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POV: Justen
Location: Cauldron Base (Tinker Workshop)
Time: 12:00 AM
I felt the fifteen charges settle inside my head before pushing them to the back of my mind and focusing on my work again.
Lying on what could only be described as a tinker bed—if you could even call it that—with weird machines and scanners hooked up all around it, was David. His eyes were squeezed shut and sweat dripped down his face.
A few meters away, a massive tinker-tech supercomputer hummed as Fortuna and Kurt operated it, scanning David's power.
Meanwhile, I stood beside David with one hand on his shoulder, working out how to modify his High Priest power.
Uhhh, this is taking too long.
I let out a groan.
Seriously.
It's been over an hour!
I know I have the [Patience of a Saint] perk, and sure, I can endure more than this, but that doesn't mean I want to.
Then I got an idea to speed things up. I turned my head toward Fortuna and Kurt.
Kurt didn't even glance at me—too focused on the supercomputer.
Fortuna, on the other hand, shot me a disapproving look, already knowing exactly what I was planning.
I flashed her a grin and ignored the glare as I went ahead with it.
I mentally gathered all fifteen charges I'd gotten a few minutes ago and basically shoved them straight into David's High Priest power.
David gasped, eyes snapping open as he felt a wave of new senses flood in.
On the other side of the room, the tinker-tech computer suddenly freaked out as new readings flashed across the screens from my little stunt, making both Fortuna and Kurt shoot me synchronized glares.
My grin faltered a bit… but only a bit. I went on and finished the modifications with ease now that David's power had been strengthened.
I removed my hand and stepped back as David slowly sat up on the tinker bed.
He looked disoriented for a few seconds before his expression returned to normal.
Then he turned to me.
"Did you really have to do that?"
He looked annoyed. I grinned and answered cheerfully:
"Yes. I was getting bored."
His eyebrow twitched, and he let out a sigh.
Before I could say anything else, someone smacked the back of my neck. I stumbled forward as David and Kurt burst out laughing.
I turned and found Fortuna glaring at me. I glared right back.
"What the hell was that for!?"
"Quit wasting your charges," she snapped. "We don't need you using them all the time."
I rolled my eyes and rubbed the back of my neck before turning to David again.
"So… can you control them?"
David closed his eyes for a moment, then answered:
"Yes. I can control the active Endbringers."
Kurt stepped closer. "What about the dormant ones? Can you control them too?"
David closed his eyes again, concentrating.
"I can feel them… but to control them, I'd have to activate them first. And it's better if they stay deactivated for now."
Kurt nodded.
I clapped my hands. "Well, since everything has been handled, I'm going to get some much-deserved rest."
David and Kurt nodded and said their goodbyes. Fortuna, however, looked disappointed, which made me pause.
"…I won't be gone long. Probably six or seven hours at most."
She still looked disappointed, and now I was just confused.
I ignored it and opened a Doormaker portal behind me.
"See you guys later."
As I stepped through—and the portal began to close—I heard her say:
"iPad kid."
David burst out laughing, and Kurt joined in.
I spun around just before the portal shut, catching Fortuna's smirk.
Then the portal closed, leaving me standing there like an idiot.
"That… fucking—of course she knew I was going to play games."
I sighed and looked around my room.
Yes, my room—one I'd made inside the Cauldron base.
It was spacious… but empty.
Well, since I had free time, I could furnish it with whatever I wanted.
…After I played some games, obviously.
I went to one of the corners and started creating materials to tinker with.
A few minutes later, I finished. The result was best described as a sci-fi gaming setup.
Then I made myself one of those huge comfy beanbag chairs, because they're the best.
As I sat down, something important occurred to me.
"…I don't have any games."
I sighed again and pulled out my phone.
"Time to pirate some games. Hopefully Earth Aleph has something good…"
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