CHAPTER 2

An alarm blared from Jasmine’s bedside table. She fumbled around with her hand to try to stop it. She was still half asleep, but she managed to press the button and put her head under her pillow.

Until she remembered where she was. The bed was hard and unfamiliar, and the light blinded her. She squinted at the clock.

“Five past six… time to wake up.”

She stood up and pressed the doorbell, expecting one of the guards to let her out. Instead, Doctor Biermann was at the door.

“Good morning, Mertz. I hope you slept well.” He chirped. He had a toothbrush in his right hand. “Here, for you.”

“Thank you. And likewise.” Jasmine answered with a nod.

“Oh, I didn’t sleep at all, but that’s nothing coffee can’t solve!”

Jasmine made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. She felt a pang of nervousness as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her long dirty blond hair was all over the place, but the girl arranged it as best as she could. She wanted to make a good first impression. She had dark circles under her eyes because she had been on the run for so long.

The girl was interrupted by a knock.

“Hurry up. You’re the only one they’re waiting for.” The doctor said.

“Sorry!” She yelled back.

She turned off the tap and got out. It was now or never. Doctor Biermann led her to a communal room right outside of the residential quarters. Biermann clapped his hands together and smiled.

“Metahumans, meet… each other! Sorry, this one was late; she overslept slightly.” He said while pointing to Jasmine.

The room had three couches arranged in a curved line and a television on the wall. There was a library filled with books to the left and a fridge with a bar to the right. Three individuals turned to meet Jasmine’s eyes. Two women and one man.

The first woman, the closest to her, had mainly brown hair, but strands of every color clung to her head, be it blond, jet black, or even red. She had heterochromia, one brown eye, and one hazel eye. Her face was full of freckles stretching down to her neck. Jasmine wondered if the hair was natural or not before she focused on someone else.

The second woman had short blond hair and blue eyes, but Jasmine instantly noticed her toned arms. She probably worked out, and her face was stern like she was judging her. It made Jasmine have goosebumps.

Last was the man. He was very thin, to the point where Jasmine was slightly worried about his health. His hair was dark, along with his eyes. He was the only one that smiled at her, though, so Jasmine smiled back.

They all wore their blue uniforms. Doctor Biermann gestured her to sit, and she did. She settled next to the man since he was the only one who smiled at her.

The doctor grabbed the television remote and turned it down. He stood at the center of the room to speak.

“First of all, I want to thank you all for cooperating. Surprisingly there have been no incidents, which is, frankly, amazing. I expected a lot worse, especially from you, Veronica.” He said while looking at the blond-haired woman with a grin.

“There was no point. I said I would cooperate when you found me, and I did.” She answered flatly.

“Well, still, I feel the need to thank you. Let’s move on then! I have gathered you here for two main reasons. Since metahumans are going extinct in Azeris, I’m trying to find a way to biologically engineer the gene to reverse this catastrophic development.”

Jasmine’s eyes widened. She wasn’t that smart, but she understood what it meant.

“This, of course, is a top-secret project, so I’ll have you sign an NDA after this meeting. But that is why I need you four. I’ll be running experiments on you and the many embryos at my disposal during your stay. The second reason you are here is for a more… direct involvement in the affairs of the state.”

He paused to gauge our reactions. I looked to my left, and the girl called Veronica, and she didn’t look particularly interested. He continued

“As you know, the Metahuman Salvation Army has set up shop in our country recently, and they’ve crippled our reconstruction efforts. General Thomas Loeb will be personally training you for the next ten weeks. Afterward, you will aid the army and the Terror Intelligence agency in taking them down.”

Another pause ensued.

Jasmine looked at Doctor Bierman incredulously, but she couldn’t speak. Both the man next to her and the multi-colored-haired woman had the same look of disbelief on their face. I opened my mouth, but she spoke first.

“Are you hearing yourself? You’re insane. No way, I’m not doing this.” She said.

“I know how it sounds, Agnes, but trust me.” He said, more severe than I’d ever heard him. “This is for the good of all metahumans. Plus, you can’t refuse.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I don’t give a fuck. I’d rather die than help you fucks. Azeris can rot in the void for all I care.” She exclaimed.

“It is a direct order from the Marshal. You cannot refuse.” Doctor Biermann growled out.

The woman deflated instantly. Jasmine spoke up.

“Let’s calm down, everybody. Doctor Biermann, respectfully, you can’t expect us to do… all of this. Some of us have lost everything.” The girl said, sounding braver than she was.

He snapped back

“And the Marshal knows this, which is why he stopped a complete genocide from happening! He fought tooth and nail for this country and metahumans. All he asks for is a little bit of cooperation.”

“You’re all the same.” Agnes muttered. “No matter who’s at the helm, we’ll suffer. Whatever. I’m over it.”

“Thank you, Jasmine. Now, Veronica and Franz, can I at least assume you two are on board?” Doctor Biermann asked.

Veronica spoke up first. She looked utterly unphased by all of this.

“I am.”

Then Franz, the man next to Jasmine did too.

“If Marshal Hermann wants us to, there’s no choice. Might as well get in his good books.” He said with the most ironic tone possible.

The doctor looked at Jasmine.

“And you?”

“I’ll have to.” She said with a sigh. “This goes way higher up than I thought.”

“All the way up.” He answered with a grin.

The next few minutes were spent on the group signing the non-disclosure agreement, with heavy complaints from Agnes. Jasmine only skimmed it, but now that she knew that the Marshal himself had set his eyes on them, she expected to be imprisoned for life if she ever said anything.

General Thomas Loeb was supposed to arrive at one P.M. today. That left the metahumans with a few hours of free time to hang out in the common room or return to their cells. Jasmine had wondered whether or not she should just pick up a book on the shelf and try her best to relax, but it looked like everybody else was staying, so she did too.”

Doctor Biermann left the room only after informing them that it was being watched twenty-four seven. An odd silence settled within the room, and it lasted for a few minutes before Agnes broke it.

“So. This is bull, isn’t it?”

“Didn’t you hear what he just said? There are cameras in here.” Jasmine said worriedly.

“Yeah, he said we have to help, not kiss his ass. Jasmine, was it?”

The woman approached her and frowned.

“Y—yes?” Jasmine answered while backing away.

“Nice to meet you.” She smiled and shook her hand. “Same to the both of you’s. Veronica and… I didn’t quite catch your name.”

“Franz. Thanks for standing up for us, by the way.”

“You bet. Can’t let them walk all over us, or we die. Anyways, what’s your story? You look like you’ve been to the void and back.”

“What?”

“Sorry if that was too blunt.” She recoiled. “I’m too forward.”

“Ah, it’s ok. I just wasn’t expecting it at all. I’ve just been running around. You know how it is. No money, no food.” Franz said. Jasmine felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

“Crap, I’m sorry.” Agnes slapped her forehead.

“Hey, I’ll forgive you if you tell me your story, then.” He said while smiling.

“Not fair. I’ll tell you mine later. I’m more interested in her!” She pointed at the short-haired woman.

“What do you wish to know?” Veronica asked, still stoic.

“What brings you here? You seemed awfully chummy with that psychopath doctor.”

“I was polite, that is all. Plus, he cannot harm me, so there is nothing to worry about.”

Franz and Agnes both whistled.

“What’s your shtick, then?” Franz asked. “You’re confident.”

“I am invincible.” She said.

“That’s… that’s it?” Agnes said while shaking her head in disbelief.

“Yes. I cannot be harmed by anything.”

“Even a grenade? An anti-tank gun? An artillery shell?” She added.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to try any of those, but I did step on a landmine. Once.”

“God damn, you’re hardcore. That’s cool. What about you, Franz?”

“Eh, nothing much. I can… heal—is the wrong term. I can make your wounds heal faster.”

“Isn’t that what healing is? But that’s awesome either way. And you, Jasmine?”

Jasmine flinched. Up until now, she had been content to listen and absorb this information. She didn’t expect to be thrust into the spotlight. She hated the spotlight. It made her skin tingle, and it made her breathing go faster, it made her be aware of the blood pumping in her veins. Every single blemish, there to be analyzed and criticized by all.

“Um… are you good?” Agnes asked.

The girl opened her eyes and snapped back to reality.

“Yeah, sorry. I can turn invisible, I guess. But not for long.

“Hmmm. Interesting.” She said, not adding anything else.

What about you, Agnes? Anything to do with that wild hair?” Franz asked playfully.

“Sort of. I can turn into people, but I just need some of their hair. The more hair I have, the faster I turn.”

“And you stick it on your head after or…?” He asked, struggling not to laugh.

“Of course I do!”

“Wait, seriously?” His eyes widened.

“Nah, I’m screwing with you. It’s natural. I used to dye it, but I don’t anymore.”

Agnes laid down on one of the couches after grabbing the remote. She slightly raised the volume and started watching. Jasmine also decided to watch. It was a police movie about a series of murders in a small town in the countryside up north.

“You seem awfully young to be here.”

Jasmine looked to her right. It was Franz.

“I only look young. I’m sixteen.” Jasmine said while looking to the ground. How embarrassing.

“Ah, my bad. I’m at guessing ages.”

“What about you?”

“Not that much older. I’m twenty-one.”

“Oh. You look way older than that.” Jasmine said, smirking slightly.

“Well, that’s hurtful, but I suppose I deserve that.”

Jasmine felt slightly more at ease now, but she didn’t know how to follow up on that conversation, and it ended up not going anywhere. She cursed internally at her awkwardness, but it was too late to say anything now, or it would be weird. They all laid back and watched television while Veronica grabbed one of the books from the shelf and started reading. They spent their remaining time in silence, apart from the occasional remark.

A few hours later, doctor Biermann came back into the room. He had regained his smug look, and he had two guards behind him.

“Sorry to interrupt. Your free time is over, general Loeb is going to be here in 20, so you’ll need to follow us.”

They all got up without protest, which surprised Jasmine. She expected Agnes to say something like she had earlier, but she stayed quiet. The group was led to a new part of the research center. By now, it was bustling with activity. Jasmine had stopped looking for means of escaping now. If the Marshal wanted them, then he would have them.

They were led to a yard fenced off with barbed wire. The metahumans wandered around and sat to wait.

“I’m so nervous. Feel like throwing up.” Agnes said while stretching. “Do you have water you can give me?” She looked at Biermann.

The scientist gestured at one of the guards, who promptly left.

“Take deep breaths. Don’t be nervous. We’re only meeting a famous war hero.” Franz said sarcastically.

“Don’t remind me! God, if all these people I’m supposed to be hating from afar actually meet me, I won’t be long for this world.”

They all chuckled at that— except Veronica.

“Do not worry. I am sure this meeting will go well. Remember, if they are sending people so important, it means that they need us.” She said.

“And that they’re desperate. Probably.” Franz added.

“Well fuck me, thanks for the support, guys. I still feel like shit.”

More laughter. Biermann didn’t say anything, which was surprising to Jasmine, but after some thought, she figured out that he probably didn’t need to tell them to be polite and respectful. The guard arrived with four bottles of water—one for each of them.

A few minutes later, General Thomas Loeb stepped into the yard.