Jack thought this was the most stupid idea, ever. But Mike said it would work.
Jack wore a belt that had magical symbols on it, and didn’t do anything but improve his strength. He walked around Ren Cen, hanging out in different places, watching. Waiting for that robot to appear.
Fold was nearby. Alex was right behind him. Kelvin was somewhere, too; so was Teddy. Jack felt like a big spotlight was on him, a big neon arrow pointing down at him saying, “Magic here!” Then, the notification came through from PRIMUS. He was going to be working with someone soon on one of the many police alerts. He waited where he was, near Caprice. He thought he could see Alex across the way, but so many people wore black these days that he wasn’t sure if it was him.
The robot from the pictures came swooping into view. It hovered near him for a moment, just out of arm’s reach. The robot said, it’s voice perfectly pitched to be human, “Do you use magic?”
“No,” Jack lied.
Then a gun split from the robot’s shoulder. “You’re lying. Your magic must be eliminated.”
Jack bolted, jumping behind the hedges near Caprice, while the gun went off. He hit his shoulder hard on the concrete. He scrambled to get to his knees, and looked down at his leg.
A circle of blood widened at his calf. “Shit,” he said. Although the chain-magic could heal him, the shot still stung.
Fold ran to the hedges. “Jack!”
“I got shot,” he said. He tried to climb back over the hedges but his leg wouldn’t cooperate. He had to pick up his leg and swing it over the hedge, then follow with his body. Kelvin and Teddy helped him over.
“Shit,” Jack said again. “I’m not healing.”
“Let’s get you to Scott,” said Fold. “He can heal you.”
Jack nodded, as they set up a teleporter to bring him to the base.
~~~~~~~~
Scott didn’t understand. He poured enough magic to heal him of everything including ancient scars, but the wound would not stop seeping blood. Jack ended up having to go to the hospital. When they did x-rays, they found no bullet in the wound, so they sewed Jack up and gave him crutches.
Jack went home and examined his bracelet that was the magical chain he normally used. Whenever he took off the bracelet, it would turn into the long chain, and he had a special basket for it at the foot of his bed. He took off the bracelet and dropped it into the basket.
Nothing.
No shimmer. No lengthening. No stretching into a long, silver chain. He put on the belt that Mike had given him, and lifted the mattress. It took some effort, unlike this morning, when lifting the mattress was like picking up a piece of paper.
He would have to tell Mike. Tomorrow.
