Chapter Three (Aidan)
Oh my fucking god, I wish this would end. If surveillance missions weren't boring enough, the briefing has to be a hundred times worse, especially since this was the second time Dr. Wilkins and Agent Higson had given this briefing, and I was just about ready to die of boredom if they carried on for much longer.
A nudge in my ribs though quickly puts a smile on my face, and despite still being a little suspicious of his friendship with Riley, I really liked Billy. He might not be coming on this mission with me, but he was definitely getting into all things Empowered related and even genuinely looked like he was enjoying the briefing.
"There is no way, you find this interesting." I then whisper to him. I knew it was risky to talk while the briefing was going on, but I doubt they would hear me, and I wanted to tease Billy a little bit and see if he actually did find it as fascinating, as he appeared to find it.
"We aren't all old and ancient like you, Aidan. And anyway, if I want to be the best, then I need to learn all this stuff." He quietly responds with a smirk. Which straight away gives away who he had been talking to about all this stuff, and while it wasn't far from the truth, it was obvious a certain someone, was having a little fun at Billy's expense.
"It's not surprising that you picked Mason as your kind of mentor, Billy. Just don't believe everything he tells you." I then say with a slight shake of the head. I felt a little bad about spoiling Mason's fun, but even with my issues with Billy, I wanted him to grow and learn as much as possible. I still remember what he was like when we first met, and he was still that same kid. So he definitely needed people to push him and give him confidence.
"But he said..." He then begins to whisper back in response, before trailing off. His expression almost made me laugh out loud, but luckily I held it in. "Is this completely pointless?" He then asks me in an annoyed tone. Surprising me a little, because I thought he might get really angry, but he actually took it a lot better than I thought he would. Although I am sure, Mason is going to get a surprise later.
"Honestly, he may be messing with you a little bit, but given how inexperienced you are, Billy. Honestly, he wouldn't let you waste your time completely. So if I were you, I would play along, but maybe be a bit more clever about it, because there is no way he will be checking up on you. So skip a few things, I doubt he's been to half the stuff himself, so if you keep it simple and believable, you will be fine." I decide to answer honestly, sure he could skip things like this, but they aren't a complete waste of time. So I don't want to make him think that they were. He had the potential to be a very good hero, and I want to encourage him.
Before I he can respond though, our attention is quickly turned to the front of the room, by a loud cough. I can feel myself blushing, and I don't have to look at Billy to know that he had sunk down a little in his chair. We may be Empowered, and all that comes with that, but being caught not paying attention, was always embarrassing and as I glanced to a few of the other people in the room, I could see them all grinning. The look on Agent Higson's face though, left me in no doubt, that he wasn't amused in the slightest.
"I'm aware that you've heard this all before, Hero. But for those that haven't, I think they would appreciate that you kept quiet and didn't distract them. Not everyone here has superpowers." Agent Higson then states coldly. He wasn't a bad person, and certainly didn't hate the Empowered, but he also made it clear, that he didn't appreciate how casual a lot of us were and how we hadn't been put through what he would consider ‘real training' like the non-Empowered personal at the Facility, has been through.
And I guess he does have a point, they're all professional, but on top of that, they're the best of the best, and have trained most of their lives to be where they are. So seeing a bunch of people, most of who are still in their teens, basically just bypassing all that hard work. I would be a little peeved as well, and I think most of us get that, so we don't take it personally.
"As for you..." I then hear him begin to say, before pausing. I had zoned out for a few moments, and as I followed his eyeline, he was staring directly at Billy, who looked as if he might actually piss himself. "Mr. Monroe, while I appreciate the fact you're here to learn and gain experience, I expect you to be quiet and pay attention. Do I make myself clear?" He then states in the same tone as he used towards me. He had obviously forgotten Billy's name, but I doubt Billy even noticed, as he seemed to turn even redder.
I did however suddenly realize that Agent Higson had referred to me by my Empowered name. Most of the staff did that, so I was used to it, but it suddenly made me realize that Billy hadn't been given, or hadn't come up with his own Empowered name yet. Which I guess was understandable, he was new to this and apart from the incident with Baine's team, had not been in the public eye.
It was obvious to everyone that his speed, gave him the potential to be a very impressive and useful Empowered, but he just wasn't ready. It wasn't like it was when I first emerged, and it brought the Empowered into the public eye, and everyone started to make themselves known. There were more rules in place, and more training given to knew Empowered.
A lot of us dislike having to go through that stuff, even me. However, it was necessary, too many new, mostly the younger Empowered, had either gotten hurt, or hurt others, and something needed to be done. It's just logical, so while it's not exactly popular, we understand the need, mostly. I guess some of the rogue Empowered have used it as a way to recruit or encourage some Empowered to rebel against it, but that's to be expected, it's happened throughout human history, and it's no different now.
People like to cause chaos and do whatever they want, without regard for anyone else. That's one of the many reasons the Facility exists, we want to stop those people, and protect as many people as we can. It's just that recently, I have started to learn that this might be a smaller part of its existence than I had previously thought, and I still wasn't sure what that meant and whether I need to worry or not.
"Hero, please stay behind, everyone else, you're dismissed." I then suddenly hear Dr. Wilkins say and realize that I had pretty much zoned out of the rest of the briefing. Luckily I had listened to it before, so I didn't miss anything, but I could tell that neither the doctor or agent Higson was amused, and as I noticed a few sympathetic looks for the other people in the room as they left. I had to wonder if I was actually in trouble.
"I will tell the others, that you will meet us later on." I then hear Billy say quietly. He still looked nervous and before I could even respond, he quickly, or I guess slowly for him, leave the room, and as I turn towards the front of the room again, I can see why. Dr. Wilkins and agent Higson were staring straight at me, and they didn't look happy.
However, I had known them both for a long time, and while I was a little nervous, I had a feeling they weren't being as serious as a lot of people would assume. A feeling that is confirmed by the small smiles on both their faces, after the last person had left the room, and while I did relax, I wasn't going to let my guard down completely. There was obviously something they wanted to tell me, and in my experience, it tended to mean more work for myself.
"Complications?" I decide to say as I stand up and walk towards both of them. There aren't many people who would be as bold as I am, but as I have said before, I have known them a long time, and while I can still be reckless and a little hard work, I take my responsibility seriously.
"We aren't completely sure, Aidan." Dr. Wilkins responds with a slight frown. Which was never a great sign, but the fact he had called me by my actual name, let me know that this would be a more informal conversation. Which was definitely a good thing, although the frown did make me a little nervous. When a man like him frowns, it's rarely great news.
"We don't see it being much of an issue for you, Aidan. You're overqualified for this assignment anyway, but we respect what you've been through recently. However, we still need to be cautious and not take any unnecessary risks." Agent Higson then adds as he looks down at a file in front of him. Which made me a little uneasy, this mission was supposed to be straightforward and easy, and I had a sinking feeling it might not be that simple anymore.
"So what's changed then?" I decide to just bluntly ask. We could do a bit more back and forth, but I just wanted to know what had changed, and I also knew that both of them preferred just get on with things anyway. Time wasn't to be wasted on the small stuff after all. Well, I am sure that's their philosophy anyway. Myself I am just a bit impatient when it comes to these kinds of things.
"We've received new information, but as of yet, there is no confirmation." Agent Higson begins to respond, before pausing for a few seconds and looking down at the file again. "It is a possibility that the rogue known as Wraith, may not be alone, and could have at least one or two other Empowered working with him." He then adds with an almost expectant look on his face. It's a look that I understand straight away. He is asking whether or not I want backup, and at the same time, using this as a way of testing just how the encounter with Baine's team, had really affected me.
I don't really blame him for it though. We all know that when it comes to the mission and the safety of those under him. Agent Higson didn't care about hurting feelings, he was a leader, and he wanted the best possible outcome, and reducing the factors that endanger that outcome, is his priority. Even if it did still suck to be doubted, I still understood and respected him for it.
"The mission is to get surveillance, not to engage. So I don't see an issue with there being more than one Empowered." I respond confidently, after deciding just to be honest. Even if I was going to engage, I wasn't that concerned, I might have let Baine's team get the jump on me before, but that was different. I didn't let my guard down on missions, and this would be no different.
"Agreed." Agent Higson quickly responds with a nod of approval. It was a rare gesture, and I actually felt a sense of pride grow within me. Sure it's a bit stupid to feel that way from a nod of the head, but while I might just be a kid in a lot of peoples eyes, I took my job seriously and earned respect from someone like him, was a big deal to me.
"While the mission is to observe Wraith, Aidan. We would like you to confirm whether he is, in fact, working with someone else and not alone. Visual confirmation is enough, but if you can gain any information on them as well, it would be much appreciated and help us plan our operation to bring them in." Dr. Wilkins then adds firmly. It wasn't exactly an unwelcome change to the mission, but it did require me to rethink my initial plan.
"While this is a strictly surveillance mission, Aidan. We feel that with the potential of encountering more than just one rogue Empowered, to give you permission to defend yourself if necessary. I know that goes without saying, but we wanted to make sure that you wouldn't hesitate if it came to that." Agent Higson then suddenly adds with a slightly reluctant expression. I knew that he wasn't doubting me this time, but he still wasn't happy about me possibly engaging with the enemy. I wasn't that keen either, not with a possible three on one situation, but I could handle it. I've handled worse, and they both knew that.
"Understood and while I have no intention of engaging, I will make sure they regret it if they force my hand." I decide to respond confidently. I may have wanted to avoid fighting, especially after what had happened with Baine's team, but I wasn't going to let that stop me doing my job.
"Just be careful, Aidan. We don't know anything about Wraith or the other potential Empowered with him. Normally that might mean that they aren't much of a threat. However, with what happened with Baine and the incidents over the past few weeks, we think someone is rallying the rogue Empowered to a common cause. So don't underestimate them." Dr. Wilkins then adds with a slightly concerned expression. It was nice to see that he was concerned, but it was likely it was more because I am an asset, rather than actually caring for my personal well being.
"You can leave now, Aidan. You need to get ready and don't be late, you know the schedule." I then hear Agent Higson say with an expectant look. I was just about to respond to the doctor, so I was a little caught off guard, but he had dismissed me for a reason, and I am sure it wasn't just for my benefit. So with a nod of the head to both of them, I decide just to leave the room, and try and find Conner and Riley, I wanted to talk to them both before I left.
Two days later...
Okay, so I might be gay, and I might kind of be in love with Mason, but I have to admit, whoever these girls were, they were pretty hot. I mean I don't exactly like the outfits, a bit slutty, but they're definitely easy on the eyes. It might be why most of the people seemed happy enough just to follow their orders. Well, that and the fact they were Empowered and from what I had observed, not exactly shy of putting people in their place.
So far, it's been pretty routine, and I have all the normal information that I'm expected to gather, but I have learned a few interesting details about the three Empowered in charge of whatever this operation was. Wraith was in charge, there was no doubt about that, and he looked to be around his mid to late thirties, and mostly looked pretty laid back, and happy to let the two females have their fun.
The older looking female looked to be around the same age as Wraith, was called Poison. I had her down as definitely more sadistic than Wraith, but still under his command. She seemed to take pleasure in ordering around their followers and letting the younger Empowered female humiliate them further. She also had a weapon, both the girls had them, they looked like some kind of sword, but I haven't managed to get a decent look at them.
The youngest of the three, seemed to be a sadistic psychopath, and that's putting it mildly. Her name was Siren, and she had almost killed three of their followers since I had been observing them. It was only the intervention of one of the two older Empowered that saved those people. She seemed to love to humiliate the young men and girls especially. I had almost intervened when she had two teens naked, but whatever she had planned, thankfully Wraith had put a stop to it.
The most worrying thing though was the fact the followers only seemed to worship them more. It seemed like the more dominant they were, the more they revealed in their presence, and that worried me. We had been hearing reports of more teams of rogue Empowered appearing around the world, but also groups of followers, and no one could understand how this was happening or why.
Our best guess or I should say those in charge at the Facility, believe that there has to be someone in charge. It would have to be someone powerful, and intelligent, but no matter how much we've tried, we have pretty much zero information about who this person could be. We don't even know what their motivation could be, because so far, apart from creating a cult-like following and causing a few issues, they haven't really done anything, that we haven't seen before, from small groups of rogue Empowered.
But this just felt different. Everyone involved at the Facility was agreed on that point. Whatever this was, it wasn't just going to go away, and we were likely heading into some kind of conflict. All out war was very much a possibility, and we had to get as much information as possible, to avoid that happening. I didn't think the world could survive a war between two factions of Empowered, especially if we lost.
That was all to be discussed back at the Facility though. Right now, I had officially another three days on this mission, and to be honest, I wasn't sure if there was any point. I had their names and seen enough to gauge what powers they favored and were more proficient with. The swords were interesting though admittedly though, it was something new, and the followers were definitely a growing issue.
In all honesty, I was ready to head back, but I knew they wouldn't be happy with that, so I decided to go a little deeper with this mission. I had spent a few hours each day pretending to be a follower and hoping to find out more information, but it only offered me the information I had currently and it wasn't much. So going back in, but this time for a whole day, seemed like a worthwhile risk.
I had seen enough, or at least I hope. To be able to avoid the three Empowered. In the days that I had observed them, they had a pretty basic set routine, so I just had to make sure I didn't stray too close to any of them. Keeping my cover near them, would be very difficult, especially if they decided to use me as an example like I had seen them do to other followers already, would require me to take action, and I wanted to avoid having a fight if I could help it.
Not just because of the obvious risk, but also because if I were discovered, then they would know we're spying on them. I mean it's likely they know it's a risk, but if they have confirmation, they could try to set traps for our operatives or leak false information. So while we had the chance, we needed to get as much information as possible, before that became an issue.
With that in mind, I decided to go back to my hideout and get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, and I needed to make sure that I was fully alert, while also coming up with a plan. My previous attempts hadn't gotten me the information I had hoped for and this time, I wanted to at least find out about the symbol the followers seemed to have on their tops. It could be important.
The next day...
"Yeah, I'm new here. It's still a bit strange, and I'm not completely convinced that this isn't just another one of those crappy mini-cults that pop up and then just fade away." I say with a shrug of the shoulders. I had spent a bit of time mingling as casually as I could and changed my approach to my previous attempts after discovering that people weren't just blindly following as I had previously assumed.
"Oh yeah, I know what you mean, Dude." The guy quickly responds quietly. I could tell that like a lot of other people around, he seemed to be one of those people that needed to belong to something, and have someone make their choices for them. I doubt this is the first cult-like gathering, that he has been involved in.
"Yeah, these people seem really serious though. They have Empowered people, you don't get many with that kind of thing." Another follower then says. She looked like one of those hippy types of people but seemed just like the other guy. It was a little sad in a way because they must feel so lost, to feel like things like this were a way of finding whatever comfort or support they needed.
"Definitely got to impress people, although they don't seem too friendly." I then say without really thinking. The looks on their faces quickly make me regret that instantly, but to my relief, they seem to think about it for a few more seconds and then nod their heads in somewhat of an agreement, I think.
"That young girl definitely scary, but they're cool. They're Empowered, it would be pretty lame if they were all friendly and went around hugging people, we aren't children, we don't need to be treated like them." The guy then says with a slightly unsure expression. It looked like he wanted to believe he was right, but I could see that deep down, he didn't believe it. Yet, like so many people here, he was for whatever reason, going to stay.
It was a worrying realization, to know that most of the people here and elsewhere in the world, didn't really believe in this, but for whatever reasons, they would go along with it. It made the potential conflict that could be coming, even harder for me to want to be a part of. These people would likely by that point, be fighting against us, and they were just people. How are we meant to fight them, it doesn't bear thinking about.
"She's young, but the older ones look nicer, and the guy is pretty hot." The girl then states with a dreamy stare, as she looks past me. The realization of what she was obviously looking at, quickly causes me to tense up. I had made a point of keeping out of their sights, and if she could see Wraith, it meant that he could potentially see me.
I just had to hope he wouldn't take an interest in us. From what I had observed he rarely took notice of the crowd, so that was something. The girls though, if they were with him, I knew I needed to be more careful and get out of any potential line of sight. Getting into a fight right now, with all these people, it wasn't going to end well, and I doubt the rogue Empowered cared about their safety.
"He does look bad-ass though, most of them look stupid and try hard, but he just looks cool." The guy then says with a slight look of envy. He wasn't wrong though, the guy had style, and it wasn't forced. Something told me that before he became an Empowered, he was some kind of biker or something from that kind of crowd. He just had that natural look to him, even in his costume. The same couldn't quite be said about the girls though.
"The symbol thing that some people have is a bit weird though, I haven't even gotten a good look at it though. Does it mean something?" I then say quietly, as I slowly move towards somewhere a bit more secluded, or at least of sight from the rogue Empowered. Both of these followers seemed to know a lot more than I did, but neither wore the symbol, so I figured it was a good talking point and a chance to find out more about the symbol itself.
"Oh man, that thing looks so bad-ass, but you need to be a real member before they let you wear it." The guy quickly responds excitedly. The excitement in his voice catches me a little off guard, but it's not that surprising when I think about it. The guy was a perfect target for these kinds of groups, and we needed to really find a way to stop these people feeling desperate enough to turn to them.
"Real member?" I quickly ask curiously. It was obvious that he had finished and the girl was apparently distracted by the fact she could no longer see Wraith, which was more than a little weird. But anyway, this thing about being a real member was interesting and I knew that it could be important.
"Oh yeah, you have to prove yourself, before they let you were their insignia." The girl then suddenly answers with an eager look. It was a look that unsettled me a little and even if it wasn't for the fact I knew who was behind all of this, I knew that proving yourself, wasn't going to be anything good. I was getting less and less confident that we could stop this from escalating to all-out war.
"How do you prove yourself?" I ask nervously. I really hoped it wasn't in the way I feared, but after observing Wraith, Poison, and Siren, I couldn't help but be realistic. I just had to hope it wasn't the same everywhere, because not only is it sick and twisted. It also meant that the followers weren't put off by this and still wanted to be a part of whatever this was.
"We don't really know, we haven't been here long enough to watch, but we don't see some people ever again and those we do see again, just look really happy. So it has to be something amazing." The girl answers with that same eager look. Her words though horrified me on the inside. It might not be a solid confirmation of my fears, but I am guessing those never seen again, aren't seen for a reason. The people who come back looking happy, that's also disturbing on its own.
"They all get the insignia too, I can't wait to get mine. I'm going to prove myself." The young guy then adds with a confident grin. The pity I felt for him earlier, was quickly being turned into almost disgust. It was a horrible thing to think, but this guy and everyone here, just seemed so desperate, it's just hard to believe there isn't something better they could be doing. Sure life wasn't easy, I had seen so much of the world to know this, but to resort to this, it's just crazy.
"How long have you been coming to these things?" I decide to ask. It was something I was suddenly curious about because they weren't first timers, and if they hadn't been here long enough to be part of this proving yourself initiation, then I need to find out how long it takes. It was important and maybe something we could exploit somehow. At the very least, if we wanted to get spies within this threat, this would help.
"About a month, we actually joined around the same time. Can't ditch the moron though, so I'm stuck with him." The girl answers with a smirk, and while it was interesting that they had formed a friendship, I couldn't help but notice the guy was staring at me. It was a stare that I had been dreading, and I was praying that he wasn't going to see through my disguise.
It wasn't exactly a perfect disguise, but even Riley had trouble recognizing me, so it should have been good enough for anyone else. I mean given my suit and mask when I am Hero, it should be impossible for someone to recognize me, at least I hoped it was, otherwise things might get very complicated, very quickly.
"Are you sure we haven't talked before, I'm sure that I've seen you at one of these things before." He then asks, all the time staring at me. My instinct was just to leave, I could be out of here before he even realized I had moved. However, that would mean the risk that they would talk about how I was here one second and gone the next. Sure, they wouldn't know who I was, but it would get back to the rogue Empowered, and they would know someone like them was here. So I couldn't risk that.
"Honestly, I have no idea, I guess we could have passed each other at some point somewhere else. But I've only been here a few days, maybe you saw me walking around. I'm pretty sure I looked like your typical newbie and am sure a few people noticed me looking completely lost." I quickly respond casually. It was something we had been trained to do, so we didn't just panic and stumble over our words. It didn't really come naturally to me, but I think keeping secrets from Riley for the past few years, helped me a little bit.
"You still look and sound like a typical newbie, but we all did at the start." The girl then says with a slightly amused expression. It just occurred to me, however, that I had no idea what their names were, in fact, the more I thought about it, no one seemed to have offered their name or asked for mine. That was strange, especially given the nature of this gathering and the number of people here
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN… The time has come for you to gather, you have one minute, those not present, please leave and do not return." A loud voice then suddenly booms over. It had to be Wraith's, and I had to admit, it was a powerful and commanding voice, and I quickly followed the young man and girl towards the area I guessed we had to be. Although I was careful not to end up to close to the rogue Empowered, even if it meant ditching my two acquaintances.
As we moved towards what I thought was the center of the town or village that we were in, I did actually lose sight of the young man and girl. It was slightly disappointing, as I could have learned more from them, but it was more important to stay out of the line of sight of the rogue Empowered. With that in mind, I had tried to stick to the edge, so that I had a good view, but should be safe from being spotted.
I also noticed something else, that I hadn't seen before, around the edges of where we had gathered, there were what I assumed were followers, standing guard, or at least that's what it looked like. What was more surprising and a little unsettling was that they appeared to be armed, but even with my increased vision, I could quite work out what kind of weaponry they had.
To me, it kind of looked like some type of gun stick thing, but not of any design I had seen, and I had been shown and given training in a lot of different firearms at the Facility, it was part of our training. So I definitely wanted to get a better look at them at some point, preferably even get a hold of one to take back with me, but that would have to wait. This gathering was more important, and I needed to pay attention, as Wraith began to speak and talk to us all.
"Hero, you need to come with me. They know you're here." A voice suddenly whispers into my ear. It had caught me by complete surprise, as I had been listening intently to Wraith speaking for what had to have been at least fifteen minutes by now. I had no idea who was talking to me, or how they knew who I was, but as I felt a hand on my back, I had to make a decision.
"How? And who are you?" I quietly whisper back in response, as I feel the hand pressing a little firmer on my back. I had no idea what to do though, I needed to make a decision, but being caught so easily off guard, had me feeling too surprised to react fast enough, and I barely registered that we were actually moving into the center of the gathering, and not somewhere safe.
"I'm a big fan, I love how tight your outfit is, I just wish you were wearing it now." The person quickly responds, and it's only then that I recognize that it was a girls voice, and a voice I had heard more than a few times these past few days. It was Siren, and before I could respond, I felt myself being shoved forward, just as a loud cheer erupted around me. I had fucked up, big time.
To be continued...