Chapter Text
Gaius had known pain before, but he had never known pain like the pain he felt now.
Searing, red hot and surging through every vein, it felt like his own lightning had found its way inside him, to burn up every nerve and muscle in its wake. His brain, too, shared his body’s anguish – every synapse might as well have been pulled out and set on fire. Something was terribly wrong, and despite the pain that argued against it, Gaius moved to push himself up off of the ground.
The crisp, white snow beneath him was stained a deep red, and as soon as he moved, he coughed up more blood to add to it.
Having just woken up, and working through the thick haze of pain, Gaius couldn’t find an explanation for his condition or location. All he knew was that he couldn’t allow himself to fall unconscious, again; only death would be waiting for him there. Despite the protest of every fiber, he made himself sit up.
The snow around him didn’t hold any footprints, but there was a streak of exposed ground behind him. He hadn’t walked to where he was – he’d landed. Harshly.
He’d obviously been fighting whatever it was that had put him in such a state. His top and jacket were both loose around his waist, the way they always fell when he called upon all of his divine powers.
As he turned to fasten the straps of his top, he flinched, and lifted a hand to his abdomen. The skin stomach and side was far from the right color – bruised a deep and unsettling purple. He pressed on it lightly, and immediately had to fight the reflex to vomit.
He needed medical attention and soon. And sooner still, he needed to get out of the Raine tundra. He recognized it’s mountains, and he’d seen many rocky snowfields exactly like the one he found himself in now. It was impossible to pinpoint his location, however. Raine’s wall was nowhere in sight. The only thing around him were pine trees and snow drifts.
Gaius let out a sigh of relief as he felt his communicator in his jacket pocket. He slipped it out and tried to turn it on, but the only thing that flashed back up at him was an empty battery symbol. His habit of walking around with a dead phone wasn’t really a bad habit, at least not when he could charge it whenever he needed to. Just like he had, hundreds, if not thousands of times now, he called his divine power to his hands.
He flinched as his power sparked haphazardly at his fingertips. The phone’s screen spasmed between on and off, and he had to stop. Something was wrong with his powers – there was a new and unusual interference, possibly divine, possibly from a Miracle, he didn’t know. He puzzled over it for a second, before scowling and shoving his phone back into his pocket. No matter – he used to be military, and he still had his wits about him.
Though the sky was laid heavy with clouds and growing darker, Gaius was still able to pick out the falling sun on the horizon, and reason the best direction to walk in to eventually reach civilization. All he had to do was stand and start walking.
Easier said than done.
Thankfully, all his limbs seemed to be in working order. Breaking the branch of a pine tree to use as a walking stick was no small task, wounded as he was, but the effort was worth it as he began his track in what he hoped was the direction of the golden city – Utgard.
Heavy footfall, after heavy footfall, the snow crunched beneath his boots. His breath, tinged with the copper that still coated the inside of his mouth, turned to steam as soon as it left his lips. At least his movement would help prevent his muscles from freezing in place.
Beneath all the pain, Gaius could feel the fatigue of battle. He knew his body – he’d been fighting. But he could not remember who he’d been fighting, or who he’d been fighting with, if anyone. The snowfield he trekked was barren of friend or foe, no Union member or Miramon to be seen. He couldn’t even recall what mission had sent him into the tundra.
What was the last thing he remembered?
Estero Harbor – Li Guang… The Cube Miracle. She had helped calm the Cube Miracle and save Estero Harbor with Farrah, and that local girl – what had Li Guang said her name was? Lorah? Norah?
Gaius wracked his brain.
He’d been so prepared to scold Li Guang for her recklessness. The Miracle in Estero Harbor had claimed Hannah, all those years ago, and he’d been so worried that it was going to claim Li Guang the same way. But when he’d finally met up with Li Guang again, after the chaos, he hadn’t been able to dish out any of the scolding he’d wanted to – he was just relieved to see her in one piece.
And he tried to convince her to join the Union, again. And again, she’d politely declined.
“I’m a free spirit.”
He’d expected that answer, and just nodded – watched her wave another temporary goodbye.
Li Guang had said she was going to head to Utgard, next. That’s where he was – basically, anyway. Perhaps she’d called him here? But how long ago had that been? It felt like just yesterday – just an hour ago…
The world started to spin and Gaius slumped against the nearest tree, breathing hard.
Something had happened after his goodbye to Li Guang. What was it? He put a hand to his head and thought with every bit of mental energy he had left.
He’d said goodbye. He’d collected the damage report from Farrah at the temporary Esper Union Office. Then Farrah’s condition had taken a turn – Li Guang hadn’t left like she’d planned, but he had. He had to get back to Gyrate. He remembered getting back to Gyrate, to headquarters. Yes, that’s right – he’d contacted Tevor, then, of the Larkspur Detective Agency, to investigate Farrah’s condition while he continued his regular work at Union HQ.
It had been work as usual, hadn’t it?
Growing frustrated by his inability to pinpoint his last exact memory, Gaius shoved off in pursuit of civilization again. Though, unfortunately, his dizziness didn’t shove off from him.
He could ignore the cold. He could ignore the uncomfortable crunch inside him when he walked. But he couldn’t ignore the dizziness. Everything was a snowy mess around him. He couldn’t tell if it was snowing, or if his vision was starting to fade. Gaius had powered his way through hordes of Miramon, armies of Shadow Decree scum, and through more than his fair share of survival situations.
His divine powers were trying to fix whatever was broken within him, but no amount of power pumping through his veins could fix him in the amount of time he still had left. He was fading, and he felt it.
Gaius grit his teeth and pushed on. He couldn’t die like this. He was Gaius – Union Hub Director – member of the Esper Seven. He still had fights to fight. Miracles still needed destroyed, Miramon still needed killed, the Shadow Decree still needed beaten, and civilians still needed saved. He still had work to do.
Snowflakes streaked past his eyes, but through them, Gaius saw the faint outline of a building. Like a zombie, he staggered directly towards it. Just as the illuminated symbol of the Esper Union came into focus, his legs gave out. With one last surge of power, he was able to raise his hand and shoot a crackling beam of lightning into the air above him. Even as feeble as it was, it light up the sky, split the air and let out a shattering clap. He hoped it would be enough.
It had to be enough.
The next thing he knew there was snow in his face, and a growing cold in his limbs. And Gaius shut his eyes.