D-class guides are rarely deployed to Fray sites. They usually only go out with combat crews if there is a severe lack of guides for some reason or another, and with a bunch of the mid-level guides stuck at a conference several regions away, Noel actually found himself on an active battleground for the first time in nearly a year.
It was supposed to be a fairly low-risk assignment. The Fray had already closed and the attacking malforms were category 2 beast-types, so it only took a handful of espers to subdue them. After that, it was just a matter of searching for anyone still trapped in the destroyed buildings and making arrangements for repairs. Noel was doing the latter, taking some notes for the construction crew that would be moving in after they left. Since the threat had been minimal, his guiding services weren't required.
Then a category 4 titan-type malform burrowed up from underground and they were all fucked.
The only reason no one died was because Jade Ransom had sensed the movement just in time to warn everyone. Normally, he wouldn't have even been at such a minor Fray, but Halo had been pushing him toward less dangerous jobs with more media presence in order to capitalize on his growing internet fame. If he hadn't happened to be there, Noel is sure most of them would have been killed in the initial breach. But after that, it was chaos.
Noel did his best to follow regulations, knowing he'd never hear the end of it if he didn't and somehow lived through this. While the espers worked to corral the malform, the guides evacuated all of the rescued civilians outside of the perimeter shield and then stood by with energy weapons to provide back-up if necessary, but with such a huge, powerful malform suddenly appearing like that, things quickly fell apart.
Noel was grateful that he at least managed to set off the emergency flare before he was caught in a small explosion of sorts and found himself taking cover behind a large chunk of debris, earpiece busted, with none of the others in sight. Fortunately, he wasn't injured beyond a few bumps and scrapes, but he could hear the battle still raging past the veritable dust storm kicked up by the malform's subterranean entrance. The dust was so thick, he couldn't see through it, and every inhale tasted bitter and gritty.
He had been contemplating whether to risk running when a human figure flew out of the dust and crashed to the ground beside him. Of course, he recognized Jade Ransom right away; everyone at Halo knew what he looked like (hell, probably everyone in the world), and he could also tell that there was something very, very wrong.
Jade Ransom was famous for a lot of reasons. He came from a distinguished and wealthy family. He was one of only a dozen S-class espers in the country. He'd single-handedly saved entire cities from destruction. He was blisteringly hot. And he was always moments away from a complete meltdown.
Though the operations branch higher-ups tried to keep it a secret, most of Halo knew that Jade had never properly synced with a guide; every new guide of C class and above that the agency hired got their rate specifically tested with Jade in an effort to find someone who could guide him, but as of yet, the highest anyone had scored was still below 30%. Receiving guidance from a guide with a low sync rate can reduce corruption, but only barely, and the process is uncomfortable for both parties. As such, Jade had only ever been guided just enough to keep his corruption below acceptable levels, and it was well-known that he could teeter over the edge at any moment.
And it seemed that this unexpected attack had sent him toppling.
Noel watched in horror as Jade struggled upright, only to crumple to his knees, clutching at his head. Black veins crept across every visible inch of skin, and luminescent crimson eyes burned in an agonized expression. The air around him crackled, red sparks zipping away from his body, and fissures began to spread across the ground, radiating out from him like a sunburst.
Noel had never seen a meltdown in person before, but there was no denying that Jade was melting down.
Nearby, the grating shriek of the malform echoed.
Noel swallowed, tasting ozone at the back of his throat. If this went on, Jade would either blow up the whole city or tear himself apart from the inside out, but Noel was the only other person around. Jade needed urgent guidance, or they were all dead, but Noel couldn't possibly do enough to bring the corruption back to safe levels. Their difference in strength was just too great.
Unless.
He couldn't stop to think, because he knew if he did, he would hesitate, and then the city would be doomed. Crawling over to Jade's kneeling figure, Noel reached out and touched his shoulder.
There was no reaction, which was to be expected. Jade was locked in some sort of internal battle, teeth grit, fingers tearing at his hair.
"It's okay," Noel said mindlessly, taking Jade's face in both hands and tipping it up. "I'm gonna help."
Red eyes met his, frenzied and blazing but also blank, unfocused. Jade shouldn't remember this. Noel hoped desperately that Jade wouldn't remember this.
He had expected to be punched as soon as their lips made contact, but fortunately he wasn't, and he tilted his head to properly lock their mouths together. No time for simple contact guiding. A rush tingled through Noel's body as his ability activated.
It was incomprehensible. The scope of Jade's power, the depth of his corruption was unlike anything Noel had ever experienced. He nearly recoiled, instinct screaming at him to get away, but he forced himself to keep going, fingernails digging into the sides of Jade's face. As soon as his feeble core latched onto Jade's wavelength, a sickening sensation like plunging into a frozen lake, Noel steeled himself and pulled.
Instantly, that ice and darkness and dread poured through their connection, blacking out his vision, and the last thing Noel remembers is slumping to the ground.
He woke up in the agency's private hospital ward and learned that Jade had defeated the malform and saved the day, as expected, and that he had been discovered unconscious for seemingly no reason in the ruins. Everyone seemed to think he'd fainted from fear or something, which Noel didn't bother correcting.
It's not like he could tell them the truth.
At least he didn't get too sick, he muses, staring up at the sky during his lunch break. Technically, no one is supposed to be on this roof, but the door is always unlocked, and there used to be an eating area up here, so there are still tables. Solitude is a rare commodity in a place like Halo, and Noel appreciates what he can get, especially after his uncomfortable interaction that morning.
He still feels a little ill, but he can't take any more time off. What could he say? I'm sick from guiding Jade Ransom out of a meltdown? Yeah, right.
Sighing, Noel lets his eyes slip shut.
Even now, his mother's words ring in his head. No one else can find out, Noel, she insisted, hands clamped around his skinny, five-year-old shoulders. If people know, they'll take advantage of you. Promise me you'll never use this power. He swore that he wouldn't, and aside from one unavoidable incident over a decade ago, he managed to keep that vow. Until now.
Sorry, mom, he thinks. It was an emergency.
Frankly, he's not sure his mother's panic was warranted. It's not like anyone would believe that a weak D-class guide could actually perform transference. There hasn't been a transferral guide found in nearly 50 years, and every documented case has occurred in guides of B-class or higher. If Noel even tried to tell people, they'd just think he was crazy.
But he supposes he doesn't want to take the risk. As a D-class guide, he probably wouldn't survive whatever testing they'd subject him to. Logically, he knows that's what his mother was afraid of: that they'd use him as some sort of emergency corruption sponge. He's heard the horror stories of what other transferral guides have suffered under the excuse of testing, all just rumors, of course. No one would ever willingly disclose that information to the public. But still, Noel is so weak that he doubts he'd be much use.
With another weary sigh, he packs his half-eaten lunch back into his beat-up messenger bag and starts preparing to leave. Lunch break isn't over yet, but Noel has a lot of work to do.
A clatter from the direction of the door makes him pause. Due to the roof's layout, the table area is hidden from the door, so Noel can't see who just arrived, but the voices that reach his ears give it away immediately.
"—just give up on this already, man." Noel would know Beckett's voice anywhere, unfortunately, more than familiar with all its various annoyed and disdainful tones, and he freezes, staring at the corner hiding him from his brother in trepidation. "There will be other guides."
"Not like this one," Jade's voice insists.
"You don't know that. Just because you haven't found one so far—"
"You don't understand, Beck." Jade sounds frustrated, nearly growling the words out. "You know I've never synced well with a guide before—"
"That doesn't mean you won't—"
"When I got back here after the attack, I had my level checked. Do you know what it was?"
Beckett sighs. "No."
"It was at 67%."
There's a beat of silence. "But it hasn't been below eighty in—"
"Nearly ten years. Exactly."
Noel feels his brows lift in surprise. He knew Jade's levels were always high, but not that high. There are espers who melt down at just 80% corruption, but Jade has been operating above that for almost a decade? It's insane to contemplate.
"And you think it was some mysterious guide that did it?" Beckett asks.
"What else could it be?"
"Spontaneous reduction?"
"I know I was guided by someone. I could feel it."
"But you weren't exactly conscious," Beckett points out. "You said you don't remember anything after the malform breached."
"But I could still feel it," Jade argues. "And it was…different. Guiding usually hurts for me, but this didn't. It felt like what everyone else says guiding feels like."
Beckett sighs again, sounding more impatient than anything else. "So what are you going to do? You've asked everyone who was there and no one saw anything."
Jade makes an irritated huffing noise. "I'm not sure. I'm at a dead end. The only other option is that it was a civ who somehow wandered onto the scene."
"In that case, you'd think they'd come forward. Who wouldn't want to be the famous Jade Ransom's one and only guide?" Beckett snorts. "It would be like something out of a movie."
"And I don't see how a civilian could get in and out of a combat zone without anyone seeing them. The perimeter shield wasn't broken during the attack."
"Did you talk to your uncle? He might be able to—"
"I'm not talking to Fletcher about anything," Jade snaps. "Especially not this. It'd just give him one more thing to hold over me."
"Then I don't know what to tell you, man." There's a soft cottony slap, like Beckett is clapping Jade on the shoulder. "Sounds like you're fucked."
"There's just one thing," Jade says absently. "One thing I can't shake."
"What?"
"I think your brother is hiding something."
Noel's stomach drops. Only now does it occur to him that they might be angry if they find him eavesdropping, however unintentionally.
"Noel?" Beckett responds sharply. "Didn't he pass out at the scene? No way he knows anything."
"But he was the only one around. I just don't buy that—" Jade breaks off. "There's someone else here."
Cursing mentally, Noel rises from his chair just as two figures round the corner.
"Noel? What are you doing here?" Beckett looks the same as the last time Noel saw him: tall, handsome, and annoyed with him. His light brown hair is styled out of his face, giving Noel a perfect view of his furrowed brows and sour expression. "Spying on us?"
"Don't be stupid," Noel fires back reflexively. "How was I supposed to know you'd be here?"
"You—"
"Did you hear us?" Jade asks, face blank as he scans Noel up and down.
"Yes," Noel says, because there's no use denying it. He wasn't far enough from the door for it to be plausible. "But it has nothing to do with me. And I'm not hiding anything." He grabs his bag and hooks it over his shoulder. "I passed out as soon as I saw the malform. I didn't even know you were nearby. And even if I did," he adds, dropping his voice unintentionally, "why would I lie to you?"
"See, that's what I've been trying to tell you." Beckett turns as though to leave. "You shouldn't expect anything from him. Come on. Hollander will be on our asses if we're late for training again."
With one last searching look at Noel, Jade follows Beckett back around the corner, and Noel hears the door clatter again.
Groaning, Noel rubs his temples. He really can't stand espers.