Chapter Text
The Boys of Prophecy.
Trey sat by the family table, cutting into his breakfast. He was early, and simply waiting for whatever it was that his father had called him down for. He wasn’t sure what his father wanted, but the secrecy surrounding the meeting seemed excessive.
There was a loud thud from behind him, and Trey nodded to Quinton, who locked the door behind him.
“Quattro-“ Trey said, falling silent when Quinton held a finger to his lips.
“Will not be joining us.” Quinton said simply, taking a moment to walk to his position at the table. “Father has decreed as such.”
Trey frowned, putting down his fork. “Do you know what this is all about?”
Quinton frowned as he sat to Trey's right. He seemed to hesitate, as if he was looking for the right words to speak.
“There has been a… incident.” Quinton said, finally breaking his silence. “One of Faker’s minions has found us.”
“What?” Trey almost jumped out of his seat. “Then we need to-“
“Enough!” Quinton barked, silencing Trey. “Allow me to finish.”
Trey sat. He poked at his food, but a sense of panic filled him. Did they have to run?
“In exchange for their silence, they have asked for your services.”
Trey blinked, his breakfast forgotten and pushed to the side. “Me? What would they want with me?”
Quinton nodded. “I do not know the exact details, but they mentioned you by name. Father will explain more when he gets here.”
“That I will.” Vetrix’s voice, all too cheerful considering the circumstances, came from the other side of the room.
Trey climbed to his feet to greet his father, as did Quinton. Unlike Quattro, the two of them did not forget their manners.
“Please sit, my sons,” the figure that had once been their father said as he walked around the table. “And Trey, finish your food.”
Trey glanced at the half-finished meal he had pushed aside. “Father, I cannot. Not without knowing about Faker’s role in this.”
“Dr. Faker,” Vetrix’s voice seethed with equal parts contempt and amusement. “Has nothing to do with this.”
Trey blinked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the same reaction from Quinton.
“I don’t understand, father.” Trey said, breaking the silence. “Quinton said one of Faker’s minions-“
“That is correct.” Vetrix said. “One of Faker’s minions reached out to me. But they have assured me that so long as you work with them, they will shield us from Faker.”
Trey paused, letting the venom in his father's last word dissipate into the air. “Father, is this a threat? If so, then we should retaliate.“
“We cannot.” Vetrix said, his tone leaving no room for argument, the amusement in his voice replaced with teeth grinding hate. “This individual is very well hidden, and they have a strong opening hand against us. I intend to strike soon, but not now.”
“What do they want from us?” Trey asked finally, breaking the silence.
“This individual has made a request for your cooperation, Trey.” Vetrix continued, nodding to Quinton. “Quinton?”
Trey turned his head over to Quinton, who cleared his throat. “You are to report to Heartland Academy tomorrow. This… individual, whoever they may be, has provided you with falsified papers that will allow you to move undetected.”
Trey frowned as Quinton removed a thick file from within his clothes, along with a new D-Pad, both of which he slid over the table. “The details are within. See to it that you have them memorized.”
Trey took the file first and flipped it open, looking down at the foreign name on the first page and frowning. “David… How do I pronounce that last name?”
“It is a cover,” Quinton said dismissively. “Sponsored by a foreign donor. Go with whatever you feel comfortable with.”
Trey nodded, though he paused at the age printed on the paper. “He’s younger than me.”
“That is so you may get closer to the target they are interested in.” Quinton said. "It is deliberate, not a mistake."
“And who is that?” Trey flipped the page, looking down at the image of the boy that sat on top of the second page. “Yuma… Tsukumo?”
“Only son of Kazuma Tsukumo.” Vetrix said. There was something in his voice that Trey noticed, but it was buried in his next words. “And a first year student at Heartland Academy.”
Trey nodded, looking through the file on Yuma, but finding nothing of interest, apart from a long string of lopsided losses in duels. “What does this… individual want from me?”
“Just to follow Yuma,” Quinton said. “For now. Be friends with him. I believe this individual may ask for more in the future.”
Trey frowned. “Is that all? Should I teach Yuma to duel? He seems awful at it.”
Quinton sighed, and he looked over to their father, who shook his head. "That you will work out with our... client."
“You can contact them through the D-Pad.” Quinton said, turning the machine on. “We have tried to ask questions, but there has been no response yet.”
Trey took the pad and noted a dozen questions asked to the other side. All questions he wanted to ask. None with any answer at all. It was as if Quinton had been throwing questions into the void.
It was then that Trey noticed the name at the top of the messages. It was short, consisting of only two letters, forming a incomprehensible word in the process. “Quinton, do you know anyone named Bo?”
Quinton shook his head. “I regretfully do not. I cannot say who is on the other side of these messages.”
Trey didn’t doubt his brother often, but he could taste a lie within his voice. Quinton knew something, especially given his work with Doctor Faker in the past. Still, Trey decided against pressing his brother for more details, for the time being. He would ask his brother at a later date, and in private.
Trey leaned back into his chair. “Is there anything else I should know?”
“One thing.” Quinton said, reaching over to Trey and flipping the page. There was a face there that Trey did recognize.
“Reginald Kastle.” Trey murmured, looking up at Quinton, then Vetrix. “The boy who cheated against Quattro?”
“Indeed, he also attends Heartland Academy, though he is a year older than Yuma.” Quinton said. He paused for a moment, looking to the door, as if Quattro was listening in. “I would not cross paths with him, but if Quattro was to find out about this, I cannot guarantee that we can keep them apart.”
Trey glanced at the locked door, half expecting his explosive brother to burst from the door, but nothing happened. With his brother's dueling fame, Quattro would draw a thousand sets of eyes to him everywhere he went, and that meant keeping quiet was not going to happen. “I understand. Keeping them apart from each other would be in our best interest.”
“It would.” Quinton agreed, turning over to Vetrix. “Father, is there anything I have missed?”
Vetrix paused for a moment, evidently thinking, but suddenly, the D-Pad lit up, a message from their oh so graceful benefactor appearing.
“What do they say?” Quinton rushed up from his seat, and Trey was surprised that even Vector had appeared next to him, the topic of their previous conversation forgotten.
“There’s a duel between Yuma Tsukumo and…” Trey trailed off at the name in the second half of the message. “Reginald Kastle.”
“Interesting.” Quinton said. “When?”
“Right now.” Trey said, tapping the message to reveal a 3D map of Heartland, with a glowing red dot of when the duel would be.