"So! Who wants to try first?!" I exclaimed in a salesman's tone while the Damon, Astrid and Alberto approached with their evos.
All the soldiers shared a hesitant look, nervously glancing between each other and subtly urging someone else to step forward. I rolled my eyes at the display while Haws just huffed.
"And you call yourselves soldiers…gods above I've never seen a more spineless bunch." Haws grumbled. The soldiers all glared at Haws but did nothing, most likely because of the Gloom hollow standing close by.
"Master Kingston, surely there are better ways to prove a point."
I arched a brow as I watched Ziana and Logan approach from behind the group of soldiers. Ziana had a nervous but determined expression on her face.
"Ziana, your English upbringing is showing. You don't have to refer to me as Master Kingston every time you see me. We're family after all." I said with a casual shrug. Logan and Ziana stopped a few steps in front of the soldiers, acting as a barrier between us and them.
"We may be family but you are one recognized by many rulers and has bested two paragons…in the eyes of many you are a master." Ziana said softly then glanced at the Lycan Zee Jaeger standing behind Astrid. "To make evos such as these, a talented hand is needed."
"Ziana, my Half-brother doesn't need comments like that." Logan said, shooting me a bitter glance.
"Yeah his ego is bloated enough." Damon said with a huff.
"Shuddup!" I snapped.
"I heard no lies." Alberto said. I curled my upper lip at him but Alberto, Damon, Astrid and Haws all chuckled.
"Regardless, if none of you are going to attempt to register then you can all leave." I said, only a little annoyed by Alberto and Damon's comments.
"Still with this bias!" One of the soldiers barked. I rolled my eyes.
"Take the test or don't, those are the options available to anyone that wants to take part in the tournament." I said tiredly. To my surprise Ziana stepped forward and held her hand up slightly.
"If it is alright I would like to take the test." Ziana said softly. My surprise was obliviously showing as she added. "Remember Master Kingston, while I am not a splicer myself I do come from a noble family."
I smirked then stepped to the side and motioned to the four evos that stood beside their perspective handlers.
"Well then sister-in-law, pick an evo." I said.
"Ziana you can't be serious!" Logan exclaimed and stepped forward to stop his wife. Ziana flinched as Logan grabbed her wrist to yank her back, seeing this Logan paused then let go of her carefully but kept her fixed with a hardened gaze. "Those things could rip you apart!"
"I-I doubt y-y-your Half-brother would allow t-that. It's bad for business." Ziana stuttered.
"True. Dead people can't buy evos." I confirmed. Hearing this Ziana gave Logan a comforting look then turned and faced my evos.
In another surprising turn Ziana walked up to the Lycan Zee Jaeger that was standing behind Astrid. Ziana stopped in front of Astrid and looked up at the Lycan Zee Jaeger before her.
Lycan Zee Jaeger's were the combination of grey wolf, ram, black rhino, and electric eel; a tier four evo that would normally be impossible or at least ungodly expensive to create using techno-splicing. It had the general body of a grey wolf only it stood at six and a half feet tall, had a thick shaggy coat and looked scruffy. It's prominent feature were the two curved ram horns sticking out from the sides of its head and the large rhino horn sticking out from where its nose would normally be.
The Lycan Zee Jaeger was based off of the Jaegerlufft. A evo that Ecom; the Justice Technologies military research division; had spent more than ten years and a half billion dollars to create. The reason they spent that much money was to create a attack type evo that could use electricity naturally. Unfortunately they faced failure after failure until they managed to create the Jaegerlufft, their one true success, if only partly. Madilyn's suggestion that I create a evo based off them was fueled entirely by us wanting to embarrass Justice Technologies by effortlessly creating a better version of a evo they struggled so much to create.
"Which type name is this one?" Ziana asked no one in particular as she held her hand up to the Lycan Zee Jaeger. The evo eyed her cautiously then sniffed her hand.
"Lycan Zee Jaeger…" The evo replied. Ziana's eyes widened on hearing the evo speak.
"It can talk…" Ziana gasped.
"Most Star Shaper's evos can." The Lycan Zee Jaeger replied in it's broken universal standard.
"I see…" Ziana muttered, looking a little overwhelmed by the knowledge that my evos could talk. "…In that case would you mind working with me. I would really appreciate it."
"Ziana! Don't bargain with it!" Logan snapped. The Lycan Zee Jaeger glared at Logan and growled, making my brother take a step back involuntarily.
"Logan don't call her an it!" Ziana snapped at Logan. He looked stunned at her sudden boldness and took another step back. "There is nothing wrong with two being on equal footing bargaining."
"Oh! You were able to tell this evo was a she and you realized that you were on equal footing too. Impressive." I said with an approving nod.
"Equal footing? It's a evo!" Logan snapped.
"And you're a normie." Astrid said in a condescending tone. Logan and the other American soldiers shot her vicious glares. She rolled her eyes and paid them no mind.
"We are on equal footing. She can't compete unless she has partner, and I can't compete unless she accepts me as a partner. In that sense we are on the same footing." Ziana said sparing a glance back the Lycan Zee Jaeger. "There is no shame in coming to a compromise between equals."
The Lycan Zee Jaeger narrowed her eyes at Ziana, seeming to stare straight into her soul. After a moment she stepped forward and stood next to Ziana, sitting down and lowering her head so it was lower than Ziana's.
"You strong, heart and mind advanced. I accept you as partner." The Lycan Zee Jaeger declared. Everyone gasped and stared at Ziana and her new Lycan Zee Jaeger partner.
"WAIT?! Someone actually managed to get a evo to partner with them?!" Damon exclaimed.
"And a Lycan Zee Jaeger at that! They're the pickiest of all the evos we brought!" Alberto added.
"Unnecessary!" The Gloom hollow exclaimed.
"Hurtful!" The Scare-adorable exclaimed and stomped it's front paw.
"Was that insult?" The Ogarai asked while scratching it's head.
'Yes but neither of them are dumb enough to say that…' I thought.
"Regardless, you meet the criteria to participate in the tournament Ziana Kingston. You are currently participant number three so far…" I said quickly before things went further off the rails.
"Thank you. I will try my best to help you win." Ziana told her Lycan Zee Jaeger partner.
I eyed Logan and the other soldiers as Ziana spoke. The soldiers all looked embarrassed or jealous at Ziana getting the Lycan Zee Jaeger's acceptance while they were too scared to even approach it or any of the other evos present.
"Astrid, take our third competitor to the waiting room." I said then motioned to a fifth containment cage near the side of the enchanted arena.
"Alright, this way." Astrid said, turning and motioning for Ziana to follow her.
"I'm going with her. My wife is going nowhere alone with…your people." Logan said, narrowing his eyes at me.
"Then go with her. Like I really care what you do." I replied and casually waved him off. "Now if you all have no intention of taking the test then leave so my team can finish preparations for the tournament.
***
Iris
One hour ago
"How did I end up like this…?" Anders grumbled as we trekked through the white willow forest. We'd just captured three of the American spies that were watching King's Glaive and stolen their appearances with Sin's body transformation magic.
"I don't know why you're complaining, you were the one that wanted to take out the spy hiding in the tree." Reagan huffed.
"That doesn't mean I wanted to take on the guys form! I mean look at me!" Anders snapped and held his arms out to his sides. The soldier who's body Anders had taken belonged to the fattest soldier I had ever seen. I wondered how he passed any physical requirements for service.
"Kind of hard not to." I said shooting Anders a sideways glance. Ander's current body belonged to a man that was taller than his own and much skinnier. He looked like bamboo sprout.
"Sure! Ham it up!" Anders snapped.
"No need to, looks like you already did." Reagan quipped. Anders gritted his teeth and glared at Reagan.
"Keep it up string bean! Im'ma kick your ass!" Anders snapped.
"Unless you plan to sit on me I doubt you're kicking anything. I'm not sure those ham hocks you call legs can get up that high." Reagan rebutted.
"You say that like it my fault this fucker is so fat!" Anders snapped.
"It's your fault for picking possibly the only fat ass in the army and taking his appearance." Reagan rebutted again.
"Bite me!" Anders snapped.
"Only if we get lost and need to eat you to survive. I'm sure we can survive a month on your thighs alone." Reagan teased.
"Can you two focus!" I grumbled as we reached the edge of the forest. "Something is going on among the Americans and it's our job to figure out what."
"I know but tell that idiot to stop calling me a ham hock!" Anders exclaimed.
"I'm not your mother!" I snapped.
"Then stop acting so matronly." Anders said. I turned around and glared at the sarcastic shit which made him take a step back reflexively and nearly fall on his now fat ass.
"Geez, don't make that face. I served with that guy in Arkansas so seeing his face is a little freaky knowing it's you." Reagan said.
The man who I had taken the appearance of was a tall, muscular guy with blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked like that super soldier from one of the comics that Chase and Bo liked to read. His rank was on par with Reagan's before he "died" and if it wasn't for Rainbow Sparkles I wouldn't have been able to catch him off guard.
"Reagan, Anders, please focus up. I'm counting on you two. And if you fuck this up I'm slicing both your manhood off with A rusty and dull butter knife." I said shooting them with a warning glare.
"Odin's breath! Could you use a less terrifying threat!" Anders exclaimed.
"If I did then you wouldn't listen, though honestly I find it sad that I feel it necessary to threaten you to make you do your job correctly." I replied dryly.
"To be fair my job before this was soldier, not magical super spy." Anders rebutted.
"We're still not magical Ned." Reagan replied.
"I'm wearing a Fat ass soldier's skin! How is that not magical?!" Anders exclaimed.
"You're not wearing his skin…oh for the love of the Gods I'm not going into this with you right now! Let's just go. We have a lot of ground to cover if we're going to make it to the American's hotel." I said then stomped off towards the nearest town.