<02/13/1972 – 00:45 | Alpha Zero, Junon, Sprawn Valley>

  In the heartland of what once was a beautiful area of full-grown groves polished by Mother Nature, now stands a desolate field of ashes, the grave of destruction in totality. This is what happens when magic is used for the wrong reasons; this is the result, the cause and effect of Alpha Zero. Danton could still taste the scent of the burning carbon in his throat, seeping all the way into the interior structure of this small residence of this enemy. The Den of Purity as it was called is nothing more than a monument now, soon to be sentenced to ruin. All of this was made possible by some unknown infusion of dark magic into a wide field, somehow done by just one man, Brightworth.

  That man... If he weren't tied up right now under the surveillance of his personal team, Danton would certainly knock every tooth out, cut into every muscle... No punishment would appropriate the amount of evil and devastation this has caused, and yet here they are, Danton and the other teams sitting in idle while others search the premises for hidden materials and research documents. In the living quarter's section of this enemy sanctuary, Danton was almost alone right now. Danny and Taylor were outside somewhere with Mainne, and for some reason, Jane wasn't with them. "The heat is over now, Jane Venn. You should relax and take a needed rest." Danton was only suggesting what Jane appeared to need. "And with those wounds, that goes double for you." Jane was scarred all over the place, her Sphere Gauge armor broken and chipped in a few places to make her face and hair that much more visible. It looked as though he took a person through a warzone for over a week without any care, and her skin abrasions and burns were everywhere.

  Jane knew Danton was correct on many levels. They already captured professor Brightworth, and now they just have to find the source of his dark magic field, but it was hard to calm down. Jane couldn't be too familiar with the sensation; the feeling of anxiety brought on after crazy things have happened, while the situation currently needs less awareness. Jane felt as if her adrenaline from the battles would never die down, or perhaps it were the other extra things on her mind. The only sensation forcing her anxiety away was the strong headache brought on by passing out earlier. Though her voice was sore, Jane still attempted to use it to the full extent, expressing her never-ending concerns. "We got Brightworth already." Jane glared into Danton's silver eyes as they focused on her from above. "But there is still Geiger to worry about. The Scarlets took him on our way to Lennith City, and I still have no idea why."

  That makes less sense for Jane to put it this way. Maybe she really is tired after all of that battling. Even Danton couldn't subdue that creature, that spawn called Gaia. Yet her team took it down like it was nothing. Her mind should barely be functional in her present state. "You told me back in Lennith that the reason had to do with the E-7 Mark 64 spell bomb prototype that he created while enlisted in the role of the Scarlet Syndicate. And even if he has turned away from that organization, it doesn't change the fact that the Scarlet enemies have targeted themselves for such a powerful symbol, something we still clearly know nothing about. Now that you have it, the enemy won't be happy to hear the news." Jane didn't look as if she agreed with the answer, but noticeable fatigue was also masking her expressions. "Look at it this way then. If they took Geiger for the same device, they don't know that you've used it on yourself already, not yet at least. When they do, it won't be a good time for either of us."

  Jane held out her entire right arm almost eye level to her face, pondering the mystery behind the marking. "I don't know why they made this thing. Is there really no way of removing this symbol?"

  Of course she would be concerned about that, anybody would be, but Danton already pardoned Jane for having that mark in the first place. An executive pardon may not stick if the council fights the decision, but Jane doesn't need to know the politics right now. It's incredible that she still wants it removed. Most people would have simply taken the symbol and lived with it, but Jane doesn't see it that way. Coincidence? "Let me see," Danton requested as he shifted his legs to Jane's held out arm. She had armored gloves on earlier for battle, but took them off upon arriving in this house. Even with her cut up hands visible, there wasn't a single trace right now of that symbol.

  It's just like before. Jane can somehow phase her symbol out of sight and mind as if it never existed, but it is still somewhere inside of her, creating one of the most unusual situations ever. Did the Scarlets do this by design as well, creating a means of stealth for their chosen unit to receive this symbol? What would have been their target, assuming it could have realistically been used against anyone, or any security system? Still, it makes no sense! Symbols can't hide in a person's blood stream, or beneath skin, or even in phase space. So how is this mark able to mimic that?

  After realizing he was staring at the top of Jane's hand for more than ten long seconds of silence, Danton snapped himself back to reality, and came up with another idea. "Jane? The more we know about this symbol, the better. And I think it be time to analyze this marking as best we can."

  "How?" Jane pulled back her arm, though intrigued that Danton was thinking of another way to possibly scan her symbol. Deep scans won't do much except tell Jane how high her ME levels have become in relation to the symbol, but that won't help rid her of this curse, will it?

  Danton calmly lifted a portable device from the front of his pocket, behind the special robe he was wearing. The small scanner was just above the size of his hands, and it caught Jane's attention quickly. "This is a molecular scanner, capable of extracting information from as deep as DNA structure." Jane now seemed surprised, but Danton knew it was of little shock to anyone else on his team. He brought the scanner to study any of Brightworth's magic devices, but the unit can easily be adapted to extract biomaterial too. "Technology is getting better and faster at these things. This device right here will be capable of collecting large amounts of digital data based on DNA profiles, blood cells, and other miscellaneous biological material."

  "It can scan the symbol?" Jane never realized that Sir Danton had this! That device could tell everyone the key to removing this thing. "What are we waiting for? Scan me now!" Jane held out her arm in front willingly, but Danton was hesitant to do anything.

  "Be patient, and sit in that recliner next to you. I'll call Brock in to assist." Jane did as Danton instructed, but she had no idea what she was in for. These molecular scanners are not user friendly for extracting bio-data on living creatures; the pain level it can cause on a single person may be just as bad as that of the worst pain inflicting spells one may know. She'll have to be held down.

  While Jane waited nervously for Danton's friends to arrive, he only brought in Brock to the main room, explaining the situation to him. Brock then crept behind Jane's seat, and prepared to help Danton with his scanning equipment, more so to prepare Jane. "Jane? I want you to remain still and calm." Brock bent over the seat and held Jane's lower arms down against each rest, as if his body weight and position became a sort of restraint for her. "Don't get us wrong, but this will hurt."

  Danton waited for the expected panic, and Jane did noticeably tense up in surprise, but she didn't lash out or say anything. It's as if she wanted to be tortured if it produced even a remote chance for a cure to her symbol problem. How valiant of her! "This won't take long, but there really is no other way to make this happen. It won't do any real damage to your cells, but it will be quite painful. I just need you to bear with us."

  "Hurry," Jane exclaimed. She just wanted to get it over with. Without Danny and Taylor here right now, she knew this would be even less comfortable. But if they were here, surely they would start some sort of argument about the process being inhumane. Please stay outside you two! There is no need to see this.

  Danton powered on the battery operated portable device, with LED lights zoning out from the machine. After a quick calibration, Danton placed the suction tip on the top of Jane's right hand, and waited for the automated program to do the rest. In a few more seconds, several tiny needles pierced through her skin, one into her bone, all of which were used to extract biomaterial that could later be used for analysis.

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  Immediately did Jane tense up, clenching her teeth and trembling with mild muffled groans. Danton didn't need to try and compare the pains, as it was obvious on Jane's current expression that this needed to be finished fast. But the device still wasn't done, and a lot of biomaterial such as blood, marrow, and other sources needed to be extracted. It took only six more seconds, but for Jane, they were the longest six seconds out her entire day. She wanted to scream no doubt, as tears were already flooding to her eyes, but at last, it was over. The needles shrunk back into the device, the LED turning from a solid blue to a solid green color state. Danton lifted the device and gave Jane his condolences while preparing his supply sphere for the device's storage. "It's over. You won't ever have to do that again, and this material should provide us with an answer to what is actually going on inside of your magical symbol."

  Jane felt every nerve relax inside of her, but the stinging in her right hand bothered her to no end. "Why does it have to be painful?"

  Realizing that Jane wasn't all that serious for an answer, Danton provided one nonetheless while waiting on anything to come up positive for a search, and Brock let go of Jane to continue the sweep of the area. "All of this magic we involve ourselves with has its own origin. Through it all, it's the science that has made it all possible. These things we do daily are more based on special research and scientific integration than we both realize Jane. Therefore, I have no doubt that this scan we just performed will tell us what is going on with you, the moment we put it through the lab in Eldora Tower."

  "You have a lab there too?"

  Danton wasn't shocked that Jane didn't know this, as it is not public knowledge. The interior contents of Eldora Tower, particularly the floors that contestants never get to visit because they are restricted access areas – are highly classified. "We do. And in that lab, we have experts that can provide objective data on every cell you have, to see the changes that the symbol could have made to you. This research however will take a lot of time."

  "Well I do have a lot of time." Jane carefully stood up from her seat, covering her right hand using her left. "So what now then?"

  Danton summarized the simplicity of his work for Jane. "It's the same plan as before. While the molecular scan is analyzed, I'll be doing my part to rehabilitate Lennith City, scour the Outback for any incriminating evidence to see what Brightworth was searching for, and use other resources to locate the leaders of the Scarlet Cult. I will also of course try to find Geiger alive and well."

  Jane sighed noticeably, as if that explanation alone took off stress she was building up from before. "That's good. I don't think I'll be able to help you with that until I've healed though."

  "Exactly. I wouldn't let you take part in a search with your unhealed wounds. After all, the Scarlet Cult are very dangerous people with the power to kill regardless of the protective veil."

  It was as she thought. Jane knew that Danton was protective of these injuries, but Jane actually had no intention of involving herself in the search, not after the rationalization they've come to earlier. Soon, the Scarlet enemies will know she is marked. This does make it dangerous for her, but Danny and Taylor have other plans themselves.

  "Then there should be no worries." She could feel solace returning to her, Jane's previous adrenaline kicking down while Brightworth was securely tied up in the basement of his own home, being interrogated while Danton over-sought the operation here, but as she tried to relax with glorious words, Danton's reaction was rather disturbing.

  Chapter Theme Shift:

  Now pacing the room, Danton decided to open up to the girl who defeated her in a championship battle, realizing how naive she has let herself become. "That may be true for you, but we have our work cut out for us."

  "Y-you do?"

  Danton answered with his words of warning already given to himself, though he felt as if he traveled so far behind time just thinking about it. "Right now, we, the elite five - including myself are in the middle of a new investigation of what could possibly be one of the world's biggest threats we've ever seen."

  What is Danton talking about? Jane couldn't put any logic to it. Wasn't the biggest threat Alpha Zero? This place is going to die out soon, at least the evil magic of it will. What's left to worry about? The Scarlet enemies?

  "The more time that passes, the more I feel that the leaders running the Scarlet Cult are not these random people we've made them out to be in our minds. Only powerful warriors such as my personal team and us would be capable of conducting all of these illegal activities so successfully, and I say that goes double for evidence since the Scarlet Cult has been around for nearly a decade with little to no significance on our populous."

  "Wait a minute," Jane caught. "Are you saying that the people running the Scarlet Cult, they're not random criminals? You know who they are?"

  Danton didn't want to admit this, but such traumatizing experiences could not forever be blacked out from Jane, or from himself. "Let me put it briefly. If you ever come anywhere near the actual leaders of the Scarlet Cult, your life is in immediate danger, even for a person such as yourself suited with a highly powerful symbol in your hand. They don't care about the value of life, and their moral principles have been twisted by the tempting powers of the arts of dark magic manipulation. But I won't say that I know who the leaders are, only since I still have no real evidence to back up such a wild theory."

  "Oh..." Jane didn't mean to sound so depressed, but just talking about people who use dark magic was a dark topic in itself. Dark magic is incredibly dangerous and powerful, yet criminals use it knowing this fact, and would willingly kill or harm other people to get their way. But then why have the Scarlet Cult been so active lately, of all natural enemies of Leray magic?

  Danton wound up in a trance of thought, which Jane tended to ignore, perhaps in her own trance. What if he was right all along? What if they have turned this evil? What if they've fully grown to integrate their own leadership into the Scarlet Syndicate? Those murderers! They can't be allowed to get away with this!

  Iona had her own run-in with recruits of the Scarlet Syndicate. They're growing in numbers quickly, but why? The system of Leray magic and battles works so brilliantly. Why would anyone want to destroy what already works to protect the people from their own fun sport? Why would people embrace dark magic to such extreme levels? Jane let herself ask the personal question, after thinking about it for so long and hard. Danton would certainly have the easy answer to this one. "Hey Danton? How does it work? The process of Leray magic, and that of my symbol; what happens if I step outside of Sprawn Valley itself, outside of the veil?"

  That's a strange question, but one very obvious to answer. "It's as anyone would expect. Your ability to use or wield magic would suddenly be blocked. This would also include natural effects that the protective veil provides, such as immunities to unnatural deaths and sleep rejection. But as for your symbol, all of our current research over the years has proven that even symbols are blocked out by the lack of a magical veil. You won't be able to use magic or wield your unusual symbol outside of this country, which I happen to find comforting to say the least."

  That's good news. Jane wondered if her symbol would still function or behave outside of Sprawn Valley, but it won't happen that way. Even if the outside world is dangerous, it's also where Danny and Taylor will be soon. They won't be able to use magic either.

  "Listen." Danton wielded his Mega-Staff tightly in preparation to continue the interrogations on Brightworth, but this needed to be taken care of too. "I'm going to hand you a paper card with my personal cellular phone number on it." Already holding the card out for Jane, Danton realized that her contact would be necessary to figure this all out, since she is still involved in this. "I'm going to provide you with a secure mobile phone that I already have the number to, as it will work anywhere in the world. I want you to have it charged and powered on at all times to receive updates from the molecular scans when there are any. I'll be the only one making such calls."

  "Okay." Jane accepted the card and the small device, though was surprised that this mobile telephone had been invented before. They must be expensive.

  "I also want you to call my number if you are able to reveal at any time any information about the mystery regarding the Scarlet Cult and their activities. It will be very important these days to stay in touch."

  "Okay." Jane felt a bit awkward by accepting the number from someone so formal and grown up, but it was strictly a professional gesture either way; Danton looks like he cares more about his investigation right now. Jane hid the paper and cellphone elsewhere on her, planning only to use it as necessary.

  Danny and Taylor would be coming back inside soon, and Danton had to attend to the matters at hand. Jane was then left alone, all with her thoughts about the direction the world was being swung to, but nothing could be done about it right now. With the molecular scans taken, it would only be a matter of a long time before she could learn anything new about her symbol. On top of that, there was the Scarlet Cult on his mind too, on everyone's mind, but Jane knew it in her gut. She can't justify staying here much longer, not when her best friends will be somewhere else far off into an unknown territory.

  Mainne huffed quietly while standing just behind the corner of the wall concealing her presence from Danton. There was nothing wrong with the way he was involving Jane, but his sudden worry about the Scarlet Cult was genuine after all. It wasn't Mainne's style to eaves drop on Danton like this, but she had to be certain that he wasn't losing it. Danton can't just say these things if he isn't sure about this.

  Mainne could remember such better days where she and Danton were able to practice magic together with her friends, back when things weren't so tense. But if those certain people really are involved with the Scarlet Syndicate, it changes everything, and Danton's state of mind won't be in the right place anymore... No! It just isn't possible! Those people would never join a task force that kills innocent people with the very magic they grew up on. Danton, you're right to be upset, but you've got the wrong guys pinned into your scopes. Please don't fall into this hole once more. You might not make it out again like the first time.

  Mainne knew she wanted to say these things to Danton indirectly, but he would just brush it off and pretend not to understand what she was talking about. There just has to be some way to prove what is really going on here. "I don't care what those freak shows in the council say." Mainne began whispering to herself, a promise to everyone. "I will find out who is responsible for this. I will prove that this wasn't the work of our past selves."