Point-of-View: Inoka Fonseka
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Category 1...isn't that the second highest rank for Meta-Humans?
"What about the other guys here, what rank are they?" I chimed in, unable to contain my curiosity.
"Oh, um...they're mostly Category 2s and 3s, and I think a few 4s too," She responded after mulling it over for a bit.
Wait, what? Doesn't that mean...
"Hold on, back up a sec...are you the highest ranking Meta-Human here!?" Exclaimed Alexis in surprise.
"Y-yes, I know I don't seem like it, b-but that's my rank. Um, I hope that didn't sound too cocky or anything, I certainly didn't mean-," She began nervously.
"Actually, the way you said it was as far from being cocky as possible. So, how come you're treated like a lapdog by those douchebags when you outrank them?" I inquired bluntly.
"Hey, uh, that's kinda harsh, uh, when you put it that way," Said Zoraiz, as he glanced between us.
Maybe so, but I couldn't help it...her case seems to be a bit more extreme, but she reminds me of how I used to be. Back in high school, I was a meek, weak-willed pushover that couldn't say no to anyone, would stay silent when made fun of and had a low opinion of myself, even though I'd never done anything wrong.
I was good at my studies and decent at sports, but no matter how well I did, my confidence only kept shrinking, because people kept putting me down-...no, that's not quite right, the harsh reality was that I let them keep putting me down, I never defended myself even once.
I was the butt of everyone's jokes, I let them copy my notes and exam answers, and whenever they asked me to do something for them, I'd do it, stuff like buying them snacks from the cafeteria to delivering their homework to teachers, even if I didn't want to, I just didn't have the self-confidence or guts to say no.
And then came the moment that opened my eyes...in what should have been my last year, my classmates got carried away at the end of the year and played a 'prank', absolutely trashing the school building at night, when no one was there.
The specifics are kind of a blur, but when the teachers somehow found out that it was my class that were involved, the blame was placed on me, even though I hadn't even been a part of it at all. The worst part was that I agreed to go along with it...in my deluded, pathetic state of mind, I genuinely thought they were my friends.
But then, I was expelled without graduating, and I never heard from my former classmates again. I did try contacting them from time to time, but they ignored me, and that's when I finally came to my senses and snapped out of it.
Living while trying to please others and worrying about what they think of me...it ruined my life. And it took getting expelled and disowned by my family to realize it. And when I did realize it, I was absolutely baffled at how stupid I was...looking back on it now, I'm utterly disgusted at myself.
My parents were the super traditional type, they'd wanted me to become a doctor even though I wasn't very good at any science subjects, and they always had unreasonable expectations of me. Like, they'd yell at me and take away my devices if I ever scored below eighty percent on a test or exam.
So when I got expelled, they were absolutely furious, and my father disowned me in disgust, telling me to leave the house immediately and never return, calling me a disgrace to the family. My mother showed me some sympathy and gave me a small amount of money, barely enough for a couple of months, but it was certainly better than nothing, I suppose.
I managed to keep myself from becoming homeless by working part-time jobs, just barely making enough money to pay rent and buy food. Any spare money would go towards buying crap like junk food, cigarettes, weed and alcohol...that just about describes my daily life for the past four years or so. Huh, in hindsight...maybe getting kidnapped and brought here isn't so bad, after all.
If nothing else, this place is certainly way nicer than the dingy apartment I'd been living in. The air conditioning here is especially great, all I had in my apartment was a creaky ceiling fan that barely made a difference.
"It's...," Muttered Kiyana, snapping me out of my negative reminiscence, "It's not like I want to be treated like that, I just..."
"I don't really care either way, but here's some advice...if you don't stand up for yourself now, you'll never be able to, it'll only get harder and harder. And then, before you know it, it's too late, and all you'll be left with is regret," I remarked, averting my gaze as glimpses of my past flashed through my mind.
"I...I know that you're, um, probably right...but it's easier said that done. I would if I could, but I, um..I just don't have it in me...," She responded with a faint smile, before trailing off and scrunching up her eyebrows, "Wait, what was you name again? Did you tell me? I...I can't remember, I'm-!"
She's way too nervous...whatever she's been through, it's absolutely decimated her self-confidence...
"Sheesh, calm down...huh, now that I think about it, we didn't introduce ourselves to you, did we?" I realized.
"Oh, yeah, we were too suspicious of her not being a dick to us," Recalled Alexis, her eyes widening, before she turned to Kiyana and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Alexis Tucker, nice to meet you."
"Inoka Fonseka," I added, as she glanced at me.
"Oh, and, uh...I'm Zoraiz Rafayet," He chimed in awkwardly.
Huh, he talks just fine when he's being dry or sarcastic and when he's annoyed, but otherwise, he speaks with very little confidence. Well, whatever, it's not like I really care. I'll just focus on the rest of this tour, I'm guessing we'll be staying here for a while, so yeah, might as well get to know the layout of this place.
"These rooms here are, um, used for training, they're very spacious and highly durable, and, uh...y-yeah," Kiyana informed us, though she didn't seem to sure of her explanations...more specifically, where and how to end them.
"None of them are occupied, is that normal?" I inquired, noticing that all of the training rooms were empty.
"Um, yes. They're mostly used for training new young Metas after they, um, first awaken their Auras. Most Metas who have mastered control over their Auras and Skills don't train much...the majority of Monsters that appear these days are relatively weak so, um, they don't need to train hard. And when it comes to dealing with Eden, um, it's usually only Category 0s and 1s that are called up," She explained, as she continued to lead the way.
"Hey, uh, what about walking tree Monsters? I think they're called, uh, Treants," Spoke up Zoraiz.
"Oh, um, they're among the weakest level of Monsters, classified as Common-Tier," She informed him.
"...those things are considered to be weak?" He muttered to himself with a frown.
Huh, from the sound of it, he's encountered Monsters...probably before he was kidnapped.
"I'm guessing Monster attacks are rare? Because otherwise, you'd think that they'd be all over the internet," Chimed in Alexis curiously.
"Actually, um, normal humans can't see Monsters, except for certain types that haven't been seen in over a century. Monsters have no interest in normal humans, they're, um, only interested in Metas and other creatures that generate Aura...which includes other Monsters, so, um, it's not unusual for different Monsters to attack each other, just like wild animals. The only thing that separates them from normal animals is that, um, they can't be seen by normal humans."
Hm?
"From what you said...are there creatures besides Meta-Humans and Monsters that generate Aura?" I inquired, getting rather fascinated.
"Yes, there are, various races that are collectively known as, um, Demi-Humans, or Demis for short. Vampires, Werewolves, Elves, to name a few. Most of them live in hiding from what I know, but, um, I don't actually have much knowledge about them," She remarked sheepishly, as we reached another room and added, "In here we've got clothes, made of a special fabric meant to withstand Meta powers...your rooms are just around the next corner, so why don't you choose some outfits you like and then clean up and change?"
She briefly glanced at me when she said the last part...I'm kinda ticked off, but also, understandable. I probably had lingering traces of cigarettes and booze on me, not to mention that I sweated like crazy in that desert...yeah, I could definitely use a shower.
"Oh, that sounds good, all I've got on is this random outfit that Neo guy gave me, and I'd rather pick my own clothes," Huffed Alexis, as Kiyana opened the door and let us in.
Woah, this straight up looks like a clothing store, there were rows and rows of racks, full of clothes, spanning the entire space, which looked about the size of a soccer field.
"Um, aren't you going in?" Kiyana asked Zoraiz, who was lingering by the entrance.
"Oh, uh...well, I'm happy with what I'm wearing, so, uh, I...I wasn't sure if it's, like, okay for me to pick more clothes," He replied uncertainly.
Wow, his social skills are really bad, huh...
"It's not a problem at all, there's more than enough to spare, so help yourself," Responded Kiyana...huh, she seems less nervous now.
Is it that she's gaining more confidence, seeing someone more nervous and awkward than she is? I've always been good at reading people's body languages, I enjoy discerning how they feel just by looking at that...well, it started off as a way to distract myself from my misery when I was in school, but I ended up enjoying it, so yeah.
Well, anyway, guess I should pick an outfit for myself, huh? You know, all things considered, maybe this isn't so bad. Gaining superpowers and then being taken in by an organization of superhumans...it's kinda like something straight out of an anime, and so far, it doesn't look like they're going to mistreat us.
Hm, the others that ended up like us, coming across the Meta-Orbs...some of them have probably been kidnapped by Eden, the rival organization to Harmony...compared to this place, I wonder what it's like there...
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