DISCLAIMER: The main characters in this story do not belong to me. The boys belong to MGM and Trilogy Entertainment. I am not profiting off this story.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: It's not betaed, but it's not long either.
This universe is open for anyone as long as you don't muck up the intro. The next story is of course the first assignment, but everyone who wants to write in this AU, feel free. I think I got the details on the worlds and the boys' backgrounds down. Questions, ask. Suggestions, always welcome.
COMMENTS: This is a bit of an amalgam in ideas I got from different stories I read. That and I wanted my own universe to play in.
Orrin Travis put the latest report he was reading aside and sighed wearily. Another warning from the law in Silcado that one of their criminals had crossed the border and would probably show up in Forasine soon and would he please alert the mages there before they had a diplomatic incident on their hands? As if he didn't have enough diplomatic problems already, he still had to deal with common criminals.
Orrin wistfully thought back to the times when he was just a normal judge with nothing more difficult to do than sentencing some criminal or other, and not a renowned diplomat cum judge cum politician. But that was before the Tearing. There were days when he cursed the black mages of Forasine who had started the chaotic events that bound four very different worlds to each other with no hope of ever prying them loose again.
It all began some 36 years ago and there was nothing he or anybody in Silcado could have done to stop it. Forasine was a world of magic, and for centuries it had been ruled with gentle hand by the council of white mages. Now and then a black mage showed up to wreck havoc on the population before being defeated by a white mage. But from what Orrin understood from contacts he had in Forasine, this last time had apparently been different. Three black mages had joined together and it had taken years before the council had them cornered. The black mages however did not die quietly. They decided that if they could not rule the world then nobody else would either. The mages tore the very fabric of space and time in a move nobody could later understand, let alone reproduce.
Rips and tears had appeared all over the land, leading to other worlds. Some of those rips were stable, some unstable. The stable rips were later turned into permanent gates. After the situation levelled out it became clear that four worlds had been permanently connected.
The medieval and magical world Forasine. The technologically advanced, futuristic world Silcado with its great cities. The nature world Evanthal, that was inhabited by the mysterious elves. And the rough frontier world Telor with its telepathic and empathic inhabitants. Needless to say, the transition between the worlds did not go easily.
After ten years of much confusion, insults and fights, diplomats had been appointed. And somehow Orrin Travis had found himself to be one of them. That was not to say he didn't like his job. He loved it. It was rarely boring, and he had always had an adventurous spirit, as did his wife Evelyn. So they packed up and moved with their ten-year-old son Stephen to Four Corners, a small town that had spontaneously appeared in the spot where four stable gates led to all four worlds.
Orrin had held the same job for 25 years now, and much of the early chaos had changed into everyday life events. People now often went to visit another world on vacation, and of course salesmen looking for an opportunity were never far away. Often the judge had to mediate in local conflicts, but the incidents were becoming less severe as all parties involved learnt to tolerate each other's idiosyncrasies.
The one thing the diplomat could not get a handle on was inter- worldly criminal activity. Crimes and felonies were dealt with differently on each world, and other than asking the local lawmen to deliver the criminals to Four Corners so that they could be tried and convicted in their own world there was nothing more Orrin could do.
What was sorely needed was a law enforcement team that could cross the borders as easily as the criminals did. Orrin had been toying with the idea for some years now, but he had never found the right men to do the job. But after a recent visit to Telor he thought he had finally met the perfect man to lead the team.
Now for the others.
Chris had never been good at sitting still and waiting. Oh, he appeared the perfect picture of calm on the outside, but he was slowly getting more and more irritated on the inside. It certainly didn't help that this time he didn't even know why he was here in this small office waiting for that door to open. He had been asked to come to Four Corners by Judge Travis, a man he had only met last month. Travis had a reputation as a fair judge and a very good diplomat, and Chris had decided he liked the man. That didn't explain why he was here, however.
He was sorely tempted to read the mind of the man, who was the reason behind his journey. But the telepath always tried to squash that impulse when he was outside of Telor. It just wasn't done to read the mind of a non-telepath. Besides, Chris didn't like it one bit when someone tried to do the same to him. Not that they succeeded all that often. The dark-clad man had extremely strong shields, most of which were built after his wife Sarah and his son Adam were murdered in their own beds.
After all these years Chris still couldn't understand how that had happened, because Sarah had been a strong telepath in her own right. Nobody should have been able to sneak up on her. He could still feel the exact moment where her mind had been ripped away from his. She had died while he was enjoying himself in a saloon two towns over. If it hadn't been for Buck Wilmington's empathic abilities Chris would have died along with her there and then. The dark-clad man still couldn't decide if that wouldn't have been better than the black pit that was life without her.
Chris shook the agonising memories out of his head and returned to his vigilance. Finally the door opened and Judge Travis waved him in.
"So, what's this about?" Chris asked after he had taken a seat.
Travis handed him several files, but the telepath didn't take his eyes off the man before him yet. Chris was almost as good at reading faces as he was at reading minds, and he used every advantage he could get.
"Since the Tearing criminals of all four worlds started adapting to the new situation almost immediately. Unfortunately I have found law enforcement to be sorely lacking in that area. That's why I'm forming a team that will be capable of pursuing criminals across the borders without having to go through local law first."
"And what do I have to do with this?" Chris asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"I want you to lead this team." The Judge nodded at the folders on Chris' lap. "Those are some candidates for the other positions. You can pick your own men, as long as the members are evenly divided over the four worlds."
Chris had to admit the idea of an inter-worldly law-team had some merit. But...
"Why me?"
"From what I've heard about you, you're a very strong telepath. Now, most telepaths strong enough to maintain privacy shields in Telor are either lawmen or criminals. You apparently are neither. Also, you have visited Forasine and Silcado, so you have some working knowledge of those worlds. Not to mention that you are one of the few Telorians that have been in Silcado City and not been overwhelmed by the thoughts of the millions of people living there."
Chris nodded briskly. He could see where that would be a major point for any Telorian working on this team. Most Telorians, whether they be telepaths or empaths, were not strong enough to have even the lightest shields.
It was the main reason why the towns in Telor were so small compared to those he had seen on the other worlds. And even with less than five hundred people in a town, there was almost a hive-mind mentality, since everyone knew everything from everyone, except for those rare individuals who were strong enough to maintain privacy shields. Chris had always been glad he was that strong, because he was not a man who liked to share his thoughts with others.
"I accept. But I want to choose my own men, even if they're not in those files." He warned the Judge.
Travis didn't seem surprised, however, and Chris' estimation of the man went up a notch.
"Good. You have three months to get your men together and I'll have a base renovated to your liking here in Four Corners."
Chris nodded in acceptance. Nothing more needed to be said at this time, he would have to read the files of these candidates first before he did anything else. Travis walked Chris out, and wished him good luck.
Once in his hotel room Chris opened the first file, read the name at the top of the page, let out a deep sigh and decided he really was going to need that good luck, if the first person was anything to go by.
Buck Wilmington looked at the town he was meeting Chris in. Four Corners was a weird mixture of styles. It was the only multi-world town, and eventhough it was small it was growing rapidly into a major trade centre and prime vacation spot.
Travellers were often reluctant to enter a whole different world without transition. Silcado's machinations were often too ordered and too complicated for visitors. The Telorian hive-minds made non-telepaths nervous. Evanthal was a perfect nature park, but the elves living there were often cruelly mischievous and too alien to understand. And in Forasine most luxuries common to the other worlds were simply not available if you weren't a magic user.
For those who were curious about the other worlds but not willing to be completely immersed, Four Corners was a perfect medium. All the comforts of home, but still enough alien influences to make things interesting. Buck smiled at the sight of a drab Telorian saloon next to a Silcaden teahouse with multi-coloured lights. An Elven park surrounded by Forasine cottages on the other hand looked almost natural.
But as nice-looking as the place was, Buck was more of a people person. He especially liked the female half of the population. And his admiring eye quickly saw that there were some lovely ladies in this town. He saw a few Silcaden beauties with the most creamy skin a man would ever lay his eyes on, one very voluptuous Forasine and a pretty blond Telorian spitfire. Buck even glimpsed an elven girl, with big green cat eyes and such limber movements they made you think. Whooee!
After he had met up with Chris, he sure was going to talk to some of these fine townsfolk. Buck frowned, wondering why the dark-clad man had asked to meet him anyway? It had been almost seven months since they last saw each other. After Sarah and Adam's deaths Buck had spent a year almost plastered to the telepath's side to make sure he came through it somewhat alright. The empath had learnt more about how to use his own powers in that time than in all the thirty-three years before it, trying to stop Chris' headlong plunge into a pit of rage and despair so deep it was tangible to every person in a ten mile radius.
But after the immediate danger had passed the two friends started drifting apart. Chris was a bit too eager to get into gun-battles and telepathic duels for Buck's sake of mind, but at least he was able to function on his own again. And the empath still felt too guilty about keeping his friend away from home on that particular night to stay with him. They arranged to meet in some town from time to time though, and if it hadn't been for the fact that they had never met outside of Telor before, Buck would have guessed this was one of those times.
As soon as he saw Chris any lingering thoughts Buck had in that direction went out the window. The gunslinger reacted unusually business-like when Buck greeted him, making no more than one comment about their reunion. Sure, the man had become more serious these last few years, but not so much that he wasn't happy to see his old friend after months of absence.
"Got a job. You interested?" Chris asked instead of inviting him into the saloon for a beer, and Buck grinned. Well, well. Apparently he was going to see a lot more of Chris Larabee for however long it took to complete this job. He gestured towards the door of his hotel room.
"After you."
Buck listened carefully as Chris explained Travis' offer. He liked the idea. Of course, he would have joined the team even if he hadn't like it. When Chris Larabee asked him to do something, he hardly ever refused. Buck had learnt early on in their friendship that bad things happened when he did. Anyhow, he was glad this time the request was more pleasant than other times. He had always liked being a lawman, and he was happy to take up the job again.
In their younger days Buck and Chris had done a stint as marshals travelling from town to town dealing with outlaws, but that had all changed after Chris got married. The telepath didn't want to be away from home too often, so the two men had taken up horse ranching. Buck didn't particularly mind what work he did, as long as he had some money to spend and there were beautiful women in the vicinity. Still, he had to admit that being a lawman was more exciting than being a rancher.
With that in mind, Buck accepted a place on Chris' team.
Chris smiled with satisfaction. "Well. That's two. Travis gave me some files on other candidates." He threw Buck three files. "Here. Tell me what you think."
"How many do you want on this team anyway?" Buck asked seriously.
"Six, maybe seven. Depends on where they come from and how much they know about their world."
Buck nodded thoughtfully. His eyes skimmed over the first file, while Chris told him the highlights on each person.
"The first is Nathan Jackson. He's a Forasine healer, with a medical degree from Silcado University. He never became a full doctor, but instead took up law enforcement."
Buck looked up. "In Silcado?"
"Yes. If we ever want to get far in Silcado, we need some people who know their way around the system."
Buck was aware of that particular problem. They could get by with their natural abilities, but Silcado had by far the most complicated justice system of the four worlds. It was no wonder most diplomats and judges came from there. Including Orrin Travis.
"Having a healer on the team would be useful too." He remarked.
Chris nodded in agreement. "That's what I thought. But that only covers the law-side. We need a computer-specialist to get anywhere in Silcado City. That's where the next one comes in."
Buck moved to the next file, reading aloud. "JD Dunne from Silcado City. Nineteen years old. Hacker extraordinaire. Implanted four years ago with experimental satellite VR uplink with off-world activation, yadda yadda." Buck grimaced. "Hell, he's just a kid. And what's this uplink stuff?"
"Age doesn't mean a thing here. This kid is the best in his field. He can find you information on criminals from the Silcado Criminal Investigation Files, even when he's stuck in the May Festival of Forasine."
The empath's eyebrows rose. Pretty impressive. Still, that didn't mean the kid had any kind of experience outside of his controlled computer world. Buck would just have to teach him some things about the real world, when he met him.
"And the next one?"
"Josiah Sanchez. A Forasine full mage, but he's not on the white council." Chris grimaced. "Don't ask me why, it's not in the file. It only says he's not a black mage. Still, people in Forasine look up to a full mage, white or not."
Buck supposed that was true. Besides, ever since the disaster of the Tearing, the white council was extremely phobic about letting any dangerous mage live long enough to become a threat, so they could presume this Sanchez person was on the right side even if he wasn't on the council.
"That's five. We still need someone from Evanthal."
The telepath came up with another three files and glared at them. "I don't like the choices Travis gave me. I know only merchant elves are actually willing to leave Evanthal for long times, but I don't need a merchant in a law-team."
Buck snatched the files from Chris and read the choices. Merchant, nope. Another merchant, nope. Guide, hey!
"What about this one? He's not a merchant, he's a guide. That means he can track and stuff, right? That's useful in finding outlaws."
Chris shook his head. "No, you're mistaking a guide with a tracker. A tracker is a hunter elf. A guide is more for showing people around the place, a tourist attraction really. And look two lines below that. He's a water elemental. He'll get homesick in a month. There's just no way we can stay close to water all the time. Silcado City alone lacks the necessary rivers and lakes."
Buck nodded sombrely. Then he slammed the files shut and looked up at Chris.
"Well, I'm sure we can find someone that fits the profile. You've got plenty of time. In the meantime, what do you say about a nice cold beer.
Nathan cleaned his hands on a towel and sighed wearily. He couldn't do anything more for the man lying on the couch. Death was something you simply couldn't heal. The miner had a growth sickness in the lungs when he was brought to Nathan. The healer hadn't been able to do much more than relieve the pain, and open up the man's airpassage to make breathing easier. Even healing magic had its limits, and it was not as if Nathan was all that accustomed to working with his magic ability anyway. He relied more on his medical knowledge. But in this case surgery was no help at all and there was no radiation equipment in Four Corners, so he had grabbed back to his basics.
Nathan Jackson had been taken from his hometown Nerika in Forasine when he was only six years old, and before he had been properly trained in the healing arts. He knew he had the gift, but it wasn't refined. Eleven years he had been a slave to the Silcaden drug lord Fussini, forced to seed, tend and harvest the plants. The irony of the situation was that on such a technologically advanced world, any working harvesting machine could be detected easily. There were ways to make sure you weren't detected but for a small time crook like Fussini taking slaves from a backwater world was so much cheaper. And for that reason the plants were harvested manually.
When Nathan became seventeen, policemen busted Fussini's gang. The authorities were appalled by what they found, and in a diplomatic gesture of goodwill all foreign slaves were given a scholarship if they so desired. Nathan grabbed the chance with both hands. He learnt to be a medical doctor, and tried out ways to combine his two seemingly incompatible skills.
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. He graduated from college, but he was not allowed to practice surgical medicine without subjecting himself to certain technological enhancements that made diagnosing patients easier. Of those, only hand-receptors were obligatory, but even those Nathan was loathe to try. He had the sneaking suspicion that it would hinder his healing magic. Besides, he could diagnose patients better with magic than with any machine, grafted to his neural net or not.
He started a small clinic, but though he loved healing the people that came to see him with their small time ailments, he didn't feel it was enough. He hadn't studied so long to become a glorified nurse. But then he learnt there was another option. Field surgeons for the army or the police didn't require enhancements, because it could hamper their fight capabilities.
Nathan didn't feel much for the army, since he was an idealist at heart. But fighting against crime seemed a good cause to him. Crime had paid such a large part in his life and he hated to think of other children falling into the hands of guys like Fussini. So he went to the Police Academy and became a cop.
Five years later he was asked by a guy named Chris Larabee to join a new kind of law enforcement team. And that's how he found himself in Four Corners.
Nathan's first conversation with Chris Larabee went well, and a week later he was pretty much settled in Four Corners. The building where the team would be housed wasn't finished yet, so he had rented a room nearby.
The problem with the dead miner was something he hadn't anticipated and how could he, when it started in such an innocent way?
It began when on the third day he spent in Four Corners he had a visitor by the name of Mary Travis. Mrs Travis was apparently the widowed daughter-in-law of the man who had started the idea of the law-team Nathan was now a part of. She was also a very persistent journalist who single-handedly wrote the Four Corners newspaper. And somehow she had found out about the new law-team and who its members were.
That shouldn't have been a problem, and as far as Nathan Jackson was concerned the lady could write what she wanted, as long as she didn't write any lies.
Mary's response to that was that she couldn't write the truth, if he didn't tell her what facts she had wrong, now could she, Mr Jackson? That much was true, and Nathan humoured her by giving her a bit of his background. After all, he didn't see it happening that Chris Larabee even wanted to talk to her, and Buck Wilmington would probably try to coax the poor woman into his bed. He had learnt that much about the other men already.
Two days later there was a nice piece of writing in the paper about the bold initiative of Judge Orrin Travis. That same day a Telorian miner read the paper, and focussed in on the words 'Doctor Nathan Jackson'.
Which is how Nathan ended up with a dead man in his room, and four very drunk miners standing outside, blocking his only way out. He took a deep breath and opened the door. It was never easy to relay the death of one of his patients, but it certainly didn't help when said patient's friends were rowdy drunks.
"So Doc, is Griff alright?" One of the men asked.
"I'm very sorry, I did everything I could, but your friend died. He must have had breathing problems for months. If he had come sooner I could have sent him to Silcado City for treatment, but it's too late now."
There was a moment of silence, before the men became mad at the loss of their friend. Unfortunately they picked the healer for a scapegoat.
"I heard Silcado has such good doctors, you Techie piece of shit! You probably just didn't want to help Griff!"
Agreement sounded from the other miners, and Nathan was getting a bit alarmed about this situation. Against his better judgement he still tried to stay calm and diffuse the situation in a peaceful manner.
"There was nothing more I could do. It was simply too late. The sickness had progressed t..."
"Shut up!" Another miner shouted. The healer suddenly felt his mind being caught in a vice like grip, and he couldn't utter another word.
"Yeah, Hank, blast him."
Hank squinted at him thoughtfully before grinning. "Nah, s'too easy. Let's show the Techie what it's like to have trouble breathin'. Get some rope!"
Nathan couldn't do anything but follow along like a puppet on a string.
He had the bad feeling he was walking to his own funeral.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those who wonder what a Wild Hunt Tracker is, bounty hunter is just not an elven thing in my mind. My version of the Wild Hunt will be explained in the story after this team-introduction. Anderson, Evanthal and glimpses into Vin and Ezra's pasts, coming up in part two.
Ideas are always welcome, and I'd love to see more stories written.
Vin Tanner sighed as he swished the broom back and forth over the floor. He wasn't entirely sure why he had to do this anyway. He could clearly see the dust-particles whirl up in complicated and all too fascinating patterns before they settled down again in almost the exact same spot he had removed them from. The floor certainly wasn't getting any cleaner. And why were humans so obsessed with getting every bit of earth removed from their houses anyway? Vin just didn't see the problem. But, he was hired to sweep, so sweep he did.
Even so, when he heard the commotion outside, he was entirely too eager to meet an end to the meaninglessness that was his task for today. The elf moved towards the door and looked at the cause of the shouting he heard.
Five men were working their way down the street. Four of them were rowdy and violent, and the fifth was moving with a jerky step that indicated that there was no free will involved there. Vin had seen enough Telorian mind-tricks in his time as a Wild Hunt Tracker to recognise the effects. He had even had a mindhold performed on him once, and that was a state the elf didn't wish anyone to be in. It had been pure luck that he came out of that trap alive.
Across the street another man looked none too happy with the situation. The stranger in the dark clothes met his eyes and somehow Vin knew he was being invited to join the coming fight.
If it weren't for the fact that elven minds were notoriously difficult for telepaths to get a grip on without an extremely strong effort on their part, he'd have said the man had sent him the thought. But in this case, it was nothing as fancy as that. They just understood eachother.
The two men followed the miners and their unfortunate victim to the Evanthal park in the middle of town. They pulled a block of wood under a low-hanging branch of the biggest tree in the place and started preparing the rope.
Did they just have to pick that spot? The nature-loving elf had noticed over the two weeks he'd visited the park, that the kids of Four Corners really liked to play under the big tree. He hated ruining their favourite playground with the blood of dumb oafs like these.
Vin had left his longbow in his room, but he didn't need his best weapon for this fight. The handbow would do. He unbound the shorter weapon from where it was strapped to his right leg, and moved to a point from where he could keep an eye on the rope and cover his new friend at the same time.
"Are ya having any breathin' problems yet, Doc?" One of the miners asked.
"Cut him loose." The dark-clad man cut into their fun menacingly.
"Reckon you'd all be happier if you just walked away." Vin remarked, while he knocked an arrow on his bow and held two in reserve in the same hand. If he used one on the rope, he figured the blond could take care of the other two men.
"Not a chance, boys." The men laughed.
"You've drunk an awful lot of booze. Think you can win a mind-duel?"
Huh. Guess he wasn't wrong on the telepath thing after all.
The air suddenly crackled with the force of clashing wills. Vin took in the two guys concentrating on the Telorian and ignored them for the moment. One of the men kicked away the block of wood their victim was standing on. The elf shot an arrow at the taut rope, cutting it clean through, when he felt the weird sifting sensation that told him someone was trying to grab his mind.
He'd been told by the only Telorian that ever got the drop on him that his mind felt like grains of sand sifting through a telepath's mental net. It didn't mean someone strong enough couldn't make the holes so small they could stop the sand from escaping, but it was slow and difficult work. Whatever the reason, it gave Vin enough time to shoot the guy in the heart and aim for the fourth man, who had run behind the cover of the tree after kicking at the damn woodblock.
Meanwhile the dark-clad telepath had pulled his gun and shot one of his opponents, before the miner could shoot him. Vin knew the problem with a mind-battle was that you couldn't let yourself be completely consumed by it, because the fight was often meant as a distraction to take someone out physically. He had to admire a guy that could take on two opponents at the same time and still have enough left over to register a gun aimed at him.
Vin moved around the two telepaths left standing and searched for an opening at the man behind the tree. It came when the third guy screamed and fell down as his brain was fried. Startled, the last miner swung his gun at Vin's Telorian friend and moved away from the cover of the tree. Vin's aim was as true as ever, and the man dropped to the ground immediately.
The blond telepath nodded at him, telling him without words in that strange understanding of before that all their opponents were dead and they had won. "Name's Chris." He added out loud.
"Vin Tanner."
"You interested in a job?"
Vin raised his eyebrows in surprise. He'd never planned on doing more than saving an innocent man from death. He'd lived with that same threat over his head for so many years now that he didn't wish it on anyone. But hell, he didn't plan on dying with a broom in his hands anyway.
"Depends. What kind?"
"I'll let you know." Chris grinned at him.
Vin grinned back. He really liked this guy.
"If y'all are done, maybe you could help me up. My legs don't feel like they're gonna hold me." The third guy left alive after the fight asked with his arms crossed over his chest in annoyance. Which looked awfully amusing considering he was still lying on the ground staring up at them like they were crazy.
Chris gripped the other man under one arm and pulled him up. "It'll pass. It's just an after effect of the mindhold." He tilted his head at Vin. "Vin, meet Nathan. He's also on the team."
Vin Tanner smiled. "So, cowboy, tell me about this team a'yours."
He had to wonder why Chris suddenly glared at him.
AUTHOR's NOTE: Ugh, I have to say, this was the most difficult part to write until now. I've noticed JD's character is pretty much the most different in ATF and OW. (Between a computer-techie JD and a JD that doesn't understand Ezra the middle-ground is not all that easy, not to mention all the endless variations on him in several AUs.) And since I've never even seen a Mag7 episode I just don't have that good a handle on him. But, I think it worked out.
JD Dunne got off his horse and checked out his surroundings eagerly. He immediately noticed there weren't too many of the everyday things in sight that he was so accustomed to from home. It almost looked as if he had stepped into the past. He was plenty glad he had learnt how to ride in his summer vacations back in Silcado, 'cause he sure didn't see many aeromobiles or flycicles around. Although if he looked a bit closer he could see some technological comforts hidden in a camouflage jacket.
Not that JD was all that interested in those things right now. He had seen vidphones, computers and hidden security systems all his life. His interests lay more in the signs of the other three worlds he could see in this small town. But as much as he wanted to explore and gawk like a tourist he was determined not to do that.
He wanted to make a good impression. The hacker had heard enough comments about his age throughout his life that he was thoroughly sick of it. As if his skills were any less valid, because he was only nineteen years old. Hey, he had only started learning his way around a computer by the time he was five! That's fourteen years of experience, Mister. If he'd gone for a degree in Computer Literature like conservative people did, he'd be at least thirty-one by now.
But as many times as people had doubted his expertise, JD was optimistic about this latest job. Normally the young man hired himself out through the internet, and only took a job if he liked it and it was more or less legal.
The last four years, ever since he got his experimental implant really, he had somehow found himself practically employed by the Silcado City Police Department. There were many good hackers, but only some great ones, and of those he guessed not too many were actually concerned with upholding the law. Hackers and the law just didn't mix, JD had often found. Anyway, apparently someone in the justice system had noticed him and trusted him enough to use his skills in police matters.
The hacker didn't know for sure, but he thought that was also how he got this latest job. It meant moving to a pretty remote and backwater location by Silcaden standards, but JD couldn't care less. This was the perfect opportunity to visit all those faraway places he had read about in the paperbacks back home.
It also didn't hurt his pride that he was to be part of some new elite team. JD knew he was one of the best at what he did, he just hadn't thought anyone else recognised that fact. Sometimes people can surprise you, his mother had often said.
The young man grew sad as he thought of her. His mother had died two years ago from an inoperable brain-tumor. Even with all the medical knowledge the doctors possessed not everything could be fixed and the brain was a delicate thing. JD had learnt that much when he tried to decide if he really wanted to get his implant. In the end it had been his mother that tipped the balance of risks and advantages. She'd asked him if he would be happier with his new abilities or without. For a computer freak like JD the answer was simple after that.
It turned out to be quite an adjustment. He'd learnt the mind was pretty limitless, but even with all his experience he still thought a lot differently than a computer. It took a certain knack to train his brain to work in patterns a computer would understand, but he was finally able to turn the 'computer mode' in his thinking on and off at will. And everything worked so much smoother and faster now. Still, this job was his first chance to try out if this thing really did work off-world.
"JD Dunne?"
Oops, good going, JD. Now you're still caught standing around gawking like a tourist.
The young man turned around and tried to look serious, and not bouncing with excitement. It certainly helped that the man standing behind him didn't seem all that friendly. He was dressed all in black and had eyes that peered right through JD to determine his worth.
"Yes, sir?"
"Room's the second on the right. Expect to see you in the saloon in half an hour." And with that the man turned around and walked down the street.
JD blinked, not sure what just happened here.
"Well, kid, welcome to the team."
The hacker turned around, annoyed with himself that this was the second person in the last five minutes to sneak up on him. This man wore a wide amused smile as he leaned against the wall of the hotel. He pushed off and started walking slowly in the same direction the other guy went. As he passed JD, a hand shot out and whapped the hat off the hacker's head.
"And lose the hat, it looks stupid."
"Hey, Bat Masterson wore a hat like that, you know!" JD said indignantly.
The man stopped walking and looked back at him blankly.
"Who the hell is Bat Masterson?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Multi-dimensional science is a bit strange. If there are four worlds, and Four Corners has four gates, then in what world would Four Corners lay? Well, I'm thinking four gates kind of distort the space-time continuüm and Four Corners actually lies in all four worlds, or in neither. Where 'neither' would be a fifth world. After all, I never said there weren't more worlds connected in the first few years, only that in the end four worlds were permanently connected. ;-)
Josiah stepped through the mists of reality separating the worlds in the direction of Four Corners. After all these years he still found it a wonder every time he went to another world, but especially when he walked through this misty no man's land.
The white mages had spent the first five years after the Tearing stabilising some of the rifts that had appeared, and finally the most stable of those had been turned into gates. With travel through a gate being instantaneous and not at all dangerous, most people used them to move around and normally Josiah did too.
The problem this time was that the gates were anchored in place. And the mage had been a bit far away from the one between Forasine and Four Corners at the time Orrin Travis asked him to come to the inter-world town to join a new law-team he was creating.
The mage knew the diplomat from when he was still on the white council, and it was partly his respect for the man that made him respond to the summons. The other part was pure curiosity.
Anyway, Josiah didn't think keeping the man waiting would be very polite, so he had chosen to shorten his journey by taking the more difficult route. Someone who wasn't a mage could have wandered around in the mists almost indefinitely, until they happened on an unstable rift that had opened up between the unreality of the mists and one of the four worlds. Thankfully it was rare that a person stumbled through an unstable rift and ended up in the mists in the first place. Most of the unstable rifts actually led directly from one world to another, even if they closed immediately afterwards.
A mage on the other hand had a bit of an advantage if he actually went through the mists in stead of through the gates. Since the Tearing the council had studied anything and everything about the dimensions very thoroughly. Opening up a temporary rift to the mists was one of the things they discovered how to do. Josiah just had to open up the rift at the place he was at, walk a bit in the mists and then call up another one to the place he wanted to go to. It was fast, and one could even travel that way in the same world to cover large distances.
This time he opened a way directly into Four Corners and stepped through. He ended up behind a stable. Josiah thanked God that he hadn't ended up inside the stable. Horses didn't tend to enjoy strangely coloured lights and people appearing out of nowhere.
The mage took a deep breath and prepared to find this Chris Larabee that Judge Travis had written him about. Josiah walked around the stable to the main street and let his eyes wander over the shops and hotels, trying to decide where to start.
That was why he saw the crow staring at him from just above the door to the saloon.
Josiah froze. This was not good.
Whenever something strange or important had happened in his life it had been preceded by the appearance of a crow. Josiah had never met a mage other than himself, who noticed anything weird about this bird above all other creatures in the animal kingdom, but that hadn't managed to convince him he was imagining things.
Seeing a crow here and now wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Josiah hadn't expected it on this little trip, but at least he was forewarned now that he was at an important crossroad in his life.
Either that or he was going to die.
Josiah shrugged. There was nothing he could do if it was the latter. In the meantime he could take a look inside the saloon and see why the damn bird had taken up roost in that particular spot.
It was pretty crowded inside the place. Customers were seated at tables, drinking, talking and gambling to their hearts' content. Still, to Josiah two groups stood out from the rest.
In the back there was a group of five very diverse men. The two that were dressed like Telorians didn't seem to be the types to miss much, even if one of them was occasionally ribbing the youngest of the group. And if Josiah wasn't mistaken he saw a glimpse of metal near that one's temples, indicating he came from Silcado. Of the other two one was clearly an elf, and the other had the warm glow of a magic user, probably a healer. The mage didn't have to see much more to know these were members of Travis' law-team.
He smiled wryly to himself. Or he could just admit that he recognised Chris Larabee from his picture.
The other group that caught his attention was a rowdy bunch at the bar. Three men were making some kind of bet with an elf in a red jacket. Betting against an elf was not a thing Josiah would ever recommend, but apparently these men didn't agree with him.
"Stand aside, sir. You are obstructing my view. This should be a piece of cake." The elf stated. The man in question moved a bit out of the way.
The elf aimed his gun at the playing card pinned to the wall.
"Hey, wait a minute! I know this one." The bartender suddenly fell in. "Let me see that gun. Those could be blanks. I ain't betting my money fer nothin'."
The young man's smile did not fade in the least.
"Certainly, sir." He replied as he handed over his gun. The bartender checked the bullets and grunted, clearly annoyed that he was wrong, before giving the gun back to its owner.
"They check out."
"Now then, can I proceed, gentlemen, or does anyone else have any objections?"
The other men stayed silent, as the elf shot six times at the card. A single hole could be seen as the smoke cleared.
"My, my...how astonishing. I've never done that before. Pay up, gentlemen." There was some grumbling but nobody could rightfully say that he had pulled a con. At least not after the bartender checked the bullets.
Josiah chuckled to himself. He wasn't entirely sure what the elf had done, but there was some form of magic involved in the disappearance of those last five bullets. Though he didn't quite understand how an elf could even use Forasine magic.
That thought made the mage study the elf closely. On second glance his skin was too pink, eyebrows too round-shaped, and the jaw-line not quite sharp enough. The young man was a half-blood. Josiah raised his eyebrows in surprise. Judging by his age his mother would have been one of the very first people to start an inter-world relationship. That made the mage think.
Having a shrewd half-elf, half-mage on an inter-world law-team could be useful.
Besides, seven was a mystical number, and with the appearance of that crow outside Josiah was a bit sensitive to such things. If there was one thing the crows pointed at it was happenings of a mystical nature. He smiled at the elf, who was busy putting away the money he had won.
"Well, son. You did that right skilfully. Now you don't want me to tell those fine gentlemen that only the first bullet actually hit the target, do you?"
The young man looked at him in clear bewilderment, as Josiah put an arm around the elf's shoulders and subtly led him towards the five men in the back, who were studying them curiously.
"Thought not." Josiah remarked cheerfully when no answer was forthcoming.
As he was guided into the back of the saloon, Ezra cursed himself for not checking to see if there were any mages before he pulled off his little illusion. But then, how could he have anticipated a full mage in Four Corners? White mages just didn't leave Forasine. And no other person could have known that he cheated.
Of course, all people of Forasine had some degree of magical ability, at least enough to activate and use magical appliances. But only some had a specific talent that could be cultivated. Healers were the best known of that category. Usually people ended up in a profession where they could use that talent, like a carpenter who could form wood or a salesman with the ability to charm people into buying his goods.
But there were lesser-known abilities such as those of Ezra and his mother. Maude had the ability to make small items appear and disappear, which made her an extremely talented conwoman. Ezra himself was less powerful. He couldn't actually make something disappear, but he could create the illusion that it was gone. As he had done with the other five bullet-holes in the wall.
Normally such talents were hereditary, but Ezra's had been changed somehow because of his elven heritage. He had known from the first time he had climbed high onto a rooftop as a child just to feel the wind that he was an air elemental. His ability to create perfect illusions had a lot to do with that.
Every elf could deceive a human into thinking they were part of their element. Which meant a water elf would be completely invisible near a stream and an earth elf could become part of the background in almost any natural environment. Fire elves almost never hid, because they were as temperamental and flashy as the flames themselves, but they could disappear against a fire or a sunset. And an air elf could appear and disappear between one breath and the next. That was an illusion in itself, so it was hardly strange that Ezra's mage-half was built on that.
All in all it meant that nobody ever knew Ezra had pulled a con until he was miles out of the reach of any vengeful mark.
That is, until now.
The gambler wasn't quite sure what to do about his current situation, having never been caught before. He didn't consider the odds of trying to escape a full mage very favourable. For the moment he decided to wait and see what the man wanted from him. Surely there would come a time when he could propose a deal that was advantageous to all parties involved.
"Gentlemen." The mage smiled as they arrived at a table with five men, most of which appeared entirely too dangerous for Ezra's peace of mind. "Name's Josiah Sanchez. I suppose you were waiting for me?"
A dark-clad man with the cold green eyes swept his eyes up and down the two new arrivals.
"Depends. Who's he?"
Ezra fell in before the mage could say anything, slightly affronted by the implication that he wasn't wanted here. "Ezra Standish, sir. A pleasure to meet you." He said with an honesty nobody could claim was false, though it was of course.
The blond elf seated at the table smiled slyly at him and tilted his head in a welcoming gesture. Ezra returned the elven greeting, since there was no need to be rude to the other men just because one was an uncouth lout.
"Ezra here's got some talents that could come in handy." Mr Sanchez went on without ever consulting Ezra on what this business was that he was offering the half-elf's talents for.
"Really?" The lout asked, sounding slightly more interested now. He studied Ezra again, even more closely. And this time the man's eyes rested uncomfortably long on the gambler's features.
Ezra tensed a bit. He knew his heritage was clearly visible for those who looked closely enough, and it had always bothered the conman that opponents could determine that much about his past so easily. He didn't like losing advantages. Sometimes he created an illusion to tip his appearance one way or the other, but he hadn't thought this little saloon job was worth the trouble, and it was too late now.
That was two mistakes in fifteen minutes. Mother would be appalled. Maybe he needed a change of scenery if he was getting so sloppy. Ezra idly wondered if this job Mr Sanchez wanted him for would do the trick.
"Guess he could be useful." The man finally said after his inspection.
"And what, pray tell, would I be useful for?" Ezra asked.
"Well now, that's another story." A dark-haired man with a moustache remarked with a grin. And then they told him what the job was exactly. If Ezra weren't so good at keeping up his poker face he would have looked pole-axed, he was sure.
"Me, a lawman?" He laughed scathingly. "You must be joking."
"Nope." The leader, who had finally introduced himself as Chris Larabee, stated. "So, you in?"
Ezra could feel the eyes of the other men on him as he debated the issue. He couldn't even conceive of the idea of himself becoming a man who upheld the law. That alone challenged the mischievous streak of adventure that Mother had always exasperatedly blamed on his elven blood.
And then there were the six men sitting before him. This was the most diverse group of individuals he had had the pleasure of encountering. And yet, judging by the playful banter that had gone on while the men had related their job offer, they all seemed to be good friends.
Ezra could admit to himself that he envied such closeness. He had never had a friend in his entire life. As a child Maude had often thrust him on her friends and relatives for a few months before picking him up again. And even when he was able to stay somewhere for a longer period of time, he had found being a half-elf was not conducive to making friends. Not with humans or elves.
Maybe it was time he gambled for higher stakes. After all, he could still fold when it appeared as though the odds were stacked too much against him.
"Count me in, Mr Larabee." He nodded.
Then he grinned at his new compatriots and pulled out a deck of cards.
"So, can I interest anyone in a game of chance?"
Orrin Travis put the latest report he was reading aside and sighed wearily. The new law-team he had asked Chris Larabee to put together had turned out somewhat differently than he had expected.
He had anticipated that Chris would want his old friend Buck Wilmington in the group. From what Orrin had heard the man was a very good empath, to the point of being sensitive to places where something brutal had taken place as well as to people. The fact that the man was an incorrigible womaniser could be a problem, but it could also be an asset in information gathering.
Orrin had personally asked his old friend Josiah Sanchez to join, even before Chris had told him he wanted the man on his team. It was a given that the telepath would take an actual mage on. Especially since it was the council of mages that ruled Forasine. Any law-team working in that world would need to have insider information on the council members. Josiah could provide that.
That JD Dunne had joined the team was also not much of a surprise. He was a bit young for a job like this, but he had come with high recommendations by several police chiefs, and Judge Banks. The kid seemed to be a true computer wizard.
Nathan Jackson was one of the choices Orrin had given Chris, and now he was glad he had. The man was a good and solid cop, and the Judge had the sneaking suspicion this team was going to need someone steady to counteract the maverick characters of some of the others. With this bunch it also wouldn't hurt that the man was both a medic and a healer. The other two Orrin didn't quite know what to think about. He guessed that was a hazard with elves anyway, but it certainly didn't help that Larabee had pulled them right from the street. Information about specific elves was hard to get, but it seemed that Vin Tanner was a well-known Tracker for the Wild Hunt, which meant he was at least experienced in tracking down criminals.
Ezra Standish was even more of an enigma. He was known in Evanthal, but nobody talked much about him. Josiah had told Orrin in private that the half-elf was capable of some rare form of magic. But the judge didn't place his trust in magic, he placed his trust in men, and he wasn't quite sure about Standish. Well, he guessed he would see how it turned out.
And he had just the job to try the team out on. If they succeeded, the elves in Evanthal might even be a bit more forthcoming with information in the future.
Orrin sighed again. He could always hope.
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