~All who had special abilities were registered in the Index and had 3 major choices to make in order to secure for them a future, and a guarantee to live. Since Ability Users comprised less than 1 percent of the world population at the time, stigmatization was inevitable~
YEAR: 2161
LOCATION: Adele Street (50 ft Underground)
"What?" Tenny asked as his eyes widened at the shocking truths being told to him by his brother.
"Mom's an Ability User? That's impossible... It's not, is it?" He asked in confusion.
Their Dad was always on one business trip or the other, and so the mother of the boys was always the one taking care of them. She was the most important person in the world to him, and so he could not believe she would hide such a thing from them.
"There are lots of other possibilities other than that... This does not make sense." Tenny kept rambling
"An Ability User only has 3 choices in career. Firstly, they join the Special Ability Defense Unit, which is involved in paranormal activities and stops criminal Ability Users. There's also the option of becoming a Subjugator, whose job is to battle and destroy the monsters that mysteriously appear, and defend the citizenry from their rampage. Finally, the most prestigious and rarest career choice, being a member of the international special ability force, specially and directly under the World Government, The Zenith. Failure to comply with any of these results in being branded an enemy of humanity, and one can end up incarcerated, and in worst cases... killed! Mom is not in any of those three... And she's not a criminal, there's no way..."
Tenny did not want to accept what he was hearing, he couldn't. His conflicting thoughts were broken by Michael's usually calm voice
"Relax, as much as I don't want to admit it, all I've said is true. I don't take chances, and I definitely don't make assumptions without a definite basis. I am not wrong, and I am never wrong, remember that."
Michael noticed Tenny had calmed down a bit and continued speaking
"This Gate has been closed off by an ability user, but as is the case of all abilities, there's a limit. Most abilities, no matter how powerful, have an effective range. There is currently no ability registered in the Index which possesses an effective range of more than 120 meters, and even then, the closer the user is to the target, the more effective the ability is. This explains why this Gate is about 50 feet directly below our house."
Tenny knew his brother was right, not just because it was Michael speaking. He had used his ability and realized that exactly 50 feet from the underground passage was their home, but his mind still wanted to make excuses.
" B...But, she's not on the Index, and she isn't working in any of the 3 Choice Special Ability Divisions. She's a lawyer working cases on Special Ability users. She can't be one!" Tenny at this point was out of breath.
"Your perception and information are flawed. There are more than 3 options for an Ability User, you just don't know of it. Our mom most likely works for one of those underground agencies. The firm is just a front, and while I have no definite proof of that now, it's a fact." Michael explained to Tenny.
"Now then, we've wasted enough time talking about what is obviously true, it's about time we opened it up."
Tenny's eyes popped open "What do you mean open?"
Could Michael actually be planning to unseal the Gate, endangering everyone around them? The look he saw on his face, however, proved to be what Tenny was afraid of.
"You can't be serious, you said it yourself... The dangers this Gate poses, it can wipe out the entire state! You can't mean to endanger millions of people just to confirm your theory..." Tenny was desperately shocked now.
"Firstly..." Michael started, "I am dead serious."
"Secondly, it is true this Gate could potentially wipe out the entire state and cause substantial damage to the surrounding areas. Thirdly, I don't mean to endanger anyone, and finally, I don't need to prove something that is already true." Michael paused, as though not finished with what he was saying.
"You're not making any sense now! You say it can cause massive damage, but you're not endangering any lives... don't you know...?" Tenny started speaking rushing his words, trying to appeal to Michael's reason.
"Oh, I know full well the repercussions of my actions, more than anyone. I know more than you can possibly hope to comprehend. The reason why I have complete confidence and don't take any chances, is not only because I am the careful type. It's because I am powerful!" Michael was smiling now, his eyes twinkled with a dark glow.
"I will clear this Gate, kill all the Harbingers within it, and completely get rid of this dormant threat, eliminating any possibility of it surfacing in the near or far future!"
Tenny was dazed, he knew full well that this sort of threat was impossible for any Special Ability User in Nigeria to eliminate, if there existed one then the Gate would be long gone, instead of being contained. However, as he looked at Michael, he felt somewhat assured.
If there existed anyone who could do such, it would be him!
"As I said previously, I trust you. I'm your comrade... So if you're going to face the horde of Harbingers abounding at the other side of this Gate, so am I!" Tenny spoke affirmatively.
Michael smiled as he looked genuinely happy at the growth of his brother.
"Good, I was hoping you'd say that. The truth is that while I was almost invincible in the ruined world, as I had countless abilities in my arsenal, as a result of my returning to the past, I don't even have 1 percent of all my extracted abilities. Due to this, the current me can't destroy this stabilizing barrier around the Gate."
This was news to Tenny. "What? Doesn't that mean this is all pointless? How do you intend to break the barrier?"
This made Michael's smile widen even more.
"That's where you come in." He began to speak as Tenny looked even more puzzled than before.
"The one who will break this barrier isn't me, but you... and I'll show you how!"
TO BE CONTINUED.....