Trav came to in a cell feeling like someone had knocked him upside the head. The guard must have use a confounder spell. They had a nasty kick. He'd recognize it anywhere. He and the other rarer magical species of his school were sometimes called upon to test out certain spells under varying conditions – like for example if they could penetrate stone.

So yeah he'd had pretty much everything thrown at him. Everything but death curses. That's how fucked up the council truly is. Anything is permissible where Halfbloods are concerned. He and everyone else in his school are the true expendables. Sorry Sylvester, Jason, Jet and Dolph. They corner the market on throw away warriors.

He didn't have to wonder where he was; he and his crew had spent days here after the Samhain Ball. He was at the guards headquarters, but why? So the alarm had gone off. Did they really think he would terrorize his own school?

Why had the thing gone off anyway? What was up with the stupid machine? His friends had all gone through without a sound, but as soon as he tried to go through the thing went nuts.

Either he was having epically shitty luck these days or someone was trying to screw with him. First he gets sprayed, then something starts following him home and then he sets off the detector. If he had any brains whatsoever he was sure the answer to this craziness would be simple to figure out, but it wasn't.

Suddenly the door swung open and two guards marched in, being led by the Captain of the New Recruits. He'd heard of him, but had never met him.

The guy surveyed the room with the intensity of a bird of prey, but when his rich brown eyes turned to scrutinize him; he couldn't help but shiver. He didn't know what kind of halfblood creature he was -- magical or otherwise, but the guy took intimidation to a whole new level.

The two nameless guards stood at attention behind him like well trained dogs just awaiting his orders. That spoke to the respect he must demand. The guy was built. Not remotely as built as him, but that didn't stop Travis from knowing without a shadow of a doubt that this guy could take him in a fight.

His body was all corded muscle as he prowled the room like a caged animal all the while Travis watched his movements with a wary eye. If the rumours were true; then he knew he could strike with the speed of a cobra. Whatever affinity he had, it must have to do with fighting skills, and if that was the case, if the captain chose to mess him up, he knew he didn't stand a chance.

He shocked Trav though when instead of attacking; he crouched on his haunches in front of him to get down to eye level and entwined his fingers together over his muscular thighs. This was probably the most vulnerable stance a potential combatant could take. He either wanted to put him at ease or he was trying to tell him that he knew he was no threat. Either one worked for Travis.

When he locked him in his eagle eyed stare again Trav decided to break the ice.

"Hey D-d-dude. I mean C-c-captain," Trav stammered, "Y-y-you are the Captain right?"

"Captain Bleylock or just Cap will due."

He shocked him again when he reached out to shake his hand and smiled at him.

Travis didn't hesitate to respond in kind.

Travis was about to launch into a diatribe of questions as to why he was there, but the formidable captain raised his hand.

"You're about to be taken to the Commander and, as your liaison, I suggest you be completely truthful with him. Things could go very badly for you if you're not."

Travis shuddered at his tone. All pretense of friendship was gone. He was a as serious as a heart attack.

Travis gulped audible and stammer, "Y-y-yes Sir."

The Captain said with a chuckle, "Save the Sirs for Knight," as he signaled for the two other guards to step forward.

They brute forced him to his feet and shoved him toward the door without a word. That's okay, he thought. He didn't feel much like talking any more anyway.

They marched him down the narrow stone corridor their footfalls echoing in the empty chambers.

That was all he thought he would hear on his way to see the most formidable person of all; until The captain began to speak, "Not many people are aware that the council guard still resides in the Presidio of San Francisco or as it is also known the Royal Fortress of San Francisco."

"Did you know that the fort was original constructed in 1776 by the Spanish, who promptly gave it to the Mexicans. It wasn't until 1848 that the United States took possession of it? It remained an active military base until 1989. Then in 1994 it was gifted to the National Park Service and is now considered a tourist attraction like Alcatraz. "

He chuckled to himself, "The tourists have no idea that a military force still remains."

"The Halfblood conscripts live and work here. They escape detection using a complex Matrix Spell. Don't laugh," he added, "it's actually a thing that predates the movies."

"This complex spell is made possible by the fort's location at the mouth of the Bay."

To Travis it sounded like the Captain had given this talk hundreds of times. It rolled off his tongue like it was well rehearsed. Travis realized he must be the person that introduces new recruits to their new home.

The Captain continued," It's like the magic used in the school library, but much more mind blowing, because that magic had simply stopped time in between the seconds, and then created a time bridge to that second that now rests in the doorway of the school, AND it's still considered easier than this spell."

"No one less than a 10th level wizard could have accomplished this. Did you know that Merlin created this spell before he disappeared over a century ago?"

Yes, Trav had heard that Merlin had disappeared; who hadn't? And you'll never convince him that Merlin hadn't seen the council coming, and decided, right then and there, to get the hell out of dodge.

In fact, they had discussed Merlin and this very building in magic theory  a few weeks ago and he still struggled with the how of it. 

Don't get him wrong he's not a complete moron; he can understand time slips, he can even understand alternative dimensions. He should; he'd read enough Marvel comics, but he just can't wrap his head around this one.

The only way he could begin to understand it is by thinking of it this way. Right now he could be occupying the same space and time as a tour group walking down the hall; however they wouldn't see or sense or feel each other, because they are on two different frequencies. Like AM and FM on the radio. Don't ask him how they are different but as it turns out they are.

This and many more fucked-up spells are just one of the many reasons he's thankful he's not a magic wielder.

When they marched him in to the commander's office and sat him down forcibly in a wing back chair in front of his heavy oak desk Travis had the good sense to become truly scared. You didn't see the commander of the guard unless the shit had truly hit the fan.

Commander Forsyth was legendary in his school. The guy invoked fear all through his Halfblood ranks right down to the youngest -- the soon to be conscripted of North America.

The grey haired wizard fixed him with a hard stare and sat forward in his chair. The officers left the room without a single word and left Trav to the weighted stillness of the office. The ticking of the analogue clock above the commander's head was deafening in the silence. He looked up to see it was already noon; he'd slept the morning away.

Travis sat there and waited to be spoken to. Perhaps the commander thought that silence would break him down, but that was Trav's constant state of being. He's spent an entire childhood avoiding conversations. They only lead to unpleasant situations. So yeah he wouldn't be the one to speak first.

When the commander leaned back and rubbed his temples like he was in pain, Trav waited for the tirade but instead he spoke softly to him, "Mr. Stone, I believe you are aware of why you're here?"

"Sorry I seriously have no clue . . . Scratch that . . . I do know something. The detector malfunctioned. It beeped when I went through and it shouldn't have. "

"I'm afraid it's working perfectly son. Can you explain why you had a magical tracking device attached to you?"

"W-w-what did you say?" Travis sputtered thinking he must have heard him wrong.

"A magical tracking device, you had one attached to you." The commander grabbed the bridge of his nose. And ground out, "Come now you can't expect me to believe you had no idea it was there."

When Travis continued to stare at the commander like he'd suddenly grown two heads, the commander lost it and ground out through clenched teeth, "For Christ Sake, it took one of the most skilled magical wielders in my squadron to remove it. I'm not an idiot. You're in league with the usurpers."

Travis suddenly got with the program and thought : Oh that's rich he thinks I'm rolling with Liam's crew, in fact he looked pretty convinced of it. How was he going to convince him otherwise?

"Do you think I would have anything to do with Liam and his crew? After they'd tried to kill us, not once, not twice, but several times," Travis blurted out incredulously.

The Commander fixed him with a cold stare and responded with an icy tone, "I can break you here," he poked his finger on his desk for emphasis, and continued," or I can break you in the dungeon, but mark my words, I will break you."

The undisguised hatred in his voice sent chills down Trav's spine and cold sweat broke out all over his body. He might not have any clue who'd spelled him, but something else was becoming very clear to him, he was totally and unequivocally fucked.

Just then there was a timid knock at the door. It sounded like whoever knocked knew the commander would not appreciate the interruption.

And he was right, the commander turned his crazed stare on the closed door and bark out, "I said I was not to be disturbed."

A very frightened Lieutenant opened the door and stammered out, "P-p-please pardon the intrusion commander, but the boy's mentor and the principal of the school are requesting to be present during the interrogation." When he finished speaking, he blanched and awaited the reprimand that was soon to come.

When Travis looked back at the Commander he was beet red and looked remarkably like his head was about to explode. He was actually clutching the desk on either corner looking like he was trying to crush it with his bare hands.

His teeth were clenched so tight they looked like they might crack under the pressure, when he finally ground out, "Request denied."

Those two simple words crushed Travis. His heart had soared at the mention of his two greatest champions: Ms Murakami and Principal Tuma. They were his only hope of getting out of this. He wasn't smart enough to talk his way out of a wet paper bag.

"Yes commander, sorry commander. "

Travis watched sorrowfully as the guard slowly backed out of the room like he was retreating from a rabid animal.

He continued to watch as the door slowly closed, but before it closed all the way it was suddenly thrust open again and in walked a very confident looking Mister Tuma and an equally concerned looking Kitsune. She was in her true form, not her glamoured human disguise.

He had to smile. She was sending a clear message to the scary AF Commander. She was gently implying see these ten tails: they mean I could crush you like a bug, so back off, because if you mess with the bull you'll get the horns.

Ms Murakami took a seat in the identical wingback chair beside him and took his hand in hers to give it a reassuring squeeze before she turned her cool gaze on the enraged commander.

Mr. Tuma stood comfortably behind her, and resting his elbow on the back of the chair, he crossed his front leg in front of the other to affect a nonchalant stance.

Then he broke the silence with the friendliest voice Travis ever heard, "Hello Gregory. It's been a long time."

Travis looked back and forth between them. He shouldn't be shocked he'd used his first name. Of course he would, the Commander would have been a student at his school too.

"That's Commander to you." He bit out angrily.

"Of course, you're a Commander now. How wonderful for you. We'll then as a Commander you are sure to know that in the absence of a magical guardian either I or a student's mentor must be present during questioning of an underage minor."

If anything the commander looked even angrier than before. Travis wondered how making the guy angry enough to spit nails would be helpful -- unless his principal was trying to invoke an aneurism.

"The council has suspended all rights and privileges until such time as the insurgents are caught and tried before the council."

"Well since I'm here already let's not make it a wasted trip, continue."

Tuma distractedly examining his nails, as he spoke, could only mean two things, one) he wasn't going to leave and two) he wasn't afraid that anyone would be able to force him to leave either. He was essentially saying make me and officially throwing down the gauntlet.

Travis gulped audibly.

Ms Murakami sat forward fanning her tails out behind her in a show of solidarity of the brave Tuma.

Tears stung Trav's eyes. He'd spent his whole life being knocked down and afraid of those more powerful than him and trust had been a hard thing to come by, until he met Kyle and the Marcocchio's. Now he not only had a slew of friends but he also had two of the most powerful beings on the planet in his corner. Just a few minutes ago he'd thought himself the most unlucky guy in the world when in reality he was blessed beyond belief.

Travis jumped when the Commander bellowed, "FOREST! BRING IN ANOTHER CHAIR FOR OUR GUEST."

The lieutenant came crashing into the room with another wingback chair and placed it on the opposite side of Trav. Trav was flanked by his protectors a fact that was not lost on the commander as he grabbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head at the quickly departing Lieutenant.

The poor guy was making one blunder after another which made him wonder what was the rank below lieutenant.

"Let's see where were we, oh yes," the commander began, "Give me the locations of your accomplices and I will make sure you get off with just your powers being stripped."

Travis shuddered at his threat what could be worse than being stripped. "But he continued with a voice that belied his true feeling when he spoke confidently, "I wouldn't have anything to do with Liam's crew if my life depended on it."

"Commander if I may interject," Tuma didn't wait for permission before he launched into his eloquent defense, "Mr. Stone is hardly the criminal here. Can't you see he's the victim? I mean if he was really working with the insurgents he'd be sneaking a weapon into the school not a tracking device. I mean why he's being tracked or by whom is anyone's guess, but I can assure you that he's not involved."

"Which begs the question where did the tracking spell come from? Someone would have had to be within striking distance to affix it to him." The Commander added smugly.

"Well I believe your squadron is still investigating the incident at the NYX that happen a week ago. Perhaps that's were it happened. WE can hardly forbid the Halflings from going to the club now can we, Commander?"

Travis noticed the weird look Mr Tuma gave the stern as fuck guy. When he jerked back in shock, Trav thought Oh SNAP!

Mr. Tuma had something on the Commander and he was letting him know he did right now. He just knew it.

Travis wasn't a very bright guy when it came to facts and figures, but if there was anything he knew it was people.

He'd spent his whole life reading people and situations to avoid the inevitable abuse and as a notoriously quiet person it gave him plenty of time to observe people at a distance, plus if there was one emotion he knew intimately -- it was fear.

The Commander looked scared, and embarrassed, and maybe just a little sick.

"Fine you may take the student home, but he is suspended until further notice."

"Commander if I might make a suggestion, "Ms Murakami spoke in her quiet cultured voice, "If the council needs to keep an eye on the boy what better place than the school?" Half the guard is there already," she rightfully pointed out.

"Very well the boy can return to school tomorrow, but we'll be watching him."

Tuma replied crisply, "We'd expect nothing less, "as he got up and indicated to a shocked Trav to follow him.

Travis didn't waste any time in getting the hell out of the office. They walked in silence to the parking garage under the old fort and Travis held the door open for Ms Murakami before slipping into the back seat.

The drive back to Presidio heights wasn't a long one, but Mr Tuma fired questions at him the entire time. None of which Travis could answer. A) because he didn't know and B) because he couldn't say.

By the time he got to the door of his house Tuma was convinced that there was no foul play on his part but he left him with a stern warning anyway before pulling away from the curb.

"Mr. Stone I must warn you not to mistake my kindness for weakness."

Ms Murakami gave him a tight nod of her head to indicate that on this sentiment they were united as well. And Travis thought oh shit those two were definitely not a pair he'd be willing to go up against. Thank Heavens they're on his side

He thanked them both before closing the door. And as they drove away, he thought let's hope they stayed that way. 

****************** THANKS FOR READING********************

I hope you all liked this chapter.

Travis was low-jacked? Why?

And by whom?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.