Axel had on a blue tracksuit. He was sitting on his bed and looking into the distance.
He had been called to one of the labs accessible to him and he didn't know what to expect.
'Calm down.' He took slow, steady breaths.
"All researchers are being called
… not just you."
He had wished to do many things before being called but hadn't had the chance to.
The first would have been to meet up with Kale. The military had given them freedom to explore the base.
Granted, it wasn't everywhere that they were allowed permission, but the sense of liberation was crucial to get the recruits to adapt.
But for researchers, they weren't allowed to leave their rooms at all. Food and other essentials were delivered to their doors.
Now he wasn't sure if he was the only one being kept in his room, but he hoped not.
He didn't have Kale's contact because one needed to scan the other person's profile code to get their contact.
They hadn't met, so he hadn't, and as such, there was no contact between them.
It had been so for about a week that they had been there.
Axel's phone buzzed as the reminder he had set for himself went off.
He reached for it and looked at the screen.
[Head to Lab 8B-2]
Looking away from the screen, he put on his lab coat and left his room.
The corridors were empty and cold. They were completely metal just like most of the base was.
Dull grey walls and floors, with the only color being the white fluorescent lights hanging above. The place felt detached and unwelcoming.
Taking a deep sigh, he adjusted his glasses and stance while forcing a confident stride.
His steps echoed through the halls. It wasn't surprising that no one was moving about as it was roughly 4 in the morning.
He was expected to be there by 5:30 but he figured that there was nothing wrong with a little punctuality.
Moving around the halls and corridors was a bit confusing as all of them looked about the same but with a little effort, he got to his destination.
A large set of thick metal double doors stood bare before Axel.
Written on the doors in large, bright yellow paint was 8B-2.
He placed the surface of the watch above it and the doors groaned before slowly opening.
Axel took slow and cautious steps into the lab while trying to observe as many things as possible.
The first things he noticed were the numerous cameras that were fixed on him as soon as he entered.
The next were tables containing multiple circuits, capacitors, fuses, and wires.
"A bit early, aren't we?" A smooth, layered voice called out.
Turning around, Axel set his eyes on a man who appeared to be in his mid-forties.
He had on a four-piece suit that complemented his blue eyes. Something about him sent warning signals through Axel's body.
"You are feeling cautious around me, aren't you?" The man chuckled lightly.
Axel didn't answer.
"I like it… shows you have good instincts, and God knows it's something we need right now with the way the world is."
He took a few steps closer.
"Pardon my manners, I haven't been around humans for a pretty decent amount of time. My name is Greg Stone." He performed a small bow.
"Hope you don't mind telling me yours."
"It's Axel Romero, sir."
Mr. Stone let out a low laugh.
"Sir? Long time since I've heard that. So tell me Axel, why are you here?"
He brought out a glass of whiskey from what appeared to be thin air.
Kale swallowed his confusion and shock.
"I wanted to arrive early, sir."
Mr. Stone nodded lightly before taking a sip of his drink.
"No, not that. Why are you here in this base? You know? The military?"
Axel stared at the man in silence, not because he couldn't answer, but because he was afraid of giving the wrong answer.
'On one hand, this could be the person who is watching me and is merely pretending not to know me.'
'On the other hand, it could be a generalized test for all researchers and not really personal.' Axel continued to ponder.
'Or on the other hand, the man could just be genuinely curious about you.' A voice that wasn't Axel's whispered in his mind.
'That voice! That voice wasn't mine!!' Mr. Stone just stared at Axel.
The latter stumbled back and almost tripped. The voice was Mr. Stone's.
"Calm yourself, will you?" He chuckled once more as he stared at Axel's horrified face.
"It was a prank, okay? I just discovered my mind-reading ability and was testing it out."
Axel just stood, paralyzed.
"You're acting like the military hasn't made you aware of Beast Infusions." Mr. Stone scoffed.
"Unless they haven't, and I just gave you what was otherwise a mind-shattering revelation." He chugged the rest of his whiskey in one go.
Mr. Stone took another step forward, and Axel took a step back.
"Calm down, okay?"
He took another step forward and Axel took one back again.
"I said stop!!" A low, trembling growl left him and properly paralyzed Axel. He couldn't move or feel or even blink.
This was far more than his body's natural reaction to danger.
Axel's mind raced but he suddenly stopped thinking and focused on a single thought.
'I'm calm.'
'Good.' Mr. Stone replied in his mind.
"Now, I'm sure you have many questions but I'm not going to answer any."
Axel suddenly found himself able to move again.
"It's not my duty." Mr. Stone continued.
"What I will do, however, is to ensure that you don't tell anyone else about what I told you."
Axel's blood ran cold as he thought of all the ways Mr. Stone could kill him.
"Damn kid. You're far more creative with murder than most people I have met. No, I'm not going to kill you." He tried to reassure Axel.
"How about this? You keep quiet and I'll owe you one." Axel tried not to think but it was proving impossible.
"It's perfect," Axel muttered slowly.
"Good. Now take this." Mr. Stone handed Axel a small chip.
"This is a one-time use communication chip. With it, you can reach me wherever you are and ask for one favor, and I'll grant it."
Mr. Stone patted Axel's back.
The doors opened and Axel looked at it only to see nothing.
His head whipped back to Mr. Stone but he too was gone.