Junction Pt. 01

You have paid for 2 life extension processes; one was for your wife. Why you only look to be in your early forties. Since then your wife and you have had 4 children. 3 military and 1 in the Arcane Mage Corps. 2 died in service and one son is still serving, following your 'lifer path.' Your youngest completed her 2 years of service 6 months ago.

Youngest lives at home with you, Rayne Cooper, she is the wizard of the family, like your wife, and works at Grandin's shop of Magical Gear. Likely the place you were referring too. I have a direct feed into the Weave.

You are a Commander in the Marshal Service. This position you are having issues with is in the forests out toward the Northern Ocean. It covers over 1 million square kilometers of land away from most war fronts unless something is going on is the Avalon Valley on the far outer edge toward the east.

They have the largest elven population of our entitled race living out that way, so that section of wilds would be a concern for the Royal Family. Something going with the elves and humans is likely the source of your problems in the Avalon wilds.

Hard to say without investigating the area first. But those elves are protected people. Humans are not, for reasons known to us all. I have my reasons to visit the Avalon Valley soon."

The Marshal smiled and nodded as he pulled into his garage, "That was the location I was thinking about if you are interested. Sleep on it. I will show you to your room. Belonged to one of my sons but it is still a bedroom we use for guests. It has a shower and a bathroom. It is getting late so I will introduce you to my family in the morning."

---

The first Assistant to the King got the monitoring report and filled it in for the Avalon Wilds on the application. The King had already retired for the night but she had sent him a message.

He had responded with a text message, "Good choice. It has been rather chaotic according to the Elven Royal Family along that border. He would be a great asset to see to clearing up the problems in that area. Send it to Marshal Cooper, he was a loyal and good General to me. Has done well in the Marshal service. He would be the right choice to help Jace transition. Director Younger can just be surprised for once and for now."

---

They walked up and Marshal Cooper showed him the room and left Jace to get ready for bed. Jace did not bother unpacking. He leaned his bow against the bottom rail of the bed and the two quivers hanging on the back of the chair. His pistol under his pillow with the empty holder in the chair along with the ammo holster and his necklace. He stripped down and used the shower.

He dried off and walked out naked to the sounds of a screaming woman who stood in a short robe. She drew her hands back to cast a spell. Her robe flew open showing she was naked underneath. Gorgeous redhead with no pubic hair and solid D-cup. He looked at her emerald green eyes as she was still in shape from her military days but did not want to ogle her while she was ready to cast.

He held up a single hand toward her, "I know you want to cast. I do not have a focus on at the moment and if I cast, I would seriously injure you. My name is Jace and your father brought me home after my car was destroyed out at the Angels Mall."

She calmed down some and covered herself. "The news said there was a lot of shooting at the Angels Mall."

Jace nodded, "I have been out of the service less than a day and I am a bounty hunter. I collected 18 bounties today. 6 were hired guns after I took down the first 12. They decided the mall was a great place to target me. Including one with an RPG."

She looked at him, "How did you survive an RPG strike?"

He sighed, "1,000 Ki expansion unit which was full before the battle and around half after the battle. I refilled it from those who survived or the units taken from them or corpses who died quickly. They had plenty. I know I pulled their 2,000 Ki expansion units from the 3 who lived and the 3 who died quickly. Can I get into bed or put on some pants now?"

She sighed, "Sorry I was focused on how to ask you about the scales on your cock. How did you get them?"

He went and slid into bed. Jace sighed, "Born that way. An issue with your bathroom I take it?"

She nodded, "Yes, a clog...it is really slow going down. Happens every year."

Jace nodded, "The bathroom is free if you need it. I am a very light sleeper just coming out of the military."

She looked over, "Why would that make you a light sleeper?"

He looked at her, "Getting attacked during a 3-hour rest period into a 7-day operation. On more than one occasion."

She looked over, "We have not been at war in the last 5 years. I lucked out in that department. A few incidents occurred that killed a few thousand troops but no all-out war."

Jace nodded, "I am aware of that."

She remembered she needed the bathroom. She sat on the toilet and thought about what she just saw. It was not even hard and he was hung and physically strong based upon the muscles she saw, and not just the one swinging between his legs.

He had to be a terrific lover. She hoped he would be around a while. She finished up and apparently startled him awake and faced the business end of a large pistol. He calmed and put it back under his pillow.

Rayne thought to herself, 'Some former special operations guy, given the bounty hunter work and his reaction speed. Awfully young for that to be the case though.' Rayne had stopped and he nodded, "Sorry, still a reflex. Your motion sensor toilet went off as you opened the door. I am not used to those."

Rayne nodded, "My father has done well in the Marshal Service."

Jace nodded, "You did well in the Mage corps rising to a staff sergeant in 2-years is an accomplishment outside of war."

She nodded, "Physical assessments combined with magical aptitude. I worked in research and development for the last 6-months. Crafting new armor for the troops. How did you know? Did my father tell you?"

Jace shook his head, "Weave connection. You might have even installed some of the protection on my armor then."

Rayne chuckled, "They would just be releasing that to the field now if they got the quantities up enough."

He put on his necklace and stood while still naked, and summoned on his armor. She jumped back. "Those colors, dark purple on black. I saw them when I was in the field. A Spec-Ops team took down a giant juggernaut. One of them snapped its neck with magic. He literally just jumped from a tree and ran up its back as it fell.

Then fired point-blank into the spinal column with a bow over and over again, while the rest of his team went and removed Ki storage units from various locations on the body. She looked at the bed and saw the bow and his comment about not having his focus and hurting her.

She nodded and sighed. "I know you will not confirm what I saw. I also know it was you on his back, firing into that juggernaut. I wouldn't forget those colors or that bow. You saved thousands of lives before it entered the city, including mine. It flipped the personnel carrier I had been in when it fell.

We were outside of it at the time casting when it knocked me on my ass when it hit the ground. The shockwave. It just absorbed elemental energy. It would recharge its force shield every time we hit it with elemental damage. It was dragon enchanted.

I got a look at it when I went into the enchanter's department for my last 6 months in the service. I had enchanted several things within my unit for others and it was reported back that I had the talent. I designed a new line of armor even. Like the set you are wearing."

He stared at her as she did not appear afraid of him but was in awe of him. He could not confirm the actions. Putting a shot into the giant's shoulder to get the giant to turn its head and he applied more force with his gauntlets to snap its neck.

One of the other took out his Achilles tendon, Commander Triviliana did the honors as it was his plan. That caused it to lose footing before it could fight his effort and helped to offset the Ki cost from the gauntlets because of the gravity assistance in snapping its neck.

His former Commander, who died in the next mission was a great strategist. Jace looked at her, "I can neither confirm nor deny what you may have witnessed. These were my unit colors, that much I can tell you. I don't know if that unit will continue after I left or get absorbed into another unit. Likely absorbed and those colors retired for now as only 1 other remained and she was not a leader type."

Rayne looked at him, "You going to be around a while?"

Jace shrugged, "Depends on how long the process is for getting into the Marshal Service. Your father offered me a position out in a wilderness district; out toward Avalon."

Rayne's eyes lit up, "Careful dealing with them. Marshal or not they are a protected species of this City-State. Most do not live in the City. A lot of them have grudges or chips on their shoulders when dealing with humans. Especially talented ones.

Why I left the service. I had an Elven commander enchanter who did not like what I could do for armor. She thought it was too expensive. Avalon is also their true capital."

Jace nodded, "I have an introduction key for them already. Don't ask how I got it."

Rayne chuckled, "That is a rare gift and will help to a point. At least it is safe passage to an introduction with their Royal Family, which is more than most get."

She walked over and put her hands over the armor. She smiled, "It was not painted in colors yet when I worked on it, that came later. Did it help in the field?"

Jace shook his head, "It helped in the Mall."

She laughed and he stored it again. He looked at her, "Got my armor upgraded as I was exiting. Paid for it myself technically."

Rayne looked at him, "They let you upgrade going civilian?"

Jace smiled, "Technically I bought it outright. My old armor I sent to a friend as part of a package. In case she needed it when she was released from service. It was better than her standard issued armor if you will."

Rayne still shook her head, "That must have been some unit you worked with. I know classified."

Jace looked at her, "You will hear this from your father most likely. Classified Royal Family. Kings Eyes Only. It is on my identity chip that way. Makes travel to other city-states less tempting."

Now she knew she wanted to at least mate with this man. He had to have incredible genetics to be classified that way and to be human...mostly. As she lowered her head and stared at his cock again. Rayne asked him, "Do you have a wife or girlfriend?"

Jace shook his head, "A few children out there, not that they will ever know me. Like most males. I knew I could get out and just breed and make a living but that was not my goal. I have not put much thought into a social life to tell you the truth. I had not had that luxury before now. Something to consider perhaps."

Rayne nodded as she walked toward the door. She stopped, "If you need anything I am just across the hall."

Jace smiled, "You know where I will be. See you in the morning, Rayne."

She sighed, "I never asked your name, at least your whole name. You said, Jace."

Jace smiled, "Jace Rivers, former Army Captain."

She smiled and went back to her room. She got on her terminal to the Weave and looked up the name. Nothing before today and then 2 news articles called him out as a bounty hunter were the only things about him on the Weave. The second noting he made over 480,000 DC's in one day.

She sat back and thought 'One very dangerous badass to make an enemy of him. Was a Captain inside of 2 years?!' She knew he has some cybernetics work done as well. He mentioned a Ki unit, Weave connection, and that amulet was not standard issued gear either. What work exactly that was done, she did not know...yet.

She wanted to know this man and possibly more. No, definitely more. She slid into her bed as she disrobed with her mind swirling over plans to seduce this Jace Rivers into her arms and bed. She thought, 'Gods what that cock of his must feel like inside of a woman.'

---

Jace knew she did a search on him. Not that there was much to find. He went back to sleep but he heard her muffled moans of a climax into her pillow from her. Then again 20 minutes later only louder and more muffled as she tried to hide what she was doing.

He smiled and thought, 'Wonder if Marshal Cooper was looking to set his daughter up when he put me in this room. One could only hope, she was a dammed gorgeous woman.' He was still concerned about being 'tied down' given his plans to escape into the wilds and away from society in general for a while, but if he was to be tied down, she appeared to be a woman worth considering.

---

Marshal Richard Cooper woke to the smell of bacon being cooked. He knew his wife was up already. She was a fiery woman but more of the old-fashioned housewife these days who started her day early; since retiring from the military. She had no reason to find work with what he had banked so far and their retirement incomes.

He could pay for 2 more life extensions and still afford to live them. Not that he looked at stopping anytime soon. He looked at his comm device and it had one message pending. He pulled it up and it was a Royal Family encrypted transmission.

In it was a completed and approved application for making Jace Rivers a Marshal over the district he talked with him about. He shook his head and thought, 'The Royal Family is heavily invested in this kid...hell he is a fucking man with a young face. They are keeping a close eye on him as we talked about that in the car which means he's under surveillance.'

He looked at his record for the military and it contained more information than he pulled from the weave. It was listed Kings Eyes only. It had one line below that which was new. 'Mastro97A asset.'

He whistled out loud on that one. Then saw they listed his incoming rank in the Marshal Service, Captain. That meant he could recruit deputies in the small towns and villages if he needed it and could ride roughshod over local law enforcement if needed out there. They wanted that area cleaned up it appeared. They wanted to put the right man into that job if he was a Mastro 97A survivor then he was the right man.

Richard dressed quickly having showered the night before and went out to his wife, "Put extra on for 2 more. We have one guest but I would guess he will come down starving after his activities yesterday."

He put on the news and she saw what he was watching. Reports of the new bounty hunter collecting over 480,000 DC in one day from 18 bounties had all of the local news station talking. Only half of those bounties were still alive. She looked at her husband, "This our guest?"

Richard nodded, "Offered him a job last night. I got an approved application filled out and filed on him already and I have not even spoken to the Director yet. The application was approved straight from the Royal Family."

She put more food on the stove, "Said prior military. How long did he serve?"

Richard chuckled, "He started as a private and left as a Captain after 2 years. His service record is Kings Eyes Only. Straight into Spec-Ops. He has talent."

She looked back, "Meaning if he were so inclined, he could start a rampage and they want to keep him happy. This probably told them they should get him out of the city. Before he transferred to another city. Job offers would be coming into him if they had an address for him. Especially after this. All kinds of corporations. He would seriously look to become a Marshal?"

Jace walked in, "I would. As it gets me out of the city and lets me keep my bounty hunter status. I have no intention of starting any rampage or doing anything to upset the Royal Family. They can recall me to service if they need me for a given mission but I don't suspect they would do that often. Especially with what I have banked in a day."

Helen nodded, "Saw that on the news. Was the RPG necessary?"

Jace took a chair and shrugged, "You would have to ask Victor Torben. He might be awake by now. I blew out both of his legs at the knees after he hit me with the first shot from that thing. He was reloading it when I did that. The second shot went into the ceiling of the parking structure."

She read like her husband at 600Ki. Their daughter was at 200Ki. They all had Ki expansion units.

She looked at him, "You are registering at 100Ki." He turned on his expansion unit and her mouth fell open, "You have a corporate sponsor?"

Jace chuckled, "It is full, I pulled all of the expansion units from 18 fugitives. I have 13,000+ Ki within those units. On top of what the news is talking about."

Helen looked at her husband, "You know more."

Richard sighed, "Jace, are you serious about wanting that job?"

Jace nodded, "Yes. I just need to fill out the paperwork and get it approved. I have to get to the Avalon Valley soon though. Sooner is better. I may have to come back for that."

Marshal Cooper turned off the news and displayed his filled out and approved application. Richard looked over, "Sent to me by the Royal Family at their encryption level. I have never seen an application approved that fast. I probably won't ever see it again. They added the location which means it is very likely they are monitoring you."

Rayne walked in, "He will not confirm or deny it. I saw the coloration and markings on his armor last night. The one with the bow I talked about with the giant juggernaut. I suspect it was him, but he will not confirm it. He wears that unit's armor and he has a bow upstairs and magical talent."

Helen, Cooper's wife, looked at her, "When did you see his armor?"

Jace answered, "Shortly after she walked in on me naked coming out of the shower. Your husband put me in the room across the hall. She screamed and went to cast a spell. Flashing her naked body from under her robe. I had no room to complain about nudity at that point. I had showered her mine and she showed me hers.

I told her I was not wearing my focus and if I cast, I could seriously hurt her. Then I told her that the Marshal brought me home with him after my vehicle was destroyed. One of those bounties put explosives in it. Another one landed on the vehicle from across the garage setting those off.

I threw him telekinetically. The RPG shot came in after that. Nearly cost me one bounty. I had one bounty I just tossed off my shoulder. He was killed in the crossfire. He was still alive but braindead after the Mall cop pulled a gun and shot him in the head while attempting to shoot me.

To go along with the first shot I did put into him. He was in a regeneration mode. The incoming rounds ended that and I had tossed him to the side. The RPG round knocked me back and on my ass.

Yet enough of him was left to be identified. His head and left arm were there just no longer attached to the rest of the remains. I would say body but half of that was missing. I am not telling you anything that is not hitting the Weave right now.

They released camera footage from the mall and garage. Someone did. Not exactly breakfast conversation but I have a feeling that is not unusual in this house with him being a Marshal and retired military. As are you for that matter. Mage corp. Major even."

Helen looked over, "You told him?"

Jace interjected, "I have a direct feed into the Weave. I can access a lot of personnel files, at least the years of service and rank. Not what you did. Your daughter put some of the enchantments into my armor by the way. I did not know if you were working on setting me up with your daughter, or unaware she had a clog in her bathroom and used the one across the way."