It was a cloudy day but the weather was humid. At a train station, a train had just arrived and many were busy getting off the train. A young boy stepped out of a train with a small bag in his hands. He was tall with dark hair and a sturdy body.
A wave of unfamiliar smells – exhaust fumes, street food, and something vaguely metallic – washed over him as he went outside the station. The places surrounding him were bustling with many people each busy with things they were doing.
Finally here.
'Did you get off?'
He stopped mid-action as his eyes widened.
Telepathy again? Just use the QC.
'It's more convenient.'
The drawbacks make it not so convenient after some use.
'You won't get used to it if you don't use it. Anyway, someone will be there to take you to the base in a few minutes. Make sure you've got all your things.'
I'm not a kid anymore, you know.
He traversed through the busy train station not trying to stand out. Which is very easy when you have a conversation using telepathy.
'Yeah my bad, you're ancient Vlad.'
Get out of my head will you? Didn't you say you were sleepy?
'No. Just burn a bit of time. Your escort's on his way. I'll sleep after he picks you up.'
While chatting Vlad spotted an ice cream stall - the humid weather making wanting to cool down. He looked at his wristwatch standing at the side of the road.
There's still a bit of time. I'm getting some ice cream.
'A call came in, I'll be back.'
With the ice cream in his hands, he went to a few benches beside the road to sit down. He spotted a young girl sitting on a bench in the shade of a tree with a half-eaten ice cream in her hand. Seeing him the girl quickly moved to make place for him to sit.
"Thanks."
Vlad rummaged through his bag and took out a book. He liked studying about the mutants that are humanity's biggest enemies. Though for the career path he had chosen the knowledge Vlad had on mutants far surpassed what was needed.
"Are you a mutant biologist?"
"No. I'm in the military, The Mutant Extermination Force to be exact. This is just a passion."
"Oh, I want to join MEF too like my father."
"Your father works in the extermination force as well?"
Vlad was pleasantly surprised. What are the chances of meeting a family member of a MEF agent on the day he's supposed to start?
The girl nodded with a mouth full of ice cream.
"Then maybe I'll meet him."
After the brief conversation, Vlad opened his book but the sounds of the busy road at the heart of Slakvell were a constant backdrop. It was hard to concentrate.
It's more noisy than I expected it would be.
'Slakvell? Yeah, it's a noisy city.'
You're back.
Their conversation was cut short when a tall man wearing black clothing approached him. The man's expression was neutral, almost guarded.
"Are you perhaps Mr. Vlad Romanov?"
"Yes, I am."
'Did he arrive?'
Yeah.
The man took his bag and showed him to the car. His behaviour seemed a little off to Vlad - though it might have been due to him not having met many people in his life.
"Please come this way."
Vlad got up to follow the man to the car. He stopped, seeing the girl from another point of view; he discovered her to have multi-coloured hair.
Black and white hair...That's a unique combination.
'What's unique? A girl? You come to a new city and fall in love in a few minutes? I'm worried.'
She's barely thirteen, brother.
'Anyways…'
***
The man held open the door for Vlad. The car looked pretty expensive - the seats were very comfortable as well. A first for Vlad.
I'm inside the car. You can go to sleep.
'I still can't believe you joined MEF instead of becoming something else.'
Go away already.
'Just don't die on me.'
The car getting started made Vlad feel excited. First time being in Slakvell he wanted to take in the city view.
"How long will it take to get to the base?"
"Forty minutes at most."
Vlad was looking outside the car's window, his eyes darting from the towering buildings to the bustling sidewalks, trying to absorb the rhythm and character of this unfamiliar city.
"Why did you join the extermination force?" The escort asked, trying to make small talk.
"To exterminate every single mutant that walks on the face of Bruno," Vlad hissed, the words dripping with bitter resentment.
"Seems you have a deep hatred for them."
The escort looked at Vlad through the rearview mirror, a sense of weary resignation settling over him.
"But they are the natives. It was us who invaded their home and made them into what they are now, though it may be unintentional."
Vlad replied.
"..."
"Yet when they fight back for taking what was rightfully theirs, to begin with, we kill them, painting ourselves as the victims while standing on stolen ground."
"But they kill humans, they want us all dead."
"We're trapped in a self-made hell. The power we rely on creates monsters, monsters kill us, and we need more power to survive. It never ends. Survival demands we perpetuate the very thing that destroyed us. What a cruel joke the universe plays."
"The cycle exists, and the only way to end it is to ensure they can no longer play any part in it," Vlad replied grimly.
"..."
The car ride after that was filled with silence and subtle glances from the escort through the rearview mirror.
Vlad continued to take in the view of the city unfamiliar to him with his eyes clouded with a distant sadness, as if focused on a memory only he could see. Occasionally reading his book.
They reached the end of Slakvell and not long after the Mutant Extermination Force base was coming into view. A facility deliberately located outside Slakvell's residential zones, right alongside the towering walls of Sector 5, which stood as humanity's defense against the mutants.
It didn't take long to arrive at the base. Vlad stepped out of the car he was met with the massive military base which was filled with tall buildings and armed personnel. A lot of things were different from what he had thought and some not - he looked up at the walls, impressed at how tall they were.
"No matter how many times you look at them their size never fails to amaze you."
"Yeah."
Vlad and the man walked inside the base. He observed everything on his way. Many people were wrapped in their works. Some agents gearing up.
Rad-suits...
The man took him through the base - As they were walking Vlad took in the aspects of the large military base. He spotted some force members some distance away conversing amongst themselves whilst being in full combat gear and with large luggage bags with them.
There's more of them...
As they continued to traverse through the base the escort suddenly stopped at one point and turned around.
"You'll have to go alone from here."
"I see."
"Just walk through here and turn left at the end of the hallway there will be a gate just enter through there.
"What about the bag?"
"It'll be sent to your dorm room."
"I see. Thank you for escorting me."
"You're welcome."
As the man was walking away Vlad wanted to confirm the hunch he had since he met him.
"Tell me something."
The man stopped and turned to Vlad.
"You're not just an escort are you?"
The man stayed silent, not giving Vlad any room to make judgments.
"You act and speak like an experienced member of the force."
The man looked Vlad in the eyes with a look of mild amusement before smiling.
"I don't know what you mean."
"..."
"I'll be off now."
Vlad grew even more suspicious, his face tightening into a frown.
Suddenly Vlad saw two shadows of something going over his head. He looked up to see Atherions. Vlad had not realized that he was standing right next to the aviation terminal of the base. Vlad went to take a closer look - the landing of the atherions blowing wind and dust.
They're not from here.
Vlad was curious but decided not to waste time inquiring further and headed in the direction he was instructed.
Following the escort's instructions, he reached the gate at the end of the hallway. Vlad paused there for a moment taking a deep breath before stepping through.