“So, Solo, have you figured out if you trust a group of weirdos like us yet?” John asks, while he drives down the road.

“It’s a bit difficult for me to answer,” I reply. “I think I would have to spend more time around you guys to say.”

“Heh. That’s a fine answer, if you ask me.” He smirks. “Hell, the way I see it, a bunch of strangers showing up to help you from a tight spot like that is weird no matter how you slice it. Still, I want you to keep this in mind;” for a brief moment, John just took his eyes off the road and looked at me, maybe hoping to see what I might be thinking in my expression, and then he goes back to focusing on the road. “Aeon really did want to save you. I don’t really get why he insisted, but hey, that guy has always been someone I’m comfortable placing my trust in. He isn’t wrong often, and I don’t think he was wrong about this. Hopefully, you’ll at least trust him.”

I let out a nervous chuckle. “It’s funny that you say that. I was already feeling that he was the one I could trust the most easily.”

“That’s good. Yeah, there’s really something… different about that guy. I’ve known him for a few years, now, and there’s something special to him that’s a bit difficult to describe.”

“Yeah, I can’t really put my finger on it.” I pause and think for a moment. “Y’know, Marie seems kinda weird, too, doesn’t she?”

“Oh, I agree.” He laughs. “Yeah, she’s strange, but let’s face it. There’s a reason I called us ‘a group of weirdos’ before; all of us are weird. Hell, I mean, even you, Mystery Man.”

“Hey, that’s only a temporary case of weird,” I say, thinking I shouldn’t be laughing at him making light of my situation, but being unable to help myself. “But, hey, I don’t see anything too strange about you, John.”

“Hm. Well, I hope you’re not disappointed by the big reveal.” It sounds like a joke, but somehow, deep down, there’s a part of me that knows to take that with some seriousness.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Well, as fun as this conversation has been,” John says, bringing the car to a stop, “we’ve reached our destination. Let’s go.” He undoes his seat belt and gets out of the car. I do the same.

John walks away from the car, to the small grassy park nearby. Just past the cliff, the road leads to a bridge, and a sea that seems to go on forever.

“Why did you bring me to a place like this?”

“You’ll see. Here, let’s go closer to the cliff.”

“I dunno about that, buddy.”

John facepalms. “Are you really choosing now to doubt me? Come on, Aeon and Marie would kill me if I tried something like that. Plus, remember I have my own reasons to be curious about you, y’know?”

“Alright, alright.” Against my better judgment, I follow him to the cliff, near the edge. Why is there no railing out here? “Where does that bridge go?” I ask, pointing.

“Don’t worry about that,” John says, picking up a small stone from the ground. “Focus. Use your eyes and ears. What you’re about to see and hear is very important.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

With that, John throws the stone in his hand as hard as he can. It sure has gone flying pretty far. I need to keep my attention on it, though. What is it that John wants me to…

“!?”

The stone makes a sound like it hit something hard, as it… bounces off of the sky…!?

“W-what!?”

“That’s right,” John says, turning to me. “It’s not real. Nothing beyond this point is.”

“Where does that bridge go!?” I ask again, more flustered, this time.

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“The East Hangar and Port.”

“The…” Hangar? Port?

“It’s behind this wall. You can’t see it.”

“You… you’ve gotta be kidding!” Suddenly, I feel lost all over again. What little grip I had on what’s going on is gone, now. “Tell me! Where the hell are we!?”

“You’ve probably guessed by now, but this isn’t just any city,” John says, spreading his arms out as if to gesture to the entire city. “This is a special space colony, owned by the Metal Star Empire, created for the purpose of testing young talents like you and me. The Proving Grounds.”

“Space colony? Metal Star Empire? Proving Grounds? You’re talking a bunch of nonsense!”

“Then how do you explain what I just showed you? You’re free to try and go see what’s beyond that wall, I mean, if you’re not afraid of being arrested and executed, or shot to chunky salsa right then and there.”

The shock is messing with me. I should sit. John helps me to a nearby tree.

“Specifically, we’re on Proving Grounds #616. At around the age of 16, everyone in the Metal Star Empire is sent to one of these places. There’s no one inside here over 18. Us young people are expected to find our own way to adulthood, here.”

“Is that so?” It certainly would explain why I haven’t seen any adults or little children at all since I’ve been here.

“Yeah. Basically everything going on in this city; the hospitals, the restaurants, the closest thing we have to police, it’s all being run by machines, and teenagers who were qualified for it. The adults do some surveillance to make sure everything hasn’t completely fallen apart, but that’s it.”

“They don’t interfere, at all?”

“Won’t even lift a finger. You could do anything here, even going as far as outright murder, and unless someone else in here does something, you would never be taken to trial for any of it.”

“Wait. You said we had something like a police force in here, didn’t you? What about them?”

John lets out a cynical chuckle. “Oh, them? Having them around might be even worse.”

“Really? I mean, but why, though?”

“Let me explain. When I first got here, there was indeed great chaos. Every man for himself. Through all that fighting, however, one person in particular rose up and stood as superior to the rest of us. Nero Regal.”

“Nero Regal?” Something about just so much as hearing his name sends a shiver down my spine.

“He calls himself the Master of the Proving Grounds, and those five girls who tried to kill you yesterday are his top enforcers. He calls them his Angels.”

“Oh, they’re Angels, alright. Angels of Death.”

“The six of them are, without a doubt in my mind, the most powerful, dangerous people in this Proving Grounds. Having demonstrated this to everyone here, he made a ‘contract’ of sorts with the people.”

“So, just what is this ‘contract’ you’re talking about?”

“’Submit to my will, or die like the dogs you are’.”

“Damn. Should have figured.”

“Of course, making such a showy display, he made plenty of enemies, but as you can imagine, they were silenced just as quickly as they appeared.”

“I don’t think I like where you’re going with this.”

“And yet I only speak the truth. If you make an enemy of Nero, or anyone loyal to him, your life is forfeit. Simple as that.”

“Ugh… he sounds like a total bastard.”

“I think, by buying people’s loyalty and crushing dissenters, he’s planning to make some sort of play once he gets out of the Proving Grounds. It wouldn’t be implausible. The Regal family has enough power within the Empire to make something happen. If their best and brightest child were to come out of the Proving Grounds, having created so much support for himself…”

“I don’t understand the full implications of what you’re saying, unfortunately, but basically, all four of us have painted targets on our backs.”

“That’s true, but the thing is, Nero won’t come straight for his enemies under most normal circumstances. Most offenders will just get offed by plain officers. That’s what has me curious about you, Solo.” John looks at me, puzzled. “What could you have done to piss Nero off so much he’d sic the Angels on you?”

I shrug. “I wish I knew.”

“Well, you know what I think?” John smirks, seeming more excited than before. “I’m willing to bet Nero has the answers to a lot of our questions, but he won’t answer to people like us until we kick his ass.”

“Are… are you sure about this, John?”

“One hundred percent.” He stands up. “I told Nero to go fuck himself early on, so I was already a target. Aeon and Marie have stood by me this whole time, so Nero will come for them, too. As for you, we don’t know what Nero’s beef is, but he definitely already has one.” He reaches his hand out to me. “We’re all on Nero’s hit list, and the only way off it might be to fight.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Then come on. Let’s drag that arrogant ‘Master’ from his throne.”

“Hm… no matter how I look at it, this is the only chance I’ve got.” I take John’s hand, and he pulls me up. “Yeah, I’ll stick with you guys.”

“Glad to hear it.” He pats me on the back. “Welcome aboard, Solo.” John turns back to the car and starts walking towards it. “Well, I think that about does it. We should probably drive back, now.”

“Gotcha.”