Pressed face against the floor, Brail had a lot to think about.
'You're one of our youngest and most promising candidates for the task, they said. You will be ideal for this position. Yeah, right. I don't want to think what it would be if I actually was in a situation to go forth as a scout.'
He didn't want to speak now, but conversation around him was only heating up.
"Don't know, but we need to make a decision, and make it fast."
'One hour, shit went south after one fucking hour!'
"I'm pretty sure, he's not a Nightmare Creature. He doesn't seem to be mad and cuffs working properly. So how…"
'Well, at least I could see from here couple of small screens on top of driver cabin dashboard, and that one looking suspiciously like compass. We are heading south. Thanks, I get it already. Not funny.'
"Not like I tested, but I'm sure my ability won't work on them either, so I agree with Sa.. her. Names. He heard mine, but not yours."
"Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that."
The big guy, pressing his lower back with something incredibly heavy, was speaking with effort, like he was dead tired. How come he didn't sense such a giant, moreover in such state and enclosed space? There, were also two more, so he failed trice.
'You will be a great recon, they said. Even though previously he never took the position. Anyway, where these ninja people came from?'
"If he's human, then where is Cap? Or did he take his body?"
Young guy with stretched smile who pressed the short sword to his left leg, was nervously biting his lip, as if unsure what to do. Driver answered.
"I don't think this is him or even his body. First of all, we couldn't overpower something in Captain's body so easily, you remember weak spots talk, other things not even worth mentioning. Second, as I said, if it was actually him, but brainwashed, controlled in any way or else, we would be dead already. Third, and most important, do you guys really think something can enter this madman's mind? Nightmares have him, remember?"
"Yeah, I don't think so either. So, here's that. The question is, where the real one and what do we do now?"
'Bunch of non-combatant incompetent idiots? As if. How did I come to this conclusion? Who the hell are those guys? Firekeepers? Special forces?'
Not like it was too difficult to best him in a fight, he was not a venerable duelist or battle specialist, he was just and explorer with utility aspect. It's just that he was a whole rank over them, had a lot more knowledge, and most likely battle experience. And all they needed to identify him as impostor and pin down, not even knowing his possibilities, was one ability, couple small talks, three invisible boogeymans, and one, ONE, second of coordinated efforts!
Stern male voice answered from somewhere right, but Brail couldn't see the guy who was threatening to cut his right calf, from this position.
"We need to decide what to do with the impostor. If this is not Captain, then he must be somewhere nearby. You determined when it happened or not?"
"I'm pretty sure it was an hour ago, little bit more maybe, when we were passing the fork to the highway. Nothing was wrong and the next second Captain's presence just evaporated even though I still saw him right in front of me. I thought I was wrong, but now I know, I wasn't."
"So, we don't know was he replaced physically or in other way?"
"Maybe I'll just blow up his hand a little? If this is Captain's body, he will be okay."
'Please don't, madam, cruelty is not an answer!'
"And if we are wrong and he's just testing us again? He will feel pain. Then we will feel pain. Don't wanna."
"I doubt he would test us on a mission."
"Let's try cooperation first. Hey, what is your name?"
Sword's edge started pressing stronger on the left leg.
'Am I that Darwin nominee and die stupidly, or I follow the rules and die stupidly?'
"Listen, it will be easier for us all if we get our answers quickly, we have a work to do and there is no time to deal with spy jerks like you."
Now halberd was pressing to Brail's chin. Driver's hand trembled, eyes widened and he almost shouted:
"It's not him, I knew it!"
"No shit, genius. So what? It still can be his body, we can't just hurt him."
"And I say we can now!"
Halberd retracted from his face up in the air. A thin trail of blood running down the blade.
"You're screwed bastard."
All of them simultaneously put on maniacal grins and started pressing his limbs and other parts of the body with pretty strong force. Not cutting or breaking anything yet, thanks to his strong body, but his time was running extremely low.
"We won't even kill you. We won't need to. All we will do is hurt you hard enough so you couldn't do anything and wait until the real Captain appears. You don't even realize how dead you are, buddy. So yeah, just give us answers, and maybe we will leave you with couple unbroken parts, what do you say?"
'And what this bunch of psychos will do when their leader won't return? No. No no no no. Enough is enough.'
"Stop. Okay, Okay. You got me. I was testing you. Just let's proceed with our deliveaarrrhhhh. Fuck!"
Something snapped, and his left arm suddenly was bent in wrong direction.
"You want delivery? We will deliver you in right place, bastard, but first you will give us info we need, understand?"
'This small woman is scary as hell!'
"Fine, fine. What do you need? What am I doing here, where your Captain? I can answer, but you will be accountable for the answers, not me."
"Who. Are. You?"
"Fuuuuuf… Lieutenant Brail, Expeditionary Forces, North division, second research and exploration group, fourteenth cohort."
Several moments there were silence, then his second hand started to snap, and somehow weight on his spine become even heavier.
"Stop it! What will you get by breaking my arm? I told you what you asked, so stop twisting my limbs."
"There are no such forces you piece of shit!"
"Of course there are no, DAMN IT, STOP! No such forces. For now. I'm not your enemy, so calm down and let's discuss it as civilized people."
"Sure, sure, but first let's try different question. What did you do to Captain? You have one try."
Scary woman started pressing already broken arm with increasing force and he could almost hear the smile in the voice from behind.
"Lie one more time. Please lie."
The blade on the left leg was no more pressing with edge, instead sword's tip started slowly ripping skin on the back of the knee.
"What do you do to the people, whose place you take in the Nightmares?"
Silence again reigned in the corridor of the heavy armored transport. But this time, fortunately, nobody tried to hurt him. Another difference was sounds outside. Weather was far from what Brail saw in the start, but winds and density of falling snow has intensified. While nobody was speaking, and only nervous gazes was darting to each other, Brail decided to take the initiative and remind of another significant problem.
"I know that I distract you from silent conversation, but I must point out couple essential things. First, how precise are your detection devices? When was the last time at least one of you checked on surroundings outside the vehicle? And lastly, well, I already said who I am so… I saw this snowstorm, on the time reversal, and I'm sure it's pretty much alive. You may not trust my words or intentions, but at least admit I'm not lying about my unwillingness to enter the blizzard."
Now several pair of nervous eyes were staring at him, while driver and big guy intently gazed through the windshield. Eventually man with stern voice asked.
"What you know about the blizzard?"
"I have strict regulations, of what I can and cannot speak about... Don't look at me like that... Fine, I already violated general rules, so I will explain. We are moving south, and the snowstorm was moving north in the vision. I can't say precisely where it came from and where it is now, but I could sense it if you remove suppressing cuffs."
"Nice try, asshole."
"I didn't try anything. If you won't do this, at least try to locate its boundary with your devices, we need to evade it. You can interrogate me along the way. If you ensure that I won't be killed, I will fully cooperate, I have no reason not to."
Big guy didn't rise his weapon from Brail's spine, but somehow the weight decreased.
"I don't like it. But I think he's having a point. I suggest we question him on the way, we can't drop our mission, and even if he's lying about the snow, it interferes with the signal. We can't stay in the middle of nowhere and wait for something to happen without contacting the command. I do realize, that we are possibly abandoning Captain. But I'm somehow inclined to believe the impostor. Even if it's unsettling."
Sword from the right abandoned his poor unguarded calf completely, considering a sound of closing sheaths. Owner of the sword sounded even more somber.
"I agree, Captain know where we are going. And considering weather, we most likely will spend some time at the station, so he can find us there. If not, when we will be returning, we should backtrack the same route up to the mentioned road fork. I will guard that Brail guy, Lieutenant of whatever forces."
After he was freed from that scary trap, tall and serious guy with eyes searching for slightest potentially dangerous movements of Brail's body, lead him to the small, secluded, but comfy nonetheless, cabin. Definitely comfier that big guy's metal coffin with glass panels.
Apparently, these machines were old capsules for the awakened. After all, before humanity escaped into the new world, each time they went to sleep their souls appeared in the Dream Realm, so their bodies needed to be preserved, satiated, and cleaned. That also reminded about the gates, which could attract Awakened, Masters, or even Saints, trying to jump between realms too close to them, breaking their anchor.
In hindsight, Brail understood, that that was one of, if not the main point of his almost immediate exposure. Settling on a couch, explorer addressed his captor.
"Listen I understand how you feel, at least I'm trying too, but just remember that I didn't choose to take the body of your Captain."
Tall guy said nothing on this, took a chair and sit in the corner near the slide-door.
"I get it, I won't bother you much, but tell me how I should call you. I understand this hiding your names thing, but at least think of the nickname, and ask everybody else to do so. Even with such a rough welcome, I don't want to be rude with people."
"How nice of you. Answer is no. Now be nice further and tell me more of what you saw. We need a clear picture."
Armored carriage roared and moved with even higher speed than before, running from the chasing cold winds. Brail carefully answered questions when he deemed it appropriate. Which basically were all questions, after the tall guy demonstrated that he could dissolve his hand just as easily as he healed it. But he also got at least a little bit of information for himself.
They were in fact from the government forces. A battle squad, most likely quick response team of sorts, and judging from his painful and humiliating experience, of high capabilities. They were heading to some research facility to help with evacuation. And person in charge of this facility apparently could guarantee that nothing happened even if unknown Ascended like Brail would try something funny. Because the person in charge was also an Ascended.
'Knowing how Spell usually does, they would be from my cohort. Please, Spell, let it be true, I don't wanna be in this alone.'