regardless of what that look said, Phenex knew he could never bring himself to harm Forneus, and he was willing to wager Forneus knew it, too.
Still, if he could make him see the depth of his resolve, make him see that he planned on going through with this whatever the cost, how could he not try? And if it meant he stood even the slightest chance of winning Forneus's approval, no matter how reluctant he might be in giving it, wouldn't that make it all worthwhile? Why couldn't he understand that what he was trying to do would benefit them all?
"I beseech you, old friend," said Forneus. "Reconsider."
When Phenex said nothing, Forneus pressed on, grasping his shoulders in an iron-grip. "Phenex, please. There is still so much about the situation we don't understand. We don't know who or what else we're up against. We don't even know Reeves' location at present, or anywhere else he might frequent when he grows weary of staying in shadow. How will you find him? How can you be sure this isn't a trap? For all you know, he could be making preparations to ambush you—he probably already has!"
Gods, if only Forneus knew how hard it was to look him in the eye right now.
Summoning as much scorn into his voice as he could, Phenex said, "You're joking, right? I can take Reeves and his lackeys by myself, no sweat. Besides," he added, narrowing his eyes, "the longer we wait, the stronger he gets. You said it, yourself: we have an obligation to either capture him or kill him, and I'm not going to lie...I really like the sound of the latter."
"You're letting your personal feelings cloud your judgment," said Forneus. "What we have an obligation to is the restoration of the artifacts!"
"No, that's your responsibility," Phenex growled. "The only reason I've helped you this far is because the council ordered me to. If you really want to make up for your mistakes and get your powers back, do it on your own. You're the failed guardian here, not me."
As soon as he said the words, he regretted them. The pressure on his arms left him suddenly, Forneus's hands falling limply at his sides. Phenex could do nothing but stare, horrified, as his expression melted into one of pain.
With those few, careless words, he had managed to cut Forneus more deeply than he could ever have done with the sharpest blade. He wanted to take it back, would have given anything to recant every last syllable, but it was too late; the damage had already been done. No amount of apologizing would make up for the hurt he'd just caused.
So, Phenex did the only thing he could do. He fled. No parting words, no warning of any kind—just up and teleported without bothering to pick a destination beforehand. He needed to get away from Forneus as fast as possible, away from the broken, dejected look in his eyes, and this was the only way he knew how.
When he found himself standing on a quiet, familiar street, he groaned. Of all the places he could have teleported to, it just had to be Gwen's hometown. As if he needed another reason to feel more wretched than he already did.
"Good job, Phenex. You really stepped in it this time."
*