56 Research

Standing in front of the door to his apartment, Al was tapping his foot on the floor, trying hard not to look to his right where the empty suit now stood with its back to the wall.

It was once again as big as it had been when he had seen it wrestling with his uncle about an hour ago. Not saying a single word after that strange pronouncement of his, his uncle had given him instructions that had led it to being packed in a suitcase, brought to his apartment, and being sprung out here where it had taken that position and not moved since.

He wished that it didn't look so creepy, with that invisible person inside who kept its entire body puffed out, taking the shape of a perfect human specimen. He could almost swear that he could feel its eyes on him when he moved across his apartment, and for the first time in his memory, he felt uncomfortable in his own home.

When he had voiced his concerns to his uncle, Jonah had only laughed and said that it would pass. When pressed for more details, all that Al had gotten was a name and the command to do his own research if he wanted to find out more.

"Animata."

Whispering it out loud, Al rolled the word around his mouth, wondering, searching for any mention of it in his long hours spent researching the world of heroes and villains. Nothing came to mind, at all, and this made him wonder whether he would be able to find anything even using the new avenue that was soon going to arrive at his doorstep.

As he checked his watch, the pace at which he tapped his foot increased, leading to a rhythmic sound that echoed through the almost empty apartment. His buddy was still in a deep sleep, and his mother hadn't made a sound in years.

He didn't feel alone at all, though, due to the foreign presence that now inhabited his safe space. Not for the first time, he wondered whether he should have insisted that he was better off without the gift, but the moment he got this thought, a wry chuckle escaped his throat.

Who am I kidding? Magic, wizardry, sorcery, power…they were always my prime interests when I was a kid. This age is a boon to all those like me. Others would kill for this chance. Even if old man Jonah had told me that this thing could kill me, I wouldn't have given up this opportunity. Still, I need to know more…

A few minutes later, a knock sounded on his door. He startled the one outside by opening it not a second later, and after impatiently verifying his identity and practically slamming the door on the delivery person, he was excitedly cutting open the box and setting up the first gadget he had bought in a long, long time.

It was a computer, essential to so many even before the age of gods. Alas, his living conditions before had given no space for such luxuries, but now that he had the money and a reason for re-entering the modern era, he had finally ordered a PC and all the components required to set up a top-notch research station.

He had also gone on the call with his provider, who had been shocked to find out that his Internet connection, which was wired to all the buildings to which humans had been herded like cattle had been deactivated for all this while. Impatiently, he went through the process of setting up the computer, reminiscing about the times when he had had no option but to go to a library that took two hours to get to to be able to access a public computer which had always been exceedingly slow. That was how he had carried out most of his research, and it was a testament to how far he had come that he was now able to afford a much more accessible means to further his knowledge into the realm he had chosen to stake his life in.

After a few minutes, he was sitting at his desk surrounded by wires which he had ignored as he was too eager to begin his search. His initial foray into the world's most famous search engine brought up numerous hits, but he bit his lips and shook his head on seeing that all of them led to sleazy outlets that published anything and everything so that they could gather as many clicks as possible, not caring a whit about the authenticity of what they were reporting on.

With growing unease, he went to all the primary outlets. Two hours later, his cup of milk was empty, and he was out of patience.

Banging both his hands on the table and making the entire computer rattle, he got up and began to pace around in his room. This was an activity that always helped him to calm his nerves and think clearly, but right now, even as the seconds passed, no magical idea came to him.

Sitting back down after a few minutes, he readied himself for a long comb through forums exclusively meant for discussions regarding gods, magic, and odysseys. Here, he finally had some luck as he found a few mentions of the word…but his frustration grew when he saw that all of them were just usages that had been thought up by random people as it sounded 'cool'.

Going to the kitchen to refill his milk, he took a deep breath and suddenly laughed as he thought about how he must look. Chucking milk like a little toddler, he was throwing a tantrum because the world wasn't handing him the answers he wanted.

When he went back to his room, his jaw was set with determination. He was truly ready now for the kind of all-consuming research that always yielded the most results, and after sitting down, he actually went back to the main search engine. Even rumors were not out of his purview, now, and as he went through just the first one…he slapped himself on his forehead and called himself a fool.

"Animata: Secret government project to create sentient magical weapons from the souls of soldiers? Or a complete hoax?"

"Are Animata real? If so, how can the government have progressed in research thus far, after only a few years from the coming of the gods?"

"Animata: Proof that the demigods are actively helping the government to create weapons."

Before, he had only glanced at the source and not even read the headline. If he had…he definitely would not have looked away.

What was being called a myth, a conspiracy, and even a fever dream of someone crazed was standing nearby, in his very apartment. He didn't know whether it was exactly what was being described in these articles, but it was obvious that the truth must be close.

At that instant when he had been made to take a combat stance, he had felt the awareness of a veteran, of someone who had survived countless battles or had at least been given such skill. Even with the existence of magic, he had never believed all that stuff about souls that had pervaded the earth before the apocalypse, but now, he found this faith being sorely tested.

He got up a few more hours later, having been through all the articles exhaustively. It had been a tiring job, and although all he had found were far-fetched claims more often than not, he still felt that he had succeeded in his task.

Somehow, he had come into the possession of two objects created by the government. The husky could be explained away as a ploy of his best friend's father, but what would he say about the suit if people came asking?

His uncle was a smart man, and he didn't believe for a second that Jonah had not thought of this possibility. Besides, it was apparently a gift that would have fallen into his hands later, anyway, so forcefully, Al put away all his forthcomings.

Walking to the suit, he studied it for a while, realizing that he was still holding onto some fear, as could be expected from anyone who had been chucked into such a bizarre situation. To make it disappear, he thought about what he could do…and a moment later, a sudden idea struck him.

Taking a deep breath, he spoke with a hesitant tone.

"Scudo…can you teach me to fight?"

As he saw the suit blur, then adopt the same stance it had made him take before…a grin came to his face, and in his mind, he ticked off an item at the very top of his list of shortcomings before bowing formally, and laughing heartily to himself.