Quint just got back from school when he heard high pitch exclaim came from inside his house.
"I've told you a thousand times, Mom. I will never join your fucking organization! NEVER !!" Quint heard his sister, Mila, was shouting full of anger. He was stunned at his feet in front of the front door.
"Watch your mouth, young lady !" His mother rebuked her. "Now, you have the most talent of all. You even saved that boy's future. Why not.."
"I agreed to help that poor boy out of pity ! That doesn't meant I'd agree to join you.. and be your killing weapons !"
"What are you saying ?!"
"You think I don't know ? You gathered prodigies.. you.. you even tricked your son.. your own son ! To what.. ? to be your lethal weapons ! To kill people!"
"Guilty people !"
"That's what you say !"
"Your dad killed people too"
"Dad doesn't ask me to be his soldier !"
"That's because his thought is conventional. He thought that a soldier has to fight with their muscles and weapons. Look.. your father has his war, I have my own war."
"And I have my own war !!" Mila shouted again. Quint heard his mother chuckled.
"War ? What war do you ..."
"My war is to fight you and your organization !!" Mila cut her.
"What do you. Hey, Mila, Come back here !!"
A second later, Quint saw his sister was marching out of the kitchen and went straight to upstair while his mother was yelling, "Come back here at once or I will break a tie with you !"
"I'll be gladly accept that !!" Mila shouted back from upstair.
Quint ran to upstair the next minute. When he reached his sister's room, he saw her throwing some stuffs into a travel bag.
"Sis.. what's going on ?" Quint asked in confusion.
"I have to get out of this family !" Mila said. she then turned his body to Quint. Tears were all over her face. "You have to go away, too, Bro.. This family.. this family is sick !!"
"Sis.. calm down.. calm down.." Quint quickly approached her and hugged her.
"I mean it, Bro. Mom is a devil !" Mila hissed into his ear in between her sob.
"She is not. You got her wrong," Quint said and rubbed her back. But Mila distanced away from him.
"Wrong ?!"
"Yes.. The team was supposed to act without leaving a witness. But my team member screwed up.."
"WHAT ?!?!?"
"Yes.. the mind bending didn't work. So I had to finish the job. But that left the boy witnessing his mother.."
"YOU ARE IN HER TEAM ALREADY ??!!"
"Ouch, sis. don't shout!" Quint said while covering up his ears.
"Quint.. why ??"
"Why what ?"
"You said you wanna be a soldier!"
"I am a soldier !"
"A soldier like Dad !! A real soldier, who fight in a war !!"
"I fight in a war, too. Secret wars. I protect this country the world even.. from evil people"
"You have been brain washed !!"
"I am not !!" Quint shouted. He stepped back from his sister. "Soldiers like Father also kill people. They even sometimes kill innocents ! What difference does it make ?"
"Then.. then don't be a soldier.. don't be any soldier," Mila said and tried to reach Quint. But he swiped her hand away.
"And be what ? Psychologist just like you ?: he asked mockingly.
"Quint.. every talent and skill can be put out in either good or bad use. That's only depends on the one who has it," Mila said. Once again reached toward her brother. This time, Quint didn't refuse her. "Come with me.. we figure out how to use your talent int a good way.."
Quint jerked her hands that were on his cheeks. "You're seeing in black and white, Mila. The world is grey."
"Quint, please come with me.."
"I want to be a soldier. I work hard on it."
"It's not too late, Quint."
"No."
Mila dropped a tear. "I love you, Quint," she whispered then kissed Quint's lips.
Quint responded to it with full of passion. "I love you, too, Mila.."
"Then let's leave. Leave this family. You and I, we can be lovers.." Mila whispered while rubbing Quint's cheeks.
Quint halted her hand. "I don't wanna leave, Mila. This family.. I can not abandon it. You stay, Mila." Quint rubbed her cheek with his other hand. "You don't have to be her soldier. she won't have a heart to force you. Just stay, Mila.."
"I can't stay, Quint. I can't." She touched her forehead toward his forehead and started to cry. Her cry broke Quint's tear. For the first time after his surgery, Quint Rauss cried.
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"What's wrong ?" The girl asked.
"Nothing," Quint answered shortly then threw his sight out of the window.
"You look sad lately," the girl pursued.
"Don't mind me," Quint said without giving his sight to the girl. The girl sighed then reluctantly left him alone and joined her other teammates that were sitting on the sofa set in the middle of the room.
Not long, the France door was opened. Already wearing her golden mask, Quint's mother walked in followed by a little girl. She couldn't be more than 14 years old.
"Knights.. let me introduce you to your new Mind Bender," Quint's mother said, stretching her arm to a side, signaling the little girl to step ahead.
"Is she good ?" The Strategist asked.
The little girl smiled politely. "I will try my best to execute your plan, Miss. Strategist," she said with a thick accent. She then moved her head to the left. "Yes, I could easily read your mind, Hacker Boy." Then moved it to the Hacker's across. "You doubt my skill, Fighter Man ?"
The Fighter suddenly stood and took off his clothe. "Nice abs, Sir," the little girl said then laughed. "It's enough. You don't have to strip down," she continued then flicked her fingers.
The Fighter blinked his eyes. "Shit !!" He shouted to his surprise knowing he was topless. "What did you do to me ?!" he said in anger then quickly grabbed his clothe and put it on again.
All of the team were stunned. Even Quint shifted his gaze to the little girl. The girl looked at him, but a second later narrowed her eyes. "You are interesting," she said.
"What do you mean ?" Quint asked.
The little girl turned her gaze toward Quint's mother instead. She then nodded. "Nothing," she said to Quint then unchantantly sat on one of the empty arm chair.
"Now all the knights are here. Let's start the bestowal ceremony," Quint's mother then said. The teenagers looked at each others. But there was excitement in their eyes. Quint's mother smiled a little and opened her two hands, "Shall we ?"
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The seven teenagers were brought into a hall. There, around twenty people, all wore masks, had attended. One of them was Quint's master. Once they entered the room, they were told to sit on front row while Quint's mother walked toward the podium.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," she spoke in front of the microphone. Noticing that all attentions that were on the teenagers now were on her, she smiled. "Today, we finally form a new generation of the royal knights for our organization, especially our chapter of organization,." She then pointed toward the teenagers.
"These seven amazing prodigies are our future to lead the world to a better place for human kind"
All audiences were applauding to respond her words.
"Now. Let us all who gather here be a witness for them to vow their loyalty to our organization."
Once again, the room was filled with applauses. Several men came from a curtained door, bringing a glass box. The box was shallow but wide. It was put in the center of the room.
A man with a long robe stood and took the podium. He had long beard and wore cone head. "Prodigies, please stand up. Put your hand on your heart then repeat my words," he spoke.
The seven teenagers obeyed him.
"I .. then say your name.."
The teenagers repeated his words, saying their names.
"Swear to God, Jesus, Allah, Yahweh, Buddha, and all of Almighty's up there.."
"That from this day on.."
"I will be loyal to and only to the organization"
"I will give my only best to do my job"
"And share not any secret the organization have to the outsiders"
"Any attempt of my disloyalty will cause me a terrible death.."
Once they said their vows, the 'priest' approached them one by one. To each teenager, he slit their index finger a little then put their bleeding finger onto a sand surface. After finished doing that to all seven, he guided them to approach the glass box. It was then they could see clearly what's inside the box.
Dozen of creatures. Venomous creatures to be exact. The Strategist and the Mind Bender stepped back while others winced their eyes.
"They are soul-binding creatures. Put your hand inside the box and let them pick you," the 'priest' said to them.
"How exactly they are gonna pick us ?" Quint asked.
"By sharing their venom with you," the 'priest' answered calmly.
"Aren't we going to be die to have the venom ?" The Bomber asked.
"No. The creatures will choose the right person that could accept their venoms. You may have some effects, but I can assure you, it won't be fatal."
After some minutes, the girl who always with Quint was the first one to put in her hand. She winced when a snake bit her hand.
"The Poison Master is Russel's Viper" the 'priest' announced.
The brown skin teenager was the second.
"The Bomber is Bruno's Frog"
Next were the little girl and the blond teenage boy.
"The Mind Bender is Black Widow Spider and The Malee Fighter is Gila Lizard"
The thick glasses boy put his trembled hand.
"The Hacker is Fire Salamander"
Reluctantly, the girl with curly hair put her hand in the box.
"The Strategist is King Cobra"
Quint glanced to his master. He trusted this man the most. So when the man nodded to give him approval, Quint put his hand inside the box.
Some creatures immediately approached his hand. He turned his head away and closed his eyes. Two seconds later, a sting was on his finger that made him jolt and pulled his hand.
"The Marksman is The Deathstalker scorpion," the 'priest announced.
"