Chapter 11: Luna Shadowheart

The atmosphere in the dimly lit room was surprisingly relaxed, considering the monumental task that lay ahead. Zephyr lounged in an armchair, his eyes closed as if in meditation, while Orion was hunched over a workbench, his fingers deftly manipulating the innards of a sleek, glowing rod. 

They were in a rare moment of calm. Nothing to run from, and nothing to worry about as they were left alone by The TO agents. With each lost in their own thoughts about the journey to find the Nexus. The silence was comfortable.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a force that sent a jarring echo through the room. Zephyr's eyes snapped open, and Orion whirled around, gadget forgotten, as a figure stepped into the room with a menacing presence. It was Zeke, his face twisted in a snarl of aggression.

Without a word, Zeke lunged at Orion, who barely had time to react. The room erupted into chaos as the two collided, a tangle of limbs and strained grunts. Zephyr leaped to his feet, ready to intervene, but something held him back—a nagging sense that things were not as they appeared.

Orion, taken aback by the sudden attack, quickly regained his composure. He ducked a wild swing and countered with a swift move, leveraging Zeke's momentum to flip him over. They grappled on the ground, a test of strength and agility, until Orion managed to pin "Zeke" beneath him, his arm locked in a firm hold.

"Give it up, Zeke," Orion growled, the tension in his voice betraying him due to the surprise of the attack. Had The To changed their minds?

Zeke began to laugh, the sound incongruous with their precarious situation. The laughter grew louder, more melodic, and before their eyes, "Zeke's" form shimmered and shifted, morphing into the smaller, less imposing figure of a young girl. Her face was alight with amusement, her earlier threat now revealed as an elaborate ruse.

Orion released her immediately, taking a step back as he tried to mask his astonishment with a semblance of annoyance. "Who the fuck are you?" He asked.

The girl picked herself up, dusting off her clothes with a grin. "Name's Luna, Consider that an icebreaker. And a test. I needed to see how you'd handle an unexpected threat. You passed, by the way."

Orion's annoyance flickered to curiosity, appraising Luna again through fresh eyes, recalibrating what he thought of the girl.

"Luna, is it?" Zephyr finally spoke, both amused and disbelieving. "You're with The TO, then?"

Luna's grin never faltered. "Yes, that's right. I've been sent to assist you in locating the Nexus. My somewhat unique introduction was designed to both put your reflexes to the test and break the ice. It would seem I have done both."

Orion, still processing the abrupt shift from combat to camaraderie, nodded slowly. "Well, consider us thoroughly... 'ice-broken,'" he said dryly. "Next time, 'hello' will do fine."

Luna laughed lightly, unburdened in the face of danger. "Noted. But this is the kind of work we're engaged in; you have to be prepared for anything. I happen to be an expert in adaptability and surprise. Shapeshifting is but one of my bag of tricks. Being here, I would be the one to ensure that we had prepared ourselves for any event."

"Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?" Orion asked, causing Luna to laugh again. 

"Yep!"

***

After Luna's dramatic entrance and the ice-breaking moment, the trio settled into a makeshift briefing area within the same room. A holographic projector was placed at the center of the workbench, flickering to life as Luna at the front.

Luna began, "Our mission is multifaceted. The Nexus, as you know, is not merely an artifact; it's a convergence of energies that, if harnessed correctly, can alter the fabric of reality itself. Its power is unimaginable, and it must fall into the right hands—ours."

She manipulated the projector, and a map of the world materialized in mid-air, dotted with several glowing points. "These locations represent the last known whereabouts of the artifacts that Jack Jenson found and used to lead him and Aria Evergreen to the nexus."

"If he found them all and got to The Nexus as Zeke said, then why would we even bother with these locations?" Orion asked.

"Well, artifacts are finicky, they led him to The Nexus sure, but when they don't have a proper owner they scatter. Most artifacts move around all the time, but these ones, as well as the sword you two found, like sticking to their homes, so they most likely went back to their original locations, or somewhere close."

Zephyr leaned forward,. "Which one of these is our first target?"

Luna pointed to a spot on the map, in the dense territory of New New Mexico. "The Serpent's Coil, an artifact believed to control the leylines of the earth. Its last owner was an ancient civilization no one cares about anymore, but they were called Mayans."

Orion, always the tactician, asked, "And the opposition? We can't be the only ones after these. Especially if other people think The Nexus is real."

Luna's expression sobered. "We're not. There are a few cults, some solo adventurers, and just annoying pieces of shit that will try and get in our way. Additionally, rival factions within The TO and beyond have their own interests in The Nexus. I know you hate Mr. Jenson, but it's safer for The Nexus to go to him and be researched on than the alternative..."

"Doubt it... But sure, that sounds like a plan, anything else?" Orion asked, giving a smile as he got out of his chair. 

"Not right now, we'll get debriefed in the morning and get our gear, but for now you two should try and get some rest."

With that Orion left the room, quickly followed by Zephyr.

"We're not actually doing all that are we?" Zephyr asked with a sigh, seeing Orion's expression as they walked down the halls.

"Like hell. The second we get out of here it's you and me again, we'll ditch the shapeshifter and find it on our own, I had Qece download the entire presentation so we have the locations.

"Now that... Sounds like a plan," Zephyr said with a grin...

The next morning went exactly as Luna had said it would, they were told the same things and given some gear, only for Orion to throw it to the ground. With that, the three set off in an unmarked company hovercar, leaving the facility.

"The Serpent's coil huh? Gotta warn you bro, but it's owner isn't going to hand it over a second time..." Jack, or rather, Jack's strange ghost-like astral form said next to Orion as he pretended to sleep. 

"Then I'll rip it from their dead hands..." He whispered, his eyes glowing blue underneath his pale eyelids...