As everything clarifies and everyone became comfortable to each other, the meeting resumes.
"To everyone in here, we would like to express our wish to help in fighting against the Demons."
Lyne stated.
"We already agreed, planned, and decided on what help we should give under certain conditions." [Lyne]
"May we hear first what are your conditions and plans before we could accept it?" [Mayor Sebas]
"The conditions are as of follows ~"
1.) All MREN Users, shall not be under military jurisdiction and should not be tied by the government.
2.) All necessary provisions, utilities, and equipments for future expeditions outside should be provided without any ado. Optional and important items can be discussed if it is necessary.
3.) MREN User's identity should be kept secret and mustn't be released in the public unless permitted by the individual involve.
4.) Outside Operations should be publicly announced, and if deemed essential it can be broadcasted live. Me (Lyne) or Dristan shall have full authority and leadership during missions if any MREN Users are involved, also one from military shall join as overseer and preferably he or she should be an officer.
5.) Last and foremost, the lives not only for MREN Users but also to everyone involve in an operations, expeditions, or any other activities involving Demons is the most important priority.
The every conditions seems plausible for everyone in the room. Even Mayor Sebas and General De Luna has no disagreement with it. Only Major Ramos has something to ask as he raised his right hand.
"For me, your conditions are reasonable, but on the third one we cannot kept the identities of the three of you in the public. Would this be unlikely not to your favor?"
"Well... We will now tackle our plan so that the third condition shall be clarified." [Lyne]
"The three of use are planning to explore the nearby areas of Apo Bunker. Our agenda is to locate a portal and destroy it. However, the three of us might not be enough so we decide to recruit more people who had MREN Ability."
She added.
"Announcement regarding recruitment of MREN Users is not a proble, but would there be anyone willing to join?" [Mayor Sebas]
"If you didn't know, there are people inside the bunker whose also Black Berets but we don't have any communication with them since everything now is offline and how big this bunker is, we are having problem locating them so will use the announcement to gather them. In addition, there might be people willing to join us but they are afraid to expose themselves in the public eye. It's not everyone already accepted of who and what we are, so the privacy condition will come in handy in this situation." [Lyne]
"I see. That idea is ingenious. So what about the exploration on the nearby areas? Do you have any solid plan?" [Major Ramos]
"I won't call it solid, but we already heard that there is a miasma surrounding the Apo Bunker. We can guess that only MREN Users could only pass through that miasma since it is probably caused by an Infernal Being or a portal. We will also use this opportunity to test if we could destroy a portal using our MREN Abilities." [Lyne]
"Mayor Sebas, if there isn't any questions coming from the Local Government Unit maybe we could adjourned this dialogue in order to start a strategic meeting?" [General De Luna]
Mayor Sebas ask his constituents if there are any questions they want to add up.
It's seems that there are no further inquiries they want to tackle so they left the room silently.
**********
The day after, at the Mess Hall, Hazel was about to take her brunch. It was around 10:30am at that time. She sat on one of the vacant seats in the Mess Hall and as she sat down; Hazel noticed that there was a rowdy crowd just few tables away from her.
"It's been over a week since we haven't heard from any of the three of them."
A guy with eyeglasses said.
Even though Hazel is somehow far from them she could hear their conversation and it intrigues her.
"The Apo Bunker is way too vast. I just heard that this could cater almost 600,000 people. Even looking at each quarter it would take a month to find the three of them. Also we aren't sure if they are in their quarters."
"Some of the levels aren't open for public and even if there are, we need permission and valid reason to enter."
A girl with wavy long hair added.
"Early this week we tried to enter the Hospital, but it was under strict no entry rules unless you have permission."
A guy with dreadlocks said.
"Most probably Dristan was there..."
Hazel at that time who was eavesdropping was shock. She even concluded that they have MREN Abilities. As soon as she was about to take a bite of her food, a sudden premonition surges.
She saw a battle outside the bunker.
BZZT** (Her vision became static and the happenings in the premonition changes.)
The location was somewhat familiar to her, she was unsure at first, but the cityscape was somehow identical to the main street of the city.
BZZT**
Many soldiers are dead and most are injured. MREN Users are fighting with skeleton looking monsters while aiding the retreat.
BZZT**
A huge dark portal was at their front blazing in spiral.
BZZT**
Then she saw Dristan with some MREN Users trying to attack the dark portal but they are unsuccessful as a Demon with human figure exits the portal.
BZZT**
Rays of dark beam comes out from the Demon's two hand piercing the hearts of the people nearby. She saw the guy with dreadlocks, the guy with eye glasses, and the girl with them dying in that dark beam.
**GASP!**
Hazel took a deep breathe a the premonition ended. The people she's been eavesdropping were now gazing at her. All of them knew that she was a MREN User as the premonition surge starts, it reeks with MREN.
"Hey you! Did you use a MREN Ability?!"
The girl with long wavy hair asked.
Even though they knew Hazel was a MREN User, they still didn't know what her abilities are and that is why they are wary.
"I'm not a bad guy!"
Hazel replies in nervous state.
"Don't worry, we meant no harm to you." [The guy with glasses]
"Just what was that thing you did? Even though normal people won't notice it, but to us it was reeking heavily." [The girl with long wavy hair]
"I just had a premonition... Wait... Lyne and Scud must know this!" [Hazel]
"Wait! You knew Scud and Lyne?!"
The girl with long wavy hair barrage Hazel with questions but before Hazel could answer the monitors in the Mess Hall turn on for some announcement. On the screen, there was Mayor Sebas along with three familiar people.
--Good Day to everyone, This is Mayor Sebas here to in behalf of the people governing the Apo Bunker. Last week, everyone saw the efforts of our military force against the Demons scourging in our lands, also everyone saw that every weapon known to mankind was ineffective against this monsters. Yet! This people beside me, without any doubts offer their lives in the line to protect us. I know most of you sees them not one of us. I won't change the way you think about them, but for me they are still humans. Yesterday, we had deliberation with them in order to reclaim the lands that the Demons ravaged. For that to proceed we need the help of every people with MREN Abilities. I know that most of you hid their abilities and wishes not to be known in public, we already had measures in order to secure your identities, and to be clear this is not a force recruitment - this is only voluntary. For those people who had this kind of abilities and want to help this people beside me, you can press #3 on your room's intercom and await for instructions. For those who wants to assess their abilities and to confirm if your ability is really MREN, press #4. Also, I know that there are people who are hostile against them and might use this opportunity to infiltrate and gather personal information about them, I'll warn you that we have the ability to see your unpleasant agenda and we will punish you accordingly. Once again, Good Day, For the Humanity's Longevity! God Bless Us All!--
"Was that Dristan, Lyne, and Scud right?" [The guy with dreadlocks]
"Yes it is! Now we have a way of contacting them. Let's go back to our quarters and do what was instructed." [The guy with eyeglasses]
Everyone who had talked to Hazel immediately dispersed and rushed to their own quarters except for the girl with long wavy hair.
"Hey, what's your name?"
"I am Hazel..."
"Hazel huh? I am Van, you said you had the ability of premonition right?"
"Yeah..."
"What did you see?"
"Uhmmm..."
Hazel was hesitant to speak since it was grim.
"Don't worry, we aren't bad guys. We are members of Black Berets... uhmmm... More likely we are colleagues with Lyne and Scud."
"I heard about Black Berets... during my first encounter with them..."
"I see, so could you tell me what was your premonition? Don't worry, anything you say I'll believe it."
Van reassures.
Hazel was struck. It was the second time that someone believe her, it was so surreal for her when someone said that they'll believe in it and also it was the first time someone vocally said it to her. In the past couple months her premonition attacks became recurrent; however, during in her childhoo she had small premonition attacks, but when she told someone about it they'll just ignore or become proactively antagonistic to her.
"Even it is a bad one?"
Hazel asked.
"Yes and if you could don't leave any single detail."
Van answered.
Hazel told Van everything.
"Oh huh.. hmmmm.. So those might happen, or should I say WILL happen.. With your premonition, does the future remain unchanged? Or we could do something to alter the future?"
"Uhmmm... Up until now, there is just one instance that my premonition didn't happened. It was when Lyne and Scud rescued Dristan."
"Really? So there are still hopes of changing it. Well, thanks for saying everything to me. I wish we will see both during this voluntary recruitment."
Van said as she leaves and rushed back to her quarter.