Once the Q&A session ended the first day he woke up, everyone but Erza and AJ took off for the evening.
"Told you, it's my mission to protect you guys." That was all AJ would say whenever Gavin tried to insist on her leaving to get some rest.
For three, agonizing days, Gavin felt his sanity slip more and more. Three days of no training. Three days without research, investigating or anything. Doctors' orders they said.
The first night was uneventful enough. Gavin spent most of the night making phone calls with his parents and Tessa back home. The news had carried reports of the attack all the way back to Tristaine Prime and he had dozens of missed calls and texts from his parents and friends.
"Yes mom, I'm okay. I promise. Yes, Erza's keeping a close eye on me." Gavin said on the phone.
"Damn right I am, Mrs. Johnson. Our boy isn't leaving my sight. He gets into all kinds of trouble every time he does," Erza called out over the speaker phone.
"Good job Erza. Keep him safe for me." Mrs. Johnson replied with a chuckle.
The call to Tessa didn't go as smoothly.
It was almost impossible for Gavin to get a word in through her tears and shouts at Erza. At one point Gavin had to have Erza leave the room to get them to stop bickering and placing blame needlessly on each other.
Once the door shut behind Erza with a slam, Gavin sighed.
"She sounds like she's doing alright…" Tessa said with a sharp exhale.
"She got some bumps and cuts, nothing major." Gavin responded surprised. "I'm surprised you asked."
"Just because I don't like her much, doesn't mean I wish her dead. Besides, someone there has to keep an eye on you." Tessa responded gruffly.
"Did you seriously have to get in another fight and end up in the hospital again?" Tessa asked after a moments silence.
"It wasn't like I planned it to happen. They came to slaughter every shifter they could get, and failing that they just started indiscriminately killed anyone they came into contact with." Gavin ran his fingers through his black curls and leaned back on his bed.
"Was it the same group from the studio?" Tessa asked.
Gavin hesitated a moment. "Yeah, I think so." He looked around the room and grimaced. "It was different this time Tessa. It was like a living hell; a literal war zone. So many bodies- students, staff, mercenaries."
Tessa stayed quiet on the line while Gavin took a shuddering breath.
"I was forced to do it again Tessa. To kill, to take lives with my very claws just to survive, to protect those around me." Gavin felt tears burn the edges of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.
"Hey, jerk face. Listen to me. Are you listening?" Tessa asked.
Gavin angrily wiped away at the tears and sniffed back. "Yeah, butt munch, I'm listening."
"Good. I'm only going to say this once. Don't feel regret or remorse over what you did. You acted to survive. You fought and killed to survive and protect the other students. Answer me this, dog boy. If you and Red weren't there, if you guys hadn't fought and killed so many of the enemy, how many more students would have died? How many more students would be going home to their families in boxes?"
Gavin sucked his breath in. How many? There's no way I can answer that. "You know I can't give a number… but I get your point. If we hadn't been there, if we hadn't killed as many as we did and took the enemies focus from the innocents to us; then the losses would have been unimaginable."
"Exactly. Though, I can't imagine what you guys went through and survived. The point of the matter is that you did. Be proud of that strength and good luck that seems to follow you." Tessa teased.
One corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. "Thanks."
They chatted for a bit more before ending the call and a few minutes later Erza came in with two trays of dinner for them.
The next two days, every time Gavin tried to sneak out of the hospital room, a certain red head blocked him at every turn. "You are not leaving until the doctors give you the all clear, and that's the end of the discussion." Erza snapped.
Gavin grumbled and returned to bed, fighting to keep the hospital gown closed tightly as he walked. "All my injuries have healed. I have no open wounds or sores. The least they could let me do is wear my own clothes until they release me," Gavin complained on the evening of the third day.
"You look kinda cute in that gown though," Erza replied chuckling as she made her cot next to Gavin's bed.
"Oh yeah, real cute with what feels like my ass hanging out," Gavin grumbled.
The following morning Gavin finally got his all clear to leave the hospital. Erza walked him out the door into the cool autumn air, her red SUV parked out front waiting for them.
"Do you really think the others are ready for the dungeon?" His tone was quiet and reserved as he walked with Erza.
Erza stood straight and pursed her lips. "There isn't any way to really tell. A lot of things have changed for us in a very short amount of time. But, I think they will surprise you." Erza smiled warmly as she reached out to squeeze his hand.
Gavin sighed and rolled his shoulders as he returned her squeeze. "You're right. It's just, the dungeon is some heavy stuff to go through." Gavin opened his system window screen that showed all the current members of the Lykos Pack.
Helena Jaegar-Level five. Female candidate for Beta member status.
Jackson Smith-Level Four. Male candidate for Beta member status.
Erza O'Malley-Level twenty. Recognized female Alpha.
AlexiaJane-Level fifty-five. Female candidate for Beta member status.
Several things surprised Gavin when he first looked at everyone's available stats. Jackson and Helena being such low level didn't surprise him, neither did Erza's.
What surprised Gavin most was AJ's level.
I knew AJ was strong, but damn. The fact the system recognizes her as almost twice my current level is insane. I wonder, just what level would Astrid or Kara be? He chuckled to himself at that thought as he considered everyone's stats.
"Right now, this is more about helping Helena and Jackson grow than the rest of us." Gavin muttered as he sat on the edge of the bed. "According to the system, they are the lowest levels."
Erza nodded as she gently rubbed his back. "You and I have the benefit of a summer training with the Valkyries. They didn't, so are you really surprised by how much weaker they are?" Her tone wasn't mocking or spiteful, but rather understanding of their different circumstances.
Gavin shook his head. "Not at all. It just means we have that much more work to do with them. I don't ever want to lose someone precious to me." Gavin turned to face her with a sad smile on his face.
Erza inclined her head. "Then lets get out of here, regroup with the others and figure this thing out, together."
Eventually, Gavin and Erza made their way from the hospital across town towards the academy grounds. We are on the way back. Meet in the dorm room. Gavin closed his eyes and sent the thought message to the others.
As Erza pulled onto the driveway leading up into the grounds, some of the changes the academy made were instantly noticeable.
Tall pillars lined the street with magic crystals nestled inside each one. They thrummed with mana and power. Connecting the pillars was a solid wall of black onyx material. The wall reflected the sunlight in a dazzling display of ironic beauty.
The entrance for the grounds itself had a large pair of bronze statues on either side. They held smooth staffs in their hands, the crystals in their eyes illuminated as Erza drove past. The gate that blocked the driveway itself sunk into the ground without hesitation as Erza drove over it.
Gavin lifted one eyebrow as he looked at Erza. "That's new."
Erza nodded. "Your grandfather said the system reads the bio-data from the armbands we were given to confirm identity. It's supposed to be smooth, yet ironclad in blocking anyone from entering."
Gavin let out a whistle. "That's actually kind of cool. So I wonder, do the statues move and stuff?" He looked at the giant statues with excitement as they drove past.
Erza laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "No idea. I imagine they are for more than just a show."
"That'd be so cool though." Gavin whispered. He sat back in his seat while they continued down the long path. They parked in the same freshman lot they first parked weeks prior, and Gavin couldn't help but notice, it was a lot less crowded.
"It's still early, you know. I'm sure most of the students will return." Erza's voice was somber as she noticed where his gaze went. "Classes resume in two days so there is plenty of time."
Gavin stated as he got out of the SUV and walked around to grab his bags from the hatch. "That's true. I wonder how many won't come back though. Most people can't handle trauma well."
Erza shrugged. "I don't know." She reached down and locked her fingers with his. "But, I do know this. What matters right now is that we are here, alive and well."
Gavin's lips lifted in the barest hint of a smile. "Yeah, you're right. Come on, the others are waiting for us."
Gavin could see the signs of change from the battle all around them as they walked. The parking lot appeared relatively unscathed by comparison, but the walls seemed to be reinforced; thicker and stronger.
He could hear the faint thrum of power from the crystals that were placed along the walls. He stopped to examine one of the crystals with a raised eyebrow.
"Your grandfather installed some improvements while we were gone it seems," Erza commented as she stopped beside him.
"Do you really think the crystal's will be enough this time?" Gavin's voice was soft, laced with worry as he examined the black stone material.
Erza shrugged. "I don't know. I can't imagine the enemy has the kind of numbers to launch another strike on that scale any time soon. But I also never imagined it was likely or possible in the first place." She sighed as she adjusted the strap on her backpack.
"Come on, the others are waiting." She tugged on his arm and they walked the rest of the way in silence.
An eerie silence filled the campus as they walked. Signs of the missing students. I can actually hear myself think while we walk. This feels too unnatural. Gavin reminisced about the chaos of the first day compared to now.
They entered the dorm and Gavin could smell the cleaning chemicals and fresh coat of paint that bled from the walls. "Guess our dorm was involved in the action." Gavin scrunched his face up as they continued to walk towards the elevator.
"By the reports, most of the action was where we were. But, almost every building did see some conflict," Erza said.
"Yeah, don't remind me." Gavin replied as the elevator dinged and the door opened on their floor.
They walked down the hallway and Gavin opened the door to his dorm. The door creaked open as they walked in. Erza followed him in and shut the door behind her.
"Bout time you guys showed up." Jackson called out from the kitchen as he heard the door shut.
"Sorry, got a surprise visit from the cops before I could leave the hospital today." Gavin walked into the kitchen and tossed his bag onto a nearby chair.
Jackson turned around to face him; his brows furrowed. "What did they want?"
Gavin sighed as he ran hands over his face. "Just more police work. Another round of questioning. The investigators find it hard to believe that it's just coincidence that I've been involved with two incidents in the past few months with the same group."
Helena frowned as she came out from Jackson's room. "That's a load of bullshit." She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Thanks for that, I guess. The investigator made it sound like I'm some deviant that gets off on killing people." Gavin rolled his eyes as he reached for the cup of iced coffee from Jackson.
Gavin took a long drink and appreciated the cold caffeine. "Thanks."
Jackson nodded. "So they just let you go?" He leaned against the kitchen table while they talked.
Gavin nodded and continued to sip on the coffee. "They really have nothing to hold me. Everything happened can be classified as self defense. It's not like I went out looking for them or picked a fight on my own."
Erza inclined her head. "They were totally in the wrong. All they cared about was trying to find someone to blame for all the victims."
"Yeah, that's the feeling I got from them too." Gavin replied.
"Now, enough of the heavy crap. I asked for everyone to meet here for one reason." Gavin grinned at everyone. "Who wants to try surviving the dungeon crawling experience?"