… Mama, just killed a man. Put a gun against his head. Pulled my trigger, now he's dead…

After getting myself a new outfit, we had set out and found a place to rest in another neighborhood. The walk had been silent, neither him nor me talking about what we had done or seen. We were both in a blank stupor, realizing what we were capable of, and reflecting on the validity of such actions. Where before I was ok with anything I might do as long as I didn’t cause undeserved suffering, now I had to think over my decisions not to plan ahead and let my emotions run wild. I liked that side of me, there was a bizarre cathartic feeling to joking around even when in the worse situations, it’s undeniable, but I couldn’t just allow it to overcome the better parts of me and nullify them. I had wallowed in my declining sanity as of late, and this just would not work for me anymore.

Our hideaway consisted of a rundown flat, in a murky building, with tags on the walls and rats in them. But it served its purpose well enough. Arriving in the early evening we had eaten some snacks absentmindedly and promptly went to sleep after that. Kurt did at least. I was too focused on the images replaying themselves in my mind. Could I have prevented this massacre ? Probably not, they had opened fire as soon as we went near them. But that’s probably because we had taken one of them out just before and were driving his car. So maybe, instead of assaulting that man outside the police station, we should have asked him nicely ? Sure, as if that would have worked.

No, the real matter in the first place was our goal going in. Getting to Knowles. Maybe we should have let the idea go, and just insisted to Fletcher to have Alyssa be released. But the inspector had had a point, the city was in a bad situation, principally because of Knowles and his private army. Killing him and part of his goons - there was no doubt there were more of them somewhere - must have served the interest of the whole. Maybe what we did could have been done better but was still a good thing ? I wasn’t sure about that, the thought leaving a bad ashen taste in my mouth.

As I sat still on the ground, deep in reflection, the night came and went. I didn’t feel tired nor sleepy, surely another quirk of my Stats. Or maybe the horrors of the day before were catching up to me, but I doubted it. The dawn created dazzling rays of light through the broken windows, shining on the rubbish scattered around.

I had taken some time to contact the System while meditating, I had received a new Skill called [Double Casting] which, as it implied, allowed me to form two spells at the same time. I created a tiny orb of light in the palm of my hand, shifting its color through the visible spectrum, from violet to red, and back to violet, continuously, while levitating a couple centimeters off the ground. I could now control my whole-body worth of mass after so much time spent training controlling gravity.

Kurt had asked me what I wanted, and my first instinct was to look for friendship. But my life shouldn’t be resumed by just that. I wanted more. I needed more. A purpose in life was required if I was to last in this world. Running around haphazardly, causing chaos everywhere I go, this wouldn’t do.

As I mulled over this little problem of mine, Kurt woke up with a start. He quickly got up and looked around, as if astounded he was still there. I couldn’t blame him, he most likely had relived the past day with nightmarish dread added to it. I felt a pang of guilt rush through my gut. No, I had to redirect myself, I hadn’t forced him into this. Not to say that I cleared myself, I still had had a hand in it.

“Hi.”

“Ah !” He exclaimed, taken by surprise. “Jeez, don’t scare me like that !” Then, hesitating to talk, he looked me over twice before settling on a decision. “I think we need to speak about... what happened yesterday. Just, let me eat a bit first.”

He rummaged through his bag and brought out a piece of jerky that he began to eat. Not waiting for him to finish, I started to lay out my opinion.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. You saw their equipment, they were ready to bring fire and fury to this city. I don’t think we wiped them out completely, but getting Knowles out of the picture will definitely help. Don’t stress it out.”

He gulped the last bite, watching the sun reflect against the many windows across the street. “You’re not the best person to talk to concerning that, but I still feel sick in my stomach about... killing him. I mean, yes, he did some awful things and had probably planned to do much worse, but if I skip my own grief with him, the key word remains ‘probably’. We don’t know for sure what he was using those grunts for.”

“But he was using them. Toying with their mind.” He glanced at me curiously. “You may not have seen it, but at the last moment, just before you shot him, he made his family turn rabid and try to attack me. He did the same thing to his men.”

“What ? How ?”

“Must have been a Skill. He used his voice to set it off.”

“I… I remember now. He was looking me directly in the eyes, then he shouted something, and I… I pressed the trigger.”

“As I said, don’t stress it out. The shock will pass, then you’ll feel even worse, but this will also fade in time. Give yourself a few days to think it over.”

He eyed me, as if searching for a proof of what I was saying. Then he saw my face, saddened and compassionate. At least that’s what I tried to show him. I stood up, stretched and ate my share of jerky. We didn’t have much more in terms of food, and were on our last swigs of water.

“Kurt… I wanted to say, erm… I’m sorry you had to see all that…”

“It’s fine Neant. It’s fine. You might be one of the worse nutcase I’ve ever seen, but you’re no devil. I’ve seen you look at people with compassion in your eyes on our way here, and you saved my life multiple times when you didn’t have to. Yes, you killed a lot and in gruesome ways, but that doesn’t mean you’re an inhuman monster. Not to me at least. I’ve met some people who walked the right path, did the right thing… Doesn’t mean they weren’t rotten to the very core when they thought they were alone.”

I didn’t react to that, not externally. Inside, I was relieved. An incredibly heavy weight was lifted from my shoulders. This man was telling me I wasn’t an abomination, that I wasn’t the worst humanity had ever seen like I had come to believe. This was freedom. Freedom of the heart. I breathed a long sigh of alleviation, nodding to him with a thankful smile.

“You’re still a jackass by the way.” Ah, the long lost stingy quip, how I had missed it !

We finished preparing ourselves and set out to resupply. Having no money whatsoever, this was a challenge in and of itself. We went to several stores to find out that the shopkeepers brave enough to keep their stands open were doing it for the wrong kind of reasons. Prices had skyrocketed to impossible measures and items were available in meager quantities. We were walking through town to find something, anything, that would sustain us when someone mentioned that the military were organizing open provisions distributions all over the city, so we listened in a bit more and learned the location of the nearest one.

Arriving there was a pain, the crowd surrounding a group of trucks suffocating. But while we waited and shuffled slowly toward the so desired food and drinking water, we picked upon some strange rumors traveling around.

“You heard about Knowles’ place ? It’s been completely wiped out !” An adult male voice said.

“Pff. You’re full of crap. Last I heard, He had a well-equipped force standing around in there. And as far as I know, the army didn’t move any soldiers around yesterday.” Another male voice responded, this one more nasal.

“I swear it’s true ! My cousin knows a guy who works for him ! He said there was only one guy ! A big stocky dude with super powers !”

“Man, I know the Tutorial was a mess and a half, and that it’s really close to those video-games your son loves, but you got to keep your head out of your ass ! How did the guy who witnessed it survive all this, huh ?”

“Apparently, when shit started, he and all the other servants were led to the attic. They heard screams and explosions and weird sounds, you know ?”

“Then how did he know what he looked like if he stayed hidden all the while ?”

“He… Err… I don’t know. But it’s real, I tell you !”

They kept going at it from all angles, one assuring the other of the veracity of his story, while said other just didn’t buy any of it. It was strange hearing about my actions in retrospect from the point of view of a bystander. How scary and confusing it had been. Kurt looked at me for a moment, wondering what I was thinking about what we were hearing, but I just blinked my eyes slowly, casting away any wish to correct them on how it actually went down.

When we finally reached a truck, it was nearly empty. We hailed a soldier on top of it to throw us something, he then grabbed a plastic bag of what seemed to be dried food and a pack of water bottles. Happy as can be in this kind of loud and rowdy crowd, we slowly pushed our way out. I had to take extra care not to push too hard or risk breaking something, but we still made it to the other side in one piece.

This endeavor completed, I turned to Kurt and asked him silently what he wanted to do now.

“I don’t know. I want to go see my mother, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea, with the mess we created back there.”

“Well, it might be a good opportunity to get her out. With Knowles gone, she has nothing to fear now. And Fletcher has no reason to keep her locked up anymore.”

“Right… I’m just… You think it’s a good idea ?”

That made me pause. It was the time to think ahead, to anticipate the hardships coming our way following the choices we were currently making. A time to plan. A nasty shiver took my spine as I refrained from shaking my head ruefully in disgust. This felt unnatural to me. But I trudged through the feeling, and got my brain working. What would happen if we were to return to the police station ? More chaos. The people there would surely know by now that we were escapees, but more than that, we were connected to the massacre of around fifty people. So, not a good idea.

Wait, Fletcher had mentioned that his place was run by Knowles’ money and coercion. So, with him out… There was probably nobody in the precinct anymore !

“Yes ! And we gotta go now !” I said as I started running, slower than I could have to let Kurt keep up with me.

“What ? Why ? What’s happening ?” He shouted right behind me.

“I think your mom might be all alone in her cell right now ! Or maybe with Fletcher. Or something else… But we need to get there now !”

And so, we ran. For a bit, before Kurt lost all capability to breath the correct way. Then we resumed running, but even slower this time, I made sure of that.

The police station had its doors wide open with nobody at the front desk, good sign for us, not so much for the gear stored in there. All the lights were out but we still saw something shift above in one of the offices. In Fletcher office, if my memory was right. We looked at each other, and moved silently through the lobby and up the stairs. Once in front of the door slightly ajar, we could hear somebody walk around and talk to himself. I risked a look inside, and got a glimpse of Fletcher, gagged and tied up on his chair. This didn’t bode anything good. Alas, Fletcher saw me peeking and groaned mutedly.

“You’ve finally decided to speak ? Let me help you.” I saw a silhouette of a man in a white suit go over to Fletcher and untie his gag.

“Humph… I already told you, I have nothing to do with that !” He spat at white suit.

“If it is to lie again, you can abstain from opening your mouth. Tell me the truth, who did it ?”

“The guy who’s-“ I had stepped into the room, ready to deliver an express package of knuckles to the white suit, but received yet another bundle of bullets for my effort. Maybe I should stop trying to be so dramatic in my entrances. Note to self, do the deed, and speak after. There was another guy in the room behind the door. Other note to self, kick the door even if it’s already open.

Unmoved by the impacts, thinking more about how I had ruined yet another set of clothes, I sent a grav-wave backwards and heard a thump, then a slide against the wall and onto the floor.

“As I was saying, I’m the guy who’s about to kill you if you don’t release my friend here.”

“I’m not your friend, mate.” Ouch.

“So you’re the one who made this mess.” White suit turned to me and said, undeterred by my badass entrance. I hated this kind of guys, A poker face stronger than a mirror.

“And who are you ?”

“Your end. Your little tricks won’t work on me.”

Naturally I tested this affirmation, sending a plasma marble into his gut. Which vanished the instant it reached him, not even singing his damn costume.

“See ? Now, you will do as I say and follow me quietly. We have a lot to discuss.”

“Don’t think so.”

“Stop it, it’s of no use. You-“

He got stopped right there by a fingers pie in his face. I may have gone overboard, as his jaw was now on the other end of the room. But nobody tells me what to do or not do without consequences. This prick was now wailing on the floor, gurgling blood down his neck. I stomped on his head to put an end to the noise. A crack and a squish and it was over. I looked up and Fletcher had eyes as round as saucers.

Whoops, did it again.

“Don’t be afraid, I have no reason to give you the same treatment.” I tried reassuring him. It worked so-so.

“Christ, Neant… Just untie him…” Kurt seemed to think I had done it on purpose, but I swear I hadn’t !

“Hum, yeah… Thanks...” He said to me as he kept his eyes trained on me, watching my every move.

“Now, who was that guy ?” Said Captain Kirk, taking control of the situation.

“An associate of Knowles… Is Knowles really dead ? Is it really over ?”

“Yes.” Kurt said. The sound of his voice flat, only I heard the shiver in his throat. “Can you lead us to my mother ?”

Fletcher acquiesced, his eyes having left mines and directed toward the headless body.

We descended to the first floor, in a part of the precinct that was hidden behind numerous doors. We entered a room with half a dozen cells, all empty of any offenders. Before they had left, the cops had had the wit to let them free, or there just wasn’t that many criminals in this burgher neighborhood.

“Alyssa ? Are you ok ?” The detective shouted while approaching the end of the room.

“Fletcher ? You fucking fuck ! Don’t even dare show your face to me !”

“Kurt’s with me, Alyssa.” He said as he went through a set of keys in front of a metal door.

“Kurt ? Kurt, you’re here ?” My friend was fixed in place, eyes glazing over the hatch.

“Mom ?” He answered after a moment.

Finally, Fletcher managed to open the door, revealing a dark-skinned woman with freckles on her face. She was dressed in a wide red tee-shirt with bright blue jeans. Borrowed clothes I guessed. When she saw my friend she practically jumped to him, hugging him to the point of cutting off his breath. Breath he had skipped when he had looked at her, all worn down and bleary-eyed as she was. She had had to bereave her other son while locked up, unable to see him a last time before he was buried. In fact, I doubted he had been, with all that was going down. Maybe we would find his corpse in a morgue, forgotten and left to rot by his guardians…

Which made me think about the smell that got out of her room. Quite a strong musk I might say. I pinched my nose, unable to hide a grimace from showing up on my face. Fletcher flicked his eyes at me, frowned and just as quickly looked the other way, all in one continuous motion of scowl and unease.

After a long moment of reunion between the two Maxis, I got a chance to speak with the mother.

“Nice to meet you, Alyssa. I’m Neant, your son’s babysitter.” I caught a glimpse of Kurt facepalming behind her. “If you would kindly follow us, we need to leave this place.” I didn’t want to have other friends of Knowles come up and surprise us in there.

“Um, sure.”

“Fletcher, you can come with us too. I assume your home must be infested with pest by now.”

“What is he talking about ?” Alyssa asked her son.

“Knowles’ people. We need to get out of the city, and quickly.”

I started walking back toward the entrance with a springy gait, making sure they were behind me.

While they followed, Fletcher after Kurt and Alyssa, she whispered to her son. “Is he a friend of yours ?”

Kurt murmured back to her. “Kinda… But you can trust him. He’s on our side.”

“Are those bullet holes ?”

“Yes. He’s fine, don’t worry. He’s more robust than he looks.” Why, thank you Kurt.

“Is he… Are you two...” I could feel the undertone in her hesitation.

“I’m not swinging that way if that’s what worries you.” I interjected before Kurt could speak.

“Oh no, I was just wondering…” Apologetic, she didn’t know how to react.

“Well, I’m not too sure to be honest, I’ve never tried it. Care for a new experience, Kurt ?”

“I’d rather sleep with a fucking blender.” Pictorial as always.

“Too bad. And what about you, Fletcher ?” I turned around, walking in reverse along one of the corridor.

His eyes went back from vague awareness to crisp focus in an instant. “Hum, what ? Sorry, I wasn’t listening.”

“Doesn’t matter. I just had an idea. Everybody masturbates, right ? Then, if you think about it, we all are a little bit gay.”

“Don’t mind him, he does that sometimes. Goes on wild tangents coming from nowhere.” Kurt said and betrayed me to the others.

“He does seem a little bit off his rocker.” She remarked.

Once in the lobby, we noticed some people had wandered inside. We quickly left the building, then got into Fletcher’s car, an old but well-maintained model of the 80s. I rode shotgun with the Maxis in the backseats. The detective then started the engine and asked me where we would be going.

“Anybody know a place where no-one will come looking for us ?”

Alyssa of all people answered me. “In the East valley, there is a small town that might suit our needs. I know someone there that owe me a favor.”

“Well then. Onward, my noble steed !” I exclaimed as I slapped my hand on Fletcher’s shoulder.

Cue the groans and grumbles of exasperation, but we were finally on our merry way. But first, the morgue.

*

* *

… And on the road again. Like a band of gypsies, we go down the highway. We're the best of friends. Insisting that the world be runnin' our way…

The trip had been uneventful, cruising along the freeway, joking and singing, telling each other incredible stories… Or rather plain silence right till the end. We had left the city with cries and tears, having buried Elijah – Kurt’s brother – in a meadow on the outskirts of the suburbs. This had been a trying experience, not succumbing to the collective weeping and keeping a straight face, as I didn’t want to add to the grieving atmosphere. I saw a mother and a son mourn, and it felt bitter. I may be capable of many impossible feats, but reviving the dead wasn’t in my reach. But it passed, colors returning to the Maxis after a time.

We were now in the town named after the abrupt cliff it grew on. Sutherdryre. An old name for an old place. The ocean could be seen below the overhang of many buildings right on top of the crag, as if the town was spilling over the natural wall. I guessed the burg was originally farther from the dead drop and that erosion had played its part. I could see some tall constructions, but it resembled more an extended village than a town per say.

We parked the car in a narrow alley, at the back of a diner-bar. We had arrived in the late afternoon and the small dwelling was fully lit with loud discussions coming out. It seemed a bar was as good a place as any to spend your time during those troubling days. Luckily, Fletcher had spare clothes for me in his trunk.

“She’s in there. Don’t cause a scene.” Alyssa said, her eyes pointed directly at me.

Wow, already ?

We went in through the front, passing by drunk men and women, old and young, celebrating the end of the world together. Inside, the air was heavy with the smell of sweat, alcohol, a bit of ladies’ perfume and… tobacco smoke. I was bringing up the rear, and the instant this odor fluttered in my nose, I froze. Rushing outside, I took deep breaths and leaned over myself, as if dry heaving my lungs out. Panic attack is what it was. This… stench brought too many memories back with it. I couldn’t stand it, I had to get away, I had to…

I felt a hand drop on my shoulder. Stopping myself from reacting violently just in time, I turned around and faced Kurt.

“You ok ?” He looked concerned, a worried frown on his face.

“I’m… No, I’m not.”

“Take deep inspirations, and let it go slowly. You need something ?” He simply offered his help, just like that, no strings attached.

“Just some time alone, that’s all.”

“Sure. We’re at one of the left side table, come join us when you can.”

“Of course… And erm… Thanks, Kurt.”

“Don’t mention it.” This guy…

I took a minute or two to calm down. People kept staring at me, but I didn’t mind much. Sure, the looks grated on my patience, I kind of wanted to scare them away, but in the end, it didn’t matter to me. I went back in, spotted my group sitting at the designated table and joined them, facing the entrance. Nobody asked about my absence.

Alyssa was the first to speak. “We ordered you a burger with fries, is that ok ?”

“Absolutely. I might need it actually.”

Fletcher then intervened. “So, who is it that we are meeting ?”

“She should be here any minute now.” Alyssa dismissed his question with venom in her voice. She was still pissed at him, but she would eventually get over it, he had probably saved her life after all.

“Well, you’ll tell me about it afterward, I have to go see a man about a horse.” Fletcher on the other hand didn’t seem to care much about what she thought of him. To him, he had done the right thing, that was all.

“Have I met her ?” Kurt asked, trying to figure out who it was.

“No, we came across each other just last year.”

“Right. What did you do for her again ?”

With a knowing look, she addressed her son. “I helped her get her dad out of trouble with the cops once or twice. He’s a heavy drinker.”

“He’s also a damn big guy with a mean right hook.” A voice called out to my left.

There, dressed in a cook attire, was an athletic woman. She had slipped past me without anyone the wiser, me included, which was actually very impressive.

“Madison !” Alyssa then proceeded to hug the shit out of her. This was a recurring theme it seemed.

“Easy there. Introduce me first !” Madison said with a smile.

Alyssa took a step back and pointed a hand at her son. “This is Kurt, my little baby-“

“-Ah come on !-“

Then at me. “-and this is… Neant… He’s… someone…” Sputtering her last words, she looked back at Madison, embarrassment visible.

“Haha ! At least you got his name right, right ?”

I nodded a couple times, enjoying this moment of confusion. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Madison.”

“Ooh. The boy’s even got manners. Alyssa… Tell me, what are you up to with such a fine lad ?” She quirked her eyebrows, two grins worth of smile on her face.

Alyssa pinched her nose – a family thing – then invited her friend to sit down with us.

“So, why are you all here ? Don’t tell me it’s for the cuisine, I’m not that gullible.”

I spoke up for all of us. “Well, we have a service to ask of you. We need to disappear for a while and Alyssa here was thinking you might have a place somewhere for us to stay at, if it’s not too much to ask for.”

“Why, yes of course ! I owe Alyssa much more than that. And I have just the right thing for you. A friend of mine left his house empty to go find his girlfriend at the other end of the country and left it to my care while he’s away. He won’t mind if you use it a bit, as long as you don’t break anything.”

I sure hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“That is very kind of you.” I don’t know why nor how, but my brain insisted to be extra nice with her. Probably my synapses starting to tire out. Or the animal in me found her appealing. But most likely my synapses. Yes, my synapses, working overtime to interpret the wink she shot me.

“God ! Get a room !” Kurt blurted out, disgust showing.

“That’s what we were talking about, Kurt. I told you already, you should consult someone asap.”

He muttered under his breath something related to rabbits and got quiet, sulking in his corner.

“I’ll show you around after we close, for now, beers on me !”

She got up, walked behind the counter, grabbed a tray, filled five glasses after I told her to add one for Fletcher and got back to us, all that under a minute. You must appreciate someone who can pour beer that quickly without it foaming. I took a sip after thanking her, and the bitterness took me by surprise.

I really should get used to it.

She apologized seeing me wince. “Sorry if it tastes a bit off, we had no power running for two days last week. It’s been like that since.”

“No, it’s not that, I’m just not used to it yet.”

“To beer ? What !? Don’t tell me you’ve never drunk before ?” I could tell an idea popped in her mind. I didn’t like where this was going.

“About that, how do you still have anything to drink ? Let alone any food ?” I tried veering the conversation onto safer subjects.

“Oh, yes. There was a general supplier for the region in the next town. We scavenged it after the black-out happened.”

“And the power ?”

“A small plant between- Don’t think I’m not seeing what you’re doing, mister lightweight ! You will get plastered tonight, or I’m not a part of the Make-A-Drink foundation !”

“With great enthusiasm comes great responsibilities.”

“Don’t you worry, I’ll take good care of you.” And another wink. To which even Alyssa rolled her eyes.

That’s how I started my night, a beer in my hand and people to laugh with. Things were looking up, all was well, the world was pulling through the apocalypse, I even contemplated the future with wishful thinking. But, again, things didn’t pan out the way I expected them to.

*

* *

… And that’s the way the cookie crumble !

We were in the middle of the night, even more patrons had come in, more beer had been poured, food was in abundance, laughs and animated discussions were aplenty… I was having the time of my life. If it wasn’t for the lingering cigarette smell – I had forced every smoker out of the place – I think I would have wanted to stay there indefinitely. Madison had remained true to her words, serving me glass after glass, from brew to whisky, even going as far as making me try some moonshine she had reserved for special occasions. Fletcher was sharing his experience in the Tutorial with an antiquated man– it involved reliving a battle he had lost a friend in – and the Maxis were in a corner, catching up to each other’s tale. When Madison had returned from the kitchen, she insisted I defend my manly honor and challenge the local drinking star. At that point I had drained four beers, two shots of Scotch and one of what tasted like pure alcohol, the aforementioned moonshine. And I still didn’t have to go to the restroom. I was truly a cheat character.

“I think I feel something... A slight tingle in my fingers…”

“Ah ! Then you need more !” She burst out, half-laughing to my allusion, half-joking herself. “Go find the guy with red hair and a skull on his cheek, he’s gonna coach you on how to drink properly !”

Madison had been very professional during the night, not drinking more than a beer before going to work. But now that she was done cooking, she had let her inner monster loose. At times, I felt like a piece of meat in front of a lioness, or a goose she poured alcohol in. She was truly fearsome, and yet a part of me seemed drawn to her, always coming back for another round.

The guy in question was burly, his crimson mane giving him a fierce look. I sat in front of him, waiting for him to acknowledge me. He looked me over, his eyes strangely alit under a face marked with the regular use of alcohol, then pushed his half-emptied pint and nodded at me. Getting the message, I gulped it in one go. He ordered two more, and we started chugging them like there were no tomorrow. I didn’t really know why I was participating in this ritual, but I did it anyway. In a sense, I felt as if a part of something bigger. Part of a ceremonial that transcended our young and wobbly society.

We finished our fourth gulp just in time to hear a commotion outside. Screams of what sounded like fear and amazement mixed with tables and chairs thrown to the ground. A man with eyes poking out of his head then entered the bar in a rush and started shouting to us all.

“They’re here ! The aliens are here !”

We all tried to go outside at the same time and ended up blocking the entrance, but I could see lights above the houses through the windows. Green lights, moving in the sky. It was true, they were finally here. What would they look like ? I got a flash of my discussion with Jane about that. What would they want from us ? If they even did want something from us in the first place. Maybe they were here for the resources ? Maybe we were only pest to eradicate to them ?

I got outside and saw them fly over us, coming from the sea. They were heading inland, toward the larger cities probably. I couldn’t determine the size of their ships, the green points of light too little to even guess at their approximative diameter when put against the black backdrop of the night sky. People Oohed in awe, and rushed to the center of the town when one appeared to come to a stop right above it. I watched in muted expectation as the fleet finished its passage over us. We were ants, that’s the feel I got from this quantity of power displayed.

Our group met up in front of the bar, we needed to discuss our current course of action.

“I say we just ignore them, we need to keep a low profile.” Fletcher proposed, caution his priority.

Alyssa looked at him, scowl in her eyes. “And who wouldn’t go meet the aliens when they have come directly to us ? That’s not keeping a low profile, that’s idiocy !”

“We should go there and at least see what they want. We can’t just hide our heads in the dirt and hope for everything to be alright.” Kurt said, using his brain for once.

“Let’s go, we might learn a thing or two.” I added my comment, trying to encourage him.

We went there, quickly catching up to the now massive crowd surrounding the town square. The alien craft was hovering ten meters high, looming menacingly above our heads. It slowly but surely descended as people watched in open wonderment. As soon as it touched the ground, a bright light shot out of its belly. The whole thing seemed engineered to create a dramatic entrance. Three small silhouettes draw themselves against the lighting. They then descended from the ship, floating the last few centimeters between the open hatch and the pavement beneath. Then, the brightness subdued, leaving us to gaze at three completely different individuals.

The one in the middle was short, a bright red cap above four beady eyes, the rest of his body dark with a tint of green due to the dimming engines. I could spot many patches of fur on its head and neck, much like an ape. It had two prehensile limbs with weird bends and two hind ones made for standing up. It resembled a monkey with a baseball cap and antelope arms and legs. It looked around, surely analyzing us all.

The second one was tall, more than two meters in height. It had numerous limbs with just as many wriggling fingers at each end. A central smooth torso with no head forged the picture of an octopus mixed with a stone face in the middle, its two enormous eyes seeming bored and scanning us with lazy intent.

Last is the most surprising one. Not because it was extraterrestrial looking, but on the contrary for its uncanny resemblance with a human being. It had all of our characteristics down to the eyebrows and a perfectly symmetric body. Two glowing red eyes were the only difference from us. His attitude toward us was… disturbing. It was smiling from ear to ear and bobbing its head up and down.

They were wearing some sort of jumpsuits, each tailored to embrace their body in seemingly optimal ways. Then, the monkey one addressed us all with a voice that conflicted with such a small frame. In fact, he probably used a space-megaphone.

“People of Sutherdryre ! As of the twenty-sixth day of the seventh month of the year two thousand and fifteen following your calendar, you are now under the command of the Fifth Expeditionary Force of the Hierarch.” It was a voice out of this world, literally. The speech pattern was flat, but Its intonations marked its pride in his allegiance.

Several people gasped in terror, other started to head toward the invaders but were quickly stared into place. Alas, five men and women didn’t get the memo, and went nearer to them than caution dictated. They were instantly dispatched by the two aliens standing to the sides of the one talking. Quick thrusts of weapons I hadn’t seen before – long metal poles – and they were on the ground, groaning in pain. Thing is, it had been quick for everyone but me. I had seen them get small object from their backs, deploy them into full staffs and strike as if in a slight slow-motion. They were indeed stronger and faster that the average man, but they still didn’t compare to me. Thing is, they were probably just low-ranking officers of this expeditionary thing. If I was to go against the full might of their army, I had no doubt I would encounter opponents on par or even stronger than me.

Call me a coward, but I didn’t fancy going against an unknown enemy without proper preparations. And for what ? To protect humanity ? I didn’t care. Or just a bit, my friends did matter to me at least. But that is why I did nothing, and let the monkey continue his little speech.

“This is a once in a universe-time opportunity. The Hierarch is benevolent and compassionate. He offers you a chance to prove yourselves and enter his dominion over all that lives. You can all be part of a bigger society. For that, you only need to use the System and its many boons to evolve and become worthy of His notice.” Then, picking up pace and volume. “Rejoice, people of the Earth ! For today a new page of your history unfolds ! A page of unbound richness and power ! The future is bright for those who assiduously follow His dictate !”

Mixed reactions could be seen on the surrounding faces. Ones of dread and horror, ones of expectancy, of unbridled potential finally being set free… And ones of utter surrender. People don’t want to fight if they can help it, that is the rule of humanity I started to learn that day. Yes, a minority want to better things out, others prefer them as they were, but the majority just wants to live peaceably. I was frightened to see as many of my kin accept and just resolve themselves to this new state of affairs. They weren’t that numerous – for now – the shock had just happened, but the next following days would prove me right. Business as usual would keep going, simply adjusting to new circumstances.

“We will now establish a camp in the near vicinity in order to distribute gifts to those who wish to join the great Hierarchy. You may now have realized that a maximum number of Skills are available to you at any time. We offer you the chance to increase that maximum with a Trait in order to develop your strength and augment your usefulness to the Hierarch. Further than that, you will choose in what way you want to serve Him, for his gift is one of many possibilities. This Trait is called [Child of the Hierarchy] and is prone to evolve following your feats done in His name !”

Yeah, sure. A free of charge offering just to enlist in a shady group of psycho aliens with a cult of the personality disorder. No issue there.

And still I could tell some were enticed to do so. When our extraterrestrial guest finished giving the location of its soon to be recruitment center near the entrance of town, they took off in a breeze, disappearing above the buildings roofs. I turned to my friends to watch their reactions, but they were already discussing it among themselves.

“… I tell you, we need to get out of here and quickly !”

“Fletcher, don’t be such a moron. They’re everywhere now, there’s no use fleeing to another town.” Alyssa, again, berated the detective.

“I say we just stay put, it won’t matter anyhow, as you said they’re everywhere.” Madison added her opinion.

But Alyssa begged to differ. “No, we must fight them however we can ! They should not be able to come and conquer our planet without us fighting back !”

“I can understand your point, but leave that to the army. Going all Rambo or take to the hills isn’t possible for any of us.” Madison, cool-headed, reminded her of our capabilities.

“Neant could.”

Everybody stopped arguing when Kurt spoke. Fletcher watched with rapt attention the shoes of Alyssa who, together with Madison, stared at Kurt with question marks on their forehead.

“I could, but I’d prefer not to. We don’t know their full strength yet.”

At that, Alyssa looked at me with dubious eyes, trying to pierce my skull and search the truth in it. Madison on the other hand took the news with relative ease, meaning she grinned at me as if appreciating a good joke. Somewhere, deep inside, it hurt my pride. Just a bit. But I was certain that, soon enough, I would have to prove them wrong.

“Let’s join them instead.” I said straight faced, a migraine and a plan starting to form on the ridges of my brain.

“Here we go again…” My friend said to himself.

Madison kept her smile, expecting me to drop the act at any moment. Alyssa on the other hand…

“Are you fucking stupid ? It’s clearly a ploy to use us in some nefarious means ! How can you be so blind to their intentions ?”

“I blink a lot.” This got some reaction. Fury and laughter from you can guess whom, while Fletcher still seemed absorbed by the floor.

“Urgh… Just explain us your idea…” Kurt, helpful as always. “You do have one, right ?”

“Why, yes ! Thank you for asking ! It’s quite simple really. We infiltrate them !”

“What for ?” Asked Madison, playing the part.

“To learn of their weaknesses of course !”

“What if they don’t have one ?”

“Then… We make one !” I was proud of my logical thinking.

“Even if we successfully join their organization without them brainwashing us with some space wizardry we have no idea of, even if we survive all the while the more than probable alien-hazing, even if we find a fault in their invasion of the Earth from a platoon surely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, what, the fuck, are we gonna do with this ‘weakness’ ? We’re not the military ! We can’t push them back into space with only four people !” Alyssa said as the good buzz killer she was.

“Five, don’t forget Fletcher.” She crossed her arms at that. “But that’s beside the point. The moment we get an edge over them, we’ll destroy them from the inside ! Or just call the cavalry, if you insist. But I still prefer option one.”

Madison then realized I wasn’t joking around. She experimented a brutal reentry into reality. “You’re mental... You’re actually out of your fucking mind !”

Wow… That hurt… Why does that hurt so much ? Why does what Madison think of me matters that much ?

I was troubled for a second, shaken in my core. I was in fact rediscovering a lost feeling. Attraction, its many flaws and its thorny side.

“He can do it, you know. He’s more capable than his brain farts suggest. I bet he can actually damage their project severely if offered the right opportunity. And it’s not gonna come to him on its own, he needs to go seek or create one.”

This was all a bit too much. Madison setting off explosions in my heart and Kurt complimenting me in his own way, it broke me a little bit.

“Kurt, stop messing with us, this isn’t funny anymore. You’re playing into his own delusions !” Alyssa didn’t seem to agree.

“You’ve seen the bullet holes in his shirt !”

“Well-“

“You don’t know what he’s capable of. Fletcher, tell them !”

“Traits !” I blurted out, a part of my brain still assessing my new plan.

“What now ?”

“Ideally, I would have done it on my own, but as things are, I can’t. Traits… aren’t my forte.”

“No. No way. Nu-uh. You will not drag my son into this.”

“I didn’t even-“ Kurt tried to say something but got interrupted.

“But he is a necessary part of this endeavor. If I go alone, they will not let me venture around freely. I need him with me.”

“Neant, I-“

“He will do no such thing. You can wallow in your pipe dream but don’t bring him into it !”

“Can I just-“

“He’s going with me, end of the-“

“Let me talk !” Kurt ended up screaming at full volume to us both, which successfully shut us up. “Mom, I know it’s difficult to consider, but you have to let me make my own choices, even if they endanger me.” Alyssa closed her eyes in mixed understanding and remorse. “And you-” Pointing at me. “-don’t tell me what to do either ! My life is mine to live, not yours, is that clear ?”

He had a point. I had a reaction of pure refusal to any imposed decision on me, why would I expect anything less from a friend ? And now that I thought about it, this plan would involve a lack of free-choice in what I would be able to do, the Hierarchy surely not one to let its recruits loiter. I had to prepare for compromises, and a good start would be with Kurt.

“I’m sorry Kurt. I need you in on this, but you don’t have to. What do you truly want to do ?”

He took a moment to gather his mind, think it over and decide. “I’m going with you, and it’s not because I owe you anything. We need answers, and nobody but the aliens can give them to us.” Alyssa left abruptly at that, a forlorn look in her eyes. Kurt watched her walk away, sad but determined. “Without me you’ll just cause another mess anyhow.” He flashed a contorted smile, trying to comfort himself in his decision.

“Why are you so resolved to throw your life away ? What does he have that we don’t ?” Madison couldn’t hold her tongue anymore.

“Power.” He didn’t drop his gaze from his mother to argue with Madison. I could feel his regret at causing even more anxiety to her.

“Kurt, can I ?” I asked as I nodded at his departing mom.

“Go ahead. I don’t think I’ll be able to get through to her, but you can try.”

I then quickly sprinted to Alyssa. Reaching out to her would be difficult, she had lost a son and was thinking she was about to lose the second one.

“Alyssa, can we talk for a second ?”

I took her lack of answer as assent, and said my piece. I should have known better.

“Believe me or not, but I don’t want to endanger your son. I actually care about him…”

“Then why are you bringing him on this ? And don’t tell me it’s because of your ‘Trait’ thing, I don’t buy it.” Anger took her voice, progressing at every syllable spoken.

Alarmed by her rising tone, I tried to answer her concerns. “It is ! I may be able to fly, but I-”

“Why am I even listening to you ? You’re clearly insane !”

As she snapped at me, I deliberated revealing what I was capable of. It may solve the issue at hand, but would also create another further along the road. What if she asked where I got these Skills, or how I obtained these Stats ? Kurt was sensible - or trusted me - enough not to press me for answers but, as far as I knew her, Alyssa wasn’t so agreeable. And I wasn’t ready to talk about the void yet. Why ? Because, I admit, I was a bit paranoid about it. To divulge my story, even to a friend, was in fact opening the door to every abuse and exploitation possible. And I feared that above all.

“I’m not the soundest person around here, sure, but don’t think one second that it makes me value Kurt any less.”

“And yet you’re ready to throw him into the lion’s mouth ! Don’t speak to me about friendship ! You don’t know what friendship is. You don’t know what caring for anyone more than yourself is !”

Although she said it as if I was the one to blame, I still had to agree with her. It may be because I was the nearest thing to an able-bodied newborn, or because of my antecedents in my past life, but she really hit the nail on that one. I had no idea what true love or affection meant. I may be functional on the surface, but inside, my social skills were a mess, my mind was a mess and every connection I felt with my past was tainted with the knowledge that it was all a lie I had kept up to preserve myself. What am I doing ? Who am I ? Those are the questions I asked myself. And I didn’t get any answers.

I can’t recall exactly what followed, but I can at least remember her face changing from one of scorn to one intensely empathic, with drooping eyes and tightened lips. I think… I think we spoke about my family. About Elijah, too. I feel like I had to talk about certain things of my past, and that this was the moment my heart decided to speak. I kept being vague about it, but I let go of a lot of shit I had in me.

Things you don’t need to know.

We had walked till the outskirts of town, the sun starting to show itself on the horizon. Nobody in sight. Only hills, forests and the ocean below. Peace and quiet that we perturbed with our voices. We had come to an agreement of sort, recognizing in each other a part of ourselves. The angst at the perspective of losing a relative, and the need for recognition and fellowship.

“Take care of my son, Neant.”

“I will, I promise. And go easy on Fletcher, I don’t think he’s all that bad.” She actually smiled at that. I guessed she was giving him a hard time just to get even at him, but there was no harsh feeling behind it.

Thereon, we turned back toward the bar, where the others were still waiting for us. When we reached it, the premises were deserted save for a couple of sleeping dudes and our group, still discussing the way the world would run in the near future.

Madison hailed us, grabbing two plates filled with eggs and bacon on the near counter. “You guys got it sorted out ?”

“I think so, yes.” Alyssa answered, calm and appeased. “I still think it’s a bad idea, but I can’t stop them from doing what they want, can I ?”

“So, what’s the plan ?” Fletcher asked in a tired voice.

Everybody had shadows under their eyes, sleeping was long overdue. “For now, let’s eat. Then we’ll go to that house Madison mentioned and catch some sleep. We’ll see about the rest tomorrow.”

After gulping the breakfast Madison had kindly prepared, we set out in search of the so needed beds. We each quickly found our own little smooth paradise and crashed without waiting. I had been awake for two days straight at that point, and tiredness came rushing back when I stopped pushing it away. Sleep… is a strange thing. Blank memories with colorful dreams. That day, I dreamt of many things, which, of course, I can’t remember. But I’m sure they were good. If not, I wouldn’t have fucked up the next part.