Breachers

Breachers – Path of Steel

37

I

Half-Truths

- - -

Benedict

Within the confines of the small guard station, Sebastian and Benedict, along with the young man that they had fought, found themselves seated behind a desk. Two hours had passed since the Sphere had shattered and most of their protective gear had been stripped, replaced with bandages or icepacks. Benedict was sipping a cup of coffee, irritated that even the warm drink tasted and smelled like fresh blood. His spirits lightened a bit when he stared at the young man on his right, seeing the black eye he was nursing. ‘Let’s hope those bruises on his face will linger for a while.’ Benedict’s attention shifted, locking onto the disgruntled guard in front of him. The guard’s pissed off glare spoke volumes, a silent storm brewing, the man’s eyes still tinged red with irritation after the recent teargas ‘incident’. A police officer shared the table with the disgruntled guard, his uniform crisp and eyes watchful. A government official had also been present earlier, taking their ID’s but not yet their official statements until a detective arrived. A knock broke the quiet, and the police officer slowly got up from his seat and opened the door to step outside. With the door open, the three wounded men caught a glimpse of the scene developing outside. The aftermath of the shattered Sphere had drawn a growing crowd of vehicles, responding to the chaos. Benedict’s attention lingered on the logo of a local Guild displayed on several of the vehicles. ‘Did they bring in a guild because of the sudden clearing of this Sphere? Or is it just because of the dangerous terrain and metal rich mutated scrap? Either way, no one’s cleaning up this Glass or the potentially dozens of dormant Orbs anytime soon. This place is a proper dead zone,’ Benedict thought as the door closed again, leaving him to wonder about what would happen to this place and how much trouble they were in.

The door swung open again a few minutes later, and the government official stepped back in, trailed by a female detective absorbed in her data pad while throwing away a lit cigarette. “Well, gentlemen, this has been quite a night, huh?” the detective said as she glanced up from her device to get a better look of the three wounded men, her eyes widening briefly when she spotted the young man beside Benedict, sporting a black eye. “But I’m guessing it’s going to be an even more eventful morning, right, Marcus?”

A brief smile flickered across her face as she glanced at the young man, causing him to sink a little lower in his chair. ‘His name is Marcus? Does she already know him?’ Benedict pondered, folding his hands and working to process the flood of information, crafting a practical strategy. ‘Eyes on the target, soldier.’ He forced himself to just watch and observe.

“Sorry, where are my manners?” the woman said, glancing at Benedict and his brother. “I’m Detective Nanda Walters. And you two must be the oldest and youngest of the Stieler family, or what’s left of it.” She tapped her finger on the notepad, pulling up their files and creating a quick summary of their records. “You guys have quite the lengthy service history, both in the military and as Breachers,” she said, scrolling through their files. She highlighted a few points, like Benedict decorations and his brother’s Medical Discharge. The detective ended with the long list of minor altercations linked to Sebastian’s name. The government official extended his phone and tapped it against her notepad, passing a document to her. “So, you have been Breachers for, what, nine years?” she remarked, browsing through their files. “Your group ran this Sphere earlier today, and then what? A sudden decision to jump back in later at night? Did you forget something? Perhaps a lost shoe?”

Sebastian’s mouth popped open, but Benedict silenced him by placing a hand on his knee. ‘Be patient, brother. This is just her opening act. Otherwise, we’d be in cuffs, riding in the back of a police car already,’ Benedict thought, simply watching the detective.

The detective's gaze darted back to the young man, a glint of curiosity in her eyes. “And you, Mr. Smit, you’re quite the enigma,” the detective said, tapping the screen. “You gave my colleagues a run for their money. Seeing as there is almost no trace of you in our system beyond just a registration and a current address. One might assume you’re like a ghost.” The detective beamed warmly. “Now, picture my partner’s surprise when I told him that: Not only do I know this young man, but I even visited him in the hospital about a month ago,” she said, leaning forward and giving the young man’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Now, don’t you worry, kiddo. I called your uncle. He’s on his way. He said something about how he wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

Upon hearing the part about the uncle, Benedict suddenly noticed a change in the young man’s demeanor, a look of fear emerging on his face that surpassed anything Benedict or Sebastian had managed to arouse during their fight. ‘Marcus Smit, huh? And what was that about the hospital?’ Benedict wondered, eyeing the black marks on the young man’s face. ‘His marks are all over the place. It doesn’t fit the Forged profile, but I’ve never come across an Original acting like him. He’s a real oddball.’ Benedict shifted his gaze to the young man’s fist, seeing the red marks and bruises. ‘During our fight, he didn’t seem to have a noticeable physical advantage, but he’s clearly had extensive hand to hand training. He had the upper hand over me, for sure, even after I shot him with the beanbag... twice. And despite being Marked, he had worse gear on him than even an average scavenger.’ Benedict simply kept staring at the young man as the detective prattled on, laying out what the site guards had seen and the items they’d picked up: a shotgun, a large knife, a tear gas canister, and a gas mask.

“So, what were you three—” the detective began until the door crashed open, revealing a bald man with a greying red beard. He had a build that was a mix of muscle and a noticeable gut. The man’s eyes locked onto Marcus, fists clenching before he exhaled and relaxed. “Ah, good of you to join us, Laurens. Want to sit next to your nephew as his uncle, or face him?”

“Facing him,” the man said with a chill in his tone, his eyes lingering on the young man, who seemed to shrink in his chair. “What was my nephew doing in a bloody Sphere? And who are the other pricks?” he asked, turning his gaze to the two German brothers as he slowly took a seat beside the detective.

“Meet Sebastian Stieler, the one with the perpetual sour face. He’s a Marked Breacher, an Original, or OG as the cool kids put it,” she gestured with her hands to mimic air quotes before continuing. “About the same rank as your niece, I think. The other guy is his older brother, Benedict. Non-Marked Breacher and head of a group called the Salamanders. Local bunch, minor feats, no red flags until now. Both ex-German military.”

Laurens’s eyes widened briefly before he refocused on his nephew. “You stupid idiot,” he exclaimed, slamming his fists on the table as he got up and leaned toward him. “So, this is what you were up to? Two days! No one could reach you for two whole days, and now I find out you’ve been jumping into Spheres with a bunch of Breachers? Do you realize what your sister will do to you if she finds out? You just crawled out of a coma, for God sake!”

“Uncle, I—”

“Officer Smit,” Laurens barked, breaking into Marcus’s words. “And don’t even think about trying the nephew card on me. I’m here carrying your mother’s fury and your father’s fists.”

Benedict’s eyes homed in on the interaction, and a moment of clarity struck him as he remembered his brother’s account of the young man’s backpack, complete with the sleeping bag and atrocious gear, along with the information that was provided just now. “It is my fault, Officer Smit, Detective Walters,” he admitted suddenly, brushing off his brother’s annoyed stare.

“Explain,” Laurens demanded, tearing his gaze reluctantly from Marcus as he settled into his chair before locking eyes with Benedict.

“The last few weeks, we’ve heard rumors of illegal entries within Spheres in the area, including this one. I’m sure the government official next to you can confirm this, seeing as other Breachers have mentioned it. Our crew noticed it too, stumbling upon dead monsters not taken down by us or the Breachers who went in the day before. Most of them were missing their Glass,” Benedict explained, maintaining a steady tone, sticking as close to the truth as possible. “My brother and I had booked this Sphere earlier today and on different occasions. As is documented in the records in front of you. Again, we stumbled upon signs of dead monsters and missing Glass. We reported it, but it was brushed off as mere monster infighting. So, we decided to take matters into our own hands, and set up an ambush at night while monitoring the outside,” Benedict stated, looking at Marcus, who met his gaze with an empty expression. He paused at that moment, carefully considering his options before continuing. “We spotted your nephew there,” he said, redirecting his focus to the detective and the man’s uncle, sensing a mix of emotions. “We caught him running towards the wall after he had seen someone scaling the wall on the western edge. Apparently, your nephew had learned of the recent rumors and had the same idea as we had. So, we teamed up and went in after the person to try to bring them back to the security officers. In hindsight, it was a bad plan, but one that was founded on a desire to act and do good.”

Scratching her chin, the detective leaned back and crossed her arms. “Is that why you all are so beat up?” She looked at the three men for a moment before turning her attention back to Benedict. “You mean to tell me that one man did all of this?”

Benedict gave a single nod. “Yes.” His hand firmly gripped his brother’s knee before he continued, “The man was stronger than the three of us, despite having two Marked Breachers on our side.”

“What about the reports of the three of you arguing amongst yourself?” the detective asked, her eyes narrowing.

“Heated emotions at having failed our task,” Benedict countered.

“My nephew isn’t a Breacher. His power rating is barely one,” Laurens said, rubbing his eyes for a moment as if this hadn’t been the first time his nephew had troubled him. “And he’s barely been able to walk on his own for a couple of days. He shouldn’t have gone in with you.”

Letting out a deep and frustrated sigh, the detective pressed on, “Did any of you get a decent look at this person?” She watched as Marcus and Benedict shook their heads while Sebastian just glared at everyone in the room.

“No. I’m pretty sure the figure was male, but he fought us in the dark, so it was hard to see more than that. When it was over, the security personnel on the site saw as much as we did. We all saw him with the Orb in hand. A figure in dark clothes, features mostly hidden—”

“Was he the same bastard that attacked you in the hospital?” Laurens suddenly asked, ignoring the others as he focused on his nephew.

Marcus hesitated, his jaw clenched and fingers digging into his palms. “I don’t know,” he murmured, looking at his own hands before continuing. “It could’ve been him.” He then shifted his gaze to Benedict, as if reaching a decision. “I thought it was the same person who attacked me in the hospital. I wanted to find out. So, when you two wanted to go after him and assumed I was a real Breacher, I didn’t correct you. Sorry for deceiving you both.”

“No problem,” Benedict quickly replied with a smile, elbowing his brother, who managed a few grunts to echo the sentiment before addressing Marcus’s uncle. “If I knew your nephew wasn’t a Breacher or had health issues, I’d have vetoed against him joining us. Trust me on that. But I have to say, he held his own in there, despite the tough opposition,” Benedict said, narrowing his gaze at Marcus. “In fact, he’s agreed to tag along with the Salamanders on a few runs.”

“Absolutely not! He’s no Breacher, and doesn’t have a license,” Laurens snapped, the veins on his neck clearly visible. “Besides, Marcus has been in a coma for thirteen years, and his power rating is just one. He’d be no good to you people.”

“We can help him get his license if he wants. As for power ratings and being a Breacher, I’m just a regular human with a rating of zero,” Benedict countered, brushing off the stare from the young man’s uncle. “It’s just an offer, and your nephew is free to refuse it after discussing it with his family, of course. But it is an offer I am willing to put out there, given how well we clicked during the fight.”

Laurens let out an irritated snort in response before the detective spoke. “Heartwarming, really.” She tapped her finger on the data pad. “But that still doesn’t explain why you three were inside a Sphere, unauthorized, in the dead of night.”

Benedict’s gaze lingered on the detective for a moment, biding his time until she finished tapping her finger. “Well, the Salamanders booked this Sphere for two days in a row, so technically we have the right to this Sphere for another—” he glanced at his watch, “—eighteen hours and twenty-one minutes. And there is no actual rule against undocumented access of Spheres when there is justifiable cause, seeing as otherwise any person suddenly finding themselves in a newly formed Sphere would be committing a crime. The same would go for any Breacher that went in to save lives.” A soft smile graced the man’s lips, the type someone reserved who faced those in a position of authority, subtly suggesting the lengths someone would go to see things through. It hinted at the level of polite resistance Benedict was prepared to offer. “The only real rule here that could land us in hot water or prison involves undocumented Glass, Orbs, and monster corpses taken out of a Sphere. We have none of that—you’ve thoroughly searched our belongings, and our records have never suggested anything of the sort. Like you said, no red flags.”

The detective fixed her gaze on Benedict, her index finger gently tracing the edges of her data pad before she swiftly raised her hand, intercepting Laurens as the man opened his mouth to speak. “Debatable points on your end, but it still doesn’t excuse the fact that you were found carrying weapons and ammunition out in the open without checking in or registering with site personnel. And don’t say it’s an emergency because there wasn’t an outbreak or monster incursion that justified it. Nor does your group have an open carry license like major guilds do.”

Benedict leaned back, flashing a smile. “My brother and I will happily pay whatever fine there is. Seeing as we were the only two that were armed.”

“We’ll see,” detective Nanda said, rising and giving Laurens a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Your nephew can go home for now but keep him available for follow-up questions. And please, get that boy licensed,” she urged before looking at Marcus. “Consider this a big favor to your uncle. Don’t let me or anyone else catch you in a similar situation again, seeing as you seem to have a knack for it.” Marcus nodded, and his uncle promptly pulled him up from his chair.

Marcus and his uncle made their way towards the door when Benedict spoke up. “Marcus, I’m glad my brother and I could work together with you today. We’ll keep in touch,” he said, observing the young man who gave a slow nod, indicating his understanding. The two men then left the building. In that fleeting moment when the door was open, Benedict caught another glimpse of the commotion outside, giving him time to think before they were sealed in again. The detective fired several more follow-up questions before she and the others stepped out momentarily, leaving the brothers alone with their bruises.

“Why?” Sebastian hissed the moment the door closed; a furious expression etched on his face as he glared at his older brother. “We’re forking out a fine for that little shitstain?”

Benedict smiled, tapping his brother’s leg again, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the door, thoughts centered on the young man who had just left. “Stop and think, Sebastian. The sleeping bag. His uncle moaning about days without contact.” He let the words hang in the air for a moment, giving his brother time to come to the same conclusion. “I think this kid actually spent two full days inside a Sphere. How many lower-ranked Breachers do you know who can endure that without displaying signs of minor Mana sickness, Forged, or even Originals?”

Benedict’s brother sighed, needing a moment to compose himself. He shut his eyes, a word escaping him with a forced tone. “None,” he muttered, frustration evident, but clearly understanding what his brother was building up to. “I hate this.”

Benedict’s eyes stayed fixed on the door, his hand moving to pat his brother’s shoulder. “I know brother.” A strategy took shape in his mind, considering how to leverage this unexpected discovery. “We set out to catch a rat, and instead, we’ve found an undocumented Original who seems resistant to Mana sickness and is on no one’s radar yet. This could be a game-changer for our group, or at the very least help us out with that thing I promised you. Trust me,” he murmured to his brother. The door creaked open, and the detective reappeared with another officer, ready to transport them to the city station.

‘I hope I’m right about you, kid.’

- - -

Copyright: OsiriumWrites