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Isekai'd as Brewster Part 5
by TeraceYggs
I hope to find out what I love!
2 years ago
Research is conducted on Nova with some interesting twists and turns.
[*******]
The next day came, in which Nova tried on his new clothes. The rather loose hoodie, the dark undershirt, and pants all felt comfortable and snug on his body. It felt…very much like him, even if he’s still using Brewster’s body. He’ll wear such clothes from now on. On the other hand, there’s the withdrawal, forcing Nova to chug down water first, and half a pint of beer right after. It still pressed against his mind like hell, but at least it wasn’t hard…if only slightly. Lu Yi prepared breakfast, to which Nova started to stuff his face with sausage and egg like he’d been starved.
“Gods, Nova! What’s gotten into you?” Lu Yi was quite surprised.
“The withdrawal!” Nova said with his mouth full, nearly choking as he gulped down everything all at once. “It sucks, man!”
“Alright, alright, my bad.”
Lu Yi’s supple table manners compared to Nova’s mouth wolfing down his meal were like night and day, though Nova had left the table and paced around the living room nervously. Though out of no reason in particular than to calm his nerves, he manifested his revolver and started twirling it in an aggressive fashion.
“Nova?”
“Yeah?” the irritation in his voice became present.
“No weapons in the apartment, please.”
Nova’s gun twirling slowly stopped as his ears folded, looking quite embarrassed. “Oh…sorry…”
“It’s fine, it’s just an apartment policy for Espers.” though Lu Yi’s eyes narrowed a little. “And it’s a good thing I informed the apartment manager of you being here, cause that would’ve caused some problems later down the line.”
“No…I’m thankful, really,” said Nova. “I’ll try and find my own apartment soon. I just…I don’t know how high the prices are here in Graywater…”
“Well, there’s a few cheap hotels nearby,” Lu Yi noted. “The one we’re in is one of the higher ones. Being a bounty hunter does help pay the bills and then some. But…you don’t have to go right now, the manager did say you could stay as long as you pay your share of the bill.”
“Right…”
The little conversation had at least staved off the symptoms, though Nova also had a question in mind in regards to yesterday. “Lu Yi?”
“Yeah?”
“You…mentioned that you were part of the Union at one point. What was that like?”
Lu Yi took a deep breath, though from it came a nearly nostalgic sigh. “Well, if you think about it, the Union is like a superhero base.”
“Huh…I can see what you mean.” Nova thought about his own powers and abilities, seeing that he too could classify as a superhero if he wanted to. “What made you become a bounty hunter instead?”
“Well…it was more of a disagreement with how the Union operates,” Lu Yi started. “Though I like to call it as following my sense of justice.”
Nova realized that things were going to get complicated, so he made his question simple. “Can…you give me an example?”
“Let’s see…there was one time where I caught a criminal that had fled to another city, right? Did some pretty horrible things. When I caught him, some ops chiefs knowledgeable in the laws from where the criminal came from said that they’d had to be returned to their home city to be on trial. That was simple enough…until I looked into the guy himself.”
“...Who was he?”
“Just the heir of a corporation with enough power to bail him out regardless of charges,” Lu Yi grimaced. “I was mad when I learned that the guy was bailed, but that same company was also supplying the Union. I know that putting him in jail would’ve probably hurt their ties, but I just…hated how he got away scot-free.”
“Oh…”
“. . .”
“. . .”
“That’s why I became a bounty hunter and brought him to justice! In my first month too!”
“Oh! Shoot! How’d you do it?”
“In that month, the public constantly pressed for the heir’s just desserts and me arresting them caused enough sway in court to put him in prison without bail.”
“Oh man, no wonder that minotaur guy mentioned being a reputable hunter.”
“Yup! I won’t deny that the Union does good things, but it feels nice when justice is unimpeded.”
“I can agree with that.”
The two shared a laugh, though Lu Yi got up and stretched. “Well, we should get going. Don’t want to keep them waiting.”
“Right…”
And though Nova remembered agreeing to be tested on. He hoped it wouldn’t be anything too unsettling…
[*******]
Union escorts greeted them by the headquarters entrance, directing them to the inner workings of the base. Just like yesterday, various people and Esper walk by, though Nova sighed in relief as he knew that his efforts prior didn’t make him look like a bumbling drunk that happened to enter the facility. Regardless, it wouldn’t be long before the rather colorful yet sleek design of the headquarters soon turned sterile white. Nova and Lu Yi found themselves being led to a massive cylindrical room where Feng Nuxi had come before them, along with several scientists.
Nova felt like he was being watched, however. He could only suspect it must be from the scientists who are studying him.
“You’ve arrived.” Feng Nuxi’s gentleness emerged from what was supposed to be a clinical tone. “Are you ready for the tests?”
“Um, before we start,” asked Nova. “What part of me is being studied?”
“We have no real need to study your physicality,” Nova realized Feng Nuxi spoke to him as if he’s speaking to Brewster, though still at him. “We already have medical profiles regarding you. Rather, we are interested in learning how your…changes in regards to your abilities, and your Waves.”
“Oh, well…should I demonstrate now?”
“Not until the equipment has been set up and the simulation starts.”
The minutes passed by as the scientists around him pulled equipment from the outside ranging from blast shielding to other devices for measurement. Others approached him and strapped a device on his shoulder, equipped with a smaller vinyl record.
“Uh…what’s this?” Nova didn’t touch it out of worry that he might break it.”
“It’s a device to record your power fluctuations.” explained Feng Nuxi. “But all you need to focus on right now is facing your simulated opponent.”
As if on cue, a girl with blue hair tied into two long ponytails with lime green ends presses buttons and flips a switch on a panel. All of a sudden the room seemed to flicker and twitch before expanding into a massive hallway with a ceiling that was now unbelievably high. As much awe as it slapped him in the face, Nova shook his head to realize that he was in a simulation…or augmented reality. Either way, it seemed the same regardless.
Three mannequin-like figures digitize right before him, which Nova felt like he knew what he was about to get into. Thus, came a question.
“Is-Is this gonna hurt-”
And one of the mannequins slugs him across the face.
“OH! OH GOD! HELP!!!”
Nova ran around the room, more or less in circles as the mannequins chased after him. It was quite comical, actually. Lu Yi could see that others had to stifle their laughs. Still, technically being his Esper coach, Lu Yi shouted from the proverbial benches.
“Bring out your gun, Brewster!”
“Um! Right!”
Nova manifested his revolver and took aim. One shot, two shots, a whole revolver’s clip of projectiles were shot at the mannequin figures and yet most of them either missed or only hit in non-vital areas, allowing them to keep their pursuit going.
“Damn it!”
“I thought you were good at revolvers!”
“I said I fired them at a firing range! I never used them outside that!”
“Well…just aim at the torso! Most police officers are trained to do that!”
Despite the good advice, Nova’s running around was starting to exhaust him. Unlike him, the mannequins were simulated and thus did not experience fatigue. He grit his teeth as the desperation started to become anger.
“Damn it! I didn’t think it would be like this! If I just…if I could just-!”
“If I could just pull the trigger…”
“If I could just pull the trigger, then all of this would end! I gotta aim right, aim at the torso and-”
“Pull the trigger…!”
“Pull the trigger!”
“Pull the trigger!!”
“Pull the trigger!!!”
“PULL THE TRIGGER!!!”
“PULL THE TRIGGER!!!”
“RRRRRRHHHH!!!!”
The growl came from his throat, almost sounding like an actual wolf snarl. He stopped running, standing his ground, aimed the gun, and fired straight through the head of the first mannequin. The figure crumpled to the floor, completely headless before disappearing. The other two continued their assault. “Nova” fired at the torso of one figure, the force causing it to stumble back as the other took a swing. But “Nova” brought out his revolver, the jaw barrel bit into the arm of the mannequin before he pulled the trigger, blowing the arm right off before Nova letting loose and rabid volley until the torso became nothing more but bits of digital remains. The third final mannequin soon fell all the same as “Nova” took a final headshot, removing its head as it dropped to the floor and disappeared.
No one said a word as “Nova” stood there and panted with a mix of anger and exhaustion in his voice.
“...Brewster?”
Lu Yi poked his head out of the blast shield cover after the whole demonstration Nova had shown. And rather than seeing Nova’s face, he found the eye of the gun barrel staring down at him before his face slowly turned. Nova looked angry, almost driven by a sudden murderous lust. And in his eyes was not a someone, but a something. A wild and maddening something had taken control.
But Lu Yi did not stand down. “Brewster? It’s me...”
“Nova” was still panting, his eyes scanning for threats. But they didn’t find anything. Lu Yi slowly stepped beyond the blast shielding despite the silent protest of others.
“It’s me…Lu Yi…”
“Nova” blinked slowly in realization as the weapon dissolved. The looking of something then became someone as Nova looked around. The simulation had ended, everyone slowly looked at the measurements but stood well within the cover of the shielding. Everyone save for Feng Nuxi and Lu Yi, both with concerned faces. Feng Nuxi especially, the gentle face masked a sense of harrowing realization.
As for Nova, his face was like a terrified kid who just realized he did something very…very bad.
“...What…happened to me…?”
[*******]
Nova, Lu Yi, Feng Nuxi, and Gaius took residence in a recently evacuated office room where a projector was rolled in. The press of a button and the flick of a switch turned off the lights and turned on the projector, displaying data onto an empty wall.
“It appears that Nova…has now come into conflict with Brewster’s Esper Entity,” said Feng Nuxi. “Several instruments had caught an abnormal influx of Waves from Nova just before it happened.”
“Wait…I thought Esper Entities fuse with their host when they become an Esper,” Lu Yi noted. “Why is this different? Wouldn't that mean Brewster…well…took it with him to Nova’s home world?”
“Divine Waves are a constant with the Miracles’ existence, the same could be said for an Esper Entity,” Feng Nuxi emphasized. “In a sense, Brewster was simply an iteration that fused properly with it. The Union has actually recorded Waves that indicated Esper Entities are more like a concept that uses Waves as an extension of itself. It was also observed in Espers that have entities of lesser beings, with multiple iterations of the same if not similar Espers having been documented.”
“Right…I think now I see why it’s happening to him…”
“Yes…Nova is…outside of the norm. Rather being transformed into an Esper, he’s been put into one without any exposure to divine waves prior. There have been cases similar to his where the effects of Esper transformation had traumatizing effects on the mind and body. But for Nova? I can only assume it’s more in the case where he’s…fighting for Brewster’s body.”
Nova’s mostly catatonic behavior shifted slightly to ask a question. “What…What’s going to happen to me…?”
“Well…the closest case that we have had that could be similar to your situation is actually…one of the Esper Seven, Embla.”
Photos of Embla both prior and after her transformation flashed onto the projector. Nova reacted with a flinch. She looked terrifying.
“She was a gentle soul of sorts, though it’s said that her Esper transformation had inflicted her with an incomplete merge with her Esper Entity. While she was a hero, each use of her abilities meant that her own ego would be erased, and then replaced with one of an apathetic killing machine. Symptoms included gaps in memory, and a sort of switch in personality for brief periods of time.”
His blood ran cold, realizing that his future right now is not far different than hers, this Embla. He sighed a deep painful sigh, curling into himself. “I’m…gonna forget everything…and I’ll become a killer…”
“Despite the similarities, your case, while new, isn’t a complete repeat of Embla’s,” Gaius said with clinical honesty. “Embla’s transformation had caused these effects. However, it seems that you and the Esper Entity are trying to occupy the same space.”
“But why now..?”
“It could be the use of Brewster’s powers that likely caused the Esper Entity to…well, we can’t confirm if it was always with you or had come from the outside.” Feng Nuxi theorized. “What we do know is that using those powers means that you risk being overtaken by the Esper Entity, even overridden.”
Nova clung to a positive thought. “So…as long as I don’t use Brewster’s powers, or my version of it…I’ll be fine?”
“We can’t say for sure. Though, you might just have to moderate your usage of your powers from now on.” Feng Nuxi advised.
“I’ll look over at him, like I always do,” Lu Yi smiled, a little sign of weariness wrinkling his face. “Despite being different, looks like you’re still Brewster when it comes to causing problems.”
“Ugh…” Nova scoffed, but at least the notion made him smirk a little. A little less weight to carry.
[*******]
There wasn’t much reason to stay in the Union headquarters once the examination was over. Nova and Lu Yi left and were walking across the sidewalks of Gyrate to clear their minds.
"So…I can't bounty hunt…or else I'll lose control…" Nova murmured.
"Well, I mean…Brewster does that anyway during his bounty hunts." Lu Yi reminded. "Though the losing control part due to an Esper Entity is…new…"
Silence lasted for a few brief moments before Nova continued.
"I didn't ask to be like him," he looked at his paw. There was a new feeling now, like an itch. "But…I can see why now."
"How's that?"
"I mean…I felt like I blacked out, though it was more like I was watching everything happen. Like a person watching a movie in a theater. Pulling the trigger felt good every time."
"He was the kind of person that would blow up his own past. Hell, he technically did." Lu Yi added. "He's no one else but Brewster now."
"Blowing up my own past…" Nova murmured. "It must have felt good to be untethered."
"You aren't?"
Nova paused for a moment, before the statement passed his lips. "Remember when I said my father was a gun nut?"
"Yeah?"
"...He's more than that. Conspiracy theory kind of guy.”
“Gods, really…? Those kinds of guys were a pain when the Miracles came around.”
“Yeah well…mine happened in 2012, we thought it was going to be the end of the world…”
“The Aztec Calendar?”
“Heh. Yeah…”
“We had that kind of paranoia too…though, it’s when Espers officially came to be.”
“Back then?”
“Yeah, it caused…quite a ruckus. Some hailed the Esper Seven as the return of the old gods or something. But they kept insisting they were just people. It was hard to believe that. I mean, Gaius could control lightning with his will alone. How was that not godlike?”
“I can see why…” Nova huffed, though he shook his head. “Look, can we talk about something else? That time wasn’t the best years for me.”
“Sure,” Lu Yi gave a bit of a thought before speaking again. “So…maybe you can’t use your powers yet without the chance of losing control, but I guess you can train yourself to not lose control. That…or…you could try and make peace with your Esper Entity.”
“You’ve done that before?”
“I mean…no. Like they said, Esper Entities and their chosen humans tend to fuse upon transforming. What you need to do is…probably find a way to fuse yourself with your Esper Entity.”
“Well, how would I know what my Esper Entity is?”
“Espers who transform also get the information on what their Entity is. Though I guess for you, it would take a while for it to introduce itself to you. Though, by all means, you just started talking to yours.”
“Right…” Nova was grateful for the fact that Lu Yi was confident in the situation. Though he figured that they’re both in the dark. But it made him feel good in knowing there could be a way out of the mess he got himself into by simply being in their world. Though for now. “I’m…gonna need a bit of alone time to process everything. Where should we meet up?”
“Back at where we parked. I’ll see you in an hour.”
“Got it.”
The two headed their separate ways as Nova basked in his current situation. With a bit of Lu Yi’s encouragement…things don’t seem all that bad at least. Sure, it was scary…but it was something that could be controlled. As long as he used his powers in moderation, he wouldn’t lose control like earlier. Though, as he walked, he saw someone familiar pass by him. And though he didn’t do anything to instigate a conversation, he suddenly found himself in the same girl with the long blue and green braids.
“Oh, hey there!” her voice is rather cheery and sweet. “Remember me?”
“Yeah…” Nova nodded. “You’re the girl I saw at my test. I’m sorry if I scared you back there, I didn’t mean anyone harm…”
“It’s alright,” said the girl. “I understand what you mean. It must have been scary when you lost control.”
“Mhmm…”
“Hey, just letting you know that there are other Espers that have suffered cases like yours.”
“I…thought mine was unique…”
“Ah…yeah, my bad.” the girl giggled. “I’m Uday, by the way. And you must be…?”
“Nov…Brewster…” Nova almost slipped up. He’s still Brewster after all.
“Nice to meet you Brewster,” she extended her hand. He shook it. “I know I probably shouldn’t say this, since you might be asked to come back to the facility for further research. But there is something that could relieve your symptoms.”
“There is?”
“Yes, a friend of mine took some medicine since he tended to go berserk ever since he became an Esper.” said Uday, though she looked off to the side. “I’ll admit, this isn't an over-the -counter kind of stuff. But…I do have the means to get you some. If only once.”
Nova shrinked back. That felt a bit shady. “I shouldn’t…”
“I know, we shouldn’t…but I couldn’t help it when I saw your face back there. I saw that face too on my friend. It was…the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever seen.”
The suspicion started to ebb away, his mind listening to that friend Uday kept mentioning.
“It really is the worst thing…to lose control of yourself…”
“. . .”
Nova relented against his own judgment. “I…alright. But just one. I’ll use it when…absolutely necessary.”
“Alright…follow me.”
Uday led the way as Nova followed, down the sidewalk. From there, she took a sharp turn to a dark alleyway. Despite the girl’s appearance, Nova was not stupid enough to fall for that kind of trap.
“You know…I’ve kind of changed my mind- AH!!!”
Nova suddenly felt a tidal wave of water suddenly sweep him off his feet, sending him barreling him into the alleyway. His whole vision was spinning from his body tumbling via the wave pushing him around.
“Djoser! Now!”
Wet and soaked, Nova felt the binds of some kind of net blanketing his body. He kicked and struggled and his mouth attempted to scream, only to find it covered. He tried to manifest his weapon, but all that came was orange sparks of flickering power. A cargo truck parks at the other end of the alleyway as Nova was soon blinded by darkness as his captors jump into the truck, the shift in gravity indicating that the truck was now driving away.
“Operation team, confirm target has been obtained.” a voice called to them from a slot , likely the driver.
“Extraction team, target confirmed,” said Uday. “The Anomaly is now in our hands.”
Nova couldn’t struggle any further in whatever strong arms this Djoser had. He found himself getting sleepy, his breath turning shallow as the world around him started to fade.
“You’ll be our key to the future…whatever you are…”
[*******]
The next day came, in which Nova tried on his new clothes. The rather loose hoodie, the dark undershirt, and pants all felt comfortable and snug on his body. It felt…very much like him, even if he’s still using Brewster’s body. He’ll wear such clothes from now on. On the other hand, there’s the withdrawal, forcing Nova to chug down water first, and half a pint of beer right after. It still pressed against his mind like hell, but at least it wasn’t hard…if only slightly. Lu Yi prepared breakfast, to which Nova started to stuff his face with sausage and egg like he’d been starved.
“Gods, Nova! What’s gotten into you?” Lu Yi was quite surprised.
“The withdrawal!” Nova said with his mouth full, nearly choking as he gulped down everything all at once. “It sucks, man!”
“Alright, alright, my bad.”
Lu Yi’s supple table manners compared to Nova’s mouth wolfing down his meal were like night and day, though Nova had left the table and paced around the living room nervously. Though out of no reason in particular than to calm his nerves, he manifested his revolver and started twirling it in an aggressive fashion.
“Nova?”
“Yeah?” the irritation in his voice became present.
“No weapons in the apartment, please.”
Nova’s gun twirling slowly stopped as his ears folded, looking quite embarrassed. “Oh…sorry…”
“It’s fine, it’s just an apartment policy for Espers.” though Lu Yi’s eyes narrowed a little. “And it’s a good thing I informed the apartment manager of you being here, cause that would’ve caused some problems later down the line.”
“No…I’m thankful, really,” said Nova. “I’ll try and find my own apartment soon. I just…I don’t know how high the prices are here in Graywater…”
“Well, there’s a few cheap hotels nearby,” Lu Yi noted. “The one we’re in is one of the higher ones. Being a bounty hunter does help pay the bills and then some. But…you don’t have to go right now, the manager did say you could stay as long as you pay your share of the bill.”
“Right…”
The little conversation had at least staved off the symptoms, though Nova also had a question in mind in regards to yesterday. “Lu Yi?”
“Yeah?”
“You…mentioned that you were part of the Union at one point. What was that like?”
Lu Yi took a deep breath, though from it came a nearly nostalgic sigh. “Well, if you think about it, the Union is like a superhero base.”
“Huh…I can see what you mean.” Nova thought about his own powers and abilities, seeing that he too could classify as a superhero if he wanted to. “What made you become a bounty hunter instead?”
“Well…it was more of a disagreement with how the Union operates,” Lu Yi started. “Though I like to call it as following my sense of justice.”
Nova realized that things were going to get complicated, so he made his question simple. “Can…you give me an example?”
“Let’s see…there was one time where I caught a criminal that had fled to another city, right? Did some pretty horrible things. When I caught him, some ops chiefs knowledgeable in the laws from where the criminal came from said that they’d had to be returned to their home city to be on trial. That was simple enough…until I looked into the guy himself.”
“...Who was he?”
“Just the heir of a corporation with enough power to bail him out regardless of charges,” Lu Yi grimaced. “I was mad when I learned that the guy was bailed, but that same company was also supplying the Union. I know that putting him in jail would’ve probably hurt their ties, but I just…hated how he got away scot-free.”
“Oh…”
“. . .”
“. . .”
“That’s why I became a bounty hunter and brought him to justice! In my first month too!”
“Oh! Shoot! How’d you do it?”
“In that month, the public constantly pressed for the heir’s just desserts and me arresting them caused enough sway in court to put him in prison without bail.”
“Oh man, no wonder that minotaur guy mentioned being a reputable hunter.”
“Yup! I won’t deny that the Union does good things, but it feels nice when justice is unimpeded.”
“I can agree with that.”
The two shared a laugh, though Lu Yi got up and stretched. “Well, we should get going. Don’t want to keep them waiting.”
“Right…”
And though Nova remembered agreeing to be tested on. He hoped it wouldn’t be anything too unsettling…
[*******]
Union escorts greeted them by the headquarters entrance, directing them to the inner workings of the base. Just like yesterday, various people and Esper walk by, though Nova sighed in relief as he knew that his efforts prior didn’t make him look like a bumbling drunk that happened to enter the facility. Regardless, it wouldn’t be long before the rather colorful yet sleek design of the headquarters soon turned sterile white. Nova and Lu Yi found themselves being led to a massive cylindrical room where Feng Nuxi had come before them, along with several scientists.
Nova felt like he was being watched, however. He could only suspect it must be from the scientists who are studying him.
“You’ve arrived.” Feng Nuxi’s gentleness emerged from what was supposed to be a clinical tone. “Are you ready for the tests?”
“Um, before we start,” asked Nova. “What part of me is being studied?”
“We have no real need to study your physicality,” Nova realized Feng Nuxi spoke to him as if he’s speaking to Brewster, though still at him. “We already have medical profiles regarding you. Rather, we are interested in learning how your…changes in regards to your abilities, and your Waves.”
“Oh, well…should I demonstrate now?”
“Not until the equipment has been set up and the simulation starts.”
The minutes passed by as the scientists around him pulled equipment from the outside ranging from blast shielding to other devices for measurement. Others approached him and strapped a device on his shoulder, equipped with a smaller vinyl record.
“Uh…what’s this?” Nova didn’t touch it out of worry that he might break it.”
“It’s a device to record your power fluctuations.” explained Feng Nuxi. “But all you need to focus on right now is facing your simulated opponent.”
As if on cue, a girl with blue hair tied into two long ponytails with lime green ends presses buttons and flips a switch on a panel. All of a sudden the room seemed to flicker and twitch before expanding into a massive hallway with a ceiling that was now unbelievably high. As much awe as it slapped him in the face, Nova shook his head to realize that he was in a simulation…or augmented reality. Either way, it seemed the same regardless.
Three mannequin-like figures digitize right before him, which Nova felt like he knew what he was about to get into. Thus, came a question.
“Is-Is this gonna hurt-”
And one of the mannequins slugs him across the face.
“OH! OH GOD! HELP!!!”
Nova ran around the room, more or less in circles as the mannequins chased after him. It was quite comical, actually. Lu Yi could see that others had to stifle their laughs. Still, technically being his Esper coach, Lu Yi shouted from the proverbial benches.
“Bring out your gun, Brewster!”
“Um! Right!”
Nova manifested his revolver and took aim. One shot, two shots, a whole revolver’s clip of projectiles were shot at the mannequin figures and yet most of them either missed or only hit in non-vital areas, allowing them to keep their pursuit going.
“Damn it!”
“I thought you were good at revolvers!”
“I said I fired them at a firing range! I never used them outside that!”
“Well…just aim at the torso! Most police officers are trained to do that!”
Despite the good advice, Nova’s running around was starting to exhaust him. Unlike him, the mannequins were simulated and thus did not experience fatigue. He grit his teeth as the desperation started to become anger.
“Damn it! I didn’t think it would be like this! If I just…if I could just-!”
“If I could just pull the trigger…”
“If I could just pull the trigger, then all of this would end! I gotta aim right, aim at the torso and-”
“Pull the trigger…!”
“Pull the trigger!”
“Pull the trigger!!”
“Pull the trigger!!!”
“PULL THE TRIGGER!!!”
“PULL THE TRIGGER!!!”
“RRRRRRHHHH!!!!”
The growl came from his throat, almost sounding like an actual wolf snarl. He stopped running, standing his ground, aimed the gun, and fired straight through the head of the first mannequin. The figure crumpled to the floor, completely headless before disappearing. The other two continued their assault. “Nova” fired at the torso of one figure, the force causing it to stumble back as the other took a swing. But “Nova” brought out his revolver, the jaw barrel bit into the arm of the mannequin before he pulled the trigger, blowing the arm right off before Nova letting loose and rabid volley until the torso became nothing more but bits of digital remains. The third final mannequin soon fell all the same as “Nova” took a final headshot, removing its head as it dropped to the floor and disappeared.
No one said a word as “Nova” stood there and panted with a mix of anger and exhaustion in his voice.
“...Brewster?”
Lu Yi poked his head out of the blast shield cover after the whole demonstration Nova had shown. And rather than seeing Nova’s face, he found the eye of the gun barrel staring down at him before his face slowly turned. Nova looked angry, almost driven by a sudden murderous lust. And in his eyes was not a someone, but a something. A wild and maddening something had taken control.
But Lu Yi did not stand down. “Brewster? It’s me...”
“Nova” was still panting, his eyes scanning for threats. But they didn’t find anything. Lu Yi slowly stepped beyond the blast shielding despite the silent protest of others.
“It’s me…Lu Yi…”
“Nova” blinked slowly in realization as the weapon dissolved. The looking of something then became someone as Nova looked around. The simulation had ended, everyone slowly looked at the measurements but stood well within the cover of the shielding. Everyone save for Feng Nuxi and Lu Yi, both with concerned faces. Feng Nuxi especially, the gentle face masked a sense of harrowing realization.
As for Nova, his face was like a terrified kid who just realized he did something very…very bad.
“...What…happened to me…?”
[*******]
Nova, Lu Yi, Feng Nuxi, and Gaius took residence in a recently evacuated office room where a projector was rolled in. The press of a button and the flick of a switch turned off the lights and turned on the projector, displaying data onto an empty wall.
“It appears that Nova…has now come into conflict with Brewster’s Esper Entity,” said Feng Nuxi. “Several instruments had caught an abnormal influx of Waves from Nova just before it happened.”
“Wait…I thought Esper Entities fuse with their host when they become an Esper,” Lu Yi noted. “Why is this different? Wouldn't that mean Brewster…well…took it with him to Nova’s home world?”
“Divine Waves are a constant with the Miracles’ existence, the same could be said for an Esper Entity,” Feng Nuxi emphasized. “In a sense, Brewster was simply an iteration that fused properly with it. The Union has actually recorded Waves that indicated Esper Entities are more like a concept that uses Waves as an extension of itself. It was also observed in Espers that have entities of lesser beings, with multiple iterations of the same if not similar Espers having been documented.”
“Right…I think now I see why it’s happening to him…”
“Yes…Nova is…outside of the norm. Rather being transformed into an Esper, he’s been put into one without any exposure to divine waves prior. There have been cases similar to his where the effects of Esper transformation had traumatizing effects on the mind and body. But for Nova? I can only assume it’s more in the case where he’s…fighting for Brewster’s body.”
Nova’s mostly catatonic behavior shifted slightly to ask a question. “What…What’s going to happen to me…?”
“Well…the closest case that we have had that could be similar to your situation is actually…one of the Esper Seven, Embla.”
Photos of Embla both prior and after her transformation flashed onto the projector. Nova reacted with a flinch. She looked terrifying.
“She was a gentle soul of sorts, though it’s said that her Esper transformation had inflicted her with an incomplete merge with her Esper Entity. While she was a hero, each use of her abilities meant that her own ego would be erased, and then replaced with one of an apathetic killing machine. Symptoms included gaps in memory, and a sort of switch in personality for brief periods of time.”
His blood ran cold, realizing that his future right now is not far different than hers, this Embla. He sighed a deep painful sigh, curling into himself. “I’m…gonna forget everything…and I’ll become a killer…”
“Despite the similarities, your case, while new, isn’t a complete repeat of Embla’s,” Gaius said with clinical honesty. “Embla’s transformation had caused these effects. However, it seems that you and the Esper Entity are trying to occupy the same space.”
“But why now..?”
“It could be the use of Brewster’s powers that likely caused the Esper Entity to…well, we can’t confirm if it was always with you or had come from the outside.” Feng Nuxi theorized. “What we do know is that using those powers means that you risk being overtaken by the Esper Entity, even overridden.”
Nova clung to a positive thought. “So…as long as I don’t use Brewster’s powers, or my version of it…I’ll be fine?”
“We can’t say for sure. Though, you might just have to moderate your usage of your powers from now on.” Feng Nuxi advised.
“I’ll look over at him, like I always do,” Lu Yi smiled, a little sign of weariness wrinkling his face. “Despite being different, looks like you’re still Brewster when it comes to causing problems.”
“Ugh…” Nova scoffed, but at least the notion made him smirk a little. A little less weight to carry.
[*******]
There wasn’t much reason to stay in the Union headquarters once the examination was over. Nova and Lu Yi left and were walking across the sidewalks of Gyrate to clear their minds.
"So…I can't bounty hunt…or else I'll lose control…" Nova murmured.
"Well, I mean…Brewster does that anyway during his bounty hunts." Lu Yi reminded. "Though the losing control part due to an Esper Entity is…new…"
Silence lasted for a few brief moments before Nova continued.
"I didn't ask to be like him," he looked at his paw. There was a new feeling now, like an itch. "But…I can see why now."
"How's that?"
"I mean…I felt like I blacked out, though it was more like I was watching everything happen. Like a person watching a movie in a theater. Pulling the trigger felt good every time."
"He was the kind of person that would blow up his own past. Hell, he technically did." Lu Yi added. "He's no one else but Brewster now."
"Blowing up my own past…" Nova murmured. "It must have felt good to be untethered."
"You aren't?"
Nova paused for a moment, before the statement passed his lips. "Remember when I said my father was a gun nut?"
"Yeah?"
"...He's more than that. Conspiracy theory kind of guy.”
“Gods, really…? Those kinds of guys were a pain when the Miracles came around.”
“Yeah well…mine happened in 2012, we thought it was going to be the end of the world…”
“The Aztec Calendar?”
“Heh. Yeah…”
“We had that kind of paranoia too…though, it’s when Espers officially came to be.”
“Back then?”
“Yeah, it caused…quite a ruckus. Some hailed the Esper Seven as the return of the old gods or something. But they kept insisting they were just people. It was hard to believe that. I mean, Gaius could control lightning with his will alone. How was that not godlike?”
“I can see why…” Nova huffed, though he shook his head. “Look, can we talk about something else? That time wasn’t the best years for me.”
“Sure,” Lu Yi gave a bit of a thought before speaking again. “So…maybe you can’t use your powers yet without the chance of losing control, but I guess you can train yourself to not lose control. That…or…you could try and make peace with your Esper Entity.”
“You’ve done that before?”
“I mean…no. Like they said, Esper Entities and their chosen humans tend to fuse upon transforming. What you need to do is…probably find a way to fuse yourself with your Esper Entity.”
“Well, how would I know what my Esper Entity is?”
“Espers who transform also get the information on what their Entity is. Though I guess for you, it would take a while for it to introduce itself to you. Though, by all means, you just started talking to yours.”
“Right…” Nova was grateful for the fact that Lu Yi was confident in the situation. Though he figured that they’re both in the dark. But it made him feel good in knowing there could be a way out of the mess he got himself into by simply being in their world. Though for now. “I’m…gonna need a bit of alone time to process everything. Where should we meet up?”
“Back at where we parked. I’ll see you in an hour.”
“Got it.”
The two headed their separate ways as Nova basked in his current situation. With a bit of Lu Yi’s encouragement…things don’t seem all that bad at least. Sure, it was scary…but it was something that could be controlled. As long as he used his powers in moderation, he wouldn’t lose control like earlier. Though, as he walked, he saw someone familiar pass by him. And though he didn’t do anything to instigate a conversation, he suddenly found himself in the same girl with the long blue and green braids.
“Oh, hey there!” her voice is rather cheery and sweet. “Remember me?”
“Yeah…” Nova nodded. “You’re the girl I saw at my test. I’m sorry if I scared you back there, I didn’t mean anyone harm…”
“It’s alright,” said the girl. “I understand what you mean. It must have been scary when you lost control.”
“Mhmm…”
“Hey, just letting you know that there are other Espers that have suffered cases like yours.”
“I…thought mine was unique…”
“Ah…yeah, my bad.” the girl giggled. “I’m Uday, by the way. And you must be…?”
“Nov…Brewster…” Nova almost slipped up. He’s still Brewster after all.
“Nice to meet you Brewster,” she extended her hand. He shook it. “I know I probably shouldn’t say this, since you might be asked to come back to the facility for further research. But there is something that could relieve your symptoms.”
“There is?”
“Yes, a friend of mine took some medicine since he tended to go berserk ever since he became an Esper.” said Uday, though she looked off to the side. “I’ll admit, this isn't an over-the -counter kind of stuff. But…I do have the means to get you some. If only once.”
Nova shrinked back. That felt a bit shady. “I shouldn’t…”
“I know, we shouldn’t…but I couldn’t help it when I saw your face back there. I saw that face too on my friend. It was…the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever seen.”
The suspicion started to ebb away, his mind listening to that friend Uday kept mentioning.
“It really is the worst thing…to lose control of yourself…”
“. . .”
Nova relented against his own judgment. “I…alright. But just one. I’ll use it when…absolutely necessary.”
“Alright…follow me.”
Uday led the way as Nova followed, down the sidewalk. From there, she took a sharp turn to a dark alleyway. Despite the girl’s appearance, Nova was not stupid enough to fall for that kind of trap.
“You know…I’ve kind of changed my mind- AH!!!”
Nova suddenly felt a tidal wave of water suddenly sweep him off his feet, sending him barreling him into the alleyway. His whole vision was spinning from his body tumbling via the wave pushing him around.
“Djoser! Now!”
Wet and soaked, Nova felt the binds of some kind of net blanketing his body. He kicked and struggled and his mouth attempted to scream, only to find it covered. He tried to manifest his weapon, but all that came was orange sparks of flickering power. A cargo truck parks at the other end of the alleyway as Nova was soon blinded by darkness as his captors jump into the truck, the shift in gravity indicating that the truck was now driving away.
“Operation team, confirm target has been obtained.” a voice called to them from a slot , likely the driver.
“Extraction team, target confirmed,” said Uday. “The Anomaly is now in our hands.”
Nova couldn’t struggle any further in whatever strong arms this Djoser had. He found himself getting sleepy, his breath turning shallow as the world around him started to fade.
“You’ll be our key to the future…whatever you are…”
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