A few days had passed since the third and fourth waves. Even so, most people hadn't noticed anything.
Of course, after all, the Silencers, as their name suggests, are basically stealth agents: few in number, elite, deployed to assassinate humans. Comparable to Hydra's Winter Soldiers in Marvel.
The problem was that, according to the original plan, the humans who survived the third wave were supposed to be less than 1% of humanity. With so few survivors, scattered and isolated, the hunting skills of the Silencers would have been extremely useful. But now, with 40% of humanity still alive, those skills were heavily countered, delaying "the others'" plans.
In fact, in the original story, the few remaining humans lived isolated or in small camps. It was hard to find even ten people alive in a city. Now, however, although Kaito and Mashiro were in a "camp," it was actually a neighborhood with thousands of people. The only reason it was called a camp was because survivors from other areas had gathered there seeking unity. Most were people who had endured the first and second waves but whose surroundings had been destroyed.
That day, something changed.
A long line of military trucks drove through the streets. People came out of their houses to watch: hope, seeing it was the army, and surprise, realizing there were still functioning vehicles after the electromagnetic pulse.
Half an hour later, in a park at the corner of the neighborhood, most residents had gathered.
In front of them, on an improvised platform, a group of uniformed soldiers stood in line. At the center, with a microphone in hand, was their leader.
"Silence."
Just one word, but the weight of his voice hushed the murmurs across the park. Once everything was calm, the man began to speak.
"I am Colonel Vosch. Colonel will do.
First, I will tell you what we know about 'the others,' which many of you are not aware of.
As you know, they have sent different waves with the goal of wiping out humanity. You probably think there have only been two… but in fact, there have already been three."
At those words, the crowd burst into murmurs. The noise grew, but Vosch quickly silenced it before continuing.
"The third wave was a deadly and highly contagious virus. We discovered that it can remain dormant for years before finally killing its host."
The murmurs rose again.
"But…" Vosch continued.
And silence returned.
"There were almost no victims. The virus takes years to activate, and since we discovered it early, we are already working on a cure.
Now, the good news: we are relocating survivors to military bases. There, you will receive daily resources and can return to a semi-normal life."
The people erupted in joy, but the colonel spoke again.
"Due to the lack of vehicles, we will transfer you in groups, starting with the minors."
He said it in a dismissive tone, as if he had just remembered it, which unconsciously made many people treat the matter with the same lack of importance.
Some protested, but most agreed. Soon, all the minors boarded the four buses they had brought.
Inside one of them, Kaito watched in surprise.
Incredible… in the original movie there was only one bus, and it was enough for all the minors. It seems they checked the population before coming and made sure to take them all at once… with some exceptions.
Of course, knowing the plot, he wasn't too surprised. It only caught his attention as a detail.
Kaito and Mashiro were at the back of the bus when they heard an argument at the door.
It was a small boy and a blonde teenage girl.
The boy tugged at his sister's arm as he spoke:
"I don't want to go, I won't go."
The girl reassured him:
"I'll come right away, don't worry."
"I don't want to be alone."
"You won't be alone."
She knelt to meet his eyes.
"How about this? I'll bring you Beanpole, so you won't be alone until Dad and I arrive."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise."
The boy timidly boarded the bus, and the girl ran off toward a distant house.
Kaito watched her as she ran. Not because she was cute—though she was—but because of who she was.
Cassie. The protagonist of the original story. The scene he had just witnessed marked the true beginning of everything.
The bus started moving, leaving Cassie behind and separating her from her younger brother. From that moment, she would begin her journey to fulfill her promise and reunite with him, while uncovering the truth about the invasion.
Just as he remembered, Cassie ran after the bus, unable to catch it, while the boy watched her in anguish from the window.
Kaito closed his eyes to rest during the ride, but Mashiro had other plans.
Feeling her touch his arm, he guessed without opening them:
"You want to help her?"
Mashiro nodded silently.
"But we'll miss the bus. At the military base, they have more information about the Silencers, you know?"
She hesitated for a moment, then replied:
"Alright, we can go later."
"Ahhh…" Kaito sighed.
He took Mashiro's hand, and both crossed the bus in an instant. Before touching the ground, he held her in his arms, and they returned to the camp.
For those inside the bus, the scene was baffling. One moment there were two people there, the next, no one. The children panicked, arguing among themselves. The driver, however, narrowed his eyes seriously, and moments later grabbed the radio to report what had happened to his superiors.
Meanwhile, Kaito and Mashiro quickly found Cassie: in the park, another meeting was being organized, even more serious than the previous one. When they arrived, the speech was already underway.
"The fourth wave has already begun.
We call them Silencers: humans whose brains have been washed by 'the others.' They obey all orders, infiltrate among us, and when the opportunity arises, they kill.
That is why we must check all of you before sending you to your children. Don't worry, once your identity is confirmed, you will be able to join them."
The announcement caused a strong uproar, but it did not surprise Kaito or Mashiro: they already knew about the Silencers.
However, Mashiro was confused for another reason.
"Kaito…"
"Mmm? What is it?"
"The third wave… why did they lie?"
As she spoke, the chaos around them grew: shouts, threats, people trying to escape or discreetly reaching for their weapons.
Kaito thought for a moment. The avian virus—the real third wave—was very different from what the military had described. Even more: since it had been neutralized before it started, they shouldn't even know about its existence.
Finally, he answered:
"Well, that's because the military…"
At that moment, someone. Someone, supposedly trying to escape, opened fire.
"…are part of the others."
The soldiers reacted immediately, shooting not only at the attacker but at everyone present. The park became chaos, people shoving, running, trying to flee… but the perimeter was already surrounded. No one was allowed to escape.
Mashiro froze for a moment before reacting.
"So… they're the bad guys?"
Kaito nodded. She hardened her expression and rushed to attack.
The first soldier she approached looked at her with disdain. But they weren't human, and he fired without mercy.
The bullet never made it: it melted in midair, as if it had touched fire.
Mashiro stretched out her hands. In each appeared a blazing sphere that she hurled at the soldiers, reducing them to ashes in an instant. The people took advantage of the distraction to escape.
Only those on the stage survived, staring in disbelief.
"Attack! Use everything you have!" Vosch ordered.
Grenades exploded in every direction, smoke covered the park, and the gunfire didn't stop. When the cloud dissipated, the soldiers were left speechless: there wasn't a single scratch on them.
"Cover me!" Vosch shouted.
He knew he wouldn't get out alive, but he tried to buy time to call for reinforcements from "the others."
He didn't make it. In a blink, with a strange vibrating sound, all the soldiers around him dropped dead without explanation.
Kaito and Mashiro appeared in front of him.
The colonel swallowed hard. Despite their kind appearances, the only thought in his head was:
'Damn… these aren't human.'
Kaito broke the silence:
"Colonel Vosch, right?"
The soldier looked at him for a second, made a decision, and raised his weapon.
Without hesitation, he shot himself in the temple, dropping dead instantly.
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(just delete the hyphen)
80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)