Chapter 28: Family Audit
The air in the vault didn't just feel cold; it felt heavy, like the atmosphere was being replaced by liquid lead. Veronica Cross didn't move from the doorway. She didn't draw a sword or a staff. Instead, she tapped a device on her wrist, and a holographic file projected into the space between her and Xavier.
"You've been busy, Xavier," she said, her voice echoing off the reinforced walls. "Entering dungeons without clearance, bypassing Bureau registration, and now… attempting to extract the Central Mana Regulator. Mother thought you were just playing shop. I knew better."
"I'm not extracting it for fun, V," Xavier said, his hand hovering near the hilt of the Exhaust Saber. "There's a group—Void Logistics. They threatened to drop a breach on our home if I didn't deliver this to them. I'm trying to secure it before they do."
"By stealing it?" Veronica stepped into the room, the navy blue of her Bureau uniform shimmering with defensive runes. "Xavier, if you take that Core, you aren't just a 'Special Case' anymore. You're a domestic terrorist. Sign the business over to the Bureau. Let us handle the Void. You can stay on as an official asset."
Xavier looked at Serena. She didn't say a word, but her silence was a warning. If he signed that paper, the System would be shackled. He wouldn't be a driver anymore; he'd be a remote-controlled drone.
"I don't work for the government, Veronica," Xavier said quietly. "I'm an independent contractor."
Before Veronica could respond, a high-pitched, digital scream tore through the vault.
BZZT—WHIRRRRR.
The lights flickered and died, replaced instantly by the strobing crimson of the emergency backup. The hum of the vacuum seal holding the S-Rank Core cut out.
"The power grid is down," Silas yelled, his vines lashing out in panic. "Xavier, the Core! It's vibrating!"
Without the stabilizer, the Core began to "bleed." Golden light erupted from its center, turning into jagged spikes of raw mana that shattered the glass containment unit. The floor began to crack.
"Void interference," Veronica cursed, reaching for her radio. "They didn't wait for you! They're collapsing the wing from the outside!"
"Silas, grab the box! Serena, get ready to seal it!" Xavier shouted. He turned to his sister. "You can't contain that bleed alone, V. Your magic is being suppressed by the Void pulse. Mine isn't."
Veronica looked at the chaos, then at her brother. She bit her lip and nodded. "Fine. But we are talking about your legal status later!"
"Route Sync: Dual Link!" Xavier commanded.
A second blue tether snapped onto Veronica. Her eyes widened as 10% of Xavier's raw kinetic speed flooded her system. She felt her heartbeat accelerate to the rhythm of a racing engine.
"What is this...?" she whispered, feeling the sheer power of the System.
"Don't think, just move!"
Silas surged forward, his vines moving with the speed of whip-cracks, weaving a dense, organic cradle to catch the vibrating Core. As it settled, Serena slammed the Lead-Lined Mana Box shut.
CLANG.
The weight hit the floor like a falling star. The box, reinforced to contain the mana, now weighed over 500 kilograms.
"I can't lift this and fight!" Silas groaned, his vines straining under the weight.
"I've got it," Xavier grunted. "Reallocate: 90% Strength. 5% Speed. 5% Dexterity."
Xavier's muscles bulked under his skin, the internal engine shifting into a low-gear, high-torque mode. He gripped the handles of the crate. With a guttural roar, he heaved the half-ton box onto his shoulder.
"Go! Move!"
They sprinted for the exit, but the hallways were no longer empty. Shadows were peeling off the walls—Void Shades, flickering entities sent by the "Shadow" to finish the job.
"I'll clear the path!" Veronica shouted. With her enhanced speed, she became a blur of blue and gold, her palms emitting bursts of concentrated mana that vaporized the Shades before they could solidify.
Xavier followed behind her, the floor cracking under his feet with every heavy step. Silas acted as the rearguard, his vines lashing out to trip any Shades that tried to flank them.
They burst through the final security gate and onto the loading dock where the Magical Delivery van sat idling. Xavier threw the 500kg crate into the back with a thud that nearly bottomed out the suspension.
"Get in!" Xavier yelled to Silas and Serena.
He turned to Veronica, who stood at the edge of the dock, her Bureau radio in hand. She looked at the van, then at the burning Research Wing behind her.
"Veronica..."
"Go," she said, her voice tight. She didn't raise the radio. "If anyone asks, the Void stole it and you tried to stop them. But Xavier... Mother isn't the one you should be worried about anymore. The Bureau knows exactly what you're capable of now."
Xavier nodded, jumped into the driver's seat, and floored it.
As the van tore away from the facility, the Lead-Lined Box in the back began to hum. It wasn't a mechanical vibration. It was a voice—clear, melodic, and resonant—speaking directly into the minds of everyone in the van.
"Thank you for the ride, Driver," the Core whispered. "The Bureau was so... loud. Where are we going?"
Xavier gripped the steering wheel, his eyes wide. "The package... is talking."