III - All in a Row

Chapter Four: All in a row

        Meta stepped heavily through white-grey corridors of hewn stone, his amber stained vision showing a  red line to follow as his internal map led him to the meeting room designated by Tabitha the previous day, alleviating his worries about becoming an outcast to both sides, an unsavory destiny to any normal Being, but merely a means to an end for him. The red mark in his vision faded as he approached an arched doorway, the symbols "B-7" etched into the stone next to the opening, illuminated by the crystals embedded in the walls, and what little spilled out from the curtains obscuring the aperture. He pushed aside the blandly colored cloth slowly, ignoring the chatter inside as his vision filled with evaluations and notifications regarding protocols pertaining to the situation, a stark reminder of his situation flashing a livid shade of scarlet in the corner of his vision yet again. "Subject has exited AntiSync satellite observation range. It is now assumed Garibaldi Class Subject in question has committed an act of desertion and will now no longer be permitted any security clearance previously granted, and will be terminated on sight." He chose to ignore this once again, adding little to the total times he had done so. His eyes adjusted very quickly to the brighter ambiance inside the room, revealing the presence of several individuals, all gathered around the outside of a raised map of the local terrain, Tabitha at the lead pointing toward a patch of forest almost due north of the city. Meta stopped and waited for his arrival to be noticed, searching the faces of those he could see, until Tabitha recognized the near earthquake level vibrations of his footsteps having stopped abruptly.

        "Wow..." Tabitha glanced hurriedly at her wrist, a grey dial poking out from under her clothing."... not a second early, nor late... Punctual?"

 

        "More like creepy. Sheesh."

        "Yeah, the eyes are a bit much, man."

        Tabitha merely put her hand to her face, waiting for the initial shock to die down, before catching the smallest member of their team attempting to sneak his way into the adjacent room.

        "Okay everyone, shut up, sit down, and listen! NOW!" Tabitha struck the map table they all stood at, some of the others jumping, others remaining as still as they had been before, seemingly bored. "This... is Meta. I told y'all about him yesterday after the council meeting. He's the new guy taking point, so at least have respect for the dead, alright?"

        "Respect for the dead?" Meta raised a simulated eyebrow as he repeated the words.

        "Yeah, let's just say you aren't the first point-man to join this team. Or the tenth. Or the fiftieth. You get the idea. It's almost like a running joke around here. Heheh. Y'know, to keep your mind occupied." The one who attempted to leave stealthily before spoke up, making Tabitha frown slightly.

        "Either way, he's here now, so introduce yourselves if you please, so we can get on with this rodeo." Tabitha said, attempting to bring some kind of order back into play. None volunteered however. "Alright. CLOCKWISE AROUND THE TABLE. NOW."

        The entire group jumped to their feet, collectively either shocked or expecting this to happen in some form or another. They began slowly, starting with a blond haired Sprite wearing sunglasses.

        "Well, my name is Christopher. I guess I'm the second in command around here, so basically the janitor. My abilities are basically silicate manipulation, so I can shape sand. There you go."

        Next up was a very tired looking, pale woman with hip length raven black hair, a sword strapped to her back, red irises attempting to penetrate into Meta's soul as they locked eyes. "My name is Lucy. I'm a Vampire, so nothing too special in combat abilities. Next."

        Standing next to Lucy was another Sprite, his hair dark and eyes ashen grey, full of contempt, his posture dismissive as he spoke in a commanding tone. "Benjamin. Benjamin Finoto. Matter Agitation is my specialty. I bring the heat."

        Last but not least, the shortest of the bunch spoke, his frame short of five feet in height by around four inches, black hair hanging unkempt except for a single lock of scarlet in his bangs. "I'm Max, big guy. Nice to meetchya!" His eyebrow twitched nervously as he paused. "I have something a bit like Chris in the Ability department, but I can warp anything inorganic into anything of equal mass. It's funny how nervous people are about handshakes around me. I can't hurt anyone directly."

        "Okay, alright, that's enough. Now that everyone has said their piece, lets get this on and done with. As I said before, Meta will be up front from now on, so we're going to be making everything based on his ability to block or neutralize threats. From what I've read, its a specialty of his." Tabitha smile as she said the last phrase, eyes faintly adopting a sallow glow for only a moment, missed by the others. "As for the rest of us, we'll still be using the E.G.R.'s and need to be ready. No slacking. Everyone okay with this and ready to move on to why I talked to this guy in the first place?" Tabitha swept the room with her eyes, meeting everyone's gaze one by one, receiving only consent, except for Meta who merely stared ahead, his eyes overwhelming her with their radiance. "Good to hear. Now, our next assignment is a doozie that's already claimed four whole teams, no survivors. Oddly enough its right on our doorstep, cropped up recently as far as anyone can tell, a product of the political issues of the time. Some kind of hack-job has set up shop and is experimenting on crossing human abilities with Being's, the same old spiel everyone is afraid of. To put it simply, we have no clue if that's really what's going on or not, because not a single person has made it in, or out, and lived to see the next sunrise."

        "My responsibilities will include sweeping the area for hostiles as the team proceeds through the area, correct?" Meta chimed in, drawing the attention of everyone for a time.

        "That's basically correct, yes. Problem is, most of the 'facility' this person is occupying is underground, remains of an old Human laboratory that was abandoned before the settlement above us existed. It's got some kind of dampening field around it as well, probably at least three Nullification users rotating shifts to keep the area locked down. It's a strong enough blanket to disable anyone below a combat ranking level of Ability, so its no joke."

        "I will not be affected." Meta stated simply, his voice as flat as possible with every syllable.

        Tabitha raised her eyebrow as the rest of the team merely looked at Meta bewildered, unable to believe his words. "Either way, you're going in first, we'll follow, then we get inside, take prisoners, bring them back for prosecution, get a paycheck. Simple job."

        "Only its deadly, oh boss of mine." The short Sprite piped in suddenly.

        "Yes Max, I already said that... Just... everyone get some sleep tonight, then we'll meet back here around high sun to gear up and head out. Everyone has clearance for armor, so don't leave without it... if you'll wear it. Past that, don't get the higher-ups pissed and... let's do this thing." With her final words Tabitha smacked her palm upon the table, exactly where a red 'X' was marked, followed by every other member of the team standing around it with her. After a moment, Meta moved to join them, his hand eclipsing them all with its size as he placed it gingerly upon the dog-pile of digits.

        "Nice. Now, DISMISSED!"

                                                                                                        *                    *                    *

        Meta returned to his quarters in the maze of a city, coldly calculating the possible squence of events for the next day, absentmindedly moving through the smooth waled tunnels until he finally reached his destination, only to find someone already waiting.

        "I was wondering when you would surface again, mister scorched earth. Good to see you're still alive." Max stood propped against the wall, smiling broadly, his blue eyes hidden behind closed lids, only for a time, waiting for Meta to respond.

        "The probability of my survival was nearly one hundred percent, considering the remaining factors involved. I do not wish to be forced to slaughter humanity as well, so it stands to reason I would gather with those aligned against that notion." Meta stood motionless, his eyes bringing some much needed light to the corridor, as the light channeling crystals were dimming as the sun set.

        "Yeah, I suppose you're right, but either way its nice to see a friendly face. If I can even say that in this case. You have any luck in your... quest?" Max stood straighter, flexing his fingers in air quotes around the last word of his thought.

        "Unfortunately not. My goals still elude me, and I cannot tell if it is the historical period we are passing through, or something else interfering internally. For now I will suspend my search, however, until the current conflict is resolved."

        "Smart man. I know from experience, if you get targeted as a rogue factor, there's going to be more loss on both sides than if you just sat still in a prison cell for desertion." Max shrugged, truly considering the options.

        "I plan to participate minimally. I have been told that any more reprimands will lead to the same fate as not becoming allied with one of the two parties."

        "Wow, harsh. Alright then, I'll have to see you tomorrow, captain commando. Good luck fitting in here." Max saluted comically before breaking into a jog in the opposite direction, quickly becoming lost in the many hallways of the Stone City as he made a turn to the left. Meta entered the meagerly furnished as soon as Max was out of sight, surveying its contents and immediately noticing a single change, and addition besides the single cot in the center. A floor length mirror stood tall and proud against the wall in front of the doorway, the wooden mass creaking on its aged hinges as he closed it, peering into the reflective surface. A tag on the top read "For introspection - Tabitha" on the top rim of the curved frame. Meta stared into his own eyes for a moment, deciding to remove his camouflage after a quick scan of the surroundings, revealing no one nearby. What appeared to be human skin faded like smoke pushed by harsh wind, revealing a silvery likeness below that receded into Meta, finall showing the purple crystal below, the pilot light of his cannon shining slightly from his right arm, almost outshone by his eyes as he stared for a moment, marking the smudges and burn marks that marred the once pristine surface that made up his entire body. Simply surface blemishes, but blemishes that reminded him of the past nonetheless, each one bringing with it a slightly different pang of guilt or remorse. "The fools." He sat down on the metal framed cot, his weight almost too much for the frame as he did so, and he closed his eyes, focusing on the marks that covered him. One by one they scabbed over with silvery liquid as he concentrated, slowly shrinking until none was left, his titanic frame once again spotless as he raised his right arm, the light within brighter now that it was not obscured, his own reflection visible on the solid Tantulum plates.

        "It is time to begin anew."