"Son of a condemned star," Ijvesta cursed and resisted cackling, as his half-bandaged face still ached terribly. "The world is in grave danger, and what you're concerned about is the name for your new division?"
"This is important too," Mathew Bates seriously explained. "Think about it. A cool name will certainly result in more applicants, which is exactly what we need."
He sighed and added, "We old geezers will have a very low compatibility with the power orbs, so it'll be a waste to just hand it to current Enforcers in the Overseer force. Otherwise, we wouldn't even need to send recruitment invites."
Ijvesta said at that point, "So, we're trying to cajole youngsters into joining a division that's basically a suicide squad?"
"Can't spell suicide without teen." Bates shrugged.
"What? That doesn't even make sense."
"Life doesn't make sense." Bates chuckled. "Besides, I heard the new power orbs will give them access to a lot of special abilities, far better than that of the bionic suits. So, they should be fine. We'll only pick the best of the best after all."
"What if these aliens attack before you're able to train them?" Ijvesta posed a question.
Mathew Bates groaned and said in an exhausted tone, "That's why I'm hoping the boy accepts my offer. If he could take out that ridiculously powerful thing in one hit, then he can surely keep any new invaders at bay. At least till we're fully prepared."
Ijvesta sighed deeply.
He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that humanity could very much be leaning on a teenager for survival.
"Are you going to ask him how he got that kind of strength? You said he didn't have any cybernetic parts, right?"
Mathew shook his head. "I can't ask him now. Might seem like we're trying to investigate him. I plan to head over to that research institute and see what I can sniff out."
Then, he rose and tapped his buddy right on the nose, sending the poor man into a world of pain.
"You bastard!" Ijvesta yelled, only to abruptly stop, due to another wave of pain.
Mathew Bates cackled to his heart's relief and walked to the door. "Get well soon."
"Yeah, yeah. Get out before I throw a damn syringe at you."
Mathew laughed and opened the door. As he was about to step out, he suddenly paused. His eyes slowly widened and he turned to look at Ijvesta.
"What?"
"I found a name." Mathew twirled his hat and settled it on his blond hair in a cool fashion. He said with a brilliant smile, "The Wild Hunt."
…
Epsilon Sector, in a certain house along the street.
Nina stood in the kitchen, slowly dicing apples, which she planned to use to make jam. Surprisingly, she did all the cooking and the chores around the house.
Ever since their mother died, she, the elder twin, had to take responsibility. Even though a lot of the time, she zoned out and appeared like a complete statue, she knew how to get things done and was really dependable.
In front of her, there was a large holographic screen that displayed the news and latest occurrences throughout the Rings. She listened intently, her expression as solemn as an owl in the dead of night.
Nana walked into the kitchen and leaned on the aisle. She stared at her sister intently.
"What is it?" Nina asked after a while.
"You were joking when you said you'd apply to begin training for the Overseer force, right?" Nana asked, her tone somewhat fearful. Her raven-black hair was packed into a ponytail, and she wore slim pants that stuck fast to her slender waist and curvy hips.
"The new division to be precise. The ones they're sending recruitments out for." Nina responded in a soft tone.
"Why?"
Nana knew better than to try to convince her sister when she set her mind to something. So the only thing she could do was ask why, to understand whatever reason propelled her to make such a choice.
Initially, they both planned to begin work at EVA after their 20th birthday, which was in a few months. The pay was good, and they would basically further their mother's research. It was a way to sustain a steady livelihood and also do something they enjoyed.
Now, Nina had suddenly changed her mind. It couldn't be just because Adam would be applying, right?
Nina was silent for a long time. After a while, she flashed a rare, soft smile and said, "You wouldn't understand. At least, not for now."
"What wouldn't I understand? What's so hard to explain?" Nana was getting quite annoyed.
Nina sighed and repeated, "You wouldn't understand. When the time comes, I'll tell you everything."
"However, what I need to do is stick by him."
Nana frowned. "Aren't you taking this a bit too seriously? Yes, I said our fates are intertwined, but that doesn't mean you should throw yourself in harm's way. What's wrong with helping him without joining a stupid military unit that'll only get you killed?!"
Nina jolted, the knife slipped, and she cut herself.
"Hm," She winced as blood rapidly flowed.
Nana immediately softened up. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. Are you okay?"
"It's not a deep cut." Nina said solemnly and simply dabbed water on the cut wound.
There was silence in the kitchen for a long time, neither side speaking to each other. Eventually, Nana left the house. She had planned to go for a run anyway.
When her sister left, Nina left the kitchen and ascended the stairs to her bedroom. Her room had a calm ambiance as a blue, starry-night bulb stuck to the ceiling. She had just a bed, a cabinet and wardrobe, giving the room quite a lot of space.
It was a minimalistic room.
She walked over to the wide mirror attached to the wall and stared at her reflection.
Her image in the mirror seemed to contort and expand, before taking on a hideous form. Her black hair grew longer and covered the entirety of her face, dropping all the way to her feet. Her skin went completely pale, almost transparent.
Her pitch-black eyes seemed like a gateway to the endless cosmos.
The mirror version of her spoke, "You should tell her."
"I can't," Nina shook her head slowly. "She'll think I'm a monster."
"She's your sister. She has to accept what we are." The mirror version spoke again.
Nina fell silent for a long time. Where was she to begin? How was she to explain? Who would accept the fact that their twin was a hideous creature?
"You're not a creature, you're human." The mirror version could read her mind, after all, they were one and the same. "And maybe soon, we'll understand why we were born this way."