Walking through the endless expanse of snow, Severus felt the crunch of ice beneath each step, his breath curling in the frigid air. The sharp, metallic tang of distant machinery drifted on the wind, mingling with the crisp, almost electric scent of winter. Every gust stung his exposed skin, his fingers numb inside thin gloves. The metal buildings in the distance were as eternal as ever, silhouetted against a weak red light mixing with a purple hue from above. Somewhere far off, a faint, shrill whistle echoed across the barren plain, lost in the hush that seemed to press in from all sides.
"What a bust." A light-hearted female voice spoke out loud.
Throwing his female companion a displeased frown, Severus replied in a tone that was a tad absent-minded.
"What else did you expect? The creatures have been exterminated, from the looks of it. How are we supposed to find anything at this point?"
Letting out a chuckle, Lia held her hand high, as if to show that she was no threat.
"Hm hm. Don't steer your frustration towards me, I could do nothing about it…"
Wrinkling his brows slightly, Severus averted his gaze as it shifted downward, a bit of a self-deprecating atmosphere about him.
"Yeah… I know. Sorry about it… I'm truly worthless in every regard."
Looking at him, an exasperated expression appeared on her face.
"Stop that right now. You just stopped being in that annyong mood of yours.
I—AM—NOT—LISTENING—TO—YOUR—WHINING—ANYMORE!
Especially when we are on duty to oversee the disposal in a bit. That is more than annoying enough!"
Wincing under Lia's reprimands, Severus felt a desire to protest. The moment he opened his mouth, a murderous glare from her shut his mouth for good.
Noticing Severus' silence, Lia did not linger on it, simply enjoying the moment. Her black hair, streaked with red at the tips, waved in the cold breeze.
"Oh, we're here!" Severus said half-heartedly.
In front of them was a seemingly endless hole. The abyss, its railingless edges all too easily to trip into.
Looking to the side, a metal platform extended above the abyss, its shape a trapezoid. A few meters in front of the platform, a piece of track spanning fifty meters stood. The track spanned about ten meters across the edges of the platform hanging over the abyss, with each ending in a minuscule slit, as if it could slide open.
Walking right over the tracks without a care, the pair walked onto the platform, Lia in front, Severous a step behind, both clad in the usual dark blue coat that every government official wore, dripping down to their knees.
Careful to stay away from the center of the platform, where six lines were pressed into the metal platform, looking suspiciously similar to the tracks in front, just a far finer imitation of them.
These lines lead from the center's edge directly to the tracks, each stopping a meter in front of them.
Not sparing the sight a glance, Lia sat down on a metal bench, a layer of ice having formed. Leaning her arm on the slick ice-covered table and her head on her arm after that, delicately holding the balance and not slipping.
Severus did the same, just sitting down in a far more formal way, tucking his hands into his pockets.
"H-How long will it take this time?" Severus asked with a bit of hesitation in his voice.
Bing, bing, bing! A sound echoed throughout the entire platform.
"When you speak of the devil." She replied sarcastically, her gaze wandering to one end of the tracks, where a red light repeatedly blinked.
In the distance, six red lights, three on each side, blinked repeatedly, the metal contraption in the middle started vibrating, and a silent rumble reverberated.
Slowly, two metal plates moved to either side until the tunnel beneath fully revealed itself. Tracks extended out of the tunnel and then slid over the ones already placed on the surface, as a scratching sound encompassed the whole process, a few sparks flying up as the metal scratched against its counterpart.
As she held one ear to muffle the reverberating, irritating sound, Lia pointed toward the tracks with the other, as a train suddenly shot out of the opened exit.
"You take care of it." She said loudly, the sound almost tuning out her words.
"But…" Severus tried to interject, but was interrupted with a snappy tone.
"You annoyed me more than enough for a day! Stop whining!"
Bang, she kicked his knee, making Severus stand up reflexively.
He stood there a bit reluctant at first.
Should it be her turn right? I did it last time.
He built up some courage, and then she threw him another icy, murderous glare that did not allow any insubordination.
"Go"
And he went.
Looking at his back disappearing into the distance, she muttered under her breath, a bit of disappointment in her voice.
"What a wus."
Standing in front of a large wagon, a man in a full-body hazmat suit walked out, holding a clipboard.
Watching Severus talk to the man for a bit, Lia saw him take the clipboard and go over its contents, before signing it and walking back.
That was fast?!
Severus came back with a similarly perplexed expression, as she herself was wearing at the moment.
Before Lia could ask, Severus sat down, saying in a confused tone.
"There are far fewer than usual, it seems."
"What do you mean by far fewer?" Lia asked, annoyed.
In the distance, the wagon was slowly lifted off the train and placed onto the thinner tracks leading to the abyss.
Seemingly not hearing her words, he muttered to himself.
"Is this a good thing or a bad one?"
The container was now at the edge of the platform.
Realizing what he was speaking about, Lia looked with a bit more intensity.
It tilted forward, and an amalgamation of flesh and blood spilled out of the container, all swallowed by the abyss a moment later.
Some of the corpses were more intact, others were less so; wolves, beasts, lizards, and even humans were all dumped into it, with no distinctions between them.
***
Walking through a far more cozy place than before, they were heading for the headquarters.
Both, however, stopped a bit before the door, where the rest of the team was standing.
What's going on? Both of them thought in their unique ways.
Captain Darron was wearing a complicated expression, one questioning, not others, but himself.
Recks was his usual self, the all too welcoming smile set on.
Alexia, well, she was… Alexia, nothing seemed particularly off about her; she just seemed to be ashamed of herself, reminding me of Severus ' behavior.
"What are you guys doing out here?" Lia asked in her usual brass behavior.
Hearing this, Darron seemed to awaken from his daze, as he gestured for them to head in.
Now sitting in the reception, Lia had a few questions on her mind, but for now, she truly only wanted to find out one thing.
Why was the captain so out of it? She had never seen him in such a state. Others might not notice, since he was good at hiding behind his duties, but she knew him long enough to see through such facades.
What happened?
"Ahm Darr… Captain abou…"
Clamp!
The door closed lightly, through it a young man of medium build walked, his hair as dark as a raven's feathers, the purity only broken by a white strain above his right eye.
Looking at the boy, Darron showed brief recognition, then confusion.
"Are you going to be working here?"