Ten Years Ago

The formally dressed officer introduced himself as General Gernald of the RNS Army. When Levi only stared blankly back he clarified.

"The army that isn't occupying the town you live in." When Levi could only ask what occupying meant the general sighed and started asking various questions and playing many games but they weren't very fun. Counting, measuring, pattern identification, then more questions and more games. He soon came to find he could ignore the man and still reply to this annoying inquisition.

Instead when given a map to calculate distances and arrival times which had to be explained, he instead focused on how long it would take him to walk there while the man spoke of flying or train travel. When given calculations of funds to solve, verbally to the man's annoyance since Levi couldn't read them. He instead came up with an expected living costs for himself. Either tiring of the speaking the harder questions or noticing Levi's complete lack of interest. The general removed a wooden tube that rattled and set it on the table and smiled. Levi was not so enthusiastic, but the general only smiled all the more.

"Alright smart guy, I want you to tell me how many pieces are in this." Levi took it and his other hand tugged at it. "It doesn't open and the pieces are made of different sizes and materials so you can't simply sum this one up."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"That's your problem. These tests aren't to see if you can do basic functions. The first three or so made sure that you weren't impaired but the rest are used to determine your ability."

"My ability? I believe I've shown I have many abilities."

"But only one unique one. If you're a fourth class as I'm told you are, you will have one talent. Its impossible to know what. Most of those we keep secret but we have one that can stand some where and know the weather that area will have for the next few days. Another, one that manages government funds can calculate amounts of numbers that would make you queasy without trying."

"So you think I have a talent for counting things I can't see?"

"No this is just one many tests that will direct us toward what your talent is." Levi sizzled mentally. He would not perform tricks for this man, tricks that would tell him what he could be used for when he had no intention on staying. On impulse he flung the tube across the room at the wall. They both watched it strike the wall and shatter, Levi burned the sight of the dozens of stones scatter into his memory. The man didn't seem annoyed but then he didn't seem to reveal any emotions. This only annoyed Levi all the more, that this man didn't care how he felt.

"Someone has a temper." he smiled.

"13 red stones, 5 green, 21 black and 12 white." Levi said and rose. "Give or take two or three, count that yourself."

"You can't simply walk away from this. Everyone will be looking for you and some won't be so kind about it."

"Then they can try to find me too."

"What about your family?"

"They won't want me, so what about them?"

"I'm glad you realize that, but once the others realize who and what you are. They'll do whatever it takes to get you on their side if not simply kill you." Levi understood his hint.

"Then you better look after them so I can't be sent against you."

"Clever. But the fact still remains that-" he rose a hand in signal to wait but Levi pushed it aside. A shock ran through Levi and his hand automatically clenched on the general's. A floodgate of information opened to him and flowed forth at a relentless pace. Numbers, images, maps, sentences, conversations and countless other things flooded the channels of his mind and he stumbled under the burden.

Yet even as it continued to come, the collected pieces connected and Levi had formed a breath taking comprehension of the world outside his little village, mostly military in purpose but much that wasn't. Base locations, amounts of personnel, amounts of airships and aircraft and their crew rosters and blueprints. A city he never heard of he now had memories of and books of facts about, from trade routes, to histories, to the locations of gambling parlors. The river was suddenly blocked as he was thrown backwards and his legs unprepared stumbled as his heavy form collapsed onto the rocky floor.

He laid there for perhaps a few minutes as his mind tried to organize itself. The general also stunned, didn't speak until guards arrived and assisted him while dragging Levi to his feet. Levi didn't resist and only glanced about, trying to find the memory that told him where he was.

"What happened, what did you see?" Gerald asked.

"What did I see? I think I saw many things. Where am I and when is this?" The General seized him by the neck and shook him.

"Boy, you'll tell me what you just did-"

"Sir." The other meta, James said sternly. "I think you just discovered his talent."

"I can see that! I still-"

"What I mean sir, is that I doubt he knows what happened. He's just tuning us out now, so there's no use getting angry with him. Why don't we take him up and sort this out later, sir." The general sighed and released Levi.

"You're right, but cannon fire. I never felt something so bleak. I was trapped in my mind, took everything- " he stopped and glanced into the darkness. "Never mind, break camp as quickly as possible. I want all crews arranged and loaded as they came and soon. Our A.S. will be airborne as soon as its ready."

"Yes sir." the meta said and turned to see Levi staring up at him.

"Coronal James Flagg. Age twenty six, five feet and seven inches tall. Three golden crowns awarded in the last eight years. You lead the team that assassinated the Counselor of Energy and directed the attack that brought down the Iron Panther. Your hometown is Ceolis where your family business still operates there. You make 54,000 marks...every..." he said then quieted and stared blankly up at the two men that stared back, mouths agape then turned to Gernald.

"General Genarld Pikes. Age forty-six." the general threw his hand over his mouth.

"Nothing good can come of this. As I said, lets pack this-" the elevator rumbled to life as the cables spun signaling that the box was descending from above. "Oh what is it now?" the General growled and turned to James.

"Haven't heard a thing since we came down here, all static." he nodded and waved for the stationed guards to focus the what lights they could on the vertical shaft. It turned out to be completely pointless for when the metal crate reached the bottom, flames streamed from the interweaving metal bars. They backed away from the intense heat but James sprinted forward and pried open the gate. Levi couldn't fathom what he expected to find but what he did probably wasn't it. There was a low hum and a disorienting blast accompanied by a wave of force as James Flagg was sent tumbling across the ground. A gunshot followed and though Levi had rarely heard one, the general's memories held countless occasions of different guns firing and so could identify it the model and type.

The large round for a personal firearm caught the general in the chest. He was on the ground as fast as gravity allowed. He knew what gravity was Levi marveled as he turned back to the elevator, where three figure's had emerged, two fully metallic metas and the last in a full body suit with a glass plate as a face. Levi watched with a combination of morbid curiosity and chaotic fright as the man in the suit raised a long barreled weapon, turned a nozzle and pursued the approaching guards with an arching spray of flames. Oddly he felt a bit of comfort when the other two looked at him and the bulkier of them came forward and heaved him over his shoulder as if he was a bag of flour and not a metal based boy.

True they were kidnapping him, but that was better than assassinating him as he'd considered they might. He might have screamed a month before, and would have doubtlessly put up a struggle but he had already been kidnapped in a way, now there had simply been a shift in his handlers. If they got him out of this cave, he hardly cared what flag they carried.

The other was emptying his deafening weapon upon the few guards that were challenging the flamethrower, or at least he assumed for he couldn't see in his current position. His captor returned to the elevator but before he could throw the switch or call back his allies there was a crack and Levi was heaved to the floor as the meta stumbled. The iron cage rattled as Levi struck the ground and stared upwards. The light from high within the shaft revealed dust as it showered upon him and watched as the meta turned about to get his own dose of shelling. He slapped the large button that should of caused the elevator to rise but it remained still and after hitting once more while under constant if cautious fire and realizing that it was not going to obey, turned to face Levi.

Levi shuddered and his mind blanked then reacted as quickly as the man reached out for him. The meta would kill him now, escape was impossible, bargaining was as well. Neither side would allow the other a chance to escape with him, it was the now deceased general that warned of this. Better to destroy this meta called Levi then risk him being captured by another and now he was in danger. Separate his head from his body, break his spine, crush his mind and on and on. So many ways to die and so few ways to live. But as he reached up and caught the man's descending hands with both of his own, their minds connected as before and Levi had no choice but to absorb his memories or let them cycle endlessly through his mind.

No there was a difference, for there was an outsource, a release for the information. He sent a single thought down this link and it came back out in the river of incoming data. It was the meta, he was holding the meta with both arms this time instead of only one and it was clear that one hand could only take in information and the other give it. And through the chaos, a concept arose. If he could take information and force it upon some one, could he alter it?

Moments later, Levi released the meta's arm and it released him as well and straightened. Levi watched in shock as he crawled free and backed into a corner. Someone stepped forward and Levi turned to see James aiming a large gun at the now docile man.

"Don't move." James said and two more soldiers approached with weapons as well. The unnamed meta turned to James as well and spoke, the cavern was silent and still except for the dancing shadows of the remaining flames, as he did and for a dreadfully long while afterwords as they looked between him and Levi in horror. This terrible words were unforgettably these.

"This better be a joke James or I'll have you before a Court-martial before you can say mutiny and that goes for the rest of you."

Levi simply turned away in shame for he was the only one that understood his crime. He had killed his attacker, erased every memory from the meta's mind and replaced them with those he held of the general's who by now had expired entirely upon the cavern floor.