Tick, Mask, Boom

Rhea’s team, now in the opulent auction car, exchanged brief glances as they surveyed the room. Wealthy buyers, cloaked in anonymity behind animal masks, murmured softly, their hushed voices mixing with the occasional clink of crystal glasses.

As soon as they got the confirmation that Jessie and Mira successfully boarded the train, Rhea approached one of the tables displaying a chrono anchor prototype. The captain seated herself across from a tall figure in a shimmering peacock mask. Dax stood behind her like a silent sentinel, arms crossed, while Talia hovered nearby, her eagle mask angled as she examined the artifact on display.

Their jobs were simple. One was the bodyguard while the other the appraiser.

Talia leaned in slightly, her sharp eyes scanning the holo projection of the artifact. “It’s an older prototype,” she murmured, her tone thoughtful yet professional. “The design is bulkier than current models, and that transparent core… it’s inefficient for energy stability. Not to mention, it’s not even suitable for implantation. But despite that it’s still highly functional and could prove useful.”

It seemed the high-tech eye contacts Mira had provided her helped a lot with identifying the devices on sale.

The buyer tilted his head slightly, his attention now on Talia. “Your appraiser has a sharp eye,” he commented, his voice carrying an edge of curiosity. “Not many buyers bring someone who actually understands the tech they’re bidding on.”

Rhea gave a faint smile, brushing off the implied compliment. “She’s thorough. That’s why she’s here. And those who provide pieces like this? They must be exceptional to source something this advanced.” She leaned back, crossing one leg over the other in a posture of casual interest. “You’d think they would want a bit of the spotlight for themselves.”

As casually as she could, the captain tried to fish out any information she could from the people running the auction.

The buyer’s head cocked slightly, and his attention flickered briefly toward Dax before returning to Rhea. “Your entourage is impressive, I’ll give you that,” he said. “ Yet I disagree with you.”

To their dismay, the buyer didn’t sound too amused.

“Spotlight is overrated. Power isn’t about being seen; it’s about being felt.” He placed a bid with a quick gesture over the holo interface, the numbers flashing briefly on the table before fading.

Rhea followed his lead, placing a higher bid with an elegant swipe of her hand. The projected number rose. “Still, it takes a certain brilliance to pull all of this off. To operate so efficiently and keep everything… in check.” Her tone turned just a shade softer, her head tilting as she studied him. “You’ve been to these auctions before, haven’t you? Surely you’ve had the pleasure of meeting the minds behind it all.”

The buyer froze, his hand pausing mid-air. The atmosphere at the table shifted, the faint hum of the holo display amplifying the tension. Slowly, he set his hand down, and his voice dropped to a sharp whisper.

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Rhea asked lightly, tilting her head as if the shift hadn’t registered.

“Don’t ask questions you’re not supposed to,” he hissed, his tone suddenly venomous. The arrogance he’d projected moments ago had fractured into something sharper—fear.

Rhea raised an eyebrow, feigning mild curiosity. “Why not? Seems like knowing more could be… useful.”

“You think you’re clever, don’t you?” he snapped, his fingers curling into fists. “But let me make one thing clear—you don’t talk about them. Not here. Not anywhere. Do you have any idea what they’d do if they thought you were prying?”

The venom in his tone drew the attention of a nearby buyer, who glanced their way before quickly looking back at their holo screen. Rhea kept her demeanor calm, though her senses were on high alert.

“Relax,” she said, spreading her hands slightly. “I’m just making conversation.”

“Then change the subject,” the buyer said stiffly, his voice barely above a whisper now. “You think you’re playing some clever game, but you’re not. These people? They’re not playing at all.” He leaned back abruptly, breaking eye contact. “And if you’re smart, you’ll stop.”

Rhea studied him, her calm demeanour revealing none of the irritation bubbling beneath the surface. She leaned back, gesturing vaguely toward the holo display. “Fair enough,” she said coolly, standing from her seat. “It’s all yours.”

Behind her, Talia’s voice came in a quiet murmur, “He’s afraid. The way he shut down—that wasn’t loyalty.”

Rhea nodded faintly, her gaze scanning the room . “Keep your eyes open. This conversation might have drawn some attention on us.”

Dax grunted softly, his arms still crossed. “Looks like they’re all scared of something—or someone.”

Rhea moved toward the edge of the car, pretending to survey the other tables. Talia remained stationed near another table, pretending to examine the holo displays while keeping an eye on their surroundings. Dax stayed close behind Rhea, a silent but imposing shadow.

As she passed one of the elaborate partitions, a figure in a tiger mask approached her, his gait smooth but deliberate. The flickering light of the holo displays reflected off the stripes of his mask, giving him an almost predatory appearance.

“Wolf,” he said, his voice low but firm. “A word of advice.”

Rhea slowed her stride, angling her head toward him without fully facing him. “Advice? From a stranger at an auction? How generous.”

“Generosity has nothing to do with it. It’s survival. You’d do well not to pry in these sorts of gatherings.”

Rhea’s posture remained relaxed, but her senses were on edge. “Pry? I’m simply engaging in conversation. Isn’t that what these events are for?”

“Perhaps.” The buyer stepped closer, his tone shifting, growing sharper. “But there are questions one doesn’t ask. Especially not here. You wouldn’t want to draw the wrong kind of attention, would you?”

Behind her, Dax shifted slightly, his presence a reminder of the muscle backing her up. Rhea turned slowly to face the tiger mask fully, her voice calm but edged with curiosity. “Wrong attention? And who, exactly, am I supposed to be afraid of?”

“Let’s just say… the ones running this operation are not the forgiving type. They don’t take kindly to snooping, no matter how clever you think you are.”

Rhea studied him carefully, “You seem well-versed in their rules. Been to many of these events, have you?”

The tiger mask tilted his head, his posture shifting into something more guarded. “Enough to know the difference between a buyer and someone who doesn’t belong.” He took a half-step closer, lowering his voice. “I heard you earlier. That bit about being Malik’s boss. Curious claim, considering I’ve been in this game long enough to know Malik doesn’t have one. And that he’s no longer… active.”

Dax tensed slightly at the accusation, his hands clenching at his sides, but Rhea raised a subtle hand to signal him to stay put.

“Malik’s a resourceful man,” Rhea said smoothly, her tone unwavering. “But everyone answers to someone, don’t they?”

“Perhaps.” The buyer’s tone dripped with suspicion now, his gaze flickering to Dax and then to Talia, who was still feigning disinterest nearby. “But you, your entourage… you don’t fit. No matter how you try to mask it with your wit…”

Rhea stepped forward, closing the distance between them just slightly. “And yet here you are, giving me advice instead of notifying someone. Why is that?”

“Because I know who you’re about to deal with, unlike you, wolf. And I know they don’t need me to tell you something’s wrong about you.”

With that the tiger mask took his leave, as if nothing had ever happened.

Did that mean the ones leading the auction already know about them? That couldn’t be… could it?

Before Dax or anyone could comment, Rhea’s keen eye and ear caught on something new.

“Hey you!” A man wearing a snake’s mask caught a hold of one of the supervisors of the auction by the arm. The cloaked figure in black turned to him, snapping his arm away from the patron’s grasp.

“Speak.” A deep, monotonous voice resonated beneath the mask.

“I have a deal for your superiors. Where can I find them?”

“We’re the ones dealing here, not the other way around.”

“Heh, you say that now, but you don’t know how valuable what I have for you is.” The man in the snake mask almost hissed like one as he spoke, dragging his company forward.

The guard looked at what the man indicated. It was a figure of short stature, their hood covering their head and face almost completely.

“We don’t deal in peop—“

“It’s not what you think. This is not any normal kid.”

Rhea’s breath caught on her throat, the squad captain trying her hardest not to let her shock show even through her mask.

The auction supervisor seemed intrigued, and after a subtle nod, he gestured for the snake mask and the human merchandise to follow him to another car.

“Wolf…?” Talia whispered, noticing Rhea already slowly moving to follow the two of them.

Dealing in illegal devices was one thing, but human trafficking a whole other…

The fact the Chrono Knights only dealt with time anomalies did not mean they could turn a blind eye to such a hideous crime. And yet… what could Rhea possibly do in this situation?

She didn’t know how, but she knew she had to help. The tiger mask’s words had already shifted from the forefront of her mind, her goal changed to protecting the innocent.

Just then…

“Wolf, we have a problem!”

Mira’s voice crackled through the comms, hurried and urgent.

Just then an alarm blared through the train.