Junction Pt. 01

They walked up the metal detector. Jace put his bow, sidearm, and the bag on the belt to be scanned. It set off alarms and then Jace set off alarms walking through.

Marshal Cooper looked over, "Bounty hunter who has an application for the Marshal service already approved. I just have to take him through the in-processing."

The security guard looked at Coop, "He has 60-70 assorted handguns in this bag, Coop!"

Another ran a wand over him, "I am picking up metal throughout his body?!"

Jace nodded, "I have 24 hours to bring in any confiscated weapons off of a bounty I collected while in the city. To check for any stolen property or property that has had illegal modifications done. I collected 18 bounties yesterday. As to the other, the doctor will see all of that."

The guard looked up at the news and then back at Jace and nodded, "If Commander Coop vouches for you, I am not about to get in your way. Not after seeing that."

Jace picked up his gear and Richard took him to the gun range area first and the armory. He brought him up to the window, "Marshal Hill, back in the gun cage again?"

Randy Hill sighed, "Yes had a fender bender. Have to get recertified on the course again before they will put me back in a car."

Jace set the bag on the counter, "To ensure you are not bored. 77 guns seized from bounties I collected. Check, clear, and let me know how many of them are legal to keep. They were brought in on Warrants and not weapons charges. I wanted to establish an arsenal first if the need ever arose."

Jace's weave search on this marshal showed a lot of gambling debt that went to being flush every 3-4 months on this man. Marshal Hill looked at Jace, "You're the one from the news. This would normally be done through the city."

Jace smiled, "I put the Minister of Defense on the Chief of Police's ass yesterday. I have an approved application into the Marshal Service. Fast-tracked by the Royal Family."

Jace stuck his hand under the reader. "I would like a receipt for those."

Randy sighed and wrote down all of the information. He had 22 off to the side already. "Illegal weapon manufacturer. Not street legal here. Many City-States will not approve of your bow or your Judge; just so you are warned. You will get issued a sidearm."

Jace looked at Marshal Hill, "Then I better get issued a locker here to keep it in. I'm not carrying that piece of shit into the wilds."

Richard looked at Marshal Hill, "Process the guns, send me a message. I am taking him up to Director Younger's office. He is, as of yet, unaware of our new hire."

Randy laughed, "Your kidding, right? Those things come from him down. After the background checks and the Academy."

Richard looked over, "Not in his case. That is why we are going to go see him now."

Richard walked away with Jace, "Randy spent 18 months getting into the Marshal Service. Been with us for 2 years. His driving record was noted in his file so this is not his first fender bender. That makes 4 this past year."

Jace nodded, "Never had one that anyone can prove." Jace now suspected he knew how the man got flush with his gambling debt. He would wait until he had a badge before confronting the man. He wanted to see what he did with the guns he brought in.

Richard chuckled while they rode the elevator to the top and walked into a large reception area with one office in the back. Richard looked over, "I need to speak with the Director, Wanda. I have an out of cycle new hire straight from the Royal Family."

Wanda looked over and then called into his office, "He said he will see you and wants to know what the fuck is an out of cycle new hire?"

Cooper walked Jace around the desk and into Director Younger's office. Not his real name. Just something humans could associate with the Elven leader in front of them.

Jace gave a quarter bow to the director and removed his gloves. Jace called out, "Shialara." The ring on his left hand appeared. The Director looked at it and became irate, "You know how many elves would kill you for possessing that let alone wearing it?!"

Jace nodded, "Unless you have one of these." He dropped an amulet with a family crest on it on his desk. "With one of these that is bound to you and can only be removed by someone who is a blood relation. The first being an introduction of course. The ring was magically attached to my hand. He was my commanding officer, Commander Triviliana, and my instructor in this."

As Jace held up his bow. "I was with him when he died. I wanted to carry him out and he told me, 'No, save my legacy. That is more important than my body.' I have under 30 days to get it back to them. Marshal Cooper is aware of my abbreviated shopping trip to the mall to get gear to travel there. I have been all over the news."

The Director sat down for a second, "You have a responsibility to get that back to his family."

Jace nodded, "I know that. The first day out of the military I got my bounty hunters license. You've seen the news. I was shopping for some survival gear to head to Avalon. Then the Marshal talked with me about an opening out that way. The Royal Family sent him my approved application. Likely because you would never be allowed to read my service record. Kings Eyes Only."

Cooper sent the message over to the Director, "How did it end up with you in the loop?"

Jace smiled, "He happened to hear it on the police band and showed up at the same time as the cops as he stated, or the Royal Family contacted him directly because of his own personnel file if I had to guess. He was a lifer in the service. I left a Captain, in two years."

Younger looked over, "Where did you start?"

Jace looked at him, "Private, during training." Cooper pressed a button on the desk and the room sealed from monitoring. "Read the section on his service record. Another reason they probably sent it to me is my time in the service and being a retired General. Mastro97A asset.

I have never seen Mastro97 without an 'A' and never with the word 'asset' associated with that. The running joke is in bad taste and likely very true. Was that Mastro97A reference to the 97% mortality rate. These are the guys they send in on extremely high-risk missions that never happen.

Suicide missions. Instead, we have a fast burner, that designation, with 'asset', and his rank are big red flags to me that he is skilled. He could not confirm it if he wanted to, I suspect that his entire 2-year stint was in a unit doing those kinds of missions."

Jace looked over, "The A stood for Alpha personality types or alpha predators if you will. Unofficially it was 4.5 years starting when I was 16 years old; 6 months after I turned 16. To get through the 18 months of Enhanced Spec-Ops training; then another year training under the Commander undergoing the official Spec-Ops training before starting my tour. He was one of my training officers when he was not off on missions himself. He certified my sniper certification with a bow and a rifle. I prefer the bow, like him."

Younger looked at him, "How did you get into military training at 16?"

Jace sighed, "I was in training my entire life. The King put me into that training program for 18-months before my basic training. They do not put privates into Spec-op units. I was a sergeant at 19; before starting my tour. I finished at the top of my class assessments every 6 months for 30 months. If I said CGR to you with Sylvia what would you think?"

Director Younger sighed, "You were a genetic experiment with that designation and a highly successful one."

Jace looked at him, "I can neither confirm nor deny your suspicions on the mater. Kings Eyes Only."

The Director nodded, "Alright, they put you in as a Captain; keeping your military rank and want you in the Wilds toward Avalon."

Jace nodded, "My stars aligned because I was heading there anyway. Another carrot as they are likely tracking my movement and conversations. After my one day as a bounty hunter people were beginning to see, I could not keep a very low profile in the city. At least for a while. I was buying survival supplies when attacked, I knew I was being tailed. I addressed and eliminated the problems."

The director sighed, "We will have to get your ID, a vehicle issued, and a sidearm."

Jace shook his head, "I would like to bring in my own vehicle and get the police package put into it minus your radio. It is not needed or desired. They can be tracked too easily. I have a cybernetic 910 processor with a 50% dragon Weave uplink crystal installed.

Access to the bounty hunter database and a complete facial recognition package to confirm identities. Authorized before my release by the Minister of Defense who approved my application. I can monitor police bands and if you need me while I am conducting surveillance, I will give you a dropbox to access.

The Royal Family can find me anywhere of course. I just need an access code for your vehicle identification and license database. Criminal history database access as well. Saves me time from searching public records only.

Now to sidearms, you are going to tell me while on duty I have to use your sidearm and I have mine for off duty. I will tell you I will never be off duty and unless you have a locker here for me store that sidearm in, I will never take it into the wilds.

Quite frankly. They are for shit in the woods and do not have enough stopping power. I would recommend an X series instead of an F series of that line or something else altogether across the department. I have seen more men killed holding that weapon as opposed to killing someone with it."

Cooper looked over, "He identified 18 bounties in 16 hours on the street and neutralized them all. He pulled up my file, my daughters, and my wife's. He probably has your file but has not said anything. He checks every person he meets.

He is the right Marshal for that area and the Royal Family sent that to me before I could even talk to you or them. That means they were monitoring me as well. I don't have a direct line to the Minister of Defense as a retired General, but he does."

The Director sighed, "I need to get a fire signature on your primary weapon." Jace held up his bow and the director sighed, "Sidearm."

Jace nodded, "Just need to stop by your ballistics shop and pick up a 1-meter piece of 3cm thick titanium, 2 meters high, 2 of them to be safe 4 would be better. Someone will be foolish enough to ask to fire it. This will go through 3cm thick easily. Then we can go to your range."

Cooper laughed, "Those things have a hell of a kick. That is why they are not very popular. I saw what you did to the man with the RPG. Jace through the footage up for the Director on his big screen. "You got hit square in the chest and got up and fired 2 shots with that weapon, one-handed. I do not see any kickback from that weapon that I can see in this image. I am looking at you and your Ki..."

Jace turned it on and the Director looked up, "1096 Ki with it. I am surprised it is not full."

Jace nodded, "It was until I fixed Marshal Coopers clogged pipe this morning. He summoned on his armor and held out his hands, "Evoker gauntlets. The large dent is from the RPG. Knocked me on my ass and took about 300 Ki when it hit. I fired from prone. Technically sitting on my ass."

He opened his bag up and pulled out the Ki storage units, "Pulled from the bounties; "I consolidated 12 into 3 yesterday afternoon when I got my new swords and my bow crystal upgraded. They are 2,000Ki units. Requires corporate sponsorship.

Like Phantom Corp who hired those mercenaries. I can drain them if I have to go that route with the vamp unit I have, 2Ki at a time. The Minister of Defense was taking care of Phantom Corp personally. Getting some of the heat off my ass from the crooks."

Director Younger looked down, "They found the president in his office with an 8cm hole straight through his head, the chair, and the window going out." He displayed an image.

Jace thought for a second as he ran through his weapon's catalog, "Sounds like an HM273 out of BoYork's Yanks Armament. Not street legal and not licensed for import. Manufacturing is limited. A short-range assassination weapon. Will get the job done. Especially if they are unarmored."

The Director pulled it up and looked at the specs and a video on it. "8cm of titanium. A High-Velocity Megajoules Laser but loses cohesion after 100 meters. To nothing at 500 meters. Royal Bodyguards carry those weapons. I think I will leave that one alone for now until I get guidance."

Jace nodded. Coop took Jace through getting his identification, badge, and processing his application with personnel. Coop took him to medical and Jace looked at the doctor, "Nothing more than X-rays. You will know why after that."

The Doctor ran a series of them and came back and looked at him, "Every bone is infused with a titanium strand mesh. Even your Skull, inside and out!"

Jace nodded, "Helps with the muscle density generator in my chest. I could probably rip a car door off its hinges with my hands. Although if I am doing that I might as well use the gauntlets and toss the whole damn vehicle."

Coop chuckled. The Doctor looked at Jace, "Who in the fuck are you?"

Jace smiled and stuck his hand under the identifier. "Everything you are allowed to know."

He read the file which now included San Angeles State Marshal Service, Captain Jace Rivers.

The doctor made some notes and signed off on his medical exam. That included his metal detection waiver. He still had to go through them, it checked many things, but it let them know a wand was useless on him and it was expected. They stopped down at the ballistics shop. They picked up 4 of those plates and went to the range.

Coop asked, "Why did we get 4 of these and this 5 cm round bar that is a meter and a half long?"

Jace sighed, "Because if your range master is worth his salt, he will not want me firing that weapon on the range. Even though the director wants a signature."

They got to the range and the range master looked at what they were carrying and then spotted Jace's sidearm. He barked out, "Fuck no! You are not firing that on my range!"

Jace looked at him, "The Director ordered getting a ballistic sample. You will also require me to show accuracy. Pull out the waiver form and I will sign it."

The man laughed, "Only a Captain or above can do that."

Jace nodded, "I know. I have all your regulations in a memory core to access. As long as I can demonstrate control over the weapon and give you a signed waiver."

Jace set down the plates. He slid his hand under the identification and grabbed the metal bar and bent it in half until it snapped.

Coop looked at the range master, "Titanium microfilaments on his bones and enhanced muscle density. He just came out of the military, Spec-Ops. Hang these with the targets." He handed him two plates. The Range Master went out and set up a stationary target at 100 meters.

The Range Master called out, "NOBODY behind the shooter!"

Jace smiled, He called out, "Head, neck, center mass, daisy shot on the center, elbows, hands, knees, and then feet. Last shot...groin. He held the thing one-handed bent at the elbow. The range instructor shook his head as he started firing off rounds, between 1 and 2 seconds between shots to retarget."

The Range Master looked at his target, "I cannot believe they are letting you use that in the city."

Jace looked at him, "I did as a bounty hunter yesterday, I damaged 3 cinderblocks and one metal door when the round passed through the targets. The RPG damage was not mine. That is where this dent came from." As Jace activated his armor and pointed at his chest. He changed out to a fresh clip.

"Alright, who is the badass wanting to fire this thing. To show it is some kind of trick?"

The range master stepped forward, "I have fired one before. I can barely believe you could do that."

Jace pointed, "Fresh targets. They will not take another hit in those locations. If you shoot center mass and it will be on top of his right shoulder or above it. The kick is up and to the right. You want to hit center mass aim closer to the left kneecap. Adjusting for standard muscle density."

They got the target in place and the range master took aim with both hands and fired at the knee cap and hit center mass just to the right side of center."

He stepped back a few feet in mid-shot. He stepped forward and put the gun down while shaking him numbed hands. Jace put the hearing protection on. Switched to left-handed and fired and shot out the letter J, Half of 'R' and then switched mags, and finished the R and put the last 4 rounds into the eyes, mouth, and groin of the target. He put the gun in its holster after loading a fresh magazine and chambering a round. "Did I qualify with my sidearm, range master?"

He chuckled, "You did. None of these apes would qualify with that weapon."

One officer asked, "Who would use that weapon?"

Jace smiled, "Not many, it has a secondary that is a laser and does not have the kick or penetration. But it is great for swat teams working on taking out street gangs in these old cinderblock buildings. If they fire 4-6 rounds into the wall and they will be dead or giving up. Also, Military Spec-Ops units who have been enhanced to use it.

A lot of your former Spec-Ops guys are swat officers or private security after getting out for a reason. It is available to the public because nobody; in general, will get that weapon unless they know what the fuck they are doing. They checked my ID saw bounty hunter and Kings Eyes Only on my file. He also had the processor and bio scanner combo needed to see the upgrades I have installed.

He did not question me on the gun choice when I asked for it by name. We should go to the cage and see how the other 55 guns are coming along. Stuff I collected from the bounties. I turned over the strictly military-grade ordinance to local police, including 2-L54 Thruster sub-machine guns.

They are not released yet to the military even. Also a stock military RPG unit Model 47Delta; two years out of date but still not street legal. No RPG is street legal. I am headed to the wilds in the next week or so. If not sooner. I have to get my vehicle into the motor pool. First I have to buy the vehicle as they blew up my brand new Corvin at the mall."

The officers chuckled at Jace for that. He walked over to the cage and Marshal Hill looked at him, "You get 45 of them back. You know one is our standard-issue sidearm."

Jace nodded, "Different series. X series, not F series. The ones the military required them to fix for fieldwork. It will also handle the double-loaded ammo for better penetration. They can handle the dirt and muck of being in the wilds. You're running around with city pistols. I already made my recommendations to the Director on your sidearms. Where is the G437, what was wrong with it?"

Marshal Hill looked over, "It is still in the ballistics chamber from its scan. Honest mistake."

Jace nodded knowing it was a high-impact laser side-arm and the most expensive gun of the lot, while still being street legal, not counting his Judge. "I want to see all of those other weapons tagged for destruction, Marshal Hill."

Jace ran his hand under the id scanner and Marshal Hill nearly screamed, "What in the hell? You walk in and become a Captain?!"

Jace sighed. "Take it up with your Director or the Royal Family. I was a Captain in the military. I guess they felt it fitting. I have the Avalon Wilds region."

Marshal Hill shook his head, "Not a place for the weak of heart."

Jace nodded, "Then I will be right at home."

He got a direct message from the Royal Family. It was 'authorization to use 2,000Ki unit as the Royal Family wishes to protect their investment just in case, he was needed in the future.' He threw a copy to Coop who chuckled, "They are monitoring when you wipe from the looks of it. You had that discussion in the director's office when it was sealed off."