"Ren." A voice gently calls in my sleep-covered haze.
"What?"
"It's time to wake up," The soft but strangely nostalgic voice says.
"Catherine?" I instantly opened my eyes hoping to see her again. Instead, Victoria looms over my groggy body, pulls back her foot, and drives it into my side.
"Ack! Victoria!"
"I told you it was time to get up."
"I was about to!" Looking through the only window not blocked by a mountain of trash, the moon's pale light is dominant outside. "And what time is it?"
"4 am."
"4 am? Curators need to wake up this early?!"
"Nope, work starts at 8. But, I set my alarm for a random time each day, every day so I can wake up at a different time every morning."
I don't know why I'm even trying to make sense of her at this point but, "Why?"
"Because it makes the day more interesting. Waking up the same time every day is how routines start." The bottom of her foot collides with my ribs for a second time.
"You can't keep doing whatever you want without taking into account other people."
"Why not? Doing whatever you want whenever you want is the whole point of life right? I'm simply living how everyone else should be."
"Then you should let me live how I want. And what I want is to go back to sleep for another hour or two."
"While you live in my house, you'll be following my rules. And my rules say that you'll get up when I get up."
"Please just leave me alone."
"Noooope. Now get up."
For the next thirty minutes, we go back and forth like that until I have no choice but to be fully awake from her alarm of repeated kicks. Another reckless drive later, we arrive back at the Curator headquarters for judgment day. The day I'd know whether or not I'd be able to join.
"You nervous?" Victoria asks as we walk towards the doors.
"No not really," I respond. "Whatever happens I don't have a say in it."
"Ren, you are a strange, strange man."
"I'm strange?! You're the last person who should be saying that!"
"Yes, you are. You're so pitiful and whiny about the only life you'll ever get. But when it involves me you're so persistent in trying to get your way."
"Because you're just that annoying."
"Then I'm glad I'm so good I can push you past your limits. You should be thanking me for all the work I've done," she suggests.
There's no getting through to her. She's so small and persistent like a gnat yet catastrophic and unsympathetic like a hurricane.
Now at the front entrance, I reach for the door handle and pull with no response. Again, I pull but it won't budge.
"I told you, work starts at 8. There's no one in there that'll let us in."
"So we just wait for three hours?"
"Never, I hate waiting. I'm going to walk around the city, you wanna come?"
"I'm fine here."
"Suit yourself. But it's a nice walk. So nice that it's one of the only things I don't get bored of!" She smiles walking off.
She left. Finally some quiet, some solitude. If I wanted to, I could run away. Try and avoid being captured. But it's the U.S. government, they'll get to me somehow. Then whatever chance I had at freedom would be shot. I'm better off just sitting here and taking whatever sentence they give me.
Waiting at the foot of the door I somehow disregard the early morning chill and regain my urge to sleep, curled at the foot of the door like a cat. Sleeping on the stone ground isn't the most comfortable, but it's nicer than Victoria's dump of a house, and the soft breeze rustling through the trees erases my mind of every thought before I melt into the floor.
But just as before, I feel Victoria gently nudge me, and have the sense this time to get up before the nudging turns into kicking. "What is it Victoria?"
"It's time. Ghislain is here with the keys."
Turning my head surely enough the colossal Ghislain eclipses the rising sun as he saunters his way towards us, keys in hand.
"Good morning you two!" He waves. "Wearing the same clothes as yesterday, Ren?"
"It's Victoria's fault! This little... mmm!"
"Say it! Say what you were gonna say so I can double your rent!"
"Rent!?"
"What? You thought I was gonna let live in my house for rent-free!?"
"Excuse me but how is it Victoria's fault again?" Ghislain interrupts.
"I woke up and couldn't find my clothes, and on the car ride here she told me a fake story about rats stealing my suitcase at night! Now I only have this and my wallet from last night!"
"I wasn't lying! There's a whole pack of them!" She insists. "I brought home one then they multiplied! Now they're always stealing food from the fridge or trying to sleep on the bed with me!"
"Bullshit."
"It's true! They're as big as dogs and greedy too! They could've at least given half your things to me so I could sell them online..."
"You pint-sized..." Watch out the next time you go to sleep around me Victoria.
"I'm glad to know you're both energetic this morning," Ghislain turns the keys to the door. "But you should save some of that energy for your first assignment Ren."
My first assignment? "Are you saying…?"
"Yep," He assured, brightly grinning. "I talked it over with the Chief and you're officially a Curator in training!"
"Wooohoooo!" Victoria cheered, "This is great, right Ren!?"
"Yeah. Um, thanks." I probably should be more excited, or at least more thankful to Ghislain shouldn't I? But I still don't know about all this. Curators live dangerous lives, and if I'm going out to die I'd rather stay locked away in the basement.
"Since you're going in without any training, you'll have a more experienced Curator partner with you today."
The lights peeking from the roof like tiny gophers in the ground slowly click as we entered, and the morning sunlight streaming through the skylight makes the clamorous Curator Headquarters feel serene and spacious. The empty halls and vacant space repeat the sound of our lonely footsteps. But the calming scenery can't distract me from a grim realization.
"A partner doesn't mean I'm working with Victoria, does it?" I cautiously ask.
"While I'm sure you'll miss me, I'll be busy!" Victoria says, making this job more appealing now more than ever. "I usually work in the financial department, paying staff, allocating funds, or taking taxes out of paychecks."
"It's probably the most important role a Curator can have," Ghislain adds. "It keeps the whole place running."
"And I can't stand it. Sitting at a desk all day looking at numbers."
"But it's your job, Vic. If you keep running off on Curator missions instead of doing it the Chief will…"
"I get it. I'll do my job so the Chief doesn't whine at me." Victoria skulks her way into one of the many hallways in the Curator headquarters.
"Thank god." Another moment away from her. I never knew how much I needed the quiet until today.
"I'm so sorry about what you've been going through with Vic. She can be a little odd sometimes, but she comes through when you need her."
I'll believe it when I see it. "Oh no, she's been wonderful." I sarcastically cheer.
"That's great to hear! Maybe I can pair you two up for some assignments later and-"
"Don't!" I interrupt. "I want her to be the last possible option for any mission."
"I get it. You want to meet as many new people as you can right?."
"Yeah, sure." It's like I'm talking to a kid. He's too gullible. Too cheery.
"And speaking of partners, yours should have been here a bit ago. Usually, they're the ones here when I open the doors."
The front entrance swings open just as he finishes.
"Hey, we were just talking about you guys! Good morning!" Ghislain waves enthusiastically behind me. I turn around to see two figures walking through the entrance.
To the right, is a young man wearing a blue tie around his neck and dressed in the same style of suit, dress shoes, pants, and shirt I've seen every other Curator wearing. A pair of thick, round glasses resting on his young pale face magnifies his droopy eyes, making him somewhat resemble an owl. His spiked dirty orange hair matches a pumpkin orange scarf-like fabric wrapped over his arm. His hunched-over posture and hands casually hiding in his pockets give off a lax aura, but at the same time, trying to piece any kind of emotion from his lifeless face isn't easy.
The other person to his left is the exact opposite, however. Standing upright she trots in with a full-toothed smile and strong air of confidence that makes the white lining of her cape and its black interior flow in the wind. The cape's dance reveals a white holster and the handle of a gun attached to her right side. The first gun I've seen anyone carry in the whole facility.
Or are they a he? They have long white hair tied in a ponytail and muscles about the same size as me, but traits like those could belong to anyone. They're gripped by a white skin-tight onesie with streaks of black going down from under the armpit. That makes it easier to see their chest, but the two round things there can easily be mistaken for flat boobs or defined pecs. And it doesn't help that they look like they came straight from a comic book convention and that their eyes are hidden with a white superhero mask, adding some more obscurity to their look.
"Morning Ghislain! Sorry about being late." The one to the left says in a bombastic tone.
"You're not late, no one else is here yet. You just aren't as early as you usually are."
"It's the same thing!" The figure proclaims. "Punctuality and consistency are both important foundations of heroism. Especially on the day we get a new Curator."
"And you must be him." The figure to the right is so soft-spoken that it's like they're perpetually whispering. "It's a pleasure to work with you," He greets as he stretches his hand towards mine.
I might be working with this guy a lot in the future. As far as first impressions go this is a pretty tame one. So, my hand gratefully moves to meet his offer.
"Shut up!" He suddenly screams as he grabs his head.
I retract my hand just as suddenly. I didn't even say anything. I don't think anyone said anything to him.
"I'm so sorry." he apologizes, readjusting his glasses. "That wasn't directed at you it was directed at Astahe. He's nothing to worry about. Just a voice inside my head."
Wa- Was that supposed to be reassuring? The second Victoria leaves I get another crazy person! Is every Curator someone who escaped a mental asylum!?
"If you say things like that Levi, you'll make people think you're insane." The figure in white chuckles. "He's harmless. Wouldn't hurt a fly."
Levi extends his hand but this time the magnifying glasses on his face amplify a different aura I don't think he had before. His blank stare is directed at me, but in a way that makes it seem like he's looking through me.
Not wanting to be on the receiving end of a psychotic break for not listening to him, I comply with his demand and bring my hand to shake his. It starts as a seemingly normal handshake until his grip bites into mine. The jaws crunch harder each second my hand is inside!
"Hey, you're going to crush my hand! Let go!"
I try slipping my other hand between ours to pry myself free, but his grip is iron and won't move no matter how hard I pull at it! Looking back at his face, it was almost in a trance. His eyes are frozen in place, ignoring the person right in front of him he's assaulting!
The harder I press the stronger he gets. I could move or try to force myself away, but the second I take my focus off my hand he'll crush my fingers and knuckles alike! It's so strong that I'm fighting with all the strength in my right hand to fend off his hydraulic press of a grip.
Just when it feels I'm at the limit, the figure in white places their hand on Levi's shoulder, Levi's face snaps back to its innocent-looking state, and the force his hand was exerting dissipates.
"Are you back?" They calmly inquire.
"Yeah…" Levi sighed. "Yeah, thanks Je-."
"What have I told you about saying my name!" The figure interrupts, "A hero's secret identity is like their clothes, and without it, I'd be running around naked! Do you want to see me run around naked?
"No." Ghislain and Levi respond in unison.
"Exactly! My secret identity as the White Phantom, dispenser of white power needs to be maintained!"
"White power?" Ghislain asks.
"The speech needs work," Levi comments.
"It's a prototype, I'll fix it eventually. Plus, you have more important things to do than criticize my catchphrase."
Levi turns to see my left hand being tenderly held by my right while I tried to recover any life that could still be in it. "Oh, you're right. Sorry."
"You're fine," I say.
Damn it. I can't let this guy get away with this, but Ghislain and the person Levi walked in with aren't going to just sit back and watch me beat him up. If I could even do that. The strength of this guy is inhuman!
"With introductions out of the way, shouldn't we get started with today's assignment for both of you?!" Ghislain excitedly asked. "It'll be your very first mission, Ren!"
I have to work with him now!?
"I'll leave you two to it then. And I hear this is your first mission, so if things get hairy just call." The White Phantom remarks before trailing off outside.
The White Phantom? If I'm going to be regularly seeing this person, calling them that every time seems like a pain. I'll just have to ask his... her... I'll get their name eventually.
"Hopefully we don't need the Phantom's help," Levi said. "I'm not the strongest Curator but I'll try my best."
You nearly crushed my hand and you're saying you're not strong!?
"Now, the first step to every mission is always unpleasant-" Ghislain warns, "but I believe in you! You'll get used to it."
"What do you mean by unpleasant?" I hesitantly ask. "What's the first step?"
"Just know I'm very sorry about this. But it won't hurt as much as you think!"
"What are you talking about?" Ghislain reaches below his desk and pulls out a metal bat. "You're the only Curator I've met so far that hasn't been a maniac Ghislain, don't change that!"
Ghislain shields his eyes from me and hammers the steel bat down into my skull before I can react. The force of it cracking across my head knocks me to my knees and steals my vision for a brief moment. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him do the same to Levi, who stands unphased.
"That's it!" I yell the second I regain my composure. My head is throbbing, and my right hand is still trying to get regular blood flow, but I don't care. I don't care who's around me or how many of them there are, somebody's going to pay!
Just as I'm about to get up and use the one good hand I had left to punch Ghislain across the face, a hastily drawn red circle starts appearing beneath me and Levi's feet. It's Ghislain's Antique, Waypoint!
"Don't you dare finish that circle!" I warned. But just as I had said it my words were drowned out by the sudden fwoosh from the Antique.
Even Ghislain can't be trusted! The Curator headquarters is full of maniacs and now I'm stuck with one that might be worse than Victoria!
But it's just for today. Survive today and convince Ghislain to never put me near this guy again!