Chapter 2: Puny Mortals

The Western District Ruins were one of the many consequences of the great war that started the plague ten years ago. This place what was once a bustling city with many high-rise buildings was reduced to nothing but rubble left to rot. Jack Waterfelt treaded across the chunks of concrete and cracked roads, carefully checking out unstable ground.

People rarely dared to enter the ruins. One reason was that the government closed off the perimeter to the public due to safety reasons. The other was because many of those infected came here to hide from the Department of Public Defense, hearing rumors of the harshness of their Quarantine Zones. And although it has been proven that the disease wasn't airborne, nobody uninfected could be too sure when it came to their own safety. Obviously.

A few moments later, he saw a strange figure from a distance walking to his direction. He had a small frame like a kid, hiding every part of his body with an oversized blue raincoat. In the middle of the afternoon. It was probably just some may-infected drifter running away from the DPD, Jack believed. It wasn't his problem though.

As soon as he was at close range, the raincoat figure suddenly staggered and fell, lightly bumping Jack.

"H—hiiiiii—!" he — or rather, she — squeaked and scurried away like a frightened mouse.

"... What was that all about?" Jack wondered. But this event, which was perhaps the catalyst of a great catastrophe to come, quickly became the last thing on his mind.

On top of the long winding slope was a military base, with high electric fences walling its perimeter. Believe it or not, this was the Department of Scientific Advances. True to its secretive nature, they hid their base in the dead center of the Western District Ruins, where people were scarce and test subjects were abundant. Even Jack didn't know where to find this place at first, until he squeezed the information from his esteemed and seemingly all-knowing teacher.

As he got closer to the top of the slope, he caught shouts from an argument between one cutesy voice and two gruff voices.

"Like I tell you, I'm an infected! Lemme in! I'm part of the World Respiration Project, you know?"

"You're not in the list, missy. Scram before we actually shoot you."

"Yeah. We've shot children smaller than you. Don't test out patience."

On front of the gate were two heavily-dressed military soldiers armed with armalites, arguing with a kid who looked about fourteen. She had golden blond hair neatly tied up and sparkling blue eyes that captivated at first sight. What was peculiar about her was her dress — a flowing white sundress paired with a wide-brimmed hat — a total clash with the sober ruins around them. The perfect way to describe her was a forest fairy who wandered into the valley of death. Jack approached at a safe distance and observed her actions, just enough to not be dragged along with them.

"You don't believe I'm infected? Look! Look at my hair! It's yellow, but it shouldn't be yellow. It should be black, like that guy who can't help a lady," she said while sticking a tongue out at my direction. Jack clicked his tongue, annoyed that he got noticed.

"You're gonna help me, right?" she pleaded with those beady sapphire eyes.

"No," Jack flatly answered.

"Rejected again... I didn't need your help anyways!" she said while puffing her cheeks in anger. She returned her attention to the soldiers. "Why don't you let me enter? My hair's colored as well, isn't that enough proof that I'm an infected?"

The soldiers were unamused. "Even before the outbreak, blond was already a natural hair color. If you want to prove your authenticity, show us your ability," they said, fully expecting her to give up this time. Even Jack, master of getting in trouble with infecteds, had a hard time discerning if she really had the May Disease or not. The only thing she really had in common with them was that specific trait: being annoying. This was probably the only way she could prove herself, other than showing some sort of identification.

"Ability, huh." A spark of genius flashed in the young girl's eyes. "If you want ability, then how about — this!"

She did some showy hand motions, and from out of nowhere pulled out a deck of cards. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present thee with a special show today, as I demonstrate my awesome ability: magic!" She struck a weird pose, balancing with one foot while raising her deck of cards up high, waiting for a reaction from her audience.

"Hahahaha!" The soldiers burst into laughter. "Fine, fine. We're bored anyways. Show us what you got."

The girl skillfully shuffled the deck with one hand, gaining looks of surprise and admiration. She may be weird, but she sure knew how to handle her cards. She spread the deck and presented it to them. "Pick a card, any card. And don't show it to me." Soldier one took a card and showed it to his partner, and Jack as well. It was the six of hearts.

"Okay? Now, put it back. Lemme show how true magic is done." She took the card and shuffled the deck, complete with an interpretive dance. "I see all. I see ALL! Every speck of dust in the universe, I see! The secrets of both life, death, and the BEYOND! I am the great sage of DARKNESS AND I WILL REVEAL TO YOU THE KNOWLEDGE I HAVE ACCUMULATED OVER MY THOUSAND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE! LO AND BEHOLD, PUNY MORTALS!"

She drew a seemingly random card from the deck and raised it up high. It was the Jack of Spades.

The soldiers were unamused. They probably realized now that the girl was simply messing with them.

"Curses! That video told me it would work!" She immediately backed out, sensing that the soldiers would actually shoot her if she messed with them more that she already has. She gave Jack an angry stare. "... What are you looking at, creep? I bet you can't get in without using cards."

He stopped his hand reaching for his silver card. Jack knew she was baiting him to create a commotion, but he just couldn't accept being even lower than the kid.

"Then, it's my turn to do magic."

"Oh?" The young girl raised an eyebrow as she observed with interest. Jack stepped forward and drew closer to the soldiers.

"Are you that girl's guardian? You should tell her not to play in this area. You know the rumors, right?"

Jack didn't waste time replying. He took a deep breath, placed a hand in his pocket, and calmly observed the two soldiers. Their breathing, their subtle mannerisms, their line of sight, their wariness to his actions — nothing escaped his observations. He was looking for 'that,' the magical spot that every human should have.

"Hey, what are you— What the!?"

He made his move. To the soldiers, it seemed like he suddenly vanished into thin air. What actually happened was Jack slipping into the soldiers' blind spot with perfect execution. As soon as he was close enough, he used soldier one's shoulder as a step to do a flip that threw him to the other side of the gate.

Everyone was stunned. Soldier two was first to recover, as he readied his armalite and quickly aimed at Jack's torso. "Shit! Take thi—"

He stopped before his finger reached the trigger. In Jack's hand was a silver card that read nothing but [Save the World]. That single card alone was able to stop his untimely death. "... So you had a pass. Why didn't you say so? You scared the fuck out of me there."

Jack paid him no heed. He glared back at the young girl who challenged him. "There you go, I got in without the card. Staying in is a different story."

Her eyes turned into dots. It was as if she couldn't understand what she just saw. After her loading bar got filled, she returned Jack's glare "Heh, what do you know? Straightforward and stupid, just like you should be. But I have to admit you actually won the challenge. Curses, foiled again."

"And what the hell is going on here?" said a familiar voice that came behind Jack. Silky blond hair, striking brown eyes, a posture of confidence, the trademark lab coat with cutesy stitches — it was the Head Scientist of the Department of Scientific Advances, Marianne Eventide.

"Ma'am!" the soldiers stood in attention. "These two troublemakers were stirring up trouble, ma'am!"

"That's why we're called troublemakers, doofus," the fairy interjected. She didn't flinch one bit from the soldier's threatening glare. She then turned to Marianne and gave her a puppy-dog look. "Isn't that right, mama?"

"What!?" It was Jack and the soldier's eyes' turn to turn into dots. They couldn't follow the developments unfolding in front of him.

And to her alleged daughter, the scientist drove a sharp punch into her delicate body, making the young girl squirm in pain.

"That hurt, dammit! What was that for?"

"Stop with your games, Iris. You better tell me what the fuck are you doing in MY department, or I will kill the sorry little thing you call your life." Marianne spat. She probably loathed being in the presence of the girl's existence.

"Please stop using such profane words in front of a child. And I'm here to apply for the World Respiration Project!" she answered while flashing a smile and showing her own silver card.

'So she had one,' Jack thought. 'But really, who the hell is she? And shouldn’t it be Restoration?'

Marianne heaved a heavy sigh. "You freak. Whatever, I would care less where you stole that from, I'm done with you. Do what you want." She directed her attention to one of the soldiers. "Dump her to Briefing Room #3. And Jack, follow me. Dammit, why do you kids have to ruin my lunch?"

The soldier carried the girl's tiny frame like what you would do to a kitten or a piece of garbage. She turned to face Jack and gave him a thumbs up. "Nice team up, fellow troublemaker. What's your name?"

"... Jack. Jack Waterfelt," he answered begrudgingly. The girl was nothing but trouble, but he couldn't deny he felt a sense of camaraderie for a moment there. Or maybe he just liked seeing that Marianne being handled by a kid. It was the least he could do.

"Well, I'm Iris Seralstin. I've got a feeling we'll be partners in crime. Until next time, so don't you die on me! And you, soldier two, check your pockets! And you, mama, you better prepare some breastmik!" She shouted as her figure grew smaller and smaller as she was carried deeper inside the base.

"... So, is she really your daughter?" Jack asked Marianne.

"No. Definitely no," she flatly answered. "The hell, what is wrong with her? Let's go, I want to conduct a little interview."

Jack followed Marianne inside the base, but not without a final glance at the remaining soldier. He fumbled through his pockets one by one, and as if like magic, a six of hearts came fluttering down the ground.