The more the lab techs told Evan about Deus Ex, the more Evan felt like he had landed in some bad sci-fi movie. While he had agreed to join the ongoing fight against monsters and demons and everything else that lurked in the shadows, he'd had no idea going into this thing of the kind of scope and organization he'd be dealing with. The techs had briefed him with the kind of bored efficiency of people who had done this before and often, giving him the immediate need-to-know facts before sending him off to find his weapon.

The Cove, as the techs had called it, seemed a little too theatrical for Evan's taste. It was small, cramped, and dark, and if he hadn't already met his freak-out quota for the day, it might have set him on edge. As it was, all he wanted to do was retrieve his weapon and get the hell out of there. Judging by the dozens of tiles lining one wall, that might be easier said than done. The sight of so many potential choices gave him pause; he was faced with tablets depicting swords and bows and axes and some weapons he couldn't begin to identify, and he was meant to just pick one? How was he supposed to know which?

A few of the tablets bore markings that looked similar to rifles. Guns he could absolutely deal with, so he reached out to take one of them thinking that would be the end of that, but a shock of pain lanced up his arm as soon as his fingers brushed the stone. Evan grunted in surprise and pain, recoiling away from the offending tablet, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened when he heard a noise.

/heeheeheeee~/ High pitched and reedy, as though it was being stifled.

Evan whirled around at the sound of the giggle, looking for its source. He appeared to be alone, and there wasn't enough room in the cave for another body to hide without being seen. "Who's there?" Evan called out, only feeling a little dumb for doing so.

/I am!/ It sounded closer this time, which was made stranger by the fact that there just wasn't anything there.

"Uh huh. And who's 'I'?"

/You are I! No, wait, I am are--I are--you--/ The voice whined pathetically, like a frustrated child. /I don't like this game. Let's play a new one!/

"Okay," Evan said slowly, "let's play...hot and cold. I'm going to look for you, and you let me know if I'm getting closer or farther away." It was worth a shot, and hide and seek was right out--the voice was already hidden, and Evan had no idea where to begin looking for it.

The voice giggled gleefully, and Evan got a distinct sense of happy from it. It was more than just the obvious joy in the sound, it was almost like its own palpable force pushing against something in Evan's mind. /Okay okay let's start now you're cold! Evan took a step towards the stairs. /Cold cold cold, you're not very good at this!/

Disappointment on both their parts, and Evan turned back to the wall of tablets. "Are you up here somewhere?"

/Warm!/

Now they were getting somewhere. Evan chose a tile at random, holding his hand close to it but careful not to touch. "Are you here?"

/Cold!/

A different one. "Here?"

/Cold!/

One on the other side of the wall. "Here?"

/Cold!/

Evan gritted his teeth, his patience wearing thin. "Why don't you give me a hint?" he ground out.

/I'm a big sword!/

That...actually narrowed it down quite a bit. "Why didn't you say that to begin with?" Evan asked, exasperation clear in his tone.

/You didn't ask!/

"Walked right into that one," Evan muttered, searching the wall for any tablet that had 'a big sword' on it. There were a few up there, but they seemed cold and lifeless and not at all a match for the exuberant voice he was hearing--until he came across one that radiated a warmth and a sense of life that no mere stone should possess. His hand hovered over it. "Are you this one?"

/...Mmmmmmayyyybeeee~/

"Yes or no," Evan growled.

/Yes yes yes okay yes, you win!/ Jubilation suddenly in Evan's head, turning the frustration into reluctant amusement. Evan cautiously touched the tablet, wary of another shock, and grasped it when nothing happened. He pulled--and it remained firmly embedded in the wall.

"Let go," Evan snapped, cursing as the stone abruptly did exactly that. He staggered backwards, arms flailing as he tried to keep his balance, not even noticing as the tablet transformed itself until the grating shock of metal against stone traveled up his arm. The voice whimpered pitifully as Evan stared, dumbstruck, at the sword that had appeared in his hand. It was long and wide, ending not in a point like a regular sword, but in a series of wickedly sharp teeth. White fluff dangled from the bottom of the hilt. It felt foreign in his hand--Evan had never used a sword before--but it seemed to fit him perfectly.

/Tag you're it!/

"What--we're not playing tag," Evan said, giving the blade a few experimental swings.

/Wheeee! Okay, what are we playing next?/

"Let's play the game where you tell me your name, and I'll tell you mine."

/That sounds like a boring game./

"Well, we can play cut-the-stone-wall-with-the-sword..."

/NO no no no nonono no okay no, no. No. My name is Gwrgenau, what's your name?/

"Say again?"

/Nice to meet you, Say Again!/

Evan huffed a sigh. This was becoming ridiculous. "No, my name is Evan. Say your name again."

/Well why didn't you just say that? My name is Gwrgenau!/

"Gurgle-what?"

/Gwrrrrgennnnauuuuu,/ the weapon said slowly. /It's not that hard!/

Not that hard, Evan thought to himself.

/It really isn't!/ Gwrgenau replied.

"Look, I don't want to spend the rest of however long trying and failing to pronounce your name. Why don't I just call you...Gir." It was short and sweet and much better than no no bad dog.

/Okay!/ That inexplicable wave of happiness again, laced with approval and excitement, and that would take some getting used to. The weight in Evan's hand suddenly disappeared, replaced with a cheery jingle and a very light, warm weight against his chest. Evan's brow furrowed in confusion as he lifted his hand to his dog tags, finding an extra one strung between the two he had been given in the Marines. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that it was embossed only with Gir's full name.

All amusement drained out of Evan at the realization that they were one now, that they would live or die together as one unit. Their success or failure would depend on both of their actions. It was achingly familiar to Evan, and he ran his thumb over Gir's tag before letting it fall back against his chest. This is my weapon, Evan thought to himself. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Gir turned around once, twice, three times in Evan's mind and curled up to settle down.