Episode 2 (David Xanatos)

MDI Hospital, Bar Harbor, Maine, August 19th, 1990

In the local hospital of the small fishing town where Petros Xanatos made his living as a fisherman, Maria Xanatos screamed in agony. Her raven black hair stuck to her profusely sweating forehead and her knuckles had turned white from the sheer strength with which she gripped the sides of her hospital bed. 

“Keep pushing, Missus Xanatos! He’s almost out!” Maria’s doctor said as she gently guided the baby out of his mother. 

They had just passed her 17th hour of labor and Maria was more than ready to have her son out of her belly and in her arms. She was tired of the pain, tired of screaming, tired of being tired and above all, tired of being alone. Her husband was still in the middle of an extended fishing trip she had begged him not to go on. She had been so close to her due date but he had insisted he would be back before his first son came into the world.

Needless to say, he had been wrong and she couldn’t help but resent him a little for it. 

“ Big push!” the doctor yelled. 

Maria screamed as she powered through one final tortuous push, unable to hear the encouraging words of the nurse who held the hand that should have been in her husband’s. The push lasted half of forever but when it was finally over, the pressure inside her body quickly subsided. The pain hadn’t entirely faded and every ounce of pain had been replaced by a pound of exhaustion. She wanted to sleep so badly and started to close her eyes.

The shrill cry of her baby’s first breath snapped her eyes awake and Maria managed to push herself upright with Herculean effort. The doctor approached her with the naked baby Xanatos in her arms. Maria desperately held her arms out and immediately placed him on her chest. 

“Hello there.” Maria cooed softly to her son. 

“Nice, healthy set of lungs on him.” the doctor said playfully as she watched the new mother cradle her child, “Do you have a name for the little fella yet?” 

Maria and Petros had argued at length as to what to name their boy. They had settled on Jonathon but in the infuriating absence of her husband, Maria couldn’t help but reconsider. She thought about how many times she had nearly lost the child in her arms while he had still been inside her. He had overcome every obstacle life had thrown at him before he had even entered the world and she wanted that to remain true for the rest of his life. 

The thought of someone so small overcoming gigantic obstacles and foes struck a chord in her and the perfect name came to her like a bolt out of the blue. 

“David.” she told the doctor reverently as her eyes remained glued to her perfect boy, “David Jonathon Xanatos.” 

Xanatos Household, Bar Harbor, Maine, December 25th, 1993

“You really should stop coddling the boy.” Petros Xanatos grumbled softly as his three year old son squeezed the large Donald Duck plush toy he had just unwrapped. 

Maria Xanatos forced the soft smile to remain on her face.

“Petros, you promised me that we would have a peaceful Christmas this year. No criticisms and no drama.” she admonished her husband gently. 

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” he responded with hands held up in surrender. 

Little David Xanatos played with his new stuffed friend in front of the hand-me-down artificial tree, happy as a clam and not a care in the world as his mother smiled warmly at him and his father seemed almost disinterested in the entire affair until his eyes caught sight of a package largely hidden behind his son. 

“David, you have one more present behind you. Why don’t you see who it’s for?” Petros asked the little boy, who just grinned mischievously at him.

“That one’s for you , Daddy!” David giggled out. 

His parents watched in stunned silence as the young boy put down his new toy, grabbed the poorly wrapped box out from under the tree and carefully hobbled over to his father with the present awkwardly carried in his tiny arms. Petros accepted the box from his son, who laughed and toddled back over to his plush toy. Petros looked at Maria, who just shrugged since she’d had no idea about their son’s gift either, and then carefully tore the wrapping off the box. 

Inside the box was a completed 1000 piece puzzle depicting a painted cover for Ernest Hemmingway’s The Old Man & The Sea , Petros’s favorite book. There was a slight shine to it and Petros discovered that it had been permanently glued together as he carefully lifted the puzzle picture out of its box. He and his wife looked at one another once again, then turned their attention to their carefree son. 

“David, did you make this picture?” Maria asked softly. 

“Miss Troi gave it to me for 50 cents. I glued it ‘cause I thought daddy would like it. He likes boats.” David explained matter-of-factly. 

Maria and Petros Xanatos slowly looked at one another again, neither exactly sure how to react to their son at the moment. 

Weisman Elementary School, Bar Harbor, Maine, October 13th, 1997

“Missus Xanatos, are you aware of your son’s reading level?” David’s second grade teacher asked as she placed a file with his name on the desk between the two of them. 

“I know that his favorite books are scientific picture books about simple robots… I’m sorry but is David in trouble?” Maria asked, concerned. 

“He’s certainly a troublemaker but he’s smart enough to stop from going too far.” the teacher told her, “It’s actually his intelligence I was hoping to talk to you about.” 

“Okay…” Maria responded, unsure of where this was supposed to be going. 

“Missus Xanatos, David’s reading and writing at a level far above his age. We asked the class to do book reports last week and they all presented today.” the teacher told her as she pulled out a two page paper that had been filled out on both sides in David’s handwriting, “Most of the kids chose simple books but David wrote four pages on ‘A Study in Scarlet’ at a level that any other teacher would assume came from a middle schooler.” 

Maria Xanatos picked up the pages and quickly skimmed through their contents. David had gone into great length about the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, the detail put into Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s scene setting, and how the books kept their value as time capsules for a bygone era. It was all in fairly simple wording but the thoughts behind the words were clearly more complex than even Maria had thought David capable of yet. 

“We also use certain computer games to help students learn math, science and problem-solving skills and David’s playing those at a much higher level than the rest of the class, as well. Frankly, I’ve started to have him do a lot of assignments away from the other students so they don’t feel like they’re somehow behind where they should be.” the teacher continued as Maria reeled from the shock of the scope of her son’s intelligence, “Frankly, he just shouldn’t be in the second grade but we’re not allowed to skip grades with students in our school district.” 

“What…what are you saying?” Maria wondered.

“I’m saying that you and your husband should have a serious talk about enrolling David in a private school, where he’ll be able to find the level of challenge his mind really needs without sacrificing the social skills a school environment helps to develop.” the teacher suggested. 

Maria grimaced as soon as the words ‘private school’ left the teacher’s mouth. Finances had never been great for the Xanatos family but they’d recently had to tighten their belts even further as Petros had recently started his own fishing business and they hadn’t seen much in the way of returns on that investment.

She wanted to cry, worried that she and Petros would never really be able to do what was best for their son. She only hoped she could figure out some way to get David what he needed regardless. 

Times Square, New York City, New York, April 3rd, 1999

David Xanatos had a hard time remembering to keep a hold of his parents' hands as they walked through Times Square. He had never seen so many big buildings or so many bright lights before in his life and he was completely floored. He had won the trip as the first place prize in a science fair that he’d submitted a self-piloted RC helicopter to. He’d been very impressed with himself at the time but in the face of the modern city of New York, he felt inadequate. 

“How do people live here?!” Petros Xanatos grumbled.

“I imagine these people would say the same thing if they came to Bar Harbor.” Maria Xanatos playfully answered her husband. 

“I’m with the people here. Bar Harbor’s boring.” David chimed in as he rubbernecked at everything in sight. 

“Bar Harbor is humble , David. Your boredom will subside once you are doing real work out on the sea with me.” Petros admonished his son. 

“Petros,” Maria scolded her husband, “you promised …” 

“Yes, yes. I know. I promised . I promise you a lot of things and seem to get very few promises in return, my dear.” Petros interrupted with a cranky growl. 

David tried to shrink away from his parents’ quiet argument but each of them held a grip on his hands that started to get tighter the more agitated they made each other. He whimpered as the bones in his hands ached at the rough treatment and fought to pull his hands away. His efforts managed to get his parents’ attention after a few hard tugs. 

“David, no! You’ll get lost!” Maria gently scolded him. 

“You’re hurting me and you’re both too busy fighting to care!” David whined as he continued to try and pull himself free. 

Maria looked as shocked as if he’d suddenly slapped her and while Petros’s expression hadn’t changed, his grip on David’s hand loosened considerably. 

“David, I’m so sorry…” Maria started, only to be interrupted by her husband. 

“Don’t coddle the boy. He needs to learn to confront problems directly , not avoid them!” 

“STOP FIGHTING!” David screamed at his parents, “We’re supposed to be on vacation !” 

Both his parents froze at his sudden display of anger but while his mother seemed genuinely saddened, his father just grew angry. David defiantly stared down his father’s rage with an angry determination all his own. Neither of the Xanatos men even noticed or cared about the looks they had drawn from the crowd of people around them. 

“What do you think you’re doing, screaming in public like that?” Petros hissed at his son. 

“Confronting my problem directly.” David darkly replied. 

Petros’s eyes went wide at his son’s words. David braced himself, ready for more of his father’s anger but was sent into just as much shock as his mother when the man started to boisterously laugh . David and Maria shared a confused glance and flinched as he slapped a hand down on David’s shoulder. 

“And your mother says you don’t listen to me because I don’t speak softly!” Petros said with a surprising amount of mirth in his voice. 

“You’re not angry?” David wondered. 

 “You need to learn to confront problems better , but no. I’m not angry.”

Maria breathed a sigh of relief while David just looked in confusion at his father.

MDI Hospital, Bar Harbor, Maine, February 11th, 2000

David Xanatos openly wept alone in a waiting room in Mount Desert Island Hospital. Five hours prior, a police officer had arrived at his house while he had been playing a board game with his father. The officer told his father that his mother had been in a terrible car accident and had given both of them a ride to the hospital. 

Two hours ago, David had spoken to his mother for the last time. Her voice came out in pained rasps as she told her son how much she loved him and how sorry she was that she couldn’t spare him his own pain. Her monitors had all gone haywire right after that and he’d been shooed out of the room alongside his father. 

Thirty minutes ago, the doctor had found father and son curled against one another in a desperate attempt to find comfort and told them the terrible news. Maria Xanatos had fought tooth and nail to stay in this world but ultimately, the damage to her body had been far too extensive. Petros shut down and wandered off alone as the doctor continued to speak, though the words turned to meaningless noise in young David’s ears.

His broken heart had gone uninterrupted to that point, when a gentle tapping on his shoulder got his attention. David looked up into the tired, bloodshot eyes of his father. The man’s expression had grown terribly grim and David saw that he had a piece of crumpled paper clutched tightly in his hand. 

“Come on, David. It’s time to go home.” Petros said, his voice devoid of any warmth or sorrow. 

“What…what about Mom?” David asked hesitantly. 

At that, Petros flinched. The paper crumpled even further in his hand but he said nothing. He simply took hold of his son’s hand and led him away from the worst place David Xanatos had ever been. 

Somewhere in the ocean, Bar Harbor, Maine, June 20th, 2004

David hissed in pain as he dropped the fishing net he’d helped his dad haul onto their fishing boat. It was only the second summer since Petros had insisted his son help out with the family business and David had yet to develop the tough calluses that allowed his father to hand the nets with such practiced ease. 

“Don’t drop the net so roughly or some of the fish might pop loose.” Petros scolded his son. 

David fought the scowl that threatened to overtake his face as he blew on his hands to ease the sting of rope burn. He hated everything about his father’s business. He hated the smell of fish, the uneven, constant rocking of the boat at sea and most of all, how his father became harsh and unkind. No matter what he did, David couldn't seem to do any right in his father’s eyes once they went out to sea, no matter how hard he tried. 

When they finally got home, Petros would return to being a kind yet stern father but that wouldn’t be until well after nightfall when David was far too tired and grouchy to be willing to talk to his father anymore. He never would have even gotten on the boat that first time if his father hadn’t needed the help to pay off the ridiculous medical bills from the night they had lost his mother. 

“David, hurry up and help me barrel these fish before they go bad!” Petros shouted with no small amount of irritation in his voice.

David grumbled wordlessly and moved to the large pile of fish to help his father put them away. He grit his teeth, already dreading how his hands were going to reek for the rest of the summer before they’d even reached July. 

Xanatos Household, Bar Harbor, Maine, August 19th, 2007

Before his 17th birthday, David Xanatos never would have believed it if somebody had told him that his heart could stop from sheer joy. The outdated laptop he used for school had chimed 10 minutes ago to signal that he had an email. He’d needed the entirety of those 10 minutes to convince himself that the email he’d received hadn’t been a prank.

 He’d only taught himself how to code apps for smartphones as a way to pass the time while he sat bored in school. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that anybody would want to buy the silly program he’d made to perfectly place monster skins over your face and have it track every single movement. It was just a toy to him and yet somebody named Dominique Destine had offered him $150,000 for complete ownership over the code and app. 

He’d never heard of Nightstone Unlimited before but everything he found about them proved that it was a real company, albeit a brand new one that was entirely online for the time being. He had no idea why they’d want something so silly but for how much money he was being offered, he also couldn’t really bring himself to care. 

It took him barely over a minute to compose a reply graciously accepting the generous offer. He didn’t expect to hear a reply until the following morning, since it was nearly 10 at night. To his surprise, Miss Destine answered him not even five minutes later with a request for either his address to mail a check to or an account to directly transfer the payment into. Considering his meager checking account had a hard limit of $25,000, he gave her a mailing address and thanked her for her business as professionally as he knew how. 

Xanatos Household, Bar Harbor, Maine, May 25th, 2008

“How could you do this?!” Petros Xanatos yelled at his son.

“You mean go to college?” David responded dryly as he continued to pack, “Most parents are usually thrilled when their child is able to go off to higher education.” 

“But about the bills… the family business?” Petros tried to argue. 

“The last of the medical bills were paid off on Friday and you don’t need me to be free labor for you anymore, Pop. All you’ll have to take care of is yourself. You can handle that, can’t you?” David told him with a small smirk. 

“What do you mean your mother’s bills were paid off? I haven’t earned enough for that yet.” Petros asked, confused. 

“I know. I did.” David explained flatly as he stopped packing and looked firmly at his father, “Remember all those coding books you yelled at me for reading on the boat while you were driving us between fishing spots? The ones you said would never teach me anything useful and I’d be better off reading an almanac?”

Petros refused to say anything as he stared down his son but David wasn’t about to budge an inch. His parents had always fought over the way that they wanted his life to go before his mother’s untimely demise, but never once had either of them truly cared what he had wanted from his own life. Now that he had the power to make his own choices, he wouldn’t let anyone or anything take it from him. 

“Well, I’ll just leave it as somebody very generously paid me for the exclusive rights to some code that I’d written. I paid off the last of mom’s bills and I still have well over 100 grand to move out and get myself started with college.” he said to Petros as he turned away and resumed packing. 

“So that’s it, then?” Petros growled, “You got your big payday so you’re going to turn your back on your home and family? Just like that?” 

“I’m not letting you drag me down with petty melodrama, Dad. If you want to take me living my own life instead of letting myself be dragged down the path you wanted me to follow as turning my back on my family, so be it.” David spat out as he packed, not sparing his father so much as a glance as he roughly slammed his suitcase shut.

“David…” Petros softly called out.

“Forget it. You want to make me out as the bad son who abandons you because money’s all that matters? I can play that part and you can tell everyone how let down you are by me.” David hissed as he forced down the bitter tears that threatened to leave his eyes. 

Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, December 31st 2011

“Hey, Xanatos!” one of David’s already drunk dorm mates called out as he hobbled over, “You enjoying the party, man?” 

“Despite my best efforts to remain sullen and moody, yes.” David joked as he took another sip of champagne. 

The drunk man fell over laughing and David smoothly walked away before the man could come enough to his senses to even remember David had even been there. He walked over towards the big TV that showed the big celebration in New York City’s Times Square. He couldn’t help but remember the fond memories of vacationing there with his parents.

Nostalgic melancholy washed over him and he excused himself from the party right as the countdown started. He pulled out his smart phone once he was outside and dialed his old home number. Part of him hoped that it would simply go to voicemail but another part of him was actually relieved when the familiar gruff voice of Petros Xanantos growled out. 

“We’re closed.” 

“Happy New Year to you too, Pop.” David playfully replied with a small chuckle. 

“...David?” his father asked uncertainly. 

“Yeah, it’s me. Just thought I’d give you a ring, try to catch up a little.” David said. 

“I see…” Petros replied hesitantly, “So how is college so far? Will you be done next year or are you going to try and get a doctorate?” 

“No doctorate but I will be done after this next semester. Managed to fast track my classes and I’ll be receiving my bachelors in business administration, robotics engineering, and computer sciences.” David explained proudly. 

“In three years ?” Petros gasped. 

“Well, a little over three if we’re being precise. Like I said, there’s still one last semester for me to power through.” David told his father with another small chuckle. 

“How did you afford all this? 100,000 dollars is a lot of money but shouldn’t have been nearly enough for all that.” Petros wondered. 

“It was an excellent start but yes, that money burned through pretty quickly with the class load I took. Luckily I made a few acquaintances here in Dartmouth that helped me invest a few thousand in stocks. Between that money, grants and a couple carefully haggled student loans, I was able to squeeze by.” the younger Xanatos explained. 

“So you profited from the knowledge of others instead of your own.” Petros said harshly.

“Are you actually admonishing me for asking for help right now?” David shot back angrily. 

“You wouldn’t have needed to ask for help if you had embraced the humble life of a fisherman.” his father yelled into his ear. 

David fumed quietly, his grip on the phone so tight that he worried that he would actually break it. The bitter cold of the outdoors, which he had managed to ignore so far, bit into his skin and fingers. The heat of his rage died out against the chill of nature and all David Xanatos was left with was the unpleasant realization that he would never be good enough in his father’s eyes. 

“Don’t forget to visit Mom for a change.” David growled into the phone.

He hung up and immediately powered his phone off, unable to risk dealing with his father any further. A sudden gust bit him further with bitter cold and David Xanatos quietly stormed off to his dorm in hopes of being able to sleep off his broken heart. 

Cyberbiotics Building, New York City, New York, July 1st, 2012

David Xanatos felt justifiably smug. There had been no shortage of job offers after he’d graduated, several companies almost literally fighting over him, but he’d settled on a position at Cyberbiotics for the simple reason that they were headquartered in New York City. He’d wanted to return to its wonderful madness for as long as he could remember. The only thing that had delayed him had been a small trip back to Bar Harbor to visit his mother’s grave which had unfortunately led to another argument with his father. 

He entered the lobby of Cyberbiotics in a cheap suit that he’d picked up and changed into on the way, ready to negotiate and eventually sign whatever contract awaited him. He stopped by the front desk and flashed his most charming smile to the young lady who worked there. 

“Good morning, David Xanatos. I’m signing on today and was wondering if you’d be so kind as to tell me where to go?” he asked softly as he debated whether he wanted to try to woo the receptionist.

“David Xanatos, you said?” she asked rhetorically before she typed away at the computer in front of her. 

He waited patiently as the young woman awkwardly struck her keys for several long moments. Her eyes suddenly flew wide and he watched her head comically whip back and forth between him and her computer. It took her a few moments to recover from whatever it was she had seen and rummage around for a visitor’s pass that she promptly handed him. 

“Mister Reynard left a message to have you meet him personally in his office. Just take the elevator with the blue line on the door in the back on the right most side.” she instructed him in a slight daze. 

“Thank you very much.” he told her as he took the badge from her and headed on his way. 

David decided he rather liked the idea of a private elevator as he pushed the button to summon the ride that would take him directly to the start of the next chapter of the rest of his life. He took advantage of the 15 seconds it took for the elevator doors to open to straighten out the neckline of his suit in hopes that it would look better than it felt. 

The express elevator nearly left his stomach behind on the ground floor as it sped towards the office of Halcyon Reynard. David managed to force himself to feel better by the time the doors opened again. The office was precisely what he had imagined a man like Halcyon would work in; a large, open space that had been carefully planned out to be equal parts administrative office, robotics laboratory, and rest area. 

What he hadn’t expected was the beautiful, angry redhead in a tight fitting t-shirt and jeans glaring down his future boss in the middle of the room like she expected him to burst into flames. He knew that the woman was Halcyon Reynard’s daughter but he couldn’t for the life of him remember her name, which was a shame when she suddenly turned those angry, lovely blue eyes towards him.

“What are you looking at?” she snarled ferociously.

He took a moment to compose himself and flashed her his most charming smile.

“A beautiful woman who could easily knock my teeth in if she so chose in the middle of an argument with her father. Sorry to interrupt, by the way. I’m David Xanatos.” David answered coolly as he extended his hand.

She walked up, grabbed the offered hand and flashed him a dangerous smile. The second he tried to shake her hand, she smoothly turned around and used the momentum to toss him over shoulder halfway across the room. He landed with a painful thud and slid across the smooth floor for a few feet.

“ Janine !” Halcyon scolded his daughter. 

“Yes, daddy?” she responded sarcastically. 

The father-daughter glaring competition began anew and David didn’t want to wait all day to get his interview over with. He decided to interrupt them on purpose this time, since the worst that could happen was having to find another job. 

“Nice throw,” David exclaimed loudly as he stood up and brushed himself, “think you could teach me sometime?” 

He flashed another suave smile as he tried to straighten his suit out again. Janine stared incredulously at him for a moment then flashed him another dangerous smile and left without another word. It took more willpower than David wanted to admit to turn his attention to Halcyon Reynard instead of staring after his daughter. 

Cyberbiotics Building, New York City, New York, July 10th, 2012

David Xanatos sighed in annoyance as he weaved his way through the gray maze of cubicles that constituted Cyberbiotics’ accounting department with a box of pointless files in his arms. He hadn’t expected anything extreme when he’d somehow gotten the job despite the fiasco with Janine Reynard that had preceded his hiring interview, but he had expected a job more fulfilling than being an intern. 

Over half the people he worked with in the robotics department could barely program a toaster compared to him and yet all he had been allowed to do so far was double check math that was wrong half the time and play fetch for whatever inane thing his so-called superiors wanted. For the moment, that included a bunch of files for a project that had been abandoned over a year ago in the vain hope that it would include some code that could be recycled. 

“Because heaven forbid you come up with your own code. Not like you nearly bankrupted yourself with college to learn how to do exactly that.” he grumbled aloud. 

“According to the records, you hardly qualify for that particular category.” a droll, monotone voice said from his left. 

David stopped dead in his tracks and turned to where the voice had originated from. He thought for a second that it was Halcyon Reynard’s new personal assistant, Preston Vogel, but all the details were wrong. Instead of black hair, he had blonde; instead of brown eyes, he had blue. There were a few other minor differences but otherwise it was as though someone had colored in a Preston Vogel coloring book with the wrong colors. 

“Well that’s fair,” David replied as a playful smirk formed on his face, “but those same records don’t reveal that Cyberbiotics dabbles in cloning.” 

The stoic face made no expression save to raise an eyebrow at him and David felt the oddest urge to laugh. He readjusted the box so he could hold it in one arm and held his hand out to the seemingly emotionless man.

“David Xanatos, robotics division.” the young man from Bar Harbor introduced himself. 

“Owen Burnett, accounting for the moment. I was only released from the secret cloning department last week.” the stoic blonde replied in a dead serious monotone as he tightly gripped David’s hand. 

A small tickling tingle passed into David’s hand and he couldn’t help but laugh softly at the sensation. Owen’s eyebrow cocked again at the small display of emotion. To most people, it would seem like he felt offended or annoyed but somehow, for some deep reason he couldn’t really explain, David knew it was a sign of amusement. 

“Careful, Mister Burnett. You’ve tipped your hand too far and now I’ve discovered that you’re secretly hilarious.” David said to the expressionless man. 

“Yes but nobody will ever believe you. You will be cursed to suffer the secret alone until it drives you insane.” Owen answered. 

“Then it’s a good thing I’ve already been crazy for years, huh?” he shot back. 

For the briefest moment, David saw the very edge of Owen’s lip twitch involuntarily. He smirked at the knowledge that he had nearly cracked some carefully crafted facade and felt a desire to get to know the man more. 

Cyberbiotics Halloween Party, New York City, New York, October 31st, 2012

“What in the world are you wearing?” Owen Burnett asked David Xanatos, who wore a medieval outfit of purple, gold and red along with elf ears. 

“You mean you don’t recognize me? Why, my good Owen, I am that merry wanderer of the night!” David exclaimed joyously to the stoic man whose sole idea for a costume had been to wear his usual suit and paint his face like Frankenstein’s monster. 

To David’s complete shock, Owen Burnett actually snorted. David nearly dropped the expensive rum cocktail he had ordered from the party’s free bar but after some comedic fumbling, Owen’s face had resumed its usual stoic demeanor. David allowed himself to laugh only after he was confident he wouldn’t drop his drink. 

“Surprised that I’m familiar with the works of the Bard?” David asked. 

“No sir. It’s an… inside joke. Perhaps I’ll explain it to you one day, Mister Xanatos.” Owen answered with the now-familiar twitch that David knew meant Owen was genuinely amused about something.

“Wait, did I just hear the name Xanatos ?” a familiar woman’s voice called out from nearby. 

Janine Reynard emerged from the party crowd dressed in the red uniform of a famous science fiction show that David was only passingly familiar with. She looked mostly familiar otherwise, save that her gorgeous red hair was pulled back into a ponytail. David tried not to admire how the costume showed off how amazing she looked. 

“I thought I chased you off.” she said to David as she stopped in front of the two men and crossed her arms. 

“Not at all. After all, you never gave me an answer when I asked if you would teach me that throw you performed on me.” David replied good-naturedly. 

Janine shot him an unamused look and turned to Owen. Her eyes briefly went wide at the sight of him and David had a pretty good idea why but decided simply to stay silent and enjoy the joke. He only got to enjoy the entertainment of Janine trying to figure out Owen for a few moments before her attention returned to David. 

“So… you really interested in learning how to fight? Because if you’re hoping to use me to climb up in the company or worse, flirt with me, all you’re going to end up with are broken dreams to go with your broken bones.” Janine asked as a dangerous smile slowly spread across her face. 

“You say that as though the company is still worth climbing up in.” David replied, unable to keep the note of bitterness out of his voice. 

Janine looked at him with clear surprise on her face that gave way to a smirk. He wasn’t sure how to respond to the new expression, so he simply gave her a calm smile as he took a drink. 

Janine Reynard’s loft, New York City, New York, December 13th, 2012

“Sorry David, I’m not really in the mood for our usual routine today. Personal reasons.” Janine Reynard said sadly as David Xanatos stood in her doorway.

It had been over a month since David had started combat training with her. He was in pain almost every day but it had been more than worth it to him. He was in the best shape of his life and he’d found in Janine a kindred spirit of sorts. Both of them felt like they would never be good enough for their fathers, though in her case it was more due to her father’s overly-rigid way of thinking rather than just following her own path.

“If you don’t feel like beating me up, we could just get breakfast instead. It’s still early enough to grab some pancakes.” David offered, his usual playfulness coming out involuntarily. 

“I don’t think I can drown my abandonment issues in maple syrup, David.” she replied deadpan.

“Abandonment issues?” David wondered. 

Janine flinched then walked away. David was left in the open doorway to debate whether he should follow his instinct or common sense. After a moment’s hesitation, he went with his instinct and entered her home. He made sure that he shut the door softly and put down his equipment bag by the door. 

“I didn’t tell you you could come in.” Janine said without even looking at him. 

“You also left the door open for me. You know what that tells me?” David asked. 

She didn’t answer him or even look at him. All she did was wrap her arms around herself so David decided to press on. 

“It tells me that you want to talk about it but you also don’t want to say that you want to talk about it. That you trust me enough that you want to talk to me about it, likely because we’ve gotten to know a bit about each other during small talk while you pounded me into the mat.”

“Think you’ve got me all figured out then, huh?” Janine growled at him as she finally turned to face him with an angry expression. 

“I understand you well enough to know that I’ll never really ‘figure you out’, nor would I ever want to. An ever-shifting presence that I find both intriguing and familiar.” David answered, his own expression soft and understanding. 

“Sounds like you regard me as some puzzle or toy that occupies your time. A thing that you’ll get bored of eventually and discard, just like my mother did.” she said coldly as she slowly stepped closer. 

David couldn’t help the smile that came to his face, even though it clearly made her even angrier. He had to think for a moment how to put his thoughts about her into words that would make sense as she stared him down in the way she usually did before she would throw him to the ground. 

“I could never get bored of you. You’re far too interesting . You’re clever, sly, fierce… like a fox who knows that she’s the queen of whatever hill she’s decided to make her home and the only thing about you that scares me is that nobody will ever truly appreciate you the way you deserve.” he explained in a near frenzy as the words came to him. 

Her anger evaporated in the face of the feelings he felt like he still hadn’t expressed properly, replaced by a look of shock and then an expression of curiosity. She stepped even closer to him and after a second of staring, grabbed the front of his shirt. David Xanatos was unceremoniously slammed onto his back by her like he had been countless times before. 

He expected that she would follow up with a strike to his stomach or chest. Instead, Janine Reynard pressed her lips to his and his mind went completely blank. 

Cyberbiotics Parking Garage, New York City, New York, Midnight of January 1st, 2013

“Unusual for you to ask me to step away from a party, Owen. Are you confessing your love for me as a New Year’s resolution?” David joked as he gave the stoic man a small chuckle. 

“I believe you and Janine Reynard have romance perfectly figured out without my help.” Owen said in his usual monotone. 

“Blackmail, Owen?” David wondered for a moment as his expression turned from shock to amusement, “No, you would never be that boring so what’s this all about?” 

“First, allow me to ask you a question, Mister Xanatos.” Owen said as he took his glasses and placed them in his suit’s front pocket, “Is it true that you plan to leave Cyberbiotics and take a lot of the newer employees with you to start a competing company?” 

“It might be. May I ask why you want to know?” David replied, curious as to how Owen had found that information out when he hadn’t planned on asking Owen to leave with him for another week or two. 

“I’m fairly certain I already know precisely why you are doing it but I wanted to hear it from you directly.” Owen declared, his voice slightly higher than normal. 

“Disappointed in me, Owen?” David asked, a little irritated with his friend for the first time in their relationship. 

“Not if I’m correct.” the blonde man said with the single most surprising thing on his face that David had ever seen, an open smile. 

David had to shake himself back to sense at the bizarre sight but managed to keep his mind and mouth functional even as he tried to comprehend a reality where Owen Burnett smiled openly. His best friend wanted David’s honesty, so he’d get it.

“I’m bored , Owen.” David confessed, “I joined Cyberbiotics over every other company that tripped over themselves to get my application after college because I thought it would be challenging . Instead, I’ve spent half a year doing an intern’s work. I don’t even have my own desk , let alone my own projects. So yeah, I’m leaving… and I’m taking all the best minds that Halcyon Reynard failed to properly appreciate with me when I go.” 

David had to catch his breath by the time he’d finished speaking. He wasn’t really sure how Owen would react, the man had always been a machine in the office; never really showing any sort of emotion or saying anything that wasn’t strictly part of his job. David Xanatos was the sole exception to his behavior. There was a joke that David felt he was a part of with Owen, even if he didn’t really understand the joke. 

“I knew it!” Owen declared excitedly in a voice that was absolutely not his own. 

David wanted to ask why Owen had put on the silly voice when his friend suddenly started spinning rapidly in place. In a whirlwind of strange energy, Owen disappeared and in his place was a short, floating man with long white hair and pointed ears. He wore a better-looking copy of the same costume that David had worn to Cyberbiotics Halloween party and a large grin that was directed right at him. 

“Owen?” David asked hesitantly. 

“Oh, Owen’s just my day job.” the strange floating man said as he zipped forward at impossible speed and stopped inches from David’s nose. 

“Then who are you ?” David wondered as he fought the urge to back away from the strange man. 

“Moi?” the figure asked cartoonishly before he took off overhead, “Why I am that most merry wanderer of the night, David Xanatos, and I am here to make a deal with you!”

“You… you’re Puck? From A Midsummer’s Night Dream ?” David asked, still trying to process the sight before him. 

“Well, old Billy got a few things wrong but I don’t begrudge him that. It was all in the service of a better story after all and I can respect that. Speaking of respect, major props for the new outfit. Love the colors.” Puck answered jovially before his face turned more serious, “By the way, shouldn’t you be freaking out about now? You just found out magic is real .” 

Internally, David Xanatos was indeed freaking out but years of dealing with others had taught him the value of a good poker face. He even managed to smirk as he realized that the joke with Owen that he had never understood suddenly made perfect sense.

“Unfortunately, you tipped your hand too early. I’m still too busy reeling from the shock of seeing Owen Burnett smile to be properly surprised by your sudden appearance as an elf.” David joked with a small chuckle. 

Puck blinked at him with a blank expression for a few moments then burst into merry laughter as he zipped around back and forth in the air. David watched the bizarre display for a few more moments, his mind completely enamored with the infinite possibilities that even that small display of magic presented. It was only the sudden reappearance of Puck’s face right in his own that snapped him back to the present situation. 

“Now about that deal …” Puck said seriously. 

“Of course, Owe… Puck. My apologies for interrupting.” David replied as he struggled to maintain his cool disposition. 

“I’ll keep this nice and simple. You’re interesting , David Xanatos. I haven’t had as much fun as I’ve had with you in quite a while. As a thank you for that, and to incentivize you to keep being interesting, I’m going to offer a choice. You can either have a single wish from me , and I can give you just about anything with my level of mystic power, or a lifetime of loyal service from Owen Burnett with not a single drop of magic.” Puck said with the grandiose air of a game show host presenting the major prizes. 

“Owen.” David answered immediately. 

“Now keep in mind…” Puck stopped mid-sentence as his mind caught up with David’s quick decision, “Wait, what ?!” 

“I’m choosing the lifetime of service from Owen.” he repeated to the floating man.

Puck floated in place, absolutely flabbergasted. David couldn’t help but smirk, even as Puck spun himself back into the form of Owen Burnett. Owen put his glasses back on his face, his usual emotionless expression back in its proper place.

“You’ve made your choice but I’m afraid I must ask why . Especially since there was no hesitation on your part.” Owen wondered. 

“It’s quite simple actually, Owen. My life would be far poorer without you in it.” 

Halcyon Reynard’s office, New York City, New York, February 3rd, 2013

“How dare you?!” Halcyon Reynard screamed as he threw the folder full of resignation letters at the smugly satisfied form of David Xanatos.

The paper projectile was deftly caught by Owen Burnett before it could hit David and unceremoniously dumped on the floor. Halcyon’s face was completely red with his fury but David just looked at him with his usual cool, indifferent smirk. 

“I’m not even sure why you’re so upset. Every single one of your senior staff members is staying with you. They’re the only ones you seem to give any real assignments to anyway.” David said to the older man. 

“You work up to bigger assignments! Have you no sense of integrity? Have any of you?!” Halcyon yelled so harshly that he ended up coughing. 

“Some of the people quitting with me have been stuck for years doing the work of secretaries and interns when they signed up with you to be scientists. They’re not the ones being unreasonable here, Mister Reynard.” David calmly argued. 

Halcyon Reynard was too busy coughing to be able to answer but he was obviously trying to reply to David’s accusation in some manner or other. Not that it really mattered, everything had fallen perfectly into place. In one fell swoop, he’d managed to gain the capital needed for the initial investment for his new company, staff it with incredibly competent people hungry to prove what they can do and cripple the company that would be his biggest competitor.

“I suppose I should also inform you that I’ve been dating your daughter. I’d apologize for the timing but there was never going to be a good time to tell you.” David said as he walked forward and pressed the button on Halcyon’s desk to summon Preston Vogel, “Anyways, have a good day Mister Reynard. I’ll see you around.” 

David pulled out his phone and ordered a ride for himself and Owen as they walked towards the elevator together. 

Janine Reynard’s loft, New York City, New York, May 11th, 2013

“You’re not upset?” Janine asked as she snuggled in bed with David.

“This is a pretty good way to break up with me, honestly. Hard to be upset.” David replied playfully as he slowly stroked his fingers through her hair, “Besides, it’s not like the relationship went sour. We both just got busy with our own lives and you want to leave New York. It’s not a bad call at all.” 

“I honestly thought this would be harder.” she told him with a small pout that he couldn’t help but laugh at. 

“I can pretend to be all hurt and upset, if that would help.” he joked, which earned him a smack on the arm. 

They laid together on the bed in comfortable silence, perfectly content to simply enjoy each other’s physical presence until Janine’s phone interrupted their quiet bliss. She grumbled and rolled out of David’s embrace. 

“This had better be good.” she growled as she answered. 

David rolled onto his side and watched her as she listened to whoever it was that had interrupted what could be the very last bit of time they might ever spend together. He had to admit that he was just as irritated as his now-ex-girlfriend. She gave a few grunts and simple answers to whatever it was that was being said to her then thanked whoever had called her and hung up.

“Was that about your flight tomorrow?” David couldn’t help but ask. 

“Nope, that was a friend I asked to pick up my mail from a new P.O. box that Daddy doesn’t know about.” she answered as she turned back around. 

There was a giddy smile on her face that David wanted to ask about but knew better by now than to prod about something that made her that happy. She loved to make dramatic announcements. It was one of the things they had most in common.

“My name change was accepted. I am now and forever, Fox.” she practically purred at him. 

“Just Fox?” David asked with a smile. 

“Just Fox.” she confirmed. 

The two of them shared another warm moment of silence as the woman now named Fox snuggled back against David’s chest. The calm atmosphere managed to last an entire five minutes before David’s inherent playfulness got the better of him. 

“Well it’s nice to meet you, Fox. Are you doing anything for dinner tonight? I was just dumped by my ex-girlfriend, Janine, and you remind me a lot of her.” he teased. 

Fox burst into loud laughter and shoved her ridiculous ex-boyfriend off the bed in one move. David laughed along with her as he picked himself up off her floor. 

Mountain View Cemetery, Bar Harbor, Maine, November 11th, 2013

David Xanatos stood in front of the gravestone of Maria Xanatos with a bouquet in one hand and a magazine in the other. He had expected to be somewhat emotional but could never have predicted just how difficult it would be to speak. He’d been there for nearly 10 minutes and had spent every second of it trying not to cry. 

“David?” the gruff voice of Petros Xanatos called out from behind him. 

David turned around and saw his father in person for the first time in over five years. The older Xanatos looked like he’d aged twice that length of time but other than that was precisely how David remembered him. 

“Hey Pop.” David greeted his father weakly. 

“Finally decided to visit your mother?” Petros grumpily asked as he marched closer to his son. 

“Yeah. My company’s doing well enough right now that I could afford to fly out for a couple days. I’m on a magazine cover now and everything.” he said as he showed his father the magazine he’d brought along. 

On the cover was a picture of himself, Owen and a few of the other employees of his new company, the Scarab Corporation. There was a caption that read ‘The Future of Military Robotics?’ right underneath the group photo. He had been so happy when he’d taken it, felt so completely triumphant. After all, he’d beaten Cyberbiotics to the drone construction contract thanks to the people he’d convinced to stay in their positions at Halcyon’s company. 

He wished he still felt happy about it. 

“Well look who became a big city big shot. Surprised you still bother with Bar Harbor.” Petros said with a deep scowl. 

“Well, mom’s here…” David said softly, “and so are you . Not like I planned to cut my parents entirely out of my life just because I didn’t feel like I should stay here.” 

Petros scoffed and David let out a large sigh. The two Xanatos men stared each other down, completely still as they engaged in a pointless battle of wills for all of eight seconds before David remembered he didn’t like to do pointless things if they weren’t fun. 

“Is this really going to be our relationship from now on, Dad? You being angry forever because I didn’t become a fisherman like you wanted? Cutting yourself out of my life and denying every attempt I make to keep our connection?”  David asked his father. 

“You cut me out of your life, David.” Petros practically hissed at his son. 

“No I did not !” David yelled angrily as he paced back and forth, “I’ve sent dozens of emails, made hundreds of calls that you didn’t bother to answer and left voicemails after nearly every one of them! Birthday and Christmas presents…” 

His angry words died off as he caught sight of his mother’s name on her gravestone. All the fight drained out of him and he let out a large sigh as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. 

“No.” he said to his father softly but firmly, “No more fighting. Not in front of Mom.” 

Even Petros Xanatos could not hold onto his anger at the mention of his late wife. A respectful silence fell over the both of them as they moved in front of Maria Xanatos’s grave and simply stood together. Several long moments passed and Petros gently put his arm around his son. David reciprocated the half-hearted hug as a few tears fell from his face. 

David Xanatos’s personal office, New York City, New York, April 1st, 2014

“Very funny, Puck.” David said with a sly grin as he wiped his chair clean of a viscous slime the Fae had conjured as an April Fool’s Day prank. 

“I’m just happy you’re being a good sport about all this. Most mortals lack the sense of humor required to truly appreciate this ridiculous holiday.” the elven-eared man told his mortal boss as he floated near the ceiling with an enormous grin on his face. 

Puck snapped his fingers and the slime disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared. David threw the tissues that’d he used to clean some of it into his trash and chuckled as he took a seat. 

“I must admit, the fact you used paid time off to spend a day playing pranks is amusing in and of itself. Plus, it’s always a treat to see real magic in action. I can’t help but wonder where the slime came from though.” David remarked curiously as he leaned back in his chair. 

“I conjured it, silly. Magic , remember?” Puck stated in a slightly condescending manner.

“Yes, yes but what are the mechanics behind it? Did you teleport that slime in from elsewhere or convert molecules of air into molecules of slime? I find it difficult to believe that it just completely ignores the Law of Conservation of Mass and Energy.” David questioned curiously. 

Puck rolled his eyes and opened his mouth as if to answer but didn’t. His mouth simply hung open until his eyes went wide with some sort of epiphany. David watched with no small amount of amusement as his inhuman friend’s face scrunched up in thought. Clearly, he’d never thought about it before so David decided to push just a little further to mess with him. 

“For that matter, how are you floating? You’re clearly not just displacing air, since my paperwork isn’t being blown to the four corners of my office, so are you somehow canceling out gravity or is this some kind of magnetism at work?” David continued. 

“Woah, woah, woah ! One mind-blowing question at a time there, boss man!” Puck shouted as he waved his hands in a motion of surrender. 

David couldn’t help but laugh.

Scarab Corporation conference room, New York City, New York, June 9th, 2014

“Mister Xanatos, I’m afraid I simply cannot agree with this decision. We are still a new company, just barely starting to really establish a foothold in the market. Now is just not the time to spend so much of our capital purchasing a new company!” Jim, one of the shareholders who had left Cyberbiotics with David to start Scarab Corp, argued passionately. 

“I can respect your sense of caution but the simple fact is that despite our success, we are still a relatively small company that is going up against the giant that is Cyberbiotics. Now is the perfect time to expand into territories that our biggest competitor is ignoring .” David explained calmly. 

Jim was the only member of the board he hadn’t yet convinced about the value of Gen-U-Tech, a failed genetics research laboratory he had learned would soon sell itself off due to financial difficulties. While he could easily think of a myriad of ways to turn a profit off the study of genetics, his true motivation lied elsewhere. 

Ever since he had questioned Puck as to how his magic worked, David had grown steadily more and more obsessed with it. Due to the deal he made that gained him a lifetime of loyal service from Owen, he had no access to Puck’s magic but he did have access to Puck’s knowledge through Owen. To actually study magic, he would need to find other sources or a workaround to the terms of their agreement. 

“I’m sorry but my vote is and will remain firmly against this acquisition and I urge the rest of the board to prevent it as well.” Jim stated firmly.

David smirked with satisfaction as Jim looked desperately around for even the slightest bit of support and found none. Whether he liked it or not, the acquisition would move forward. 

“Well, since nobody else has any objections I believe it would be best to conclude this meeting and go get some lunch.” David declared as he pushed his chair out and stood up. 

The rest of the board followed his example but David barely paid them any mind as he left the conference room, where Owen awaited him as stoically as ever. The two walked together down the hallway in the opposite direction everyone else headed. 

“Owen, I do believe it is time to consider cutting Jim out of the company. Could you look into the fair market value of his stocks? I want to make an offer to buy his portion of the company as soon as possible.” David said to his assistant once he was sure they were out of earshot of the others. 

“Of course, sir but what should be done if he refuses to sell?” Owen asked. 

“Oh, I’m sure we can convince him to sell one way or another.” David answered as a wicked smirk grew on his face.

David Xanatos’s penthouse, New York City, New York, August 19th, 2015

David smiled as he looked out the large windows at the construction site for what would be the tallest building in the city, not to mention his future home, located right by Central Park. It wouldn’t be finished until 2017 but it was still a triumph, perfectly representative of just how big he himself had managed to become. 

Between his inventive genius, ruthless buy and sell tactics, Owen’s uncanny ability to discover individuals of great talent and the unexpected aid of an organization called the Illuminati, David Xanatos had expanded his business into a legitimate empire that Scarab Corporation was now only a small part of. His newly-minted Xanatos Enterprises was involved in virtually everything at this point, with companies under his ownership for everything from construction and entertainment to pharmaceuticals and military weapons contracts. 

“This is excessive, even for you , David.” the voice of Petros Xanatos said from a small distance behind him. 

David turned around and smiled as his father approached with a poorly-wrapped present tucked under his arm. Petros was clearly uncomfortable in the opulent home of his son and David could hardly blame him. Even David had needed time to grow accustomed to the circumstances he had earned. 

“You’re not wrong, Pop, but the opulence is part of the bizarre game the rich seem to play with each other and I’ve had to learn how to play.” David responded as he approached his father with his arms wide open. 

The two Xanatos men hugged somewhat awkwardly for a few moments before Petros pushed away and held out the present he’d brought with him. David took it gently and looked over the shoddy wrapping for a moment.

“I appreciate the birthday gift, but you didn’t have to…” he tried to say, only to have his father hold up a hand to interrupt him.

“There are some things in this world that no amount of money can buy. I…” Petros paused to put down his hand and look his son directly in the eye, “ begrudgingly accept that you have this… game to play because of your newfound wealth. I don’t like it but I accept it. I had to think long and hard about what I can even still do for you as your father. This is the answer I came up with.” 

Petros motioned to the present he had brought and David quickly ripped the wrapping off and opened the box that it covered. Inside were a couple of photos that had his heart in his throat. Pictures of his mother, smiling up at him with all the warmth and kindness in the world. He silently choked down his tears and placed the box on a nearby table. 

“Memories, Pop?” David asked, his voice slightly hoarse from unshed tears.

“ Humility , David.” Petros softly corrected, “The ability to accept defeat with grace and an occasional reminder of what the things worth fighting for actually are.” 

The two Xanatos men stared at one another in absolute silence for what seemed like a small eternity before a loud cough from a newly-arrived Owen Burnett broke them out of their solemn trance. David, used by now to the ninja-like stealth Owen naturally possessed, simply smiled while Petros shouted in surprise. 

“My apologies for the interruption, Misters Xanatos, but I thought I should inform you that we will need to leave soon if we are to make the dinner reservations I got for your birthday.” Owen said in usual monotone, though David could see the hidden mirth that danced in his eyes. 

“Is this… are you a butler?” Petros asked as he actively calmed himself down. 

“No Dad, this is Owen Burnett. My personal assistant at work and my best friend everywhere else.” David introduced the stoic blonde. 

“A pleasure.” Owen said flatly as he held out his hand. 

David fought a chuckle as his dad gave Owen the most awkward handshake he’d ever seen in his life. 

David Xanatos’s temporary office, New York City, New York, December 22nd, 2015

A loud pop echoed through the mostly-barren office as David Xanatos popped his back during a huge stretch. He wasn’t even supposed to be in New York but his plans to visit Bar Harbor for Christmas had been derailed when a massive snowstorm hit the city, so he decided to just come to the office and get ahead of some paperwork he had planned to put off until after the holidays. 

Owen entered the office a few moments later carrying two cups that filled the room with the enticing smell of mocha. The stoic blonde placed one on his desk and had already started to drink his own by the time David finished stretching and reached for the delicious caffeination. He had no idea how Owen did it without magic but the concoction tasted more in line with hot chocolate than coffee. 

“Not that I mind the company, Owen, but are you sure you wouldn’t rather be somewhere else for Christmas? Some relative somewhere perhaps?” David inquired as the drink warmed him up. 

“None I care to spend any time with.” Owen declared, though he seemed to have a change of heart a few moments later, “Actually, I take that back. I do have a cousin in Arizona I’m rather fond of but he doesn’t exactly like the holiday so it wouldn’t be a good time to visit.” 

“A Burnett cousin or…?” David wondered.

“I do not have any ‘Burnett’ cousins, sir.” Owen answered before he took another sip of his mocha. 

Before David could inquire any further, his window was smashed in as a very large man crashed through it. Almost without thought, David reached under his desk and pulled out a hidden laser pistol prototype his weapons company had developed recently as the man sprang to his feet. 

The man was extremely muscular and slightly taller than David, dressed in custom combat gear that included an armored mask that looked like some kind of golden dog. A large, brown mohawk sprung from the top of his head that somehow connected to a long ponytail. David leveled his gun at the intruder but before he could pull the trigger, the door to his office opened and two more people with similar masks to the first man barged in. 

It was clearly a man and a woman, both dressed in similar combat gear with brown hair. The woman’s hair was spiked like crazy with two long sideburns that hung off her face and the man had the longest, most ridiculous mullet that David had ever seen in his life. Unfortunately, the distraction they provided was all the first man needed to yank the gun right out of David’s hand. 

“Nothing personal, mate, but you and your butler are coming with us .” the mohawked man growled with a thick Australian accent.

“Owen’s not my butler.” David quipped as he quickly swept the man’s legs out from under him, courtesy of continued practice of the techniques his ex had taught him.

Owen followed suit with moves of his own, taught to him by David and practiced over hours to alleviate the boredom that comes with corporate work. They were outnumbered but he hoped that he had caught their assailants off guard enough to find a way out of the situation. Unfortunately, the people who had broken into his office were well-trained enough that it made little difference. 

Despite their best efforts, both he and Owen ended up pinned down by the superior fighters. David growled and swore to himself that if he lived through this ordeal, he would double his martial arts training and add far more security measures to protect himself in the future. 

Unknown Warehouse, Undisclosed Location, December 25th, 2015

“Merry Christmas, Mister Xanatos.” Owen said flatly as the clock chimed to announce midnight. 

“Thank you, Owen, and you as well.” David replied tiredly. 

Both he and Owen had been knocked unconscious by the mercenaries who had broken into his office and woken up in some warehouse. They’d had to share a locked office room for the past day and a half, with a port-a-potty in one corner to relieve themselves. The two of them had been left largely alone, with the exceptions of simple meals that were always delivered to them at gunpoint and left far enough away that they couldn’t try to use an ambush to fight their way out. 

At least their captors had been polite enough to keep them apprised of the time and date. Owen had also managed to overhear enough snippets of conversation between them to learn the code names they used to refer to one another. The man with the mohawk was Dingo, the man with the overgrown mullet was Jackal and the woman with crazy hair and the feral attitude to match was called Hyena. 

Unfortunately, that was the extent of what they had managed to learn. They still had no idea who had hired the mercenaries or why and every attempt to try to find out had been met with silence. They still hadn’t even seen the three mercenaries' real faces. David considered himself a patient man but even he had his limits. He couldn’t even imagine how much Puck ached to go crazy but the deal they made prevented Owen from transforming in this case. 

“Just so you know, I got you an antique wristwatch.” Owen said suddenly.

“What?” David asked, confused. 

“For Christmas. I found a wristwatch. It’s an antique .” Owen repeated.

The way it was worded was a coded message they had come up with in case somebody could overhear them. Antique with that much emphasis on the word meant that magic was involved. The wristwatch was probably literal but he wasn’t really sure why Owen would choose to bring it up now. A magic wristwatch couldn’t exactly help them when it wasn’t anywhere near them, at least not as far as he could think. 

It was a moot point regardless, as the door opened up and two new people entered. A man and a woman, both also wearing armored masks that resembled dogs. The man was enormous, easily seven feet tall at least and even more muscular than Dingo with gray hair that had been spiked into small horns. The woman was slender but well-toned, like an Olympic athlete with bright red hair that flowed down past her shoulders.

“Wolf,” the woman said in an obviously false voice to the giant, “would you mind taking Mister Burnett for some hot cocoa with the others? I need to speak with Mister Xanatos alone.” 

“Hot cocoa…” the giant growled in disgust in a deep, beastly voice.

Owen allowed himself to be led away, fully aware that he would be no match for someone that large and sure at this point that neither of them were in any real danger from the mercenaries. David simply crossed his arms and watched the red-headed mercenary sashay towards him with more confidence than he’d ever seen in anybody else.

“I don’t suppose this is the part where I finally get to learn what this entire ordeal has been about?” David asked as he crossed his arms and stared her down. 

“Think of it like an audition and a Christmas present, all wrapped in one exciting bow.” replied the increasingly-familiar redhead as she stopped right within arm’s reach of David and struck a confident pose, with one hand placed on her hip. 

“ Whose Christmas present?” he questioned her. 

“Yours… mine … depends on your point of view, really.” she answered in a seductive tone.

The masked woman let out a musical chuckle that tickled a memory in the back of David’s mind. On a hunch, he slowly reached out to grab the woman’s mask. She made no move to stop him and he slowly lifted the mask to reveal a familiar face, albeit with a noticeable difference from the last time he’d seen it. 

The woman formerly known as Janine Reynard smiled back at him, just as lovely as the last time he’d seen her. She now had a silver tattoo of her right eye that he assumed was the silhouette of a fox’s head. For one of the few times in his adult life, David Xanatos was speechless. 

“Miss me?” Fox teased as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him close enough that he thought she would kiss him for a moment. 

“Fox?” he said, too dumbfounded for the moment to think of anything else to say. 

“David.” she purred back as she released him, “So how did you like our audition?” 

David mulled over the words for several moments until the full picture of what was going on finally came into view in his mind. He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Your friend Dingo owes me for the window he broke but I wouldn’t be averse to a few specialized security personnel.” he told her once his laughter had died down enough for him to speak. 

“Work’s been lean lately, to say the least. Being a team of crack mercenaries doesn’t pay quite what it used to and even less so when nobody’s hiring. It’s been fun but at the end of the day, a girl’s gotta eat.” Fox explained with a small sigh that belied the laid back way she spoke. 

“And you came after me instead of your father?” David couldn’t help but wonder. 

“Daddy’s boring . You know most of the reason I left was because I needed excitement and adventure in my life.” she answered nonchalantly as she took a seat atop one of the desks.

“I think I might be able to accommodate your needs.” David said with a mischievous grin. 

Halcyon Reynard’s office, New York City, New York, March 15th, 2016

“I’m surprised you wanted to see me, given how our last meeting went.” David said as he took a seat in the mostly-familiar office of his former boss.

Halcyon Reynard had seen better days. In late 2014, he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness that none of the world’s best doctors had been able to identify. It had aged him horribly, to the point where he looked to be in his 70s instead of his late 50s, and weakened his body enough that he required a wheelchair to get around. The sleek levitating wheelchair he had created to do so had ironically steered Cyberbiotics towards the field of medical tech, which saved their company from a buyout last year. 

“This is personal , Mister Xanatos, not business.” Halcyon said as he pressed a few buttons on his high tech chair. 

A large screen embedded in one of the far walls played a video David was very familiar with in which several individuals wearing golden canine masks performed martial arts stunts. David had founded a brand new company, Pack Media Studios, specifically to make such videos starring Fox’s mercenary team, now known as the Pack. They had gone viral online after only three videos and each video since had only gotten more and more elaborate.

Not that Halcyon Reynard cared about the deeply hidden secret lore or the insane stunt work. He had paused the video right as a certain red-haired warrior had kicked a trained stuntman through a wall and shot David a withering glare.

“Explain what my daughter is doing in your ridiculous video, Mister Xanatos.” Halcyon demanded. 

“That would be a reverse leg thrust, I believe. I’m not actually familiar with the names of the techniques, to be honest.” David quipped with a sly grin. 

“That’s not what I mean and you know it, you viper. Why is my Janine being paraded around and made to do tricks like some show dog?” Halcyon growled out. 

“ Fox ,” David emphasized as he shot a small scowl at the older man, “is a grown woman who’s more than capable of making her own choices. She came to me for a job and during the course of her and her friend’s employment, I tossed out the idea of making online videos to bolster their revenue.”

“Her name is Janine Reynard!” Halcyon shouted hard enough that it caused him to cough. 

“Her name is legally Fox. One word. If you were a better father, you’d respect that.” David spat out as he turned around and prepared to walk away from the man for the second time in his life. 

“Wait!” Halcyon pleaded.

The desperate tone in the old man’s voice was enough that David paused and turned back to his former employer. Halcyon looked nothing like the confident superpower David had once sought to work for. He had been broken and it was clear that it wasn’t his disease that had done so. A few years ago, David might have still been able to pity him but years of stiff corporate competition had worn away his sense of sympathy. 

“I didn’t take your daughter from you, Mister Reynard. You accused me of treating her like a show dog but I’m treating her like her own person. Can you say the same or will you look back at your relationship and realize that you were just pushing the person you wanted her to be on her?” David softly accused. 

“I want what’s best for her.” Halcyon tried to argue. 

“My own father used to say the same thing. We didn’t talk for years and still don’t exactly have a great relationship. I can give you his number and you two can have fun griping about your kids together.” David said dismissively as he turned around and walked away. 

Crystal by the Sea, New York City, New York, July 12th, 2016

“I can’t believe you were cheating on me!” the tanned model who had just thrown water on David Xanatos screamed in the middle of the best seafood and steakhouse restaurant in New York.

“I could say much the same.” David grumbled as he grabbed a cloth napkin and wiped himself off. 

“In my defense, she never said she was dating you when I asked her out.” Fox said from the opposite side of the table with an unamused smile on her face.

“Me asking out another woman doesn’t count !” the model argued before she stomped away in fury. 

“Wow, did she really just say that?” Fox asked David with a chuckle. 

“I didn’t date her for her intelligence, which was obviously a mistake on my part. One I certainly won’t be repeating.” David said as he gave up the futile endeavor of drying himself.

“I might repeat it every once in a while, just for fun.” she declared playfully as she shot David a sly grin. 

“I certainly won’t begrudge you that, my dear but I believe it would be best if I head home for the evening and change out of this shirt.” he replied, upset that his nice evening and a perfectly good reservation had been ruined. 

“Not without me , you’re not.” Fox told him sternly before she pulled him down to her by the shirt and kissed him so deeply in front of everyone else that he actually forgot to breathe.

It took several long moments for David to come to his senses after Fox released him. Her smile left no room for doubt in his mind for what she expected from him and he was all too happy to follow her lead.

“Check please!” 

David Xanatos’s office, New York City, New York, October 9th, 2016

“Mister Xanatos, am I correct in learning that you have purchased the Eye of Odin recently?” Owen asked. 

“You are.” David answered, curious, “Why do you ask and how did you find out?” 

“It’s an antique issue, sir.” Owen told him cautiously.

David nodded and pushed a button hidden in one of the drawers of his desk. Every piece of security recording equipment he’d installed after the Pack incident turned off simultaneously and the doors and window locked themselves.

“Go ahead, Owen.” 

David kept his growing obsession with magic a closely-guarded secret and his scientific experiments on the various magical trinkets he’d collected by whatever means necessary even more so. Most of the so-called impossible inventions that Xanatos Enterprises presented through its various owned companies had stemmed from these experiments. His crowning achievement so far had been the creation of batteries so effective that they had made military energy weapons a feasible reality for the Scarab Corporation.

“I sensed its energy the moment it entered the building. I can’t overstate how dangerous that particular artifact is. For the first time, I’m afraid I must recommend against experimenting on it.” Owen said, far more nervous than David had ever seen him before. 

“Could you explain more about it? Help me to understand what has you so on edge.” David requested. 

“Sir, it is literally the eye of Odin himself. During a civil war between different factions of the Fae, the eye was plucked out and weaponized. When a being with inherent magic wears the Eye, their powers are significantly enhanced. Everyone else gains magic and has their body morphed to amplify their innermost self, though at the eventual cost of their life if they wear the Eye long enough.” the stoic blonde explained.

David had listened intently and perfectly understood what had Owen so worried. While the temptation to be able to actually use magic himself was a powerful draw, he wasn’t foolish enough to risk his own life for it. Prior experiences with magic, brief though they had been, had taught him that it was all too easy to get addicted and lose yourself in its pursuit. 

“Thank you as always for your advice, Owen. I’d still like to run the usual gambit of scans on it but afterwards we’ll lock it away until such a time as we can be assured that we can harness it safely. No point in blowing ourselves up, after all.” David said as he leaned back in his chair and templed his fingers.

Xanatos Enterprises New Year’s Party, New York City, New York, December 31st, 2016

There were only a few more minutes until 2017 and David Xanatos had a lot to celebrate. His net worth had skyrocketed to a staggering 120 billion dollars, his collection of magical artifacts had become the second largest in the world, and construction of the Eyrie building was several weeks ahead of schedule. By the end of March, he would have a new home in the tallest building in New York City.

Even the Pack, sans masks, had joined the celebration and David had to suppress his laughter at the sight of a very drunk Hyena trying and failing to flirt with Owen. Dingo and Wolf had started an arm wrestling tournament, which Jackal and Fox had spent most of the night dominating. Even his invited father had shown up and seemed to be enjoying himself. 

“An excellent party, young man.” an unknown voice said from behind him. 

David turned around and saw the voice belonged to probably the oldest man he’d ever met in his life. While he held himself well enough, his eyes had glossed over to the point that he wondered if the man could actually even see and his beard had grown down to his stomach. The man laughed as David looked him over. 

“I bet you’re thinking something like ‘He looks like a wizard in a business suit’, right?” the stranger guessed with a good natured chuckle. 

“Lucky guess.” David replied playfully as he took a sip of his champagne, “So who did you come with? I’m pretty sure I’d remember if you worked for me.” 

“Oh, I’m just here to congratulate you on behalf of a few mutual friends .” the old man said as he subtly showed David a familiar symbol, a pyramid with a large eye at the top. 

“Ah, how enlightening . Well thank you for your congratulations. Have you been offered some champagne yet?” David asked politely as the man put the symbol away. 

“Oh no, thank you. When you get to be my age, alcohol tends to stop agreeing with you.” he replied with another chuckle that struck David as the response to an inside joke, “I was hoping you speak with you personally though. I understand we have a… mutual interest in the arcane.” 

David fought down his shock as best he could and simply maintained his careful, professional smile while the old man’s smile grew somehow more sinister despite the fact that his face hadn’t so much as twitched. 

“I like to collect rare artifacts. What billionaire doesn’t?” David responded to try and play it off. 

“No need to be coy with me, young man. There’s nothing wrong with a good hobby. Which is why I have a small gift for you from myself, personally.” 

The old man reached into his suit and pulled out an old-looking book with a golden symbol similar to the famous Caduceus, though distinctly its own design. David carefully accepted the book and looked it over, to which the old man chuckled. 

“That right there is the Grimorum Arcanorum. It originally belonged to the magical advisor to Caesar Augustus himself, the first person to take the title of Magus. It passed down from master to apprentice for centuries, until 994. The final Magus somehow lost possession of the book and it only resurfaced in the 1970s.” he explained. 

“Fascinating history,” David remarked, “but wouldn't our mutual friends have more use of it than I?”

“You have proven resourceful beyond reason, Mister Xanatos. I am hoping that your unique mind and resources will be able to make more use of this than they have. Understandably, they’re a little doubtful but I’m confident you’ll prove them wrong.” the old man responded. 

David nodded at the man and took another look at the book he’d just been given, curious as to precisely what sort of secrets it could hold.

Castle Wyvern, Scotland, March 1st, 2017

David had spared no expense in his study of the Grimorum Arcanorum. He’d made a complete digital copy and had that copy translated, though Owen had informed him that the spells in the book would only be usable if read with the actual Grimorum in hand. What had caught his attention the most was the account at the end of the book, written by the last Magus himself. 

It told the tragic tale of betrayal, of how Castle Wyvern had fallen, how he and several others had fled to the mythical Isle of Avalon and how he’d had to leave the book behind in the mortal world since Avalon itself would not allow him to bring the book onto its shores. As enchanting as an actual account of a magic island was, it paled in comparison to the descriptions of the creatures who had suffered the most from Castle Wyvern’s fall.

Gargoyles. Not mere stone statues, but true flesh and blood creatures capable of feats that modern science said were physically impossible. 

David had grown obsessed and tracked down Castle Wyvern then traveled there himself with Owen by his side. Even after centuries, the structure was still magnificent and stood almost entirely intact. He wanted it but more than that, he wanted possession of the six mystically preserved specimens that rested on the highest tower. It had been a dangerous climb but David couldn’t help but feel the entire trip had been worth it. 

“Magnificent, isn’t he?” David asked Owen as he stared at the statue of the one he assumed was the Goliath the Magus wrote about in his tale. 

“A very powerful specimen, sir. If he is real.” Owen agreed cautiously. 

“He is, Owen. I can practically feel it, can’t you?” David responded. 

“I can sense some magic radiating off of the statue, yes, but I still must caution you against this. The expense will be astronomical with no guarantee of a return on the investment.” Owen answered.

“What would be the fun in a guarantee, Owen? This is an adventure !” David said enthusiastically.

“I agree completely,” Owen said as an uncharacteristic smile flashed on his face for the briefest of moments, “However, I did have to caution you as part of my job.” 

“Thank you Owen.” David replied with a playful smile all his own, “Now make the offer while I call the construction crew to get them to work on the extension to the top floors. We’ll take this castle above the clouds piece by piece if we have to.” 

“Of course, Mister Xanatos.” 

Castle Wyvern atop the Eyrie Building, New York City, New York, August 12th, 2019

It had taken far more negotiations with the Scottish government to finally purchase Castle Wyvern, negotiations that lasted far longer than the time it took the construction crews to finish actually making the area where David Xanatos planned to keep the castle. He had worked frantically to keep increasing his net worth by whatever means necessary until he had finally thrown enough money at Scotland to cut their national debt by 8 percent. 

He’d taken care to safely remove each of the gargoyles from the castle first and had them placed in his most secure storage warehouse while the construction efforts had begun. Castle Wyvern itself was carefully taken apart piece by piece and shipped back to New York by his own company. As the old castle was slowly built up, he threw even more money at it to restore it to pristine condition and modernize from the ground up. 

The castle had given him more coverage and publicity than he could have dreamed. Protests from people who wanted to preserve history, news stations, world record officials and countless others all wanted to have their words about his new castle heard. It alone had almost been worth the cost it had taken but none of it compared to the moment he had been waiting for. 

The last touches on the castle had just been finished the day before and Owen had taken the liberty of ordering air transport for each of the gargoyle statues. All six had been placed on the exact same spots they had taken up when the castle still resided in Scotland as an extra measure of precaution to ensure the spell keeping them frozen broke. 

David now stood beside the statue of the largest gargoyle and waited. Owen had told him that the gargoyles would wake after the sun had fallen from the sky, if they were real and the curse had actually been broken. He had a castle atop a skyscraper and more money than he knew what to do with and yet still, David Xanatos was not satisfied. 

“You had better not let me down.” he said to the statue as he watched the sun dip slowly behind the horizon. 

Night finally came as a small cloud layer passed several dozen yards underneath the lowest point of the castle, where David had had  an atrium installed for parties. He held his breath as he waited for several tense moments. Despite his impatience, the statue remained as stone as ever. He pulled up the collar of his coat to ease the brutal wind that picked up out of nowhere and tried not to grit his teeth. 

He turned around, ready to go inside and get a stiff drink to ease his disappointment when lightning somehow struck overhead and he heard the sound of stone cracking behind him.