Breachers – Path of Steel

31

I

Music and Leather

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Day 32

Marcus

Jogging through the streets of New Haven the next day, Marcus could feel the burn in his legs, a reminder that he was reaching his limits. Despite still being tired from last night, he also felt a sense of satisfaction. The previous night had been a short one, with him barely getting a few hours of rest before his sister had called him, asking him to come over to her guild and watch actual Breachers train. He sped up, the wind brushing his face and hair even with the hoodie on. Music blasted in his ears from his earphones as he maneuvered through the city, relishing the newfound freedom of the past few weeks now that his legs were working properly again. Marcus pushed himself for a final sprint before halting in front of a large office building. He took in the massive logo shaped like a single drop of blue blood plastered on the exterior. “Royal Blue,” he muttered, gazing at the imposing structure. “Weird that they own the whole building, despite not even being the biggest guild around.” He glanced at his reflection in the glass, adjusted his hoodie, kept his hands in the pockets to hide the marks and then slipped inside the building.

Walking over to the nearest receptionist, Marcus presented his invitation on his phone before receiving a lanyard with a visitor’s badge and instructions on where he needed to go. Climbing the stairs to the fifth floor, he roamed around for a bit until he spotted a massive glass wall exposing an expensive-looking training hall. Inside, people were busy working out, running drills, and practicing on their own, but most of them were sparring with one another. Some wielded practice swords, axes, and spears, while others took shots with bows and rifles at a target range in the back. Marcus could also see fire and water occasionally clash in a violent dance, the combatants' Abilities lighting up the training hall. ‘Are those their Abilities? Holy shit, they’re going all out,’ he thought, witnessing the fighters intensify their attacks, pouring more mana into their moves to overpower each other, with onlookers offering tips from the sidelines. Marcus was quite surprised at how different each attack was, as if their Abilities were flexible enough to create different styles of attack.

Opening a thick glass door nearby, Marcus entered the training hall as he began looking for his sister. It took him a while, but in the distance, he found her in full armor, grappling with a larger opponent before slamming the man on the ground and securing him in an armlock. As Marcus stood next to Breachers and other observers, he continued watching her manhandle the man. ‘She’s got good technique. Did she actually listen when Dad was teaching us?’ he pondered. Checking out the others, Marcus saw some close to what he himself was able to do, while others delivered punches and kicks that could dent steel plates or whose movements were just a blur. ‘They are stronger and faster than I imagined,’ he thought. Observing someone sprint faster than an Olympic athlete, but covered in thick armor. The longer he looked, the more details he noticed and outclassed he felt. ‘There’s better technique in some of the weaker Breachers, or is it just my imagination?’ he thought, watching the lower-ranked fighters spar before turning his attention back to the stronger ones. With the latter, he noted many relying on increased power, speed, or their Abilities. He recalled the way his uncle and father had always drilled him to use proper technique, to rely on skill rather than brute force, even when you were stronger than your opponent. ‘Perhaps technique matters less when fighting monsters?’

Marcus could almost sort of feel their raw power, even from where he was standing. He observed a thin colored mist pouring out of the marks of some breachers that had been expending a lot of Mana. Most had a blue hue, with occasional hints of red. ‘It’s crazy that these people can unleash so much Mana that you can see it with the naked eye. What kind of monsters does my sister work with?’ he thought before he noticed a man hitting the floor in a loud smack before rolling to a stop, with Joline strolling towards the man as if trying to end the threat in the most intimidating and confident way he had ever seen his sister move. “Ten credits on the blonde with the weird nose,” Marcus suddenly called out, his voice loud enough to reach her as he walked toward her, navigating around the sparring Breachers with a nervous expression. His sister, spotting him, grinned, took off her helmet, and signaled to her sparring partner that she was done. Marcus noticed the faint blue mist leaving her green marks that were scattered around her arms and the side of her head. The mist partially encompassed her body before evaporating, showing Marcus that his sister had burned through a significant amount of Mana herself.

Joline walked over to him, yanking his hoodie off his head and tousled his hair. “No need to hide your marks, brother. We’re all freaks here,” she said, while plucking at a strand of his long black hair. “And you should really think about getting a haircut. I could do it myself if you want.”

“Sharp objects and you? Not a combo I can trust,” Marcus said with a grin before feeling her finger press against one of his ribs.

“You do know that I can snap ‘em like a KitKat, right?” she joked, poking a few times before guiding Marcus to her squad mates. Introductions followed, including Luuk Telman, the guy his sister had just tossed around and was apparently something of a close friend. Marcus smiled as he met each one, realizing that most of them were well aware of who he was and of his extended hospital stay. “Hold on a sec, I’ve got a little surprise for you,” Joline said before she jogged to her bag, returning with a plastic container holding a small cupcake. It sported a tiny candle and icing shaped like the number 30. “Happy 30 days awake, little brother. Well, technically 32 days, but who’s counting, right?” she said, a wide smile on her face as she handed him the cupcake.

“Wait, little?” Marcus quirked an eyebrow, matching her smile. Meanwhile, Luuk inquired about more cupcakes, prompting his sister to playfully sweep the man’s legs, pinning him to the ground, and poking his stomach. During the grappling, Marcus noticed the chain around his sister’s neck, holding their parents’ wedding rings. He was about to ask Luuk a question when he heard someone speak up.

“Didn’t I order assault drills for everyone?” a man barked, striding their way. Marcus observed the man, adorned in pricey yet practical armor that accentuated his good looks—perfectly white teeth, blue eyes and blonde hair. Beyond that, Marcus couldn’t help but be irked by the man’s perpetually sour expression, taking a dislike to him right away.

“Apologies, squad leader. This one’s on me. I asked my brother here to check out our guild and meet some of my teammates,” Joline said, giving Marcus’s shoulder a reassuring pat. “Thought I’d showcase the fine work our guild does.”

The man stopped in his tracks, eyes fixed on her. “You mean ‘that’ brother?” he inquired while Joline quickly confirmed it with a nod. Drawing near to Marcus, he inspected the black marks, like an appraiser would do. “Did you get your measurements taken already?”

“I did,” Marcus said, gaze fixed on the man. His sister hadn’t brought up this guy before, but the way Joline and the others were reacting made Marcus develop an instant aversion to him, on top of the man’s perpetually sour expression. Yet, he couldn’t ignore the power radiating from the man. ‘Even with a face begging to get punched, I’d lose in a fight. If I could even call it a fight.’ It was as if he could immediately feel the gap between them by instinct, like a human could do when squaring off with a big animal.

An eyebrow arched on the man’s face, seemingly annoyed that Marcus hadn’t promptly shared his rank and power rating. Feeling the tension, Joline stepped in, nudging Marcus back a bit. “He’s a Alpha Rank, sir, with a power rating of one.”

A ‘tsk’ escaped the man, and he took a step back, a soft smile playing on his features. “Good on you for showing your brother around, but please do so in your free time. And away from danger. This guild has already done more than its share for you. Understood?”

Marcus tightened his jaw, ready to step forward, but his sister’s hand on his shoulder transformed into a vice grip, keeping him rooted in place. “Yes, squad leader. Come on, Marcus, let’s quit bothering everyone and grab a bite to eat. I’ll show you the cafeteria.” Joline gently nudged him away from the group while her brother followed reluctantly. They made their way to the exit, but Marcus glanced back once more, catching the squad leader’s satisfied expression. Marcus wanted to turn around, but his sister grabbed him and pulled him towards the exit. “Oh no you don’t. You just got out of the hospital.”

Leaving the training hall, they climbed to the next floor, entering the cafeteria. Marcus’s eyes widened at the unexpected elegance on display as they grabbed a small table near a large marble pillar. They barely had sat down when staff members were already there to assist them and take their order. Within minutes, Marcus and Joline were sipping tea and enjoying sandwiches that were uncomfortably square in design. “So, little brother, what do you think?”

“Are you asking me about this place, me plotting to swipe some of the fancy silverware without you noticing, or is it about squad leader Douchebag?”

A snort escaped Joline as she poured more honey into her tea. “Definitely the first one.”

“It’s big, really, really big. If I’d known you were such a hotshot Breacher, I’d have been asking for your autograph the second I woke up in the hospital.” Marcus grinned, tearing another piece from his sandwich and enjoying the fact that it was less square now.

“Oh, there’s still time for that. But yeah, this place is great, and most folks here are as well. We might not be the biggest guild out there, but we’re in the top ten of this country, and we’re even starting to get some international pull,” she shared, going on to tell how their guild leader had recently recruited more Breachers. “He’s managed to reel in three Gamma’s and even a Gamma+,” she explained, noticing her brother’s puzzled look before breaking it down. “You know, the whole red Mana? They are a whole tier above us mere blues. Gamma’s are rank five, Gamma+ is six. My squad leader, Adam Hayes, or ‘the douche,’ is a Gamma. You might not like him, not many on my team do, but he’s crazy powerful and is actually good at what he does. The latter is more important to me as a Breacher.”

“Mm-hmm,” Marcus mumbled, swallowing the last of his sandwich and reclining in his chair. “Well, the rest of your crew seems alright.”

Joline just smiled at the comment. “Are you playing my big brother again?”

“I never said I stopped being one.”

“You snooze, you lose,” Joline quipped, popping open the plastic box she had given him and swiftly grabbing the cupcake. Holding it near the flickering candle on the table, she ignited the smaller candle and nudged it toward Marcus. “Time to make a wish.”

With a grin, Marcus extinguished the candle between his fingers. “I wish I could sock that squad leader of yours in the face for treating you like that.”

Grabbing a fork, his sister snorted and pinched a bit of the cupcake. “You’re supposed to blow out the candle, genius. As for punching him? I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Why, ‘cause he’s quick enough to dodge me?” Marcus asked, watching his sister with a raised eyebrow as she took another bite and taking her time doing so.

“No,” Joline said finally, finishing chewing. “Sure, he’s fast, but punching him? It’s not just about speed. The guy’s durable, his Mana’s red, and he’s a very experienced Breacher. It’ll probably feel like punching concrete... maybe even harder. Concrete that can also hit back faster than your eyes can process." Marcus just leaned back in his chair, seeming unconvinced. “I’m telling you, as your wise older sister, that is plenty strong herself. Folks like Adam, they’re in a whole other league. Some are so tough they can shrug off bullets or ignore fire. The sheer amount of Mana that guy can burn through could overwhelm most of my team if he’s not careful.”

“Overwhelm?”

“Yeah. When a Breacher pours a lot of their Mana into their gear or Abilities, it can burn through it so fast that some bleeds out, creating that colored mist effect. Weaker Breachers can get overwhelmed by the constant concentrated Mana exposure of stronger Breachers.”

Marcus stopped and thought about what his sister was saying while he reached for the cupcake, only to have it yanked away by his sister. He had spent a lot of time online reading up on things related to Breachers to better understand himself, yet a lot of what he had read often contradicted other bits, as was the nature of ‘online facts’. Hearing it from his experienced sister was helpful, but also made things more confusing. “I thought Breachers had something in their blood to make them immune to that?”

“Resistant to Mana, sure, but not immune,” his sister said, plucking a big chunk from the cupcake. “That’s why my squad leader held back and didn’t shake your hand and took a step back when he found out your low rating. He probably didn’t want to overwhelm you when he had all that Mana coursing through his system. Mana sickness is no joke, even for Breachers.”

Marcus recalled how the man had taken a step back, but he also remembered how he had touched the hand of the female Breacher, Lynx, when she had just stepped out of a Sphere. ‘I felt perfectly fine back then,’ he thought before turning his focus to his sister. “Sure, that could be the reason he took a step back, or, here’s a wild idea,” he said, pausing for effect. “He could just be a genuine asshole?”

Joline couldn’t help but snort again before she idly played with the rings on her necklace. “No doubt. So, what do you have planned for today, dear brother, beyond stinking up the place in your sweat?”

“Nothing at all. This run was the highlight... that and seeing you mutilate my celebration cupcake,” Marcus smiled briefly before sinking deeper into his chair. “I’m just going to get some groceries from the store and catch up on music in my apartment that I might have missed these last few years. You know, since I was absent for a while.”

"Really? I didn't notice it, to be honest."

“Oh, and I’m going to buy a new belt. Leather one. Fancy, I know. Felix gave me my first paycheck a few days back, so I thought I’d invest it in something practical and mature instead of splurging it on useless things like I might have done in the past.”

“Look at you, all grown up with a belt and all. I’m proud of you,” Joline beamed at Marcus. “So, how’s it going, working for Felix?”

“First of all, it’s ‘with’ Felix,” he corrected her, a smirk playing on his lips. “But it’s hard work. He’s really good at his job, and I’m basically running after him, trying to keep up and not mess up orders. I’m not sure if I’m cut out for it in the long run, but I thought a few extra credits wouldn’t hurt while I also sharpen my kitchen skills. Lord knows I need it.”

“Preaching to the choir here, Marcus. I’ve been saying that about you my entire life,” she chuckled when he flipped her the bird. “So, no Felix duties for you today?”

“Nope,” Marcus responded, lounging with his hands behind his head as he propped his feet up on the adjacent chair. “Just me, loud music, and my leather belt.”

“Ugh,” Joline exclaimed, giving a disapproving shake of her head. “Why’d you have to make it sound so weird?”

Marcus shut his eyes, a mischievous curve playing on his lips. “You have no idea.”

- - -

A while Later, Marcus was back inside his bedroom as he snatched his pillow from the bed. He then entered the bathroom to find Specter sitting on the edge of the bath, holding twenty Monster-Glass pieces in its steel hand. “All set?” Marcus asked, settling into the empty bath and arranging the pillow beneath him.

“I’m not the one about to stab myself with twenty sharp objects, so, you tell me,” Specter quipped, handing Marcus the Glass pieces. Its steel fingers briefly touched Marcus’s hand to form a connection again, then grabbed a leather belt nearby, placing it between the man’s teeth, allowing him to bite into it. The robot leaned forward, hitting the enter key on the laptop and starting up the loud music it had set up earlier. Specter then observed as Marcus pulled up his shirt, holding the Glass pieces over the black marks on his chest. After a brief hesitation, Marcus slammed them into himself, the edges piercing his chest and striking the odd blackish material. A small blue flash of energy erupted, expanding and then flowing into his body. The Glass disintegrated afterwards until nothing remained beyond the wounds they had left in Marcus’s flesh.

Marcus hissed at the stinging sensation in his chest, feeling the energy flow through his body and settle uncomfortably in his center. A familiar discomfort, reminiscent of the hospital days when he still didn’t know what was causing it. Even now, he felt it gnaw at his core as he wondered how he had put up with it all back then. “Alright... Endurance it is,” he muttered, shutting his eyes. He visualized the process, directing the energy into his Endurance Stat, a decision that he and Specter had deliberated over for the past hour. They settled on Endurance again, aiming for the extra protection and faster recovery it promised.

“Enjoy the ride,” Specter simply said as he got up to better help out if needed.

Marcus felt the energy move within him as he redirected it towards strengthening his Endurance, but it didn’t work. It just flowed backward as if obstructed. He kept at it, the tension evident in his body as sweat trickled down his face. “It’s not working,” he muttered after he had spat out the belt after yet another failed attempt. “It’s... as if there isn’t enough energy this time,” he observed, grappling with the discomfort rippling through him.

“Could be because it’s already been increased before. Perhaps, doubling the amount of Glass could do the trick? But you’ve got to lay off for now. It’s just causing unnecessary irritation at the moment. Let’s shift to Plan B, try increasing a different Stat,” Specter suggested, observing Marcus nod slowly and close his eyes, as if focusing on something else.

“Vigor,” Marcus whispered, composing himself and concentrating on his breathing. He pictured opening the gate to that particular Stat, gently directing the uncomfortable energy inside. This time, it flowed through smoothly, encountering little resistance. As minutes passed, the energy settled into him, bringing about a strange sensation in his veins. The sensation seemed to heat up and cool his blood at the same time. Over time the temperature began to spike more and more, forcing him to hiss in pain before Specter swiftly pushed the belt between his teeth.

Marcus writhed in the bathtub, the veins in his arm lit with a momentary glow as his blood seemed to boil and freeze at the same time as it rushed throughout his body. His back arched, limbs and fingers tensing as Specter's steel fingers pressed against the man’s chest, the whir of servos audible as they strained to restrain Marcus from unintentional harm. Abruptly, the pain subsided, leaving Marcus panting and sweating as the black marks on his body ached a while longer. He weakly spat out the belt and replaced it with a victorious grin before he activated his HUD.

╔                                 ╗

[Vigor] [+1]

╚                                 ╝

“That went better than last time,” Marcus said as he settled into a seated position with the robot helping him a bit. The link disconnected as Specter grabbed a glass of water. “I don’t know if it’s because we boosted Endurance last time and I am just able to handle it better, or if this Stat isn’t as rough on my body.”

“Hard to say,” Specter remarked, observing Marcus down the drink before tossing him a towel. “The main thing is, you didn’t kick the bucket. So, that’s a win in my books.”

After wiping his sweaty brow, Marcus let the towel fall on the ground before holding out his hand in front of him before closing it into a tight fist. “Yeah, but we still need to figure out why I couldn’t improve the Endurance Stat this time, and what kind of changes the Vigor Stat did for us.”

The robot nodded before picking up the towel again, afterwards flinging it back against Marcus’s face. “How about you start with a shower before all that?”

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Copyright: OsiriumWrites