Chapter 1. Parade Ground
Zeniths Projects Incorporated, Arkham, Day two hundred and three.
"But sir, we are still yet to complete the stages for the program." A man dabbed in a grey lab coat relayed to his master the current condition of the project he was tasked to handle. "The tests carried out, came back with some tasks incomplete. Safe to say we are not sure of the outcome if we proceed."
"Proceed as planned, we do not want to keep our investors waiting for results."
The resounding music echoed through the streets as the marching bands played to the rhythm of the crowd. The guests arriving at the event were all pricelessly dressed in adorning outfits as they walked into the building that held high the billboard 'PROJECT X UNVEILING.'
"Boy, are you deaf or do you just want to get beaten up?" the outsized officer roared.
He had exercised enough restraint given that there was a large presence of well-endowed citizens around and in the building. Struggling to fight his way through the glass door was a young boy. He looked unkempt and rough, exceedingly distinct from other people around him.
"Let me in! Please! I have my ticket, I paid for this event, sir!" The boy pleaded, raising his ticket.
"Scramble away to your home, you little brat! Events like this are not for rotten citizens like you" The officer growled at him.
"It's not fair! I need to be there!" The young boy proclaimed in tears as he was jacked off his feet "I paid to be there!"
The officer marched towards the gate pulling the boy by the hand as he dragged him away. With surprising strength, the boy wiggled his way through and dashed towards the glass door.
Almost immediately, the door was swung open from the inside revealing a rather regal man, he was President Malgrim Snape, commander of the city, and host of the day's event.
"What's going on here?" Snape asked, his voice demanding, extremely deep, and hoarse.
"Nothing to worry about Your Excellency, I was just about taking care of a little problem", the officer announced grabbing the boy by the arm once more.
Snape's eyes quickly scanned the surroundings before resting down on the boy, "And you are?"
The boy freed himself from the officer's strong grip, "My name is Aiden Noah, Sir." He wiped off his tears with the back of his palm, "I had paid..."
"What did you say?" Snape interjected with a severe insisting look which startled Aiden. Snape snorted and glanced around at the onlooking crowd before settling his eyes once again on Aiden.
"Did you get lost?" Snape asked, his face devoid of expression.
"No Sir! I'm here for the unveiling" Aiden said feeling the tears coming back once more.
"The unveiling you say?" Snape adjusted his eyes into that of Aiden's "That's quite an odd choice for an indigent to spend twenty silver points on an event for selected guests." Making a hundred bronze points which was equivalent to a silver point, people would have to work several hours a week and with the cost of items in the region, one could spend more than he earned if he was not careful enough.
He came closer to Aiden, hovering over him, "So tell me, why are you here?"
"I- I..." Aiden tried to speak but couldn't find the exact words, this was the first time he was encountering the President he had heard much about.
Snape took in a deep breath and let it out, "You bought a ticket? Let me see it."
Aiden managed to pull out his ticket from his worn-out pocket as he began to feel hope build up inside him and handed it to the domineering man.
And in awe and enthrallment, Aiden watched as the President who he had known to be a dictator since when he was little, raised his ticket into the air and tore it into many unmergeable pieces.
Aiden dropped to his knees, the tears finally rushing out. He picked at the numerous pieces of what was once a valuable item to him.
Snape bent over to meet Aiden's pitiful face, "Look around you boy, everyone here is prestigious and of prominence. I wouldn't let a scumbag like you reduce the quality of my projects to third class." Snape stood upright and clenched his jaw, "This is the first and last time I'll see you in Parade Grounds..." President Snape managed to mutter his name. "Aiden."
Aiden looked up and around him, he felt helpless and powerless, he had come here looking for answers about who his father was, or where he was. He had spent his last points on the ticket hoping this would be the final chapter to all the hardship endowed on him and his mother.
It had been a few months already since he last saw her, she was dragged away to the X mines, a place where those who went never returned. Finding his father was the last message his mother had given to him.
Aiden was cut short of his thoughts at the sound of Snape's cold orders, "Take this brat. He stole a ticket from one of our guests, make sure to deal with him accordingly!"
Several strong hands grabbed Aiden by his sides and began pulling him backward. "No, please! Sir! I'll do anything you want me to do, just let me in for a few minutes". Aiden tried to free himself from the grasp but it was to no avail. "Please, Sir!"
Everyone watched as Aiden's voice became far off as he was dragged to the mouth of the gate.
Why did things have to be this way? What is next for him in his life? Aiden thought as he was easily tossed into the back of a van. Ever since the handover of commander to President Malgrim Snape, families have been subjugated to poverty, he had dictated the nation; drowning its resources into Project X. Now he was hungry and was about to be taken to a disciplining center.
"Where the hell is the brat?" Aiden heard a voice coming from the side of the van. Master Sven Snape, the President's stepson, Aiden's worst enemy. 'He has come to begin my torture,' Aiden thought.
"Well, well, well, look who it is", Sven clapped his hands as he appeared at the back of the van, he had brought his fellow bullies along with him. "Did you think you could easily get in anywhere you want at any time?" He gave a cynical laugh, "Finally you're going to join your mother, to where you belong. I was wondering when this day was going to come."
"Don't talk about my mother that way", Aiden snapped back. He hated Sven since when he had ever known him. Sven was a proud jerk who loved to see the weak suffer.
Sven kept an aggravated look like he was being slapped, "Or what?!" He barked, "You know what? Get him out of the van." The officers took the order quickly and forcefully pulled Aiden out of the van as he slammed the ground hard.
"You think you're tough? Let's see how tough you are eh?" Sven snarled as he swung the first kick into Aiden's ribs. His friends began swinging boots at Aiden, who just lay on the floor enduring his fate. "You're not that strong are you now? Stand him up, I want him to fight back."
Aiden was raised to his feet sluggishly, the officers watched this horrible act with no further action taken. His sides were aching and sore, he could barely stand.
"Come on, throw your fists" Sven mocked as he attacked Aiden bringing him down to one knee, "Know your place mutt! I won't stop until you throw a punch."
Aiden glanced around, looking for a way to escape this immorality, but he was surrounded by Sven's friends. With the last possible strength he had, Aiden flung his fists, flying into the air, it landed right on Sven's smug face.
In a second of astonishment, Aiden made a quick dash away from the clique. He felt them running after him, He felt his ribs throbbing in pain, he just had to get out of there, no, he didn't want to go to the discipline center, he wanted freedom.
Aiden ran into an open entrance from the base of the huge fence. Shutting the entrance door immediately he was safe inside. As the officers and the gang banged on the door.
Aiden managed to get to his feet, wiping away the tears from his eyes, he took a long look around this strange place.
"Where am I?" Aiden asked himself. The place was large, etched in blue and white. In realization, Aiden was overcome with fear and joy, he was where he had wanted to be, in the Project X unveiling.