175: A Company of Fools: Forbidden Zazzy II

<We're almost back at the base Chase, you better know what you're doing> Louie said through the mental link.

<No harm will come to KC while I am around. I promise.> I replied. There was a moment of silence that worried me a little until I heard Louie's voice reply.

<I know you'll protect him even if it kills you.> Louie said.

Iris, Haws, Madilyn, and I, as well as all our evos, were making our way back to the elevator shaft with the thradiz in tow. Actually, the thradiz was surrounded by Empress, Jiggles, Jangles, Bone-lasher, and Alpa'nagia, who all kept a close eye on the evo as we made our way to the elevator.

"So Chase, how long are we going to drag her along with us?" Iris asked, pointing to Madilyn.

I looked over to the woman. She was walking between Haws and myself. However, she didn't look too quick to leave us, though. Even though Jiggles was no longer carrying her and none of us were forcing her to travel with us after we collected the thradiz, in fact we left her behind and kinda forgot about her until she rushed after us and silent situated herself between Haws and I.

"Are you sure we're dragging her anywhere anymore? She followed after us on her own free will this time." I said, pointing at her.

"It is rude to talk to someone like they aren't there!" Madilyn snapped.

"Just like it's rude to call someone a filthy splicer." I said with a roll of my eyes. Madilyn frowned and huffed.

"Be grateful that the great Dr. Madilyn Justice has decided that you are worthy of study, Splicer." Madilyn exclaimed with more than a touch of self-importance. Haws, Iris and I all looked at each other and then at her.

"Worthy of study?" I repeated. Madilyn nodded and pointed at me.

"I figured out who you are. Chase Kingston, the number one most wanted person by my grandfather's company." Madilyn said.

"Yeeeeeeah?" I replied a little confused as to where this was going.

"Over the last two years, I've heard my grandfather curse your name a dozen times over. Mostly calling your trash, a cocky piece of shit, among other things but he never mentioned how powerful your evos were or the fact that you a American splicer was able to make evos while on US soil." Madilyn said.

"I only gained them recently. I didn't have any evos while I was in America." I said.

"Also, he didn't splice them." Iris added. "He stole almost all of them from other splicers except Jiggles there. He shaped him."

"Shaped?" Madilyn asked, her interest piqued.

"Yes, it's a new version of Splicing that Chase created." Iris said.

"Iris!" I snapped and gave her a stern look. Iris looked confused for a second, then her eyes widened, and she clamped her hand over her mouth. I glanced over at Madilyn, and she looked at me with her eyes practically glowing with excitement and interest.

"What's shaping?" Madilyn asked.

"None of your business." I said, then sighed when I saw the elevator Shafter approaching in the distance. "Thank the gods we're almost out of here!"

"Hey, don't change the subject!" Madilyn exclaimed. I ignored her, hurried ahead and pulled out my mana-lock, and looked up at the shaft up to the higher levels, which was blocked by the three feet sheet of ice that I had created earlier.

I pointed the gun at the ice and channeled burn attribute mana into the crystal in the handle. I fired a fire bullet that exploded into a cloud of flames when it came into contact with the ice, melting at least a foot of it in a circle around where the bullet impacted. I fired the gun a couple more times until there was a hole in the ice large enough for Alpa'nagia to fly through.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw the thradiz looking up at the hole with a hopeful gleam in its eyes. The only thing that probably stopped him from just flying up and trying to find KC was my evos surrounding them.

"Okay, now all we need to do is wait for Sin and the others to get here." I said to everyone. Madilyn creeped over to me and smirked.

"Well, since we have time, you can explain, Shaping to me?" Madilyn asked though the expression in her face made it seem less like a question and more of a demand.

"Why the hell would I tell you that or anything for that matter? You're a rude, entitled, spoiled bitch. Honestly I kinda forgot why I even had Jiggles take you in the first place." I said. Madilyn looked insulted and offended by that remark.

"Obviously it was because my status as General Beaufort T. Justice granddaughter makes me a high value target and a good bargaining chip to convince the company to take the hit off you." She said in a matter of fact voice. I pretended to think about it for a second then shook my head.

"No…that's not it…oh well. Either way, you can run back to your co-workers and not worry about getting eaten since all the thrads are dead." I said then motioned down the hallway towards the medical bay. She stubbornly shook her head and crossed her arms.

"I would be more than willing to pay you for information regarding your technique." Madilyn said. I arched a brow at her and smirked.

"Well okay, if you can afford my going rate for enchanted items then I'd be more than willing to tell you." I said. Madilyn smiled like she'd won.

"Sure what's your rate? I'm sure I can afford it." She asked cockily.

I channeled mana into my void pocket enchanted ring and pulled out one of the pamphlets that Jane had prepared with information about prices and handed it to Madilyn. She looked it over for a quick second and her eyes bulged suddenly.

"ONE POINT FIVE BILLION! FOR A SIMPLE RING!" She bellowed then looked up at me. "Who the fuck would pay that outrageous price!"

"Acutally that price is pretty cheep for the type of items that Chase sells. At auction they'd go for more than fifteen billion." Iris spoke up. Madilyn's jaw dropped, the cocky look she has was replaced with a look of despair and utter shock. I smirked and crossed my arms.

"Sounds to me like you can't afford it." I said. Madilyn looked at me with a seething scowl, then a light bulb visibly went off in her head.

"How about I trade you for the information?" She asked.

"Trade?" I repeated then arched a brow at Iris and Haws. They both returned the look then shrugged.

"Yes trade you information for information." Madilyn explained. I frowned and cocked my head to the side.

"What information could you sell me that would be worth telling you anything about my new splicing technique?" I asked. Madilyn smirked.

"Information about new evos that the company is making of course." Madilyn said confidently. Iris fornwed and looked at Madilyn with suspicion.

"Why would you go to such lengths to learn about a technique that you don't know for certain exists?" Iris asked. Madilyn once again smirked and motioned to my evos standing behind us.

"Why those of course. A liger shark that is obviously more powerful than any I've seen before. A serpent evo with a humanoid torso and head able to generate lightning and strong winds. A massive ogre looking evo able to create flames from nothing, and a elegant bird evo. All able to talk. That alone is a feat beyond anything I have seen in my years as a scientist!" Madilyn exclaimed, she smiled and it beamed with unbridled excitement. "Obviously something was done to these evos to make them as strong as unique as they are. Even if it was done after they were spliced or techno-spliced something was done to make then stronger, more intelligent, magnificent! I have to know if this is something unique to splicers or unique to him!"

"Definitely unique to Chase." Iris said with a sigh.

"We were blessed by the Star Shaper!" Alpa'nagia exclaimed proudly.

"Alpa, hush!" I said sternly. Making the evo shrink away slightly.

"Sorry Star Shaper…." Alpa'nagia said softly. The little exchange between me and Alpa'nagia seemed to pique Madilyn's interest even more.

"How's this, I show you classified documents on evos that the company is developing and you decide if it's enough to grant me the basic summary of what your shaping technique is." Madilyn offered.

'She only wants to know that much to see if she can recreate it using techno-splicing…' I thought to myself. A glance at Iris told me she was thinking the same thing too, Iris was barely concealing a smirk.

"Fine. I'm guessing you didn't have those documents on you." I said tjen motioned to her outfit which consisted of a pantsuit under a lab coat.

"No but as a Justice I have access to all the classified files. I have a few of the more promising ones in my office." Madilyn said. I scratched my chin and thought about it for a moment.

<What are you thinking?> Iris asked over the mental link.

<If those files are in fact Lysdale scripts for new evos that Justice technologies want to sell then by making Shaped versions of them we can steal business from them and really piss them off.> I replied and struggled to keep my face neutral.

<Wait? You want to piss off the people that have a hit out on you and others in the company more?!> Iris exclaimed.

<Wait a second? Chase that seems like a bad idea.> Haws said.

<I know but honestly there isn't much we can do to get the hit removed. At least not now. I embarrassed Simon Caldifax and he in turn sicked Justice technologies on me, Sin, Nate, and Jade. So the way I see it the only way to get this to stop now is to deal with Caldifax or take down Justice technologies.> I replied.

<…Fuck…he's right…Simon Caldifax is a noble in England and one that has connections to a lot of royal families…Taking down Justice technologies would probably be easier. It's just a simple American company.> Iris said.

<Hey Boss, do I get a say in this?> Sin asked, reminding me him and Louie were still connected to the mental link.

<Yeah.> I replied.

<Then I say let's take down the fuckers. Both Justice Technologies and Caldifax.> Sin said.

Honestly I was a little surprise by that response but then again it was pretty much par for the course for Sin and me if I was being honest.

<Glad we're on the same page.> I said then smirked and looked at Madilyn with a devious look.

"As soon as we reunite this thradiz with its master…or rather introduce it to its master we'll come back down and get a look at those documents." I said. Madilyn looked pleased with that answer and smiled to herself.

"Okay….how long do we actually have to wait here?" Madilyn asked.

<Chase, we're flying over the base now.> Louie informed me.

"We can leave now, the others are here." I said.

Jiggles and Bone-lasher went back into my farm crystal. The thradiz took that chance to snap open his wings and start to fly up the elevator shaft. Empress quickly followed after him while Alpa'nagia grabbed Iris, Haws, Madilyn and I in his four arms and flew up after Empress and the thradiz. The thradiz was fast but Empress started channeling burn attribute mana into her legs and the backs of her wings. Both became engulfed in flames which gave her a boost of speed that allowed her to easily catch up.

We quickly passed the second level and made our way up through the elevator shaft and into the wide open Midnight sky. The thradiz moved so fast that at first it didn't even notice he had left the facility it kept flying higher and higher until if notices that it was in the clouds. He stopped then and finally took a look around. It's eyes bulged with wonder as it stared out at the near endless desert, a full moon glowing hauntingly in the sky.

I took the thradiz temporary bewilderment as a chance to meet up with Sin. Thanks to Bone-lasher I knew where he and the others were exactly. He had landed Twilight about a half mile away from the facility behind a large sand dune.

[Empress, don't bother chasing after it, follow Alpa'nagia and us.] I ordered and motioned towards the sand dune that they were behind for Alpa'nagia. He quickly flew over that way and Empress turned and followed suit, breaking off her pursuit of The thradiz.

When Alpa'nagia landed in front of Twilight I sensed a dark and malicious energy directed solely at me. I realized that dark energy I was sensing was Louie's malicious intent towards me. As Alpa'nagia set me down Louie glared daggers at me from his spot on Twilight's back. Angie was standing right next to him holding a sleepy KC. Sin stood in front of Twilight with his arms crossed.

"Hope you know what you're doing boss…" Sin said as I walked over to him. He glanced over hos shoulder up at Louie who was still stating daggers at me then shivered. "…for your sake."

"That'll all depend in Lil' Chaser." I said then channeled float attribute mana and jumped up onto Twilight's back. Louie curled hos upper lip at me and moved between me Angie, and KC.

"If that evo harms one hair on his…" Louie threatened.

"It will die before I let anything happen to him Louie." I interrupted. He gave me a stern glare before Angie placed a hand on his shoulder. He moved to the side a second later and Angie stepped forward.

"I'm trusting you Chase. You and your employees say that KC is bonded with a evo and killing it will hurt him. So I'm trusting you to end this peacefully and keep my boy safe." Angie said.

"I know." I said and offered her a soft smile. Angie looked tired and reluctant but after a moment she hugged her sun and then smiled down at him.

"KC, I know you're tired but mommy needs you to go with your big brother Chase. Okay?" Angie asked bouncing him on her hip.

KC yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes. Sleep looked like it was going to take him at any moment however that changed when the thradiz roar echoed in the clouds above us. It was no longer hypnotized by the new sky above him. KC cried out and clung tightly to his mom and buried his face in her neck.

"KC…" Angie whispered then looked up at the thradiz. A look of pure terror stretched across her face as she saw the evo flying in circles around the base's airspace. I grabbed her hand and smiled reassuringly at her, wishing I could just pour my power and courage into her and KC. I looked to KC and sighed.

"Lil' Chaser, I need you to pay attention to me." I said, putting a little authority into my voice. KC looked at me but didn't stop crying. I flashed him a confident smile then rubbed the top of his head. "There is no need to be afraid. That guy up there, that's Zazzy."

KC stopped crying when he heard Zazzy's name and craned his neck to look up and his face paled when he saw the thradiz still flying in circles. The buried his face in his mom's neck again.

"NOT ZAZZY! NOT ZAZZY!" He screamed. I glanced over at Louie who was watching the thradiz cautiously. I glanced back over my shoulder and saw Iris and Sin aiming their mana-locks at the thradiz as it looked for KC and Haws was doing the same with his Thompson Mk.4S.

"KC. I need you to do something for me okay. I need you to close your eyes and calm down. Listen to nothing but the sound of my voice." I said. KC looked reluctant but he did as instructed regardless. I placed my hand in KC's head, over his farm crystal and channeled mana into it. "Good…now remember Zazzy, picture Zazzy in your head, not as the illusion he showed you but as how he really looks. Remember who Zazzy is."

While I spoke I worked my mana into his mana crystal and searched for the invisible thread that connected him to the thradiz. The psychological representation of their bond together. It wasn't hard for find, KC was young and didn't hide his feelings yet.

As my mana wrapped around the tether between KC and the Thradiz, it suddenly stopped in mid-air and looked directly at out little group. Seeing KC it quickly flew down and landed in front of Twilight but away from Alpa'nagia and Empress. It looked like it was seconds away from pouncing on me and yanking me away from KC.

"Zazzy…" KC muttered softly. The thradiz stilled, it's eyes focused solely on KC. Turned his head in the direction of the thradiz, looking directly at it despite having his eyes closed. KC slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times.

The thradiz looked up at KC with hopeful eyes silently pleading with him to not reject it. KC blinked several times and cocked his head to the side. After what felt like an eternity a big beaming smile spread across KC's face and he reached for the thradiz.

"ZAZZY! ZAZZY!" He called out at the top of his lungs. I stepped to the side as Zazzy jumped high into the air and landed in front of KC and Angie. It kneeled down low so KC could pet his head and let out a contented hiss. KC chuckled and kept petting his evo on the head. The farm crystal on KC's head glowed a bright white color as a crystalline structure started to form around Zazzy.

The evo let out a contented screech and was sucked into KC's farm crystal. Louie and Angie looked at their toddler son with amazement as the massive evo disappeared into the crystal.

"FUCK YEAH!" I bellowed and pumped my fist into the air.

"Is that good sign?" Angie asked holding KC tighter now. Louie rished over to hos wofe and son and hugged and kissed all of them.

"IT'S A AMAZING SIGN!" I howled. "KAMDEN CHASE GENTS HAS HIS FIRST EVO! WHOOOOO!"

"FUCK YEAH!" Sin bellowed

"Amazing…and so young…" Iris muttered.

Everyone cheered and screamed, lifting the little tyke into the air and praising him. While I was happy at KC's success I kept a eye turned to Madilyn. She was watching everyone's jubilation with a odd expression on her face. After a few minutes she cleared her throat and grabbed everyone's attention.

"Well Chase Kingston, since the thradiz is no longer a threat I can hold up my end of the bargain…."