DIFFERENT FONT STYLES USED:
"STORYLINE" "'SPECIAL SKILLS OR MOVES'" "SPEAKER" "SPEECH" "THOUGHT"
SCENE:Enforcement HQ Lobby.
Lazarus walks out of the multivator, trying to figure out what Bishop's motives are.
Lazarus: It hasn't even been that long that I became mid-tier, now he's made me a top-tier? Strange. He seems to trying to rush my rise in the ranks. No, that's not it. That's just a means to an end. He actually wants to put me as many battles as possible, but why?
Guinevere: (flashback) What?! Why does he get such a promotion? How is that fair? Is it because he's your science experiment?!
Lazarus: Hmmm. (looks down at the fake meta on his wrist) Metas often grow stronger when engaged in numerous battles. Could he be trying to rush my growth? (walks towards the door, only to be blocked by some security guards) What is the meaning of this?
Bishop: (walks up from behind) I do not appreciate being taken for a fool.
Lazarus: (turns to face him) I just want to get stronger. Why are you interfering now? Isn't that what you also want?
Bishop: Hmmm. You can do that later. (turns back to the multivator) Now follow me.
Lazarus: …
Bishop and Lazarus – begrudgingly – arrive at the door of the room his first squadmates are waiting; opening the door to reveal three teenage enforcers sitting round a table. They all stand up, facing the two. Lazarus looks around the room at the trio – two boys and one girl, all seemingly around his age. A lean-looking, dark-skinned boy about Lazarus' height with short, shaggy silver hair and emerald-green eyes. He wears – what is most likely his mission suit – a black, skintight, sleeveless top with a white front, alongside a pair of baggy, blue-gray trousers with a texture and appearance similar to denim, fastened by a black belt with a silver, hourglass-shaped buckle. Black, full-length arm warmers on both arms and red Velcro sneakers. His irritable facial expression and questioning posture give Lazarus the sense of a cocky and temperamental vibe.
The other boy is a bit taller, standing about a head more than Lazarus. A sand-skinned boy with a muscular build, short brown hair with light streaks and amber eyes. On his bare arms are what appear to be loudspeakers attached to the back of his arms – one on the upper arms and two on the forearms – as well as a smaller one on each of his palms. He wears a dark navy sleeveless top with a red scarf and navy wristbands alongside a pair of black pants with boots of the same color, a blue-gray piece of fabric fastened around his waist by a length of rope. His stern expression and crossed arms give Lazarus the sense of a calm and serious demeanor.
The last is a girl a head shorter than Lazarus. A delicate, fair-skinned girl with long, crimson hair and rose eyes. Her suit, a black, leather-like outfit akin to a short-skirted dress that stops just above the knees. In addition, she wears black fingerless gloves, red-framed glasses with matching stud earrings, greenish-black, high-top, lace-up sneakers with white laces and a white long-coat that she leaves wide open. In her right hand a long, wand-like staff consisting of a redwood body with a small jade sphere attached to the top as its head. Her expression is one the gives Lazarus the vibe of cold and condescending, in short, not the kind of people Lazarus would have any synergy with.
Lazarus: They definitely look strong, but…(has brief flashback of his battle with Kyle) …just by looking at them, I can easily tell, they're nothing compared to him.
Bishop: Lazarus, these are your first squadmates: Merlin (referring to the silver-haired kid), Saeto (referring to the muscular boy) and Corinth. Everyone, this is Lazarus.
The three stare at him, seeming to sizing him up with their eyes before all giving off unimpressed looks. Lazarus doesn't need guess how they feel, his psychic skill can read their emotions for him and while each has their own mix of emotions regarding Lazarus' presence, one thing was clear: they do not want him there; and to be fair, neither does he.
Lazarus: (turns to Bishop) Okay I've seen them; can I leave now?
Bishop: They are your squad, Lazarus. Get to know them.
Lazarus: … Bothersome.
Merlin: Common Bish. You really want match us up with this shrimpy little weakling?
Lazarus: (pissed) Weakling?
Corinth: I'm having a hard time believing that you're the one defeated the Warzone Killer, Militant.
Merlin: Yeah. Just look at him.
Lazarus: (crossing his arms) You lot aren't exactly easy on the eyes yourself.
Merlin: (getting mad) What did you just say?!
Corinth: (also quite pissed) You should watch your mouth, before you get hurt.
Lazarus: (ignoring them as he turns to Bishop) I've gotten to know, and I don't like them. Now can I leave?
Bishop: No.
Merlin: I'm not sit here and take this shit from some punk. I bet you don't even have a field name.
Lazarus: A what?
Merlin: (lets out a short but loud laugh) I knew it. He's a weakling.
Bishop: A field name is aliases enforcers are generally addressed by when on missions. They are essentially codenames and are a standard requirement for top-tier enforcers.
Lazarus: (puts a hand to his chin in thought) Oh. Do you mean those silly superhero names the guards often refer to the enforcers by? I always wondered what was up with that.
Merlin: (now angrier) SILLY?!
Lazarus: (turning to face his 'squad') So I'm guessing you all have field names.
Corinth: Of course. As experienced top-tier enforcers, we all have field names. Mine is Calculette, Merlin's is Manhandle and Saeto's is Sound Wave.
Lazarus: (stares for a few seconds before rubbing back of his head in mock resignation) Nope. No matter how I look at it, it's still silly to me. (Corinth vexes) Anyway. 'Experienced' top-tier? Experienced my foot. You say that, but this very much your first mission as top-tiers as it is mine. Isn't it?
All three: …
Bishop: Well, good luck getting acquainted, since you'll be relying on one another for your first mission in four days. (turns and leaves)
Lazarus: (turns towards his retreating figure) Four days? So soon?
Merlin: This stinks! I can't believe we have to babysit some weakling.
Lazarus: (shoots Merlin a death glare over his shoulder) Call me a weakling one more time. I dare you.
Merlin: (shits bricks) …! (Saeto, unlike Corinth though, notices a feint tang of killing intent radiate of Lazarus)
Lazarus: Enough of this foolishness. I'm out of here. (teleports away)
Merlin: (surprised) What the...?
Saeto: Hmmm. Not only did he not seem to express any sense of fear or timidity when confronted by us, he also seemed to completely disregard us. Like we just a minor nuisance to him.
Corinth: (spiteful) He's just a cocky brat that doesn't know his place.
Saeto: (uncertain) Hmmm. (meanwhile with Bishop)
Bishop: Strange. While he does seem to still respect me, it seems he's slowly rebelling against me. His memories have been returning more frequently recently despite it not supposed to at all. While it does seem to be making him stronger, if his free will completely returns, it's likely I'll lose all control over him.
SCENE:Kalahan Manor. Lounge Room.
All four teens gather in the lounge, a rather spacious room at the edge of the house well-furnished with a couch, two la-Z boys and some beanbags, all complete with cushions. A mahogany coffee table with a bowl of wax fruit in the center, a glass-screen TV – a flatscreen made entirely of glass - on the wall, several portraits hung up and to the side, door to leading to the balcony.
Kyle lies on his side in the couch one arm propping his head up with one arm to face the others, eating a shredded veggie sandwich, Mavy lies belly-down on a big, green, fluffy beanbag eating the same. Neil lies on a la-Z boy with his Neil using on arm as a pillow and legs rest over the other, eating a grilled cheese sandwich with added pork while Candy lies reclines into a beanbag of her own eating a sandwich just like Neil's but with added tuna instead. All four arranged in a kind of quincunx pattern round the coffee table given overall circle arrangement of the chairs.
Kyle: So. What was is you wanted to talk to us about that so important?
Mavy: Right. It's actually about Laz. (this catches all their attention) While I was crawling through the vents of that Enforcement building, I happened to overhear some of the guards talking, apparently Laz has promoted to high-tier enforcer.
Candy: High-tier? What's that?
Kyle: I read it from the files we got from Enforcement's database. Apparently, enforcer rankings are classified into a type of tier system consisting of bottom-tiers, low-tiers, mid-tiers, high-tiers, top-tiers and god-tiers; with god-tier being the highest so high-tier shoulder be in the top three. But from what I've learned from the archives, promotions from even bottom-tier to low-tier require a lot of work and a long time completing designated assignments, the average enforcer takes at least a year; Laz has only been there a month, why the sudden promotions?
Mavy: Apparently, this latest sudden promotion was from single-handed defeating Terror agent during an attack. (this revelation leaves them shocked)
Kyle: An attack?!
Mavy: (nods) Uh-huh. It seems Terror somehow caught wind of yours and Neil's little adventure over at Enforcement and decided it was best to attack the base while it was still licking its wound. This apparently happened not too long too, so it was on the same day; I'd say around the time we were fighting those armored freaks.
Kyle: Damn. If that's really true, then given the time length, Terror would have had to have found out and attack within three hours. But, suggesting most of time was spent gearing up and heading over, how would they have even known that fast?
Mavy: They'd only know if they already knew where the base was.
Kyle: (lies on his back with his hand placed over his forehead) Damn! So that place can be attacked by Terror at any given time.
Neil: Back to the main the subject. You said Laz got a promotion after beating a Terror agent?
Mavy: (nods again) Yeah. Some Terror bigshot that's apparently a named rogue in the industry.
Kyle: But if Terror really attacked that place, I figured they'd neutralize them all first.
Candy: Neutralize?
Neil: Terror has some kind of skill that completely disables all skills and physical enhancements. We nearly to lost a of tier-pawns because of it.
Candy: (shocked) That bad?! Well, that sound like terrifying skill.
Mavy: So that's how they able to get the better of Laz. Figures, someone like him would impossible for tier-pawns to defeat. Even most higher-ranks struggle against him. (looks up at the others) Yes, they did. They whole base was powerless and razed with and attack from an army of foot soldiers led by three agents. There were a lot casualties, on both sides apparently.
Candy: Both sides?
Mavy: Yup. It seems Enforcement's way tougher than we give them credit for. Even while in a situation so bad calling it a major disadvantage is a major understatement, they still managed to obtain a win; and even defeated the three agents.
Kyle: Wow. Terror must have pretty weak for that to happen, cause even I didn't sense Enforcement was that strong.
Neil: I don't think Terror was necessarily weak, but that they just happen to heavily underestimate Enforcement's strength. The opponents we faced there ourselves weren't exactly small fry remember.
Kyle: (rests his back on the sofa with both arms crossed behind his head, his sandwich finished) Fair enough. So Laz beat a tough opponent even when totally powered down again. Now that's the Laz I know. And for a bonus, he even healed up after our fight in time to battle again; that's definitely Laz.
Candy: Wait. So Laz got a new promotion. What does that do for him? (the two boys agree with her)
Mavy: Oh right. I almost forgot the most important part. (rolls around on the beanbag to sit up) It seems that in line with his new promotion, Laz will going a mission for Enforcement.
Candy: (surprised) A mission?
Neil: Mission to do what?
Mavy: (shrugs) No clue. That's as much as I heard before I had to get back to the mission; but I did hear this:… (all pay rapt attention) …Laz's first mission will be held in the Gonen evilzone. (this surprises the others)
SCENE:Enforcement HQ. Lazarus' room.
Lazarus: The Gonen evilzone?
Bishop: (nods) Indeed. Your first mission will be completed there.
Lazarus: Huh? Evilzones are essentially government authorized areas where licensed villains are allowed to set up both shop and residence. Villain guilds are set up there so people can make requests and hire a villain to carry them out. They're a place of work, rest and residence for all villains; and almost all districts in every city has at least one. Though…was there an evilzone in the Gonen district?
Bishop: Your first assignment will be to invade the Gonen evilzone.
Lazarus: (surprised) Invade? You mean like a raid?
Bishop: More like a search and apprehend. (hands Lazarus a holo-screen tablet which he scrolls through to see the picture of middle-aged man alongside the man's profile and all info about the mission) This is Don Weaver. A former pro-villain, turned rogue criminal as well as a mob boss and one of the Ten Dons. He's currently a dog for Terror, he works as an illegal weapons smuggler for them; transporting weapons in and out of the country. He currently has a warehouse in the evilzone where stores all the weapons. Our sources tell us he will stopping by in a few days to inspect progress, that will be the time to strike. Your assignment is simply to raid the warehouse and capture Don Weaver. The tablet contains all the details of the mission which will happening in six days. Your proctor will arrive in two these days, you should begin discussing it your squadmates in the meantime. (leaves the room)
Lazarus: (having been sitting on his bed the whole time just tosses the tablet on the bed with a sigh and lays his back down on it; an arm resting over his forehead) As if…if you can even call us a squad.
He sits back up and reaches for his cup and pitcher, only to perform a poor attempt at grabbing the cup and making it fall to the ground before rolling under the bed. He groans and gets up, then drops down to search for the cup; creating a flashlight to see. He finds the cup…but also the flashdrive.
Lazarus: (confused) Hmm? (takes out the flashdrive) A flashdrive? Where did this come from?
He turns it around to examine it and finds a name written in white text on the other side – Laz. He gasps, dropping it back on the floor as he suddenly realizes who it's from. Sometime later, Lazarus walks through the halls on his way back down to the lobby and out to the forest for more training.
Lazarus: I can ponder over the flashdrive later. Right now, I have to get back to my training, my break's over. (a guard walks past him but he stops her) Excuse me, what's the time?
Security Guard: Oh um, almost five.
Lazarus: (nods respectfully) Thank you. (walks off) It isn't that late. I can still get some training done. I've been experimenting with explosive chemistry and I've almost reached a breakthrough. I'll need all the strength I can get if I want to have any hope of being on the same level as someone who can single-handedly best an entire building of specially-trained enforcers and guards while they're at their best.
Bishop: (memory) You should begin discussing it your squadmates in the meantime.
Lazarus: Squadmates my ass. He needs his motherboard checked out if actually thinks I can build any sort of comradery with them. They hate my guts, for no reason too. (not paying attention he bumps into someone, he turns to apologize…) Oh sorry. (…but freezes surprise to see who it is) Anastasia?
Anastasia: (raises as hand over her head as form of greeting wave) Hey Blondie. Haven't seen you in a bit.
Lazarus: Are you just returning from a mission?
Anastasia: Yup. Enforcement's seriously short-staffed at the moment due to recent events. So we available enforcers are forced to step up our game, completing far more missions than usual. Even ones that would usually be delegated to squads with god-tier members.
Lazarus: That sounds rough.
Anastasia: (sighs exhaustedly and slumps forward, still standing as she cries tiredly) We get a new mission every other day, each one more difficult that the last and I barely get proper sleep at night. I've still got another mission tomorrow… (sighs again) …at this point it's basically slaveworking.
Lazarus: Sorry to hear that. Hey, can I ask you a question?
Anastasia: Sure, what is it? A question about your first love?
Lazarus: I'll kill you.
Anastasia: Just kidding. So what's up?
Lazarus: It's about my first team. We certainly don't get along, and I'm supposed to work with them for our first mission?
Anastasia: I get what you mean. Come on, lets talk in my room.
The head to the first room on the seventh floor. When Lazarus enters, he goes slack-jawed at what he sees: a large, spacious room that made his look like the size of a port-o-potty. A well-lit, fully furnished, two-level living space complete with a queen-sized bed, soft carpeting, air conditioning, a large couch, etc. a cappuccino machine in one corner, various gym equipment in another, two escalators leading to the upper level which is guarded by a guardrail – an up escalator on the right, and a down on the left – and the upper level is filled with various books, electronic gadgets, weapons and other whatnots; all to say the least.
Lazarus: This is your room?
Anastasia: Surprised?
Lazarus: Dumbfounded. This makes mine look like the inside of a multivator.
Anastasia: (walks over to the cappuccino machine) Yeah, I've seen your room. Rooms like these are a luxury only top-tier enforcers like me can enjoy, 'course, it's nothing compared to privileges god-tiers get.
Lazarus: (mumbling) It seems everything in this world really works on a system of favoritism.
Anastasia: (turns on the machine) What? (turns to him)
Lazarus: (shakes his her) Nothing. This room really is nice.
Anastasia: (pushes some buttons) Thanks. I finally completed enough missions to earn this room. Want some?
Lazarus: (looks around) Thanks.
Anastasia: you can take a seat. What flavor?
Lazarus: (takes a seat on the couch) Banana.
Anastasia: Before this, it was some shabby run-down apartment in wouldn't even want my worst enemy to leave in, but it was the best I could afford on a fixed salary.
Lazarus: You get paid?
Anastasia: Mm-hmm. High-tiers and above get paid for the missions they do. And before becoming a high-tier I had to get by through a part-time gig that arguably paid better. But the better you get on missions, the more you're paid and when your rank increases, so does the numbers on the paycheck; it's part of the perks. It took me two hundred years* of hardwork since becoming an enforcer, but it was worth it.
Lazarus: (surprised) Two hundred years? Wow. Wait! how old--?
Anastasia: (sternly) Finish that question and you're out here?
Lazarus: Sorry.
Anastasia: (walks over to the couch with two hot plastic cups of cappuccino) Here you go. (hands him a cup)
Lazarus: (takes the drink) Thanks. (takes a sip as Anastasia sits down beside him; eyes widen in surprise) Wow. This is really good.
Anastasia: (takes a sip of her own) Uh-huh. I worked at a coffee shop back when I working part-time. I made coffees, malts, iced teas and other beverages eleven hours a day, six days a week for forty years. But cappuccinos have always been my favorite, both in making and drinking, so I'm very confident in cappuccino skills.
Lazarus: Seems like you quitting was a loss for the shop.
Anastasia: (laughs) Oh yeah. The manager was not happy. But oh well, it is what it is.
Lazarus: (takes another sip) This really is good. I could drink this everyday.
Anastasia: Wow. Three compliments in one minute. He's become more open and less recluse than when we first met. From what I understand, his memory's slowly returning. I guess it's what's making him more outspoken and approachable. So anyway, what did you want to ask me?
Lazarus: Oh yeah. Well, I've just been giving my first assignment--
Anastasia: (surprised) What?! No way! Congratulations. I guess that means you've already met your first squad.
Lazarus: Yeah, that's the thing. My squad and I...don't get along.
Anastasia: (genuinely concerned) Don't get along? What do you mean?
Lazarus: I mean that they don't seem to like me.
Anastasia: Why not?
Lazarus: That's just it. I don't know. They just took one look at me and decide I was an outcast.
Anastasia: I get what you mean. I was pretty much an outcast myself when I first started as an enforcer. They looked down on me, infact, I even got bullied.
The atmosphere suddenly goes tense or rather, Lazarus loses control of his skills, letting out an amethyst purple aura that bathes the entire room in its glow as the whole shakes, cracks forming on walls, ceiling and even the floor – though they can't see that part because of the full-floor carpet.
Anastasia: (looks around in shock and horror…) Huh?! What?! What's going on?! (…then back at Lazarus who seems to be in some kind of trance) Hey! Blondie! What's going on?
Lazarus doesn't hear her, in fact, he isn't even there anymore. That word seemed to trigger him, as his face contorts into an angry scowl, eyes glaring off emptily.
Anastasia: Hey! BLONDIE! Dammit! (stands up punches straight into an already cracked wall, hard enough that he breaks right through into the adjacent room of another enforcer; ending the potential disaster) Snap out of it!
Lazarus: (flies through the wall and freaks out the enforcer in the other room; finally regaining his senses, he gets up rubbing his cheek) Ow.
Anastasia: You back to normal? (a little while later, after smoothing things over with the other enforcer and using his skills to repair the walls and ceiling – still don't know about the crack on the floor – Lazarus sits back onto the couch as Anastasia brews him enough cup of cappuccino)
Lazarus: Sorry about your room.
Anastasia: Don't worry about it. So… Mind telling me why you suddenly lost control like that and nearly destroyed my room?
Lazarus: (looking down guiltily) … Sorry I just…hearing that word just made suddenly fly into a violent rage.
Anastasia: What word?
Lazarus: Back when you were talking about your past, and you mentioned getting bullied. The word just…the minute I heard it, it felt like bloodlust just building inside me and was ready to erupt in that moment.
Anastasia: (jokingly) Why? You have troubles with bullies as kid too?
Lazarus: … (suddenly gets blurry flashbacks of a little kid, no older than six or seven given his height getting picked on by his peers; stays quiet with a pained expression)
Anastasia: (notices the sudden silence and turns to Lazarus only to see his face, causing her to soften) Hey. Relax. You don't have talk about it if you don't want to.
Lazarus: Thanks.
Anastasia: In any case. About what I was saying earlier, I didn't care what they said or thought about me, because I was there to make a name for myself. I worked hard, trained constantly and completed as many assignments as possible until I rose to the top. No one dares to look down on me anymore. (finishes making the coffee and gives it to Lazarus, sitting back down) Here.
Lazarus: Thanks. (blows on the beverage and takes a sip) So what your saying is…?
Anastasia: You say your team doesn't respect you, prove to them that you're worthy of respect.
Lazarus: How do I do that?
Anastasia: (takes a sip of her own second cup of coffee) That depends on you.
Lazarus: Hmmm.
A while later, Lazarus leaves, Anastasia examines the walls of her room.
Anastasia: Wow. These walls are supposed to be nigh-unbreakable, most middle ranks can't hope to possibly even crack them a bit. Yet he almost destroyed them effortlessly with just the force of his power; incredible. And on top of that, he was able to fix them too, you can't even tell they were ever damaged. Kid has really gotten stronger than the last time we spoke. (flashes back to Lazarus' sudden 'zoning out' and emotional distress afterwards) He said the word bully triggered him. A bad experience with bullies I'd say. But I thought he couldn't remember anything. Did just hearing the word jog something? Or was the lingering emotions of the experience that still affects him subconsciously even though he can't remember it? Whatever it is, one thing's for sure, it must have been very traumatic for him.
Lazarus walks through the hall in deep thought of everything that had just happened, his talk with Anastasia, his suddenly losing control, his blurry memory of a painful past and Anastasia's advice. As he walks, not paying attention to his surroundings, he accidently bumps into someone again.
Lazarus: Oh, sor--
Merlin: (turns to see Lazarus and explodes) WHAT?! YOU?!
Lazarus: (internally groans) This guy. (looks near him to see the other two) And the rest of his posse. (sarcastically) Great. Just who I needed to see right now.
Merlin: (shouting) Hey! Can't you watch where you're going, punk?!
Lazarus: (stares at him coldly for a few seconds before apologizing apathetically) Sorry. My bad. (tries to leave, only for Merlin to suddenly grab his arm)
Merlin: (angrily) Where do you think you're going punk?
Lazarus: (turns back to Merlin, cold stare turning into a death glare) Let go of my hand, right. Now.
Merlin: (smugly) Woah-oh. Look at Mr. Tough guy here. What are you going to do if I don't? (Lazarus balls his fist in anger)
Saeto: (grabs Merlin's hand to make him let go) That's enough. He already apologized. Don't escalate things any more than they need to be.
Lazarus: (turns away and begins to leave again) How annoying. I don't have time to be fooling around with you. Goodbye.
Corinth: What did you just say?
Lazarus: (not even turning back; sarcastically) Sorry, did I stutter? My bad.
Corinth: (annoyed) Listen, you disrespectful little brat! Saeto just went out of his way save from a beating from Merlin. You should be grateful.
Lazarus: The only thing I'm grateful about is never having to seen your faces again after this one mission.
Merlin: (mad) Hey you punk! Who do you think you're talking to?! You think some weakling like you can just talk shit to people, leagues above him and go unscathed?!
Lazarus: (finally stops and turns around) Leagues above me. Are you talking about the top-tier enforcers? 'Cause you definitely can't mean yourselves. You're deluding yourselves if you think you're even on my level.
Corinth: (furious) Are you looking for a fight?
Lazarus: (shrugs apathetically) Wouldn't be much of a fight if ask me.
Saeto: I implore you to be careful who you go around picking fights with, before you get yourself hurt.
Lazarus: I could tell you the same thing. (Merlin and Corinth both get ready to lose control)
Merlin: (stomping up towards Lazarus) Oh you wanna go punk?!
Saeto: (yellsout) Enough! Stop this madness. We're not supposed to fight among one another. We're a squad, after all.
Lazarus: (looks at Saeto condescendingly) I wonder. When you say 'we', does that mean 'me included'? Or is it just you three?
Saeto: …
Lazarus: (turns back to Merlin) You want a fight? Sure. Tomorrow at ten in the morning; I'll take you on. All of you. (turns and walks away, leaving two furious metas and one surprised one, the trio soon leaves, nobody noticing the eavesdropper listening on the whole scene; later in the meeting room, the three sit around the table to talk)
Merlin: (still angry) Who does that shrimp think he is?! Challenging us like that?
Saeto: (maintaining his constantly relevant calmness) You were the one that riled him up in the first place. Why do you always have to be so explosive?
Corinth: (acting in her own smug etiquette manner) I agree with Merlin. That kid should know how to speak to his betters.
Saeto: (turns to her) You were no better yourself. Listen. Whether you want to work with him or not, the fact of the matter is that he's already been assigned to work with us; meaning we have to get along with him for our first mission or it could end badly. Best case scenario, we end up failing our first mission as high-tiers because of perfect squad chemistry.
Merlin: Our squad…is fine the way it is. We don't need some weakling coming in and dragging us down.
Saeto: …
Corinth: I agree. I won't be insulted by someone beneath me.
Merlin: The brat wants a fight, does he? Sure thing. We'll show him his place and show Bishop that a runt like him doesn't belong with elites like us.
Corinth: (nods in agreement) Hmm! But does really think he can face us all? He's either very cocky or just very stupid.
Merlin: He won't be so smug after tomorrow.
Saeto: (rubs his temple in exasperation) Oh boy.
Meanwhile with Lazarus, he walks down the corridor thinking about his run-in with his 'squad'. He didn't expect to run into them right off the bat, nor did he expect things heat up like that, he's glad it did. He was just walk off after apologizing at first, until Merlin grabbed his arm. He would've just lost it there and then but then got the idea that he could use the opportunity to teach not just hotheaded loudmouth, but also his condescending friends as lesson in not judging people they just met. Granted, the 3v1 fight thing was just an idea he came up with on a whim, he's glad he did. As he walks, he suddenly hears Bishop's voice behind him.
Bishop: Seems you've been busy. (Lazarus stops and turns to him) I wanted to know how were going with first squad. Any progress yet?
Lazarus: Progress? No. Not yet, but soon. Perhaps even tomorrow.
Bishop: (confused) Huh…?
Lazarus: (walks on away and…) Anastasia said to do something that'll make them respect me. Well, let's see if still disrespect me afterwards. (…gives a confident grin)
The scene fades to black as the chapter ends.
STORY CONTINUES IN CHAPTER: 18 (BATTLE OF ENFORCERS)
*Metahumans possess an irregular biology compared to normal humans. In this case, metas age in a way more-or-less…"abnormal" compared to how humans like you and me age. They age normally till the ages about 18-20, at which point their bodies basically "pause", keeping them (physically) at that age for the remainder of the first 200 years of their life. At age 200, their aging resumes, but at a much, much slower rate, so they'd age only about a week or so each year. As a result, a 450–500-year-old meta would look exactly the same as we would at 45-50 and metas generally live for an average of 1000 years, just as we live for 100, average.
This is all as a result of the minergy flowing within their bodies, which gives them powerful life-forces that make them difficult to kill – by anything outside of a monster, poison, certain animals and another meta; among few other things – but also vast lifespans as well as regenerating bodies, etc. That all said, the legal age for adulthood is 100 or however it is depending on the country's laws.