A quarter to noon – Camille, Ella, Gina, Marcus, and Neil all arrived at the Atramentum. Hugo was waiting for them there.
"Mind telling us why we're here, Master?" Marcus asked, trying to look as oblivious as possible.
Without replying, Hugo began moving towards the entrance of the prison but then he noticed – his squad had not moved.
He looked back.
Camille slowly walked closer. "Bro?"
"What?"
She looked back at the others, then stared at her squad captain and briefly paused.
"What's the matter?" Hugo asked.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Ah…" he sighed. "Just come inside. I'll explain everything on the way."
And with that, the Zaatsu went inside. Hesitantly, one by one the squad went inside as well.
At the Core, Hugo handed a small piece of paper to a prison guard at the desk. He read it and looked up at Hugo in shock. The Zaatsu nodded and the surprised man slowly reached inside the drawer, picked up a key, and handed it to him.
Before Hugo could move any further, Neil moved in his way and asked, "Are you really going to do this?"
Hugo took a good look at his brother then took a deep breath.
"Come with me," he said, then looked at the others and added, "The rest of you, stay here."
The two Zaatsus moved to Vincent's cell and found him asleep.
"Is he knocked out?" Neil asked leaning closer to take a better look. Even in daytime, very little light reached inside the Atramentum, and less still into the cells.
"He's fine," Hugo said as he unlocked the door.
Listening to the sound of the door unlocking, Vincent opened his eyes and looked at the two entering. "Well, that was quick," he said.
"Six feet," Hugo said as he crouched down in front of the bounty hunter. "Neil, tell them to fetch some clothes for him. He's nearly six feet tall."
"Five eleven and a half to be exact," Vincent quickly added, still lying on the ground.
Neil, wearing an exaggerated frown on his face, left slowly.
Once he was gone, Hugo said, "Get up."
With a few grunts, the White Bolt pushed himself up and sat leaning against the wall. "Your sister is nicer than you," he said with closed eyes.
"Wouldn't refute that…"
"What's going on?"
"This is it."
"What is what?"
"We are going on a mission, and you are coming along."
Vincent raised his tied hands showing the Ki disrupting bracelets on his wrists. "You do know how these work, right?"
Putting his hands back down, he said, "I don't have much of a choice here but what use would I be to you in my current condition?"
Hugo smiled. "Use your head… figure it out."
The White Bolt chuckled. "Tell your deputy I don't wear those uncomfortable slippers you people call shoes."
"Sure." The Zaatsu was still smiling, almost amused by the bounty hunter. "What do you want instead?"
Vincent shrugged. "Anything that's a bit more comfortable."
"Believe me…" Hugo giggled. "The shoes will be the least of your worries today."
Saying that he got up and went out of the cell. Neil was walking back to the cell.
"So, what next?" the young Zaatsu asked.
"Let's just do this first," Hugo replied. "I'll explain the mission once we get out of here. Did you ask for the clothes?"
"Yes. Cami and Gina are on it. Told them to not get our usual…"
Martial Artists, Ki Manipulators and Magicists of the Eye, wore a similar uniform regardless of their rank – cedar brown sleeveless keikogi upper, dark grey cargo trousers, and black ninja boots. Most of the operatives would wear inners, vests, or shirts under their uppers, and, if the weather called for it, a robe over the whole thing.
However, the monogram on the chest with the Eye's symbol at its centre, was of a different colour for every rank – golden for a Zaatsu, white for a Sokidu, green for senior students at academies, known as Dominus, and blue for juniors students, known as Datimus. A Mystic's monogram, golden in colour, was different from the rest. It had a Hawk engraved on it instead of the eye.
Gina brought a plain dress – black t-shirt, black trousers, a pair of white canvas shoes.
Hugo observed, wide-eyed.
"Sorry," Gina said, with a half-smile. "This was all I could find in a hurry."
The clothes were handed to Vincent. He looked at them and said, "I will need some kind of an inner, like a full sleeve vest or something. This fabric feels itchy."
Gina chuckled and Neil looked at Hugo.
"What makes you think you're in a place to make demands?" the captain of the Zeta Squad asked.
"Let's see…" Vincent waited a few moments. "In fact, let's count," he eventually said. "One, you have kept me alive. Two, you're in a hurry to get me ready to go on what quite clearly seems to be a mission of high priority. Three, you are telling me to come along, which means that you need me, somehow. But this mission… can't lay a finger on it. Has a remnant been stolen or something? Or are you just playing with me?"
But before anyone could reply, he further added, "There are a few reasons why I can make demands, Zaatsu. And a few reasons for why you will listen to them."
Frustrated by the remarks, Neil looked again at Hugo, but the captain was staring straight at Vincent. He moved a step closer, leaned in, and said, "Let me explain something to you, White Bolt…"
Firmly grabbing the bounty-hunter's throat, the Zaatsu threw him out!
Vincent went flying past Gina and Neil, through the bars, before smashing hard on the wall in front of the cell, sliding down, and landing in a heap at its base.
Gina and Neil stood shocked. They had seldom seen Hugo taken over by any emotion let alone anger.
But this was not for Vincent.
This was for them.
Every pair of eyes watching had to believe the same thing – that the White Bolt was nothing more than a prisoner.
The duo saw as Hugo then quickly walked up to the bounty hunter and kicked him in the face. He slid away to the right and fell face down.
This time, the Zaatsu walked up, turned Vincent over, and placed a knee on his chest.
"You have no idea who or what I am," he said, calmly, before grabbing his throat again. "You have no idea why I've brought you here. You haven't even got a clue about who you are. You think you know much but rest assured, you know nothing!"
He was choking, but just as Gina and Neil began to move closer to stop him, he let go.
"But you're no use to me dead either," Hugo said and then leaned in closer. With his mouth next to the prisoner's ear, he whispered, "I know you're thinking you can get out of those bracelets, but you can't. I know his liquefaction techniques. They won't work."
Saying that he got up. Looking at Neil, he said, "Separate the bracelets and loosen the grip a little. There are restrooms at the core the guards use. Take him there."
Then looking down at the prisoner, he added, "You've got 5 minutes to freshen up and be out front. One look at you and I can tell you are a survivor. So, don't try anything funny or you will regret it."
Neil did as he was asked and so did the prisoner. The Zeta Squad knew Zaatsu Master Hugo Baylis was never a man to lose his temper but on this rare occasion when he did, they knew even better to stay away from giving him a reason to unload on them.
The deputy waited outside the restroom as Hugo and the rest of the squad waited outside the entrance of the Atramentum upstairs.
Eventually, the two came out as well. Out of nowhere, Vincent charged at Hugo. Loosening the grip of the bracelet had given him more control over his Ki. He could now use up to 40 percent of his maximum strength. He punched an unprepared Hugo, who flew many paces back. But just as he hit the ground, he vanished.
"Aaaa, I see," Vincent said, smirking. "You were a part of the Outsiders."
Hugo had teleported behind him. "How long will these antics of yours continue?" he asked with a Ki charged fist about an inch from Vincent's tail bone.
The bounty hunter calmed his Ki down. "You're bleeding," he said with a grin. "Now we're even, bastard!"
"Touché…" said the Master Zaatsu and charged down his Ki as well. He took out a handkerchief and cleaned up the blood from and under his lips.
The rest of the gang looked a bit surprised.
"What do you mean Outsiders?" Marcus asked.
"A common misconception," Hugo explained. "Many rogues and Cultists make that mistake. I sometimes use techniques not commonly taught to Martial Artists here at Ayn because I served at the outposts for so long and picked up a few things here and there."
Everyone looked at one another and felt a bit relieved. The peculiarly vast array and mix of uncommon and strange techniques which he would use in battles often was exactly what made Hugo Baylis famous.
"Alright then team," the Captain said. "Who can tell me what a Keeper is?"
The entire squad looked around but remained silent.
"Come on, guys." He shook his head and stood arms akimbo. "They teach you about the Keepers at the academies. Even I remember talking about them in lectures to some of you."
Ella raised her hand. "They're guardians of the metaphysical, right?"
"Good!" He nodded. "What else? Come on, knuckleheads. Do you want me to write this down in your monthly reports?"
"They… ah, there aren't many of them," Camille said. "They are limited in number – less than a hundred, I think." After a pause, she added, "But they are always there. If one dies, another takes their place."
"Correct. Anything else?"
"There is divine intervention in their appointments," Ella added. "And it is nearly impossible to find them if they don't want to be found."
"Awesome!" Hugo was smiling now. "Anyone else want to add to that? There is one more thing you must know, guys…"
"Oh! Oh! Post! Post!" said Marcus, in his usual animated way. "They have the Post! Their base of operations, man. It's invisible to the naked eye."
"Yeah." Camille nodded, pointing at him. "Looks like a home or an office, but it's actually their base of operations."
Hugo nodded once more. "Well done, Marc… got one for the boys."
The red-haired Sokidu punched the air. "O yeah."
The captain chuckled and explained, "Some Keepers indeed have a known Post or base of operations, yes. But why are they called Keepers?"
This one was easy. They all knew that the Keepers got their title because they were rumoured guardians, or keepers of many dangerous artifacts – most famous of these artifacts were the Scriptures of Dark Arts written by Rasalhague himself.
"Well done, gang," Hugo said with a smile. "Full points." He looked at Gina and asked, "Did I miss anything?"
"Seredums, sir," she replied.
"Ah, yes! Do explain."
Gina stepped ahead. "All the Keepers with known Posts also have certain disciples with them known as Seredums."
"They work with and under the Keeper's command," Hugo added. "I have seen them work actually. Strange people with even stranger skills."
Vincent had been staring up at the sky the entire time, as if none of it concerned him.
But then he closed his eyes and sighed. "Protecting scriptures, guarding knowledge, interfering in matters of balance, and preserving powers forgotten or forsaken…"
All eyes were on him now.
"The Keepers… they don't wear symbols," the bounty hunter continued, his voice calm, deeper than usual.
"They appear ordinary, and they endure." He looked at the group. No one spoke. He added, "You might have already met one – they don't announce themselves, you know?"
Camille stared wide-eyed. This was exactly how she remembered him. This was exactly what he sounded like in the forest.
"But why, I wonder," he mused slowly, "does the Order never believe in their existence?"
Hugo chuckled. "Now there's a debate for the research circles."
The Zaatsu shook his head and smiled. Looking at Vincent, he asked, "You know, you're awfully well versed for a mere bounty hunter. Makes me wonder… you just quoted a few famous authors there…"
After a pause, he looked at his team and said, "Well guys! Our mission right now is to visit a Keeper's Post." They all looked at him and got attentive. "It was attacked," he continued. "We have reason to believe the Keeper is missing. We'll be going there to investigate further."
Ella asked, "But Master Baylis, a Post is not easy to find, right? In fact, very few people in the world can know where it is."
"And why are we bringing the criminal along?" added Neil.
"A Keeper's Post is nearly impossible to find, yes," said Hugo. "But mister Vincent here is rumoured to have been locating them all the time. And that's why we're bringing him along."
Ella looked at Vincent with a narrowed gaze and asked, "How did you find them?"
The White Bolt shrugged. "Oh, you know," he said, casually. "Bribe a couple of operatives here, torture some there… buy info off the shelves in a black market… take your pick. The Eye is leaking a ton of info these days."
An awkward silence followed but before it could drag on too long, Hugo moved ahead. He placed a hand around Vincent's shoulder and began walking away with the bounty hunter. The entire squad quickly followed.